THUS at the Feast which celebrated the ingathering of the natural harvest, a rich harvest of souls was for the first time gathered into the Christian garner, the Church assumed its separate and organised existence, and its members gave themselves up to the full requirements of their new life: 1. _They continued[673] steadfastly_, or waited constantly _upon the Apostles’ doctrine_ (Comp. Mtt. xxviii. 20), by whose hands many wonders and signs were wrought (Acts ii. 43), and who were enlightened to remember and commissioned to teach all that their Lord had said and commanded (Jn. xv. 26; xvi. 13). 2. _They persevered in fellowship and communion with one another_[674], cultivating and fostering a spirit of mutual love, and instead of living each for themselves, _had all things common_, selling their possessions and lands, and parting them to all men, _as every man had need_ (Acts ii. 42–45). 3. _They attended constantly on the breaking of the Bread_[675], and thus consecrated their chief daily meal with the celebration of that Feast, which shewed forth (1 Cor. xi. 26) their Lord’s death, and the sacrifice He had offered. 4. _They were stedfast_ also in their attendance at the public prayers[676] in the Temple, at the stated hours of the national worship (Acts ii. 42, 46), _praising God, and having favour with all the people_. And in the Temple occurred the next eventful incident in the history of the early Church. Two of the Apostles, Peter and John, were going up thither at the ninth hour[677], the hour of prayer and the offering of the evening sacrifice. At the entrance they encountered a man lame from his birth, who was in the habit of being laid day by day at the Gate known as the “Beautiful Gate[678],” for the purpose of exciting the compassion and appealing to the charity of the passing worshippers. On the present occasion he appealed to the two Apostles, and supplicated their aid. Thus accosted they stopped, and fixing upon him an earnest gaze, bade him _look on them_ (Acts iii. 4). Expecting perhaps some charitable offering, he did so[679], when Peter addressing him said, _Silver and gold have I none, but what I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk_ (Acts iii. 6, 7), and with the words took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and he, who had been lame from his birth, found strength suddenly restored to his crippled feet[680] and ankles, found himself able to spring up, stand, and walk, found himself able to accompany the Apostles into the Temple, and there give thanks to God (Acts iii. 8).