Acts 8

Chap. VIII. Ver. i—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 pro- [pagation]. 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, seen 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 hearing 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 a hypocrite. And yet, notwithstanding this, he exhorts him to penitence and prayer, with a “perhaps the thought of thy heart may be 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 account; indeed, on the contrary, ecclesiastical history describes him as having become decidedly an apostate, and bitter enemy to the gospel. By “From this infamous attempt [of Simon] to bargain for the power of conferring the Holy Spirit, (says 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 believe [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 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 spiritual 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 blessing unto your endeavours, be as thin and meagre in regard of true and useful learning, as Pharaoh’s lean kine were after they 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.” 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