August 24

Acts xix. — 1. And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper coasts, came to Ephesus; and, finding certain disciples,

2. He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

3. And he said unto them, Unto what, then, were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.

4. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him; that is, on Christ Jesus.

5. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6. And, when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

7. And all the men were about twelve.

8. And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.

9. But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.

10. And this continued by the space of two years: so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard

the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

11. And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul;

12. So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

13. Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

14. And there were seven sons of one Sceva a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.

15. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?

16. And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

17. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

18. And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds.

19. Many of them, also, which used curious arts, brought their books together, and burned them before all men; and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

20. So mightily grew the word of God, and prevailed.

One may be a sincere Christian who yet has a very limited knowledge of doctrine, and a very imperfect experience. These disciples at Ephesus were probably Jews, who had been at Jerusalem in the days of John the Baptist, had accepted his doctrine concerning the Christ, and had been baptized into the kingdom of God. They had known little of subsequent events, and nothing whatever of the miraculous descent of the Spirit at Pentecost; but they were in a frame of true faith and devotion, and at once accepted and acted upon the new light given them by Paul.

The "vagabond Jews" spoken of in verse 13 were wandering jugglers, who professed to have communication with

the spirit-world. "It was important that the divine power which accompanied the gospel should, in some striking manner, exhibit its superiority to the magic which prevailed so extensively at Ephesus, and which, by its apparently great effects, deceived and captivated so many. This miracle would have a tendency to rescue men from those arts of imposture, and prepare their minds for the reception of the truth."

No better proof of conversion could be given than to renounce a lucrative trade for conscience' sake, and to destroy a pernicious stock rather than perpetuate mischief by selling it out to others in the same business.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 89, 117.

We come to thee this morning, heavenly Father, with hearts full of thankfulness for the mercies of the night. Thou hast kept us quiet from the fear of evil: nor sickness nor death, nor tempest nor fire, nor any calamity, hath overtaken us or our dwelling. How sure are the mercies of thy covenant, O Lord!

Bless to us thy Word which we have now read: may we carry out its principles in our lives, and adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things! May we be just and true, loving and kind, gentle, forbearing, and forgiving, and so shine as lights in the world, holding forth the

Word of life! May every day witness some new victory over evil desires and passions within us, and over the evil that is in the world! Keep all dear to us even as the apple of thine eye. Bless our neighbors, and send thy Spirit upon this whole community. Bless our rulers, and the schools and churches in our land. Have pity upon the poor, and upon homes made desolate by famine, pestilence, fire, or war. Mercifully forgive our sins, and bring us unto the perfection of knowledge, of holiness, and of blessedness, in Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom be glory forever. Amen.