of benevolence, those who inflict them, and even to pray for their forgiveness, at the moment when they are felt. Such was the conduct of Jesus, when nailed to the cross; such was the conduct of his disciple Stephen, whose last words were a prayer for his murderers ; 66 Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.'

SECTION XI.

Persecution of the disciples. Simon Magus attempts to purchase the gifts of the Spirit.

ACTS viii. 1-25.

1. AND at that time, "on that day," there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad, throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

The populace, having found that they could murder a Christian. with impunity, proceed to acts of outrage against others. But the objects of their fury, instructed by their Master, "When they persecute you in one city to flee to another," disperse themselves over the neighbouring countries in all directions, in order to shelter themselves from the storm. The apostles were either persons of too much eminence to be attacked, or their presence at Jerusalem was too much wanted in the infant state of the church, to allow them to desert their post.

2. And devout men prepared Stephen for his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

These were probably some of the proselytes to the Jewish religion, whose concerns Stephen and the other deacons were chosen to superintend. They were called devout men, because they worshipped the true God.

3. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house; and, haling men and women, committed them to prison.

He did not content himself with apprehending those who had assembled for public worship and instruction, which the Sanhedrim had prohibited, but entered also private houses, where any Christians were supposed to reside, and dragged them to prison. In this, however, he acted under the authority of the high-priest. 4. Therefore they that were scattered abroad

went every where, preaching the doctrine of the gospel.

In the original it is preaching the word; but as this is only a short form of expression for the word of God, the word of life, and the word of salvation, by which the gospel is denominated in other parts of the New Testament, I think it better to translate the word by this phrase.

5. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, "to a city of Samaria," the city of that name had been destroyed; and preached Christ unto them.

This Philip was not the apostle of that name, but one of the seven deacons, who was chosen with Stephen, as appears from his not being able to communicate miraculous gifts to the Samaritans ; a power which belonged only to the apostles.

6. And the people, with one accord, gave heed to those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did :

7. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them, and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.

Some of the Samaritans, being cured of madness on the present occasion, are said to be dispossessed of dæmons, or of unclean spirits, and the spirits are said to leave them, crying out. This may refer to the apprehensions of the madmen, who, fancying themselves possessed by dæmons, might fear that Philip was about to inflict upon them some signal punishment, and cry out on that account, like one of the dæmoniacs mentioned in the gospel, who cried out to Jesus, "Art thou come to torment us before the time ?"*

If it should be said here that the language of the writer is founded upon the prevailing opinion, and implies a belief of the reality of possessions, it is readily admitted; and I conceive that it is not at all derogatory from the authority of the apostles and first teachers of Christianity, to suppose them ignorant of the nature of the diseases which they cured; but on the contrary, that it tends to establish the reality of their miracles; inasmuch as it appears that they were not the effects of superior knowledge in themselves, and must, therefore, proceed from divine power.

8. And there was great joy in that city.

9. But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched," used magic and astonished," the peo

*Matt. viii. 29.

ple, "the nation," of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:

The art of magic was supposed to consist in predicting future events, and in performing other extraordinary things by superior knowledge of the secret powers of nature, of the virtue of plants and minerals, and of the motions and influences of the stars, assisted, at the same time, by the power of the gods, to whom, therefore, prayers and invocations were addressed by those who practised this art. With these performances Simon had for some time astonished the people of Samaria; I say astonished, and not bewitched, because that is the proper translation of the original. The supposed powers of witchcraft, therefore, receive no countenance from this, nor indeed from any other passage of Scripture. On the contrary, they are universally branded with the character of impostures.

10. To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.

What was meant by this expression, Luke has furnished us with no means of ascertaining; but some things which are told us by ecclesiasti historians respecting this man, will throw light upon the subject. According to these historians, Simon was by birth a Samaritan, but had travelled into Egypt, where he acquired a knowledge of the oriental philosophy, one of the leading articles of which was, that there existed certain superior intelligences, which were emanations from the divine nature, and that these occasionally took possession of human bodies, and manifested in them the extraordinary powers of their divine origin. One of these intelligences Simon feigned himself to be, on which account, Luke says that he gave himself out to be some great one, and that the people called him the great power of God. Such was the philosophy of the East, upon which this impostor artfully founded his pretensions; and it has been supposed by many that the opinions which afterwards prevailed among Christians, respecting the preexistence of Christ, and the mode of his derivation from the Father, had the same origin.†

11. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had astonished them with his magic.

12. But when they believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and

women.

Highly as they thought of Simon and his performances, both quickly sunk into contempt, when they heard the doctrine and

* Farmer on Miracles, p. 254, &c.

+ Priestley's History of Early Opinions, Vol. I. ch. 2.-Enfield's Brucker.

saw the miracles of Philip. For the one were real miracles, the other, only pretended.

13. Then Simon himself believed also; and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

Whatever his professions might be, all that Simon seems to have believed, as appears by his subsequent conduct, was no more than that Philip was a greater magician than himself, and that, by associating with him, he might have an opportunity of acquiring the knowledge of his superior art.

14. Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria, i. e. a city of that country, had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

15. Who, when they were come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

16. For as yet he was fallen upon none of them; only they were baptized in the name of e Lord Jesus.

17. Then laid they, i. e. the two apostles, their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

:

From this passage it has been justly inferred that none but the apostles could confer miraculous powers, or a power of working miracles otherwise there would have been no occasion to send down two apostles to Samaria, when Philip was there already, and employed continually in working other miracles. But this, though highly necessary for confirming the faith of the Samaritans in the Christian doctrine, was not within his ability to perform. The case of Paul can hardly be deemed an exception to this rule; for he had seen Jesus, and received the knowledge of the gospel from his mouth, and had, therefore, all the characteristics of an apostle. We may observe, also, that these Samaritans were baptized into the name of Jesus only, and that, therefore, this method of baptizing is to be regarded as legitimate and proper. The communication of miraculous powers followed the laying on of the hands of the apostles, in order to show that the gifts proceeded from them, or rather, that they were the effects of their prayers; in the same manner as a miraculous cure followed the touch, or the laying on of the hand, of Christ.

18. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money.

19. Saying, Give me also this power, that on

whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.

By this proposal, it appears that Simon regarded the power of bestowing miraculous gifts as an art which the apostles had learnt by their own skill, or the instructions of others, and which they would be ready to communicate, if well paid for the discovery. He could not, therefore, believe that they came from God, or, at least, did not properly consider the important purpose for which they were now employed. He imagined, no doubt, that if he could purchase this power, it would prove an extremely profitable acquisition, and soon repay the sum which he might expend. Peter received the proposal with indignation and horror.

20. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money,

These terms are not to be interpreted literally, as if Peter really wished for the destruction of Simon, as well as of his money; but he uses strong and familiar terms of indignation, which, like other terms of that nature, often express more than is intended. It is as if he had said, Away with thee and thy money.

21. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, "in this doctrine," for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

Though thou hast professed Christianity, thou art entitled to none of its rewards; for these are promised to the virtuous only; whereas thou hast now betrayed the depravity of thy heart.

22. Repent, therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee.

If Simon considered miraculous gifts as the effects of divine power, nothing could be a higher affront to the Divine Being, than his offer to buy them with money, as if he could be tempted with gold or silver or if he considered them as the effects of human skill or knowledge, to wish to purchase them for the purposes of fraud and imposture, was little less criminal. In either case the offence was great, and nothing but contrition could afford hope of forgiveness.

23. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

Thou art in the most wretched condition, a slave to thy vices. He was still pursuing the same wicked designs in which he had been engaged before. This severe, but just reproof, awakened the apprehensions of Simon, and made him afraid that he should be punished with some signal judgment.

24. Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to