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promised Messiah; for it was in the character of a divine messenger that he instituted this rite; they' acknowledged likewise that they were brought from a less pure to a more perfect dispensation of religion. When Jesus sent out his apostles to preach the gospel, his command was, "Go and disciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit;" but these words seem to have been intended as a summary of Christian faith, rather than as a formulary to be used whenever the ordinance was administered; for we never find it so employed in any of the instances of baptism which are mentioned in the book of Acts. On these occasions we see that the believers were baptized, as in this verse, into the name of Jesus, or with words of a like import. These words, therefore, ought to be deemed sufficient in the administration of this ordinance at the present day.

6. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spake with tongues and prophesied, "taught."

To prophecy here signifies teaching the Christian doctrine. This is what these disciples appear to have done. Being favoured with the gift of speaking different tongues, which they had never learnt, they employ it in teaching the Christian religion, like those who were thus favoured on the day of Pentecost.

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.

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9. And when divers were hardened, rather, "continued 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 Ty

rannus.

From the name of this person, which is Greek, and from his having a school, it has been supposed that he was a Greek rhetorician, who delivered lectures to his followers for hire. To this place Paul resorted when he found the Jews obstinate, and went no more to the synagogue, turning, as he had done before, to the Gentiles. He separated the disciples also from the Jews, because their continuance with men of such a turbulent disposition was not safe, or because he did not wish them to associate with men who were doomed for their obstinacy in error to so many calamities.

10.

And this continued by the space of two years, so that all they which dwelt in Asia, Proconsular Asia, where Paul was forbidden to preach on his first journey, heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

All the neighbouring inhabitants came to Ephesus, which was a principal city in this part of the country, either for business or pleasure, and therefore had an opportunity of hearing Paul preach.

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.

A miracle of a similar nature was performed by Christ, when he healed a woman who only touched the hem of his garment. In both cases the faith of the person benefitted, if in his sound mind and capable of exercising faith, was directed to the power of God and not to any virtue in the things applied. The expulsion of evil spirits, or the curing of madness and epilepsy, is mentioned separately, because the cure of these disorders was thought peculiarly difficult.

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.

Exorcists pretended to expel evil spirits from those who were supposed to be possessed, by adjuring them in the name of God to depart from them. That this was practised among the Jews we learn from the history of the evangelists, where we hear Jesus saying, in answer to an objection made to him by the Pharisees, "If I by Beelzebub cast out dæmons, by whom do your children, i. e. your disciples, cast them out? wherefore they shall be your judges." That they did not succeed in these attempts is certain, although they might sometimes persuade the deluded multitude to believe that they did. Several of these Jewish exorcists travelled about the country, exercising their pretended art; and some of them, seeing dæmoniacs suddenly cured by Paul's calling over them the name of Jesus, imagined that by using the same name they should be alike successful; but they were miserably disappointed.

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, (the historian attributes that to the evil spirit which was in reality spoken and done by the man) 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.

The madman, supposing himself to be an evil spirit or to be possessed by one, addresses the exorcists in that character. As Paul had spent two whole years at Ephesus, and in that time ejected many dæmons. in the name of Jesus, we are not to be surprised that this dæmoniac should be well acquainted with the names of Paul and Jesus. The extraordinary strength which he discovered in overcoming and driving away the exorcists, who were unattended and did not expect resistance, is nothing more than what is common to persons afflicted with this unhappy disorder.

The disappointment and disgrace of these men serve to vindicate the miracles of Paul from all suspicion of imposture; to create a high reverence for Jesus, in confirmation of whose divine authority they were wrought, and to prevent the name of Jesus from being any more used as a charm *.

17. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at E

Farmer on Dæmoniacs, p. 276.

phesus, and fear fell on them alf, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

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

19. Many also of them which used curious arts, "magic arts," brought their books together, and burnt them before all men; and they counted the price of them, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver, about sixteen hundred pounds.

20.

So mightily grew the word of

God and prevailed.

REFLECTIONS.

1. Observe first how indefatigable is Paul in preaching the gospel. He travels from country to country, by land or by water, to communicate the important intelligence. From Ephesus he goes to Jerusalem, from Jerusalem to Ephesus' again. Where ever he goes he plants churches of Christians, and visits them repeatedly to confirm and establish their faith. At some places he spends only a few days or weeks, but those days are well employed; if he continue a longer time it is not wasted in sluggish ease,

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