destroy the truth, subservient to its further diffusion and establishment. Let us not then hastily arraign the conduct of Providence, when we see the wise and good persecuted and oppressed; nor let us murmur or complain, when we ourselves suffer in a good cause. We are probably doing more essential service to mankind by our sufferings, than we could do in any other way.

2. The conduct of Peter, in rejecting money with indignation, when offered him upon dishonourable terms, deserves our admiration and applause. He hereby showed that, in preaching the gospel, he had some nobler object in view than enriching and aggrandizing himself, and that his sole motive for entering upon the course of life in which he had now engaged, was to fulfil the purposes of Divine Providence, and to promote the interests of mankind, by communicating the most important truth. In such an honourable employment, he is willing to remain poor, and to trust for protection and support to the favour of Heaven and the charity of the benevolent. And in doing so he has wiped away all suspicion of interested views from himself and his associates, as well as adhered to the injunction of his divine master: "Freely ye have received, freely give."

In this behaviour let other Christians learn to imitate Peter. Let no regard to money or any worldly interest induce them to conceal or renounce the truth, or to violate any duty which they owe to God and man. For this honourable integrity they may be condemned to live in poverty; but they will find more peace of mind in that condition than all the splendour of riches could bestow; and what they lose in temporal emoluments in this life, will be amply repaid at the resurrection of the just.

I shall here subjoin the observation of a learned commentator*:"From this crime of Simon, a pur

Dr. Benson.

chasing the ministerial function with money or bribes was called Simony in the ancient canons of the Christian church. But it is now called so, to procure ecclesiastical benefices by bribing and corrupting such as have the disposal of them. Nor can they who take such bribes be wholly clear of all crime.”

Acts viii. 26. to the end.

The historian, having related the success of Philip the deacon in preaching the gospel to the Samaritans, proceeds to record the conversion of an illustrious proselyte, from a more distant country, by the same person.

26.

And an 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.

As Stephen had called the voice that spake to Moses from the bush an angel of the Lord, it is possible that what is here called an angel might be something of the same kind, that is, a miraculous voice from heaven, or, perhaps a secret suggestion of the spirit. This supposition seems to be confirmed by what is said below in verse the twenty-ninth, where we are told that not an angel but the spirit gave directions to Philip how to act; although it be highly probable that the second directions came from the same instrument, whatever it might be, as the first. It is not easy to determine whether the word desert in this verse belong to the town of Gaza, or to the road which led from Jerusalem to it, being equally applicable to both. For the town was in ruins, and the road to it passed through a desert country.

27. And he arose and went: and

behold an eunuch of Æthiopia, of great authority under Candace queen of the Æthiopians, 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 Isaiah the prophet.

This man was probably a Jew by descent, although a native of Ethiopia; which will not appear extraor dinary, considering that there was a great body of Jews at Alexandria, in Egypt, a neighbouring country. Nothwithstanding the prejudices which prevailed among the Gentiles against that people, he had recommended himself by his talents to the first post in the court of the queen of that part of Ethiopia which bordered upon Egypt. Like other foreign Jews, he went up to Jerusalem, at one of the great festivals, to worship God. A queen of this part of Ethiopia of this name is mentioned by Pliny, and other heathen writers*; which circumstance may be regarded as a confirmation of the truth of the scripture history.

29. Then the spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to his chariot.

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

31. And he said, How can I, ex

See Doddridge, Benson, Harwood.

cept some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

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 the shearer, rather," before the butcher," so he opened not his mouth.

The first part of the verse refers to slaughter; it is more probable, therefore, that the last clause refers likewise to the same subject, and, agreeably to this supposition, it is found that both the Greek and Hebrew word signifies a destroyer, or devourer, as well as a shearer *.

33. In his humiliation his judgment was taken away, rather," his condemnation was extorted," and who shall declare his generation? i. e. "the men of his generation who shall be able to describe," on account of their wickedness? for his life is taken from the earth +

In the former of these two verses the prophet predicts the silence and patience of Jesus, on two very remarkable occasions, his trial and his execution. In the other he foretels that his condemnation would be extorted, and not the result of free opinion. The prophet also expresses his astonishment at the wickedness of the people, who could accomplish the death of so innocent and excellent a person by such means.

Wakefield's Note and Silva Crit. i.
U

Vol. 3.]

p. 43. + Dodson's Isaiah.

In giving this character of the Jews of that age, he is supported not only by the testimony of the evangelists, but also by that of Josephus, the Jewish historian.

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.

He took occasion, from this passage, to show how exactly the character and sufferings of Jesus corresponded with the prediction of the prophet, and to infer hence that he must be the Messiah promised to the Jews.

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 thy heart, If thou art perfectly convinced of the truth of the Christian doctrine, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

This verse is omitted in the Alexandrine and many other manuscripts, and is therefore probably an addition to the text, made by some one who intended to supply what he conceived a proper answer to the eunuch's