towards his master had afforded such evidence of their disposition? Surely nothing but a full conviction of the divine mission of Jesus, and of his being himself countenanced by divine authority, could induce him to make so bold and dangerous a declaration. And his faith in the truth of the gospel is the best foundation for ours. For men will not expose their lives to destruction for facts about the truth of which they have never inquired; much less will they do this for a known falsehood. Here then we see what benefit the world derives from the blood of the martyrs, and how the providence of God is justified in permitting their death. Their testimony in favour of Christianity confirms the faith of many of their brethren, who were before wavering, and inspires them with courage to act the same part. The violent death of an excellent man cannot fail to attract the attention of unbelievers, and to lead them to inquire into the cause of so extraordinary an event; and inquiry must end in conviction. In this manner the martyr makes more proselytes and does more good by his death than he could have effected by his instructions, if he had lived many years. Such are the benefits arising from martyrdom to persons living in the same age; but the advantages resulting from it to posterity are incalculable. It affords better proof of the truth of the Christian religion than any other evidence. Men may pretend to divine revelations who have no authority for their pretensions; they may swear falsely in a court of justice, where there is no opportunity of detecting and punishing their falsehood; but they will not deliberately throw away their lives for an imposture, in any circum

stances.

S. We see what a noble spirit is communicated to those who feel the influence of the gospel. It teaches them to overlook and forgive the greatest personal injuries; to regard with sentiments 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; "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge."

Acts viii. 1-25.

We have here an account of a persecution of the Christians, which took place upon the death of Stephen, and of the effect produced by it in dispersing the disciples, and spreading the knowledge of the gospel in the country of Samaria. We have also a particular account of the impostor Simon.

1. And at that time, rather, "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 Judæa 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 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 havock 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, rather, " 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 cared 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, rather," used magic and astonished, the people, "the nation," of Samaria,

Matt. viii. 29.

giving out that himself was some great

one:

The art of magic consisted 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 ecclesiastical 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

Farmer on Miracles, p. 254, &c.