Ch. 8, Simon The 14. Note. As Peter or john were no Rulers of the, reft of the Apofles, fo the reR Pent not th.m as Rulers of them by Vote, but by bro- therly regueft and confect. 1 5. Who when they were come down, prayed for them that they might receive the holy Ghoft.16.(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them : onely theywere baptized in the name of theLord Jefus). 17 .Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the holy Ghoft. r s Note, 1. It was at fielt the eminent Privi- ledge oftheApoftles, that the Holy Ghoft fhould be given by their Miniltry. 2. Impofition of Hands being an elual adof Authoritative bene- di&ion, was fed as the fign herein. 3. Yet Prayer to God muff hrft prevail for his grant thereof, before the Sign was nfed. 4. Thisgift of theHoly Ghoft was not that which is Regene- rating and neccffary to Pardon and Salvation (elle all there Baptized Perlons molt be fuppofed till fo long after unpardoned; ) but it was that extraordinarygift whichwas Mr the fine fealing and propagating ofthe Golpel, of which others could be difcerning Judges, (loch as Languages, Prophetic, Healing, Miracle§, err.) which they were nor, offincere inward Holinefs. 18. And whenSimon law that through laying on of rte üfties hands, the holy Ghoft wasg'yen, he offered them Money, 19. Saying, Give me alto this power, that on whomfoever I lay hands, he may re- ceive the holy Ghoft. II. Note t.It was fuch a thingas Simon could fee in the prefect effe&s : 2. He defired this power in pride for his own advancement, andnot for Chrill and Souls. 3. He overvalued Moneys and blafphemoufly vilified God, as if he let his Gifts to fate. zo. But Peter laid unto him, Thy money perifhwiththee, becaufe thou haft thought that the gift ofGod may be purchafed with money. 20. UIefs thou Repent thou lhalt perifh with thy Mony,for thisblafphemous thought ofGod., a i .Thouhaft neither part nor lot in this matter : for, thy heart is not fright in the fight of God. r. Though thou art Baptized, thou art no 'true Chriftian, nor halt any pert in the Grace and Spirit of (.hrif: forthy heart is unfoundand falle in the fight ofGod. 22. Repent therefore of this thy Aers. the Sorcerer. Ch. 8. wickednefs,and prayGod,ifperhaps the thought ofthine heart maybe for- given thee. 23. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitternefs, and in the bond of iniquity. 22. Prefendy Repent therefore of that wicked heart andblafphemous thought ; and pray toGod for Mercy andForgivenefs, while it'spofíible to be obtained. R,uefb. Is not the Prayerofthe Wicked abomi- nable? .Anfw. Yes, the wicked Prayer of the Wicked ; which is to ferve his wickednefs : And his belt Prayers are not qualified for any certain grant: Bat if he truly Repent, he's no longer wicked : And the Prayer's a common Repentance (like ,Abatis and the Nencveteo) may tend to- wards better,and is better than none. , eft.Doth Peter mean that Simon's Heart was fallee at his Baptifm, or chat he received Grace and Pardon then, and loft it afterby Apoftäfy. .Anfw. Si- mon's Sin made Peter newly perceive that his Heart was falfe before, though his body was Wafted ; but not that it now began to be falfe by a fudden Apoftafy. t Pet. 3. as, 22. He was in theGall of Bitternefs and Band of Iniquity, through the wickduels ofhis unfn&ifiedHeart, even when he wasBaptized. Yet all this Hypo.. trifle andWickednefs was pardonable upon Re- pentance. a4.Then anfwered Simon,and faid, Pray ye to the Lord forme,thatnone of thefe things which ye have fpoker4 come upon me. 24. Nosy. His fight oftheir Miracles and fear ofdeftru&ion humbledhim fo "far as to beg their Prayers that the the atned Judgments might not befall him. But whether the reportofTome old Writers be true,' that afterall thishe pretended to beGod the Father, and had a confliecwith Peter; and flying in the Air fell down, andwas deftroyed by his Prayers, and had a Statue at Rome infcríbed, Simoni Deo San&a, &c. of this many doubt, though others believe it: And if it was he that Paul, 2 Thef, 2. and Mahn in the Revelation fpeak of, as the Man ofSen, &c. and the head ofHerefies fo" much decryed by Paul, (as Doaor Hammond think) it is ftrange that neither Luke, nor Paul; nor Peter, nor 7ude norgames, nor john, who allinveighagain4 Herches, would never once name him, when Nicolaitanus, Diatrephes, Hymenaut, Philetus, &c. are named. 2,5. And they, when they had tefii Pied and preached the word of the Lord, "returned to Jerufalem, and preached the gofpel in many villages Ofthe Samaritanes. 24. And the an- e
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