T HE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S v. 17. Laid their hands on them. The special gift of the Holy Ghost be stowed at this 'period on the Christian converts in various places, was not given except through the apostles.— Lumby. They received the Holy Ghost. Beautiful was the spectacle exhibited, of Jew and Samaritan one in Christ.— Alford. v. 18. When Simon saw. Simon at tracted men to himself. He posed as a man of power and mystery. The Gos pel fixes our thoughts exclusively upon Jesus. Simon’s faith was spurious. He believed about rather than in Christ. “ Simony” is the name for the practice of making gain by means of religion (1 Tim. 6: S.Xifi-Devo.' Com. Philip had been deceived by him (v. 13) but not Peter who uncovered his wickedness.— Anno. Bible. T{iat Simon who made his living by working lying wonders should have desired the power of work ing genuine ones was natural enough, fj—Dummelow. 2 Thess. 2:9 shows that there will be a multiplication of such persons toward the end of the- age.— Christian Worker’s Com. His conduct makes, it clear how limited his faith had been. As he offered to buy the power, so we may be sure he meant to sell it. His faith, such as it was, had only sprung from his amazement.— Camb. Bible. v. 19. Give me this power. Not for himself as a spiritual gift to seal his baptism but that he may be able to bestow what he looks upon as a higher power than his own magic upon others. — Sel. On whomsoever I lay hands. Spiritual ambition here shows itself the key to this wretched man’s character.— Sel. v. 20. Thy money perish with thee. It is the language of mingled horror and indignation, not unlike our Lord’s rebuke of Peter himself (Matt. 16:23). — J. F. & B. v. 21. Thou hast no part nor lot. There are many who profess the Chris tian religion who have no part in Christ (Jn. 13:8) and no lot in the heavenly kingdom.—Henry. One thing only unites to God— a faith which cleanses the heart, which lays hold of Christ with will and conscience, which resting on penitent acknowledgment of sin, trusts wholly to His great mercy.— Maclaren. Thy heart Is not right. Are there not today among us those who are longing for the Holy Spirit for their own aggrandizement and gain?— Tor- rey.
187 v. 22. Repent— if perhaps. This ex pression of doubt was designed to im press upon him the greatness of his sin and the need of alarm on his part.— Brown. The thought of thine heart. The word rendered “ thought” is found in the New Testament only here and gives the idea of a matured plan. Simon’s mind had been full of this scheme which he had conceived.—- Lumby. v. 24. None of these tilings. Not that the thought of his wicked heart might be forgiven him but only that the evils threatened might be averted from him.— J. F. & B. ii§ Telling Others About Jesus. Acts 8: 4-8. (Read entire chapter). Memory Verse: “ Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.” Mark 16:15. Apiproach: One morning this week as I was walking down the road near my home I saw something that made me think of the story we have for our les son this morning, so BEGINNERSI wrapped it up in AND PRIMARY this p a p e r and Mabel L. Merrill brought it a 1o p g , and I wonder if you can tell me what it is? (Unwrap show ing a good thrifty specimen of a weed, with seeds if possible.) Do you know what it is? Yes, a weed, and some of you boys first got acquainted with weeds when you planted a garden and the weeds would grow so fast, and spoil the garden if you did not dig them out with your hoe. Now after you had dug all the weeds out of the garden, what made some more weeds grow, so you had to keep digging them out? Yes, when we look at this weed we see it is full of tiny little seeds, and even while we keep them out of our gardens, there are some vacant lots where the weeds are allowed to grow and bear seeds, and then the wind blows these tiny seeds, or the birds carry them to our gardehs and other places where there are no weeds, and these seeds fall onto the ground and
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