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 appointed thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer, by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. He led them out, having wrought wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years. This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you of your brethren, as I am; him shall ye hear. This is he that was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the living oracles to give to us; whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust from them, and in their hearts turned back into Egypt, saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him. And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. Then God turned [away from them] and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, Did you offer to me victims and sacrifices for forty years in the desert, O house of Israel? Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. The tabernacle of testimony was among our fathers, in the desert, as he had appointed, speaking unto

Moses, that he should make it according to the pattern that he had seen which also, having received it in succession, our fathers with Joshua brought in when taking possession [of the land] of the heathen whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, [who kept this tabernacle] unto the days of David; who found favour before God, and prayed that he might find a habitation for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built him a house. Yet the Most High dwelleth not in houses 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 you. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them who foretold respecting the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: who have received the law by the ministry of angels, and have not kept it.

Now hearing these things, they were cut to the heart, and gnashed at him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Then they, crying out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and rushed upon him with one accord; and casting him out of the city, they stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, who was calling upon [the Lord Jesus,] and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul was consenting unto his death.

WORDS, &c. TO BE EXPLAINED IN LESSON V.

Proselyte,

Sojourned,

Covenant,
Suborned,

Victim,
Testimony.

QUESTIONS ON LESSON V.

SOME ground of dissatisfaction arose in the church, from

what cause?

Who were the Grecians?

And who the Hebrews?

What measure was adopted to allay the discontent ?

Of which of the two classes were the seven persons chosen? What was their character?

Which of them is described particularly?

What was he remarkable for?

What did the Jewish rulers do to him?

How did they procure witnesses?

How did Stephen act when he was thus accused?

What did Stephen show them in his speech?

Was he permitted to conclude it?

How was he interrupted?

What did Stephen declare that he saw ?

What did they then do?

To whose care did the witnesses commit their clothes?
What did Stephen say when they were stoning him?
What further did he say when he fell on his knees?
Who was consenting to his death?

LESSON VI.

The Christians at Jerusalem having been dispersed by the persecution, Philip goes to Samaria, and preaches Christ there-Philip baptizes the

Ethiopian.

FROM ACTS VIII.

AND at that time, a great persecution was raised against the church which was at Jerusalem: and they were all scattered abroad throughout the countries of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

And devout* men conducted Stephen's funeral, and made great mourning over him.

But Saul made havock of the church. Entering into every house, and dragging away men and women, he committed them to prison.

They, therefore, that were scattered abroad, went every where proclaiming the word. And Philip+ going down to the city of Samaria,‡ proclaimed to them the Christ. And the multitude, with one accord, gave heed to those things which Philip spoke, hearing him, and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, came out of many that had [them,] crying out with a loud voice, and many paralytic and lame persons were healed. And there was great joy in that city.

And a certain man, named Simon was found in that city, who before time, used magic, and astonished the people of Samaria, giving out that he 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, for a long time, he had astonished them with magical arts. But when they believed Philip, as he declared the things concerning the kingdom of God, and concerning the name of Jesus Christ, they were

* Devout.-The word denotes persons who worshipped the God of Israel, without being of purely Jewish descent, or who were Grecian believers; of which class Stephen himself was.

+ Philip.The sacred writer, having recorded the choice of the seven disciples to attend to the management of the common fund, usually called the seven deacons, first gives some account of Stephen, who was one of the seven, and then of Philip who was another. This was not Philip the apostle, but the deacon.

Samaria.-Many Samaritans were probably prepared for receiving the gospel, in consequence of our Lord's conversation with the Samaritan woman, and by his temporary residence among them, for an account of which, see John iv.

baptized, both men and women. Then even Simon himself believed: and when he was baptized, he attached himself to Philip, and was astonished, beholding the miracles and great signs which were done.

Now, when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John; who, having come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost. (For as yet he had fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. Now when Simon saw that, by the laying on of the hands of the apostles, the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought to purchase with money the gift of God. 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 purpose of thy heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bondage of iniquity. Then Simon, answering, 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 given their testimony and declared the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

And the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza. This

* Philip, as well as many other disciples, had himself power to work miracles; but the apostles alone could bestow such miraculous gifts on others.