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Jerufalem, heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they fent unto them Peter and John. 15 Who when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the holy Ghost.

16. (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Je fus.) directed.)

17. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the holy Ghost.

telligence of the Progrefs of the A. D. 35.
Gofpel about Samaria, fent Peter
and John into thofe Parts, to
confer fuch Gifts of the Holy
Converts, as the divine Wildom
Ghoft upon fuch of the new
fhould think moft proper for the
Occafions of the Church.

16. (For thefe miraculous Powers, were not the immediate Privilege of all Converts upon Baptifm, but were difpenfed by the Twelve Apostles, to fuch Perfons and Purposes as the Holy Spirit

17. Accordingly thefe two Apoftles came and conferred them upon feveral by Prayer, and the fignificant Ceremony of laying their Hands on them. And, by thus conferring the Gifts of the Holy Spirit upon thefe Converts of Samaria, the Apoftles took the most prudent and early Steps toward curing thofe long Prejudices, and Averfions that had poffeffed the Minds of Jews and Samaritans against each other; fhewing them now to be all equally acceptable to God, and capable of the Bleffings of the Meffiab's Kingdom, upor their Repentance and Converfion to his Religion.

18. And when Simon faw that through laying on of the apoftles hands, the holy Ghoft was given, he offered them money, 19. Saying, Give me alfo this power,

that on whomfoever I lay hands, he may receive the holy Ghoft.

ftow it upon him.

18 & 19. Simon obferving this
great Prerogative of the Apoftles,
not only to work Miracles them-
felves, but to confer the Power
upon others; and imagining with
himself what Credit and Gains
he could make of fuch a Privi-

lege, if he had it; and judging
of the Apoftles Temper by his
own covetous Inclinations, offer-
ed them a Sum of Money to be-

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20. Which

A. D. 35.

20. But Peter faid unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou haft thought that the gift of God may be purchafed with money.

20. Which Propofal Peter rejected with the utmoft Indignation, upbraiding him with the monstrous Wickedness of imagining, That a free Gift of God could ever, like earthly Commodities, be expofed to Sale, and

of defigning that for his own Vanity and Lucre, which God intended only for the fpiritual Good of Mankind. Take your Money (fays he) the Love of which will be your Destruction.

21. Thou haft neither part nor lot in this matter for thy heart is not right in the fight of God.

22. Repent therefore of this thy wickednefs, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

21. Telling him, that his Covetoufnefs and Hypocrify was too great, to render him fit for any fpiritual Gift, or capable of any Benefit from the Chriftian Religion.

22 & 23. But exhorted him at the fame Time, to endeavour for a Pardon of this wicked Project, and for the Cure of his desperate and corrupted Difpofition, by the moft earnest Prayer to God, and a fpecial Degree of Humiliation gall of bitterness, and Repentance. and in the bond ‡ of iniquity.

23. For I perceive that thou art in the

24. Then answered Simon, and faid, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of thefe things which ye have spoken, come upon

me.

en him withal.

24. By which fevere Rebuke, he feemed, at least, to be much affected, and begged of the two Apostles to join their Prayers to his own, That God would not punish him in fo exemplary a Manner, as they seemed to threat25. The

* Ver. 22. If perhaps ei äga-This Particle does not denote any Uncertainty of God's Forgiveness, upon Simon's real Repentance; but is the fame with i, & Tws, in Philip. iii. 11, 12, and elsewhere. The Senfe is, That the Thought of thy Heart may be forgiven thee.

+ Ver. 23. Gall of Bitterness

bly) to Deut. xxix. 18. or xxxii. 32.

Alluding (moft proba

Ibid. Bond of Iniquity-Alluding to Ifai. lviii. 6.

25. And they, when they had teftified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Je ufalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

26. And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, faying, A. rife, and go toward the fouth, unto the

way that goeth down from Jerufalem unto Gaza, which is defert.

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 treafure, and had come to Jerufalem for to worship,

28. Was returning, and fitting in his chariot, read Efaias the prophet.

29. Then the Spirit faid unto Philip, Go near, and join thy felf to this chariot.

30. And Philip rin thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Efaias, and

25. The two Apoftles having 4. D. 35. by the Gifts of the Holy Ghoft, confirmed and fettled the Chriftians in these Parts, returned again to the other Ten at Jerufalem, preaching the Gospel as they went through feveral Villages of the Samaritans, where Philip had not yet been.

26. He having alfo now finish-
ed his preaching, in the Place
before - mentioned, had Orders
given him by an Angel to leave
it, and travel the Road that leads
from Jerufalem to Gaza, that
Part of it particularly, that lay
through the Desert of Judah.

and as foon as he came thither,
27 & 28. He went accordingly,
found
what Occafion he
upon
was fent; for he faw a Chariot
upon the Road, belonging to the
High Treafurer of the Queen of
* Ethiopia, who being a Jewish
Profelyte, had been at Jerufalem
to worship the true God, at the
great Feaft of Pentecoft, and was
now returning home, and as he
rode along, was reading in the
Prophet Efaiah,

29. The Angel directed Philip
to make up to the Chariot, and
talk with the Treasurer about
what he was reading.

30. He did fo, and asked him, if he understood that famous and remarkable Paffage?

faid, Understandeft thou what thou readeft?

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*That Part of it that lay under Egypt.

31. And

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31. And he faid, How can I, except fome man fhould guide me? and he defired Philip that he would come up and fit with him.

31. No (faid he) it can hardly be expected, a Stranger, not much skill'd in the Jewish Learning, fhould be able to interpret their Prophecies; and, being defiros to be informed, requefted Philip to come into the Chariot, and of it. And fo he did.

fhew him the Meaning

32. The place of the fcripture which he read, was this, He was led as a sheep to the flaughter, and like

a lamb dumb before

the fhearer, fo opened
the fhearer, fo opened

he not his mouth:

33. In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away and who fhall declare his generation for his life is taken from the

32 & 33. The Paffage was that of Ifai. lii. 8. (according to the Greek Tranflation) concerning the Meffiah. He was led as a Sheep to. the Slaughter, and as a Lamb dumb his Mouth. Signifying the perfect before his Shearer, so opened he not Innocency of Life, and the absolute Patience, Modefty, and Refignation of CHRIST under his Condemnation and Sufferings. In his Humiliation his Judgment was taken away, i. e. While he conearth. defcended to live upon Earth in the low and humble Eftate of Manhood, he should be most unjustly treated, and have no Right or Juftice done him. And who fhall declare his Generation? For his Life is taken from the Earth, i. e. Who can fufficiently exprefs the Wickedness of that. Generation of Men, who thus condemned and crucified their own Meffiab?

34. And the eunuch 34. The Treasurer defired to anfwered Philip, and know, Whether Isaiah spake this faid, I pray thee, of of himself, or of fome other great whom fpeaketh the and eminent Prophet? prophet this? of himfelf, or of fome other

35. Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the fame fcripture, and preached unto him Jefus.

man?

35. Whereupon Philip took Occafion to fhew him, how this, and abundance of other Prophecies, were defigned to be eminently and compleatly fulfilled in the Meffiah; convincing him all the Way, that Jefus was the very Perfon, to whofe Life, Death, Refurrection,

and Afcenfion, thefe Scriptures exactly answered; and A. D. 35. confequently that He was the Saviour of Mankind, and

fo all were obliged to embrace his Doctrine, and be baptized into the Profeffion of his Religion.

36. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water and the eunuch faid, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

37. And Philip faid, If thou believeft with all thine heart, thou mayeft. And he anfwered and faid, I believe that Jefus Chrift

is the Son of God. 38. And he commanded the chariot to ftand ftill: and they went down both into

36. The Man was fully convinced of the Truth of the Chriftian Religion by Philip's Difcourfe, and requested him to baptize him into the Profeffion and Privileges of it.

37 & 38. Philp told him, that if his Conviction was real and fincere, and his Refolution to perfevere and live up to it firm and hearty, he would do it. And having his repeated Affurances that he was fo, he baptized him at the next convenient Water they came to.

the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

39. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch faw him no

more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

40. But Philip was found at Azotus: and

paffing through, he preached

*

39. When all was over, the Angel conveyed away Philip in a miraculous Manner, which still more confirmed the Eunuch in the Truth of what he had taught him, and fo he continued his Journey home with the utmost Joy and Satisfaction.

40. The Angel carried Philip as far as Azotus, which was about thirty Miles diftant from the E 4

Place

Ver. 39. The Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip Note, The Alexandrian, and other MSS. read it thus, riva ἅγιον ἐπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἐυνεχον; ἄγγελΘ δὲ κυρίκ, &c. The

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Holy Spirit fell upon the Eunuch; but the Angel of the "Lord caught away Philip." And accordingly, by the Powers of this Spirit, the Eunuch is faid to have planted the Gofpel in Ethiopia, as Eufebius fays, Hift. Lib. 2. Cap. 1.

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