he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday? Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.

Ver. 30. And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet for the place where thou standest is holy ground. "I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilder

33 In drawing near to God in worship, we are to put aside worldly affections, which are as feet to the soul, conducting it to evil or to good *.

ness forty years.
37 This is
that Moses, which said unto
the children of Israel, A pro-

phet shall the Lord your God
raise up unto you of your

34 God hears the cry of all who, being afflicted in mind, body, or estate, seek his aid. Art thou, haply, a child of sorrow? Seek Him-commune with Him-trust in Him. He will comfort thee.

37 Arguing, that they acted inconsistently in rejecting the Messiah, when their own honoured Prophet demanded that they did receive him. (Deut. xviii. 15.)

brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: to whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust

39

39 The Jews thrust from them "a greater than Moses :" therefore still heavier is their punishment.

To this day, in Eastern countries, the sandals are removed from the fect before a worshipper enters the house of prayer: thereby indicating deep humility and unworldliness.

:

him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into
Egypt, saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for
as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt,
we wot not what is become of him. And they made a calf in
those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in
the works of their own hands. Then God turned, and gave
them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the
book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered
to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in
the wilderness? Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch,
and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to
worship them and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as
he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make
Which also our
it according to the fashion that he had seen.
fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the posses-
sion of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of
our fathers, unto the days of David; who found favour before
God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
But Solomon built him an house. Howbeit the most High
dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house
will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my
rest? Hath not my hand made all these things? Ye stiff-
necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always
resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they
have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the
Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and mur-
derers: who have received the law by the disposition of angels,
and have not kept it. When they heard these things, they
were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their
teeth.

Ver. 55. But he, being full stedfastly into heaven, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 and said, Behold I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. loud voice, and stopped their one accord, 58 and cast him out of the city, and stoned him and the witnesses laid

Which

of the Holy Ghost, looked up saw the glory of God, and 56 We do not wonder that, on so special an occasion, special revelstion of the divine power should be vouchsafed.

Then they cried out with a ears, and ran upon him with

58 Saul became afterward the apostle St. Paul, and himself died a martyr to the faith of Christ.

من

AUGUST 10, DEC. 8. down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

60 Stephen thus followed the example of his blessed Master, praying for his murderers. Thus slept he in his calm and holy death, the first of the noble army of martyrs. His rest was glorious.

1

CHAPTER VIII.

APRIL 11, AUG. 10, Dec. 8.

AND Saul was consenting

This persecution accomplished unto his death. And at that our Lord's prophecy. (Matt. xxiii. time there was a great per

34.)

secution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation of him.

4

2 The mourner's sorrow is permitted to find relief in tears; though to the righteous, death be gain.

As for Saul, he made havock

of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women, committed them to prison. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 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. there was great joy in that city. 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: to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men

The providence of God turned evil into good; for the scattering of the disciples promoted the further spreading of the Gospel.

5 This was Philip the deacon. Philip the Apostle was still at Jerusalem (ver. 1).

And

18

"Then Simon

14

"How great is the force of truth'

16 No apostle had yet laid his hands upon them. The deacons did not confirm, but only baptized. It was the peculiar province of the apostles to confirm converts by the imposition of hands, and so convey the promise of the Holy Ghost.

18 Simon sinned, not in wishing for the Holy Ghost, but in supposing that it might be bought with money.

and women. himself believed also: and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the Apostles, which were at Jerusalem, heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John; who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost. (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee: because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent, therefore, of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me. And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans. 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

27 Where the heart is desirous to serve God, no distance is considered too great to attend his worship. This illustrious Ethiopian sets us a noble example of zeal, and shames those who allow trifling difficulties to keep

them from God's service.

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, was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and

31

heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 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. 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*: in his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 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? "And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he an

31 Almighty God hath therefore appointed his ministers as guides to aid men in understanding the word. The ministers, so appointed, labour in their teaching, patiently and hopefully.

swered and said, I believe

37 This epitome of Christian belief includes a saving confession of faith, because it declares the divinity of Jesus. The Jews themselves allow, that if Jesus be the Son of God, he is God. (1 John v. 18.)

that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 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. "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. But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Cæsarea.

39 Did he rejoice! So you and I may rejoice. He found the same

Saviour in whom we believe and

hope-our Saviour and our God!

This passage is worded rather differently in its corresponding passage, Is. liii. 8. The variation is caused by this circumstance. The Apostle quoted the passage from the Septuagint, or Greek copy of the Old Testament; consequently the translation of the passage, as introduced here, is made from that. But the passage in Isaiah is translated from the Hebrew copy of the Old Testament. The variation is slight. It is very satisfactory however to find, that as the apostles have in the Gospels and the Acts often given the passages from the Old Testament in the words of the Septuagint, or Greek translation, we may consider

that as truth.