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.

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 the people of Samaria, giving out that - himself was some great one:

10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. 11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.

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.

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.

14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria 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 Ghost:

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

17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

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

19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

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.

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

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

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

24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken

come upon me.

Ver. 7. Unclean spirits, crying, &c.--Compare Matt. x. 1; Mark iií. 11, &c.

astonished."

Ver. 9. And bewitched-rather, This is the same word that in ver. 13 is rendered "wondered," and implies, that he excited great astonishment, as magicians and conjurors are wont to do. Simon was affected by Philip's miracles, as the people had been by Simon's wonders; and perhaps thought him a practitioner in the same art, but of higher attainments. See ver. 19.

Ibid. Some great one-Probably wishing it to be understood that he was the Messiah, in opposition to Jesus. Some of the fathers say, that to different characters he represented himself under the names of the three persons of the Trinity: but this, we conceive, must have been after his apostacy. See Doddr. Note (h).

Ver. 13. Miracles and signs.-Marg. " signs and great wonders."

Ver. 16. Baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. -So chap. i. 38. Commentators are not agreed whether this is an abridged form of expression, instead of naming the three persons of the Trinity; or an abridged form of administering the ordinance to Jews, who had already been initiated into the

doctrine of the Trinity in the Old Testament. See Exposition of Gen. i. 24-31. It is observable, that where the command is given to baptize in the name of the three persons, it seems to have particular reference to the Gentiles-" all nations." Matt. xxviii. 19.

Ver. 20. Thy money perish with thee.-Doddr. "Thy money go with thee to destruction." Not an imprecation, wishing it might do so, which he knew to be impossible, but an expression of alarm and danger.

Ver. 22. If perhaps.-This expression is thought to intimate, in Peter, a fear lest Simon should have committed the unpardonable sin-the sin against the Holy Ghost. See 1 John v. 16.

Ver. 23. The gall of bitterness.-This is bitterness, or misery itself-The bond of iniquity is slavery to lust, particularly the lust of covetousness, called the lust of the eye. (1 John ii. 16.)The bond of iniquity-is explained by Hammond of a league with Satan, probably referring to the magical arts which he had practised.

Ver. 24. None of these things.-Peter probably enlarged upon the awful consequences Simon might expect,

The Gospel]

25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and

[ preached in Samaria. preached the Gospel in many villages of the Samaritans. (Q)

CHAP. VIII.

(Q) Ver. 1-25. The Church being dispersed by persecution, carry the gospel with them. The sin and danger of Simon Magus. It may appear paradoxical, but there seems truth in the intimation of Milner, that this persecution was, in great measure, owing to the Romans having taken off all restraint from the priestly government of the Jews, who seem now to have vented their rage against the Christians without control. Among the agents in this cruel business, the most active and zealous was a young man already mentioned, whose name was Saul; and though perhaps he was not actually engaged in stoning Stephen, as not being one of the witnesses; yet he took care of their clothes while so engaged, and was not only content, but well pleased with the execution. So much so, that he now signalized himself as the chief persecutor of the time, and made havoc of the church, as a wild beast does of a flock, when he breaks into a sheep-fold. He entered into every house he could find where the Christians held their assemblies, and "haling" thence "" men and women," without regard to age or sex, committed them. The prisons would, however, at this time, contain only a small part of the Christians; but the others being threatened, were scattered abroad throughout the surrounding country. Thus the wrath of man fulfilled the purposes of God; and the very means used to suppress the gospel contributed to its wider propagation.

Among others, Philip, one of Stephen's fellow-deacons, went down into Samaria, and there preached and wrought miracles, which occasioned great joy in that city. A certain man, called Simon Magus (or the Magician), had resided there some time, and by practising the arts of sorcery, had so far bewitched the people, that he was considered by them an extraordinary person-" the great power of God!" When, however, they heard Philip, they soon perceived a vast difference; and the Spirit of God attending his ministry, they were converted, and then baptized. Even Simon himself was so overwhelmed with the evidence of a truly divine power in Philip, that he was convinced of the truth of the gospel, and became one of his followers. What, however, most surprised him, and eventually discovered his hypocrisy, was, that when the apostles Peter and John

came to visit Philip and the new converts, upon their praying for, and laying their hands upon them, the same extraordinary gifts were bestowed on others also. Astonished at this, anxious to possess these gifts, and finding that the apostles did not offer to do the same for him (being probably suspicious of him), he offered money to be endowed with the like powers that the apostles were, intending, no doubt, to make thereof a profit. Peter, on hear ing this, exclaimed with a holy indignation, "Thy money perish with thee! because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money! I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity;"-or, in other words, that thou art an hypocrite. And yet, notwithstanding this, he exhorts him to penitence and prayer, with a perhaps the thought of thine heart may he forgiven thee." On this Simon very properly replies, pray for me, that no awful judgments come upon me;" but that he was ever truly converted, we have no ac- [ count; indeed, on the contrary, ecclesiastical history describes him as having be come decidedly an apostate, and bitter enemy to the gospel.

66

"From this infamous attempt [of Simon] to bargain for the power of conferring the Holy Spirit (says Mr. Scott), all mercenary contracts for church benefices, and other methods of turning the concerns of religion into a lucrative trade, are called Simony; of which there have been, and are, a great variety of species; and will be, so long as men continue covetous and ambitious, and verily suppose that gain is godliness." But there is a species of Simony, or, at least, according to an eminent and learned prelate, it borders on it, against which not only the clergy of the establishment, but all ministers, and even students, should be guarded.

"It was Simon Magus's error (says Bp. Sanderson) to think that the gift of God might be purchased with money; and it hath a spice of his sin, and so may go for a kind of Simony, to think that spiri tual gifts may be purchased with labour. You may rise up early and go to bed late, and study hard, and read much, and devour the marrow of the best authors, and, when you have done all, unless God give a bless ing unto your endeavours, be as thin and meagre in regard of true and useful learning as Pharoah's lean kine were after they

The conversion of the]

12 26 ¶ And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, 28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

[Ethiopian eunuch.

32 The place of the Scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth :

33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said,

had eaten the fat ones. It is God that both ministereth seed to the sower, and multiplieth the seed sown; the principal and the increase are both his."

"It is clear that all Christian virtues and graces, though wrought immediately by us, and with the free consent of our own wills, are yet the fruit of God's Spirit working in us. That is to say, they do not proceed originally from any strength of nature, or any inherent power in man's free-will; nor are they acquired by the culture of philosophy, the advantages of

education, or any improvement whatsoever of natural abilities, by the helps of art or industry; but are, in truth, the proper effects of that supernatural grace which is given unto us by the good pleasure of God the Father, merited for us by the precious blood of God the Son, and conveyed into our hearts by the sweet and secret inspirations of God the Holy Ghost. Love, joy, and peace, are the fruits, not at all of the flesh, but merely of the Spirit. (Quoted Knox's Christian Philos. § viii.)

Ver. 26. Which is desert-i. e, the way through the desert, or wilderness of Judea. Doddr.

Ver. 27. An Eunuch-A term of office. See Note on Gen, xxxvii. 36.-Candace, queen of Ethiopia. -"Candace" is said to be a name common to the Queens of Ethiopia, as Cæsar was of the Roman Emperors.

Ver. 39. Heard him read.-We may observe from verse 26, that this was a very solitary road, and therefore the eunuch could not have read aloud to at ract notice: but a late respectable traveller, in allusion to this very passage, remarks, that in Syria "they usually go on reading aloud, with a kind of singing voice, moving their beads and bodies in time, and making a kind of monotonous cadence at regular intervals." Jowett's Christian Researches, 129. The ancient chariots were generally open, like our common chaises.

Ver. 32. He was led, &c.-See Isa. liii. 7, 8, with Exposition and Notes.

Ver. 33. In his humiliation his judgment was taken away-This, which is quoted from the Septuagint version of these verses, seems to mean, "In bis degraded state, justice was denied:" but compare Isaiah as above. Mr. Preb. Townsend proposes a change in the punctuation of the original, connecting verses 32 and 33, thus-" Like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth because of affliction; and his just judgment was taken away. "3 The learned reader will judge of this matter for himself. See N. Test. Arr. vol. i. p. 77, 78.

Ver. 37. And Philip said, &c.-This verse is omitted in many (including the best) MSS., and Griesbach and other critics consider it only as a marginal gloss brought into the text. So Boothroyd; but Beza and Doddridge think it too im portant to be omitted; and Whitby suggests the probability of its being first omitted by some who approved of delaying baptism as long as possible.

I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

38 And he commanded the chariot

to stand still and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Cæsarea. (R)

[Christians to Damascus.

CHAP. IX.

AND Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the High Priest,

2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

(R) Ver. 26-40. The conversion of an Ethiopian eunuch of great rank.-"It is well known, that persons attached to the Jewish religion were found in all the countries around Judea, and that among these were many persons of considerable distinction. In this way the Old Testament scriptures were extensively known, and we may hope that their influence was not inconsiderable. These persons often came to Jerusalem (as others go on pilgrimage), especially at the great festivals. We have before us an interesting narrative of an Ethiopian eunuch, treasurer to the Queen of Ethiopia, who had been to Jerusalem to worship the one God: he was returning home in his chariot through a desert place, and was reading, as he passed along, a part of the prophecies of Isaiah; but he read it as a sealed book: he knew not the person of whom the prophet spake. But God, who accepts all in every nation who fear him and work righteousness, did not permit him to remain ignorant of Christ; though it does not appear that his late

journey to Jerusalem had made him acquainted with any of the disciples of our Saviour. How many, who have some correct views, and some appearances of good desire, are kept from the knowledge of real Christians by their peculiar situations or prejudices! By an extraordinary commission, Philip, the deacon, was sent to this Ethiopian; and, beginning at the 53rd of Isaiah, he explains to him the whole doctrine of Christ: the eunuch listens, believes with all his heart, is baptized, and goes on his way rejoicing. What a vast body of new and most interesting facts had been made known to him in one short hour! He is going into a dark region; he is a man of influence: perhaps he may be able to lead his queen and her court to the knowledge of Jesus, and their example may have vast influence on the future spread of the gospel in Ethiopia. Surely here was enough to fill his mind with gratitude, and make him go on his way rejoicing. (Ward's Reflections, p. 234, 5.)

Ver. 38. Both into the water.-Doddr. says"Considering how frequent bathing was in those hot countries, it is not to be wondered that baptism was generally administered by immersion, though I see no proof that it was essential to the institution." And the candid Lardner says, "I do not see any proof that the Eunuch was baptized by im. mersion." How differently men view the same facts and circumstances!

Ver. 39. Caught away Philip. See 1 Kings

xviii. 12.

Ver. 40. Azotus-i. e. Ashdod, more than thirty miles from Gaza, from whence he preached in all the cities along the coast of the Mediterranean.

CHAP. IX. Ver. 1. Breathing out threatenings and slaughter-A strong poetical expression. So Homer speaks of breathing rage, and Theocritus of breathing slaughter. See Orient. Lit. No. 1397.

Ver. 2. Letters to Damascus.-The Jews to this day are said to correspond with their brethren through most parts of the world; much more at this time, when the authority of the Sanhedrim seems to have extended more or less to all their brethren.

Ver.3. Near Dumascus.-It is impossible to cal culate the length of this journey without accurately knowing the road he went. Doddridge supposes it to have been 150 miles, and it might be more. A great way to bring his prisoners, as he proposed,

ver. 2.

4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

6 And, he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damas

cus.

9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.

11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth;

12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.

13 Then Ananias answered, Lord,

[conversion.

17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.

20 And straightway he preached Christ in the Synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem; and came hither

Ver. 4. And heard a voice.-It is only here said that Saul saw a light from heaven, and heard a Voice: but as he twice asserts that he did see the Lord (1 Cor. xi. 1; xv. 8), it is most reasonable to conclude that it was at this time. Another appearance of the Lord Jesus to him is mentioned chap. xxiii. 11, but this is calculated to have been after he had written the first Epistle to the Corinthians, and therefore cannot be here referred to

Ver. 5. It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks-orgoads." Compare Deut. xxxii. 15; 1 Sam. ii. 29. As this sentence is also wanting in many MSS., and some versions, it is also omitted by Griesbach, who supposes it taken from Chap. xxvi. 14: but query.

Ver. 7. Hearing a voice.-Boothroyd," a sound" (as phone is often rendered), but not distinguishing

the words.

Ver. 8. They led him-i. e. his attendants.
Ver. 11. Called Straight.-This street is still ex-

isting, and was visited lately by Mr. Barker, one of the agents of the Church Missionary Society.-Miss. Regist. Aug. 1826, p. 383.--Saul, of Tarsus.-The inhabitants of this city are described by Strabo, as remarkable for their attachment to literature and polite learning. Orient. Lit. No. 1402.

Ver. 15. Gentiles.-Ham. and Doddr. "Nations." It was not yet understood that the gospel was to be preached to the uncircumcised Gentiles: and yet the thing had been so plainly intimated in our Lord's command to preach it to all natious," and to "every creature," that it seems strange it was not.

Ver. 17. Putting his hands on him.-It was the custom among the ancients to lay their lands gently on any person on whom they conferred their bless ing, or any benefit--as here recovery of sight. See Matt. xix. 13; Mark viii. 23.

Ver. 18. Scales-Perhaps the external coat of the eye, shrivelled by the splendour of the light which struck him down. Taylor's Expos. Ind. p. 205.