498 SIMON

THE SORCERER.

CCOCXXXIX.

pIMON THE PORCERER.

Stephen was a young
\|} man, named Saul. He
was willing that Stephen
should be put to death;
he consented to it, and “kept the
raiment of them that slew him.”
This Saul was first a persecutor,
and afterwards a preacher of the
gospel. We shall soon read a great
deal about him.

The disciples took the dead body of
Stephen, and carried it to the grave,
and wept over it. It was a time of
great sorrow and trouble; for the
enemies of Jesus, particularly Saul,
were now persecuting the Christians
very cruelly; and a great many of
these Christians were driven far
away from Jerusalem. But God
turned ‘all this to His own glory;
for those who were scattered abroad,
went everywhere, preaching the
gospel.

Philip, one of the seven deacons
of whom we read before, went to
Samaria, and preached Christ to
the people there. And he worked
miracles among them, healing the
sick, and casting out devils; and
many of the people believed, and
there was great joy in all the city.

There was living at Samaria, at
that time,a man named Simon. This
man was a sorcerer, or magician.
He told the people that he was
very great and powerful, and pre-
tended to work miracles among
them,.and to do wonders, as, you

 

 

i them Peter and John.

 

MONG the enemies of | remember, the wicked magicians in

Egypt once did in the time of
Moses. Simon deceived the people
of Samaria for a long time ; so that
they all attended to him, saying,
“This man is the great power of
God.” But when these people be-
lieved what Philip preached, they
attended to Simon no more; but
were baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ. At last, Simon himself
believed, and was baptized; and he
stayed with Philip, wondering at
the miracles and signs that were
done. But Simon was not a true

| believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

He believed with his understanding
only, not with his heart ; and this
is not true faith in the sight of God.
But Philip could not see the heart;
so he hoped that Simon was sincere,
as he professed to be.

When the apostles at Jerusalem
heard of what had been done among
the people of Samaria, they sent to
Then these
apostles prayed that the disciples in

‘Samaria might receive the Holy

Ghost, as those in Jerusalem had;
and they laid their hands on them:
and God heard their prayer, aud
answered it. When Simon saw that
the Holy Ghost was given through
the laying on of the apostles’ hands,
he went to Peter and John, and
offered them money, and said,
“Give me this power, that I may
give the Holy Ghost to those on
whom I lay my hands, Simon did