Chapter I.—THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST.
After the Four Gospels, there is in the New Testament a book called "The Acts of the Apostles," which gives us an account of the principal acts, or doings, of some of the Apostles, after the Lord was taken from them. This Book of Acts was written by St. Luke, who also wrote one of the Four Gospels; and it is the only Scriptural account we have of what the Apostles said and did, though we gather a few more particulars from the Epistles, or letters written by the Apostles themselves, to the brethren in different places.
The Book of Acts furnishes us with much that has been said of the Ascension, or "going up into heaven," of Jesus Christ. We have already heard that the Apostles returned to Jerusalem with "joy," which might seem strange when one they so dearly loved had just been taken from them. But they had indeed cause for joy: they had seen their Lord suffer and die, to purchase pardon for sinners; they had seen Him come to life again, thus showing that He had indeed made a sufficient atonement for all: and now they had beheld Him received up into heaven, proving that, for His sake, all His true disciples might follow Him: "where I am, there shall ye be also." Great therefore was their joy, and they showed it in the most fitting manner, by being "continually in the temple, praising and blessing God."
The first thing we have an account of after their return from Mount Olivet to Jerusalem is, that, "when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew (called also Nathanael), and Matthew, James the son of Alphæus (known to us as the Less), and Simon Zelotes, and Judas (or Jude) the brother of James." The word "Zelotes" means full of zeal, or eagerness; and this Simon was probably so called, because he was eager in doing the work of God. St. Matthew speaks of him as "Simon the Canaanite"; and it is supposed that he was a native of the city of Cana, in Galilee. Here we find the eleven Apostles all together: and they "continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and with Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren": waiting for the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
During this time, Peter proposed, that from amongst the disciples who had accompanied them all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among them, they should choose one to take the place of Judas Iscariot, and be with them a witness of the Resurrection of Christ; thus making the number of the Apostles twelve, as it had been at first, by the Lord's appointment. Peter's suggestion was at once followed. "And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias," both of whom appeared to be in every way fit for the office they were to fill; and then, not trusting in their own judgment, "they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, that he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles."
The mode of deciding doubtful matters by lot had been appointed by the Law of Moses; and was, at the time we are speaking of, a solemn way of seeking the Will of God, who directed the lot as He saw fit.
Matthias, now chosen to be an Apostle, was probably one of the seventy, whom our Lord during His life sent out by twos to teach the people, and work miracles, in order to prepare the way for Him. It is believed that Matthias first went about teaching in Judæa, and that he afterwards travelled eastward, where he met with cruel treatment from the barbarous nations of Asia. With great labour and suffering, he did convert many of the heathens to Christianity; but at last he was put to death for the sake of Jesus. But these things did not, of course, happen until many years after Matthias was chosen to fill up the number of the Apostles.
Jesus had remained on earth for forty days from the day of His resurrection; and during that time He showed himself at different times to His disciples. The day on which He rose from the grave we call "Easter Day," from an old word, meaning "to rise." The Apostles kept a feast every year afterwards on that day, in memory of this glorious event; and our Church teaches us also to observe Easter as a season of especial joy.
In consequence of Christ having risen on the First Day of the week, the disciples, and all Christians since their time, have observed that day as a day of holy rest, and called it the Lord's Day: this is Sunday, which amongst us is dedicated to the special service of God, instead of the Seventh Day, or Jews' Sabbath, our Saturday.