Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 6.djvu/84

78 more. One would have thought Stephen's dying prayers and dying comforts should have overcome them, and melted them into a better opinion of christians and christianity; but it seems it did not, the persecution goes on; for, 1. They were more exasperated, when they saw they could prevail nothing; and, as if they hoped to be too hard for God himself, they resolve to follow their blow; and perhaps, because they were none of them struck dead upon the place for stoning Stephen, their hearts were the more fully set in them to do evil. 2. Perhaps the disciples were the more imboldened to dispute against them as Stephen did, seeing how triumphantly he finished his course, which would provoke them so much the more. Observe,

(1.) Against whom this persecution was raised; it was against the church in Jerusalem, which is no sooner planted than it is persecuted; as Christ often intimated that tribulation and persecution would arise because of the word. And Christ had particularly foretold that Jerusalem would soon be made too hot for his followers, for that city had been famous for killing the prophets, and stoning them that were sent to it, Matt. 23. 37. It should seem that in this persecution many were put to death, for Paul owns that at this time he persecuted this way unto the death, (ch. 22. 4.) and (ch. 26. 10.) that when they were put to death he gave his voice against them.

(2.) Who was an active man in it; none so zealous, so busy, as Saul, a young Pharisee, v. 3. As for Saul, (who had been twice mentioned before, and now again for a notorious persecutor,) he made havock of the church; he did all he could to lay it waste and ruin it; he cared not what mischief he did to the disciples of Christ, nor knew when to take up. He aimed at no less than the cutting off the Gospel-Israel, that the name of it should be no more in remembrance, Ps. 83. 4. He was the fittest tool the chief priests could find out to serve their purposes; he was informer-general against the disciples, a messenger of the great council to be employed in searching for meetings, and seizing all that were suspected to favour that way. Saul was bred a scholar, a gentleman, and yet did not think it below him to be employed in the vilest work of that kind. [1.] He entered into every house, making no difficulty of breaking open doors, night or day, and having a force attending him for that purpose. He entered into every house where they used to keep their meetings, or every house that had any christians in it, or was thought to have. No man could be secure in his own house, though it is his castle. [2.] He haled, with the utmost contempt and cruelty, both men and women, dragged them along the streets, without any regard to the tenderness of the weaker sex; he stooped so low as to take cognizance of the meanest that were leavened with the gospel, so extremely bigoted was he. [3.] He committed them to prison, in order to their being tried and put to death, unless they would renounce Christ; and some, we find, were compelled by him to blaspheme, ch. 26. 11.

(3.) What was the effect of this persecution.

They were all scattered abroad; (v. 1.) not all the believers, but all the preachers; who were principally struck at, and against whom warrants were issued out to take them up. They, remembering our Master's rule, (When they persecute you in one city, flee to another,) dispersed themselves by agreement throughout the regions of Judea, and of Samaria; not so much for fear of sufferings, (for Judea and Samaria were not so far off from Jerusalem but that, if they made a public appearance there, as they determined to do, their persecutors' power would soon reach them there,) but because they looked upon this as an intimation of Providence to them to scatter; their work was pretty well done in Jerusalem, and now it was time to think of the necessities of other places: for their Master had told them that they must be his witnesses in Jerusalem first, and then in all Judea and in Samaria, and then to the uttermost parts of the earth, (ch. 1. 8.) and that method they observe. Though persecution may not drive us off from our work, yet it may send us, as a hint of Providence, to work elsewhere.

The preachers were all scattered except the apostles, who, probably, were directed by the Spirit to continue at Jerusalem yet for some time, they being, by the special providence of God, screened from the storm, and by the special grace of God enabled to face the storm. They tarried at Jerusalem, that they might be ready to go where their assistance was most needed by the other preachers that were sent to break the ice; as Christ ordered his disciples to go to those places where he himself designed to come, Luke 10. 1. The apostles continued longer together at Jerusalem than one would have thought, considering the command and commission given them, to go into all the world, and to disciple all nations; see ch. 15. 6. Gal. 1. 17. But what was done by the evangelists whom they sent forth, was reckoned as done by them.

4. Therefore they that were scattered abroad, went every where preaching the word. 5. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. 8. And there was great joy in that city. 9. But there was a certain man called Simon, which before-time in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one. 10. To whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. 11. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. 12. But when they believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women. 13. Then Simon himself believed also; and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

Samson's riddle is here again unriddled; Out of the eater comes forth meat, and out of the strong sweetness. The persecution that was designed to extirpate the church, was by the overruling providence of God made an occasion of the enlargement of it. Christ had said, I am come to send fire on the earth; and they thought, by scattering those who were kindled with that fire, to have put it out, but instead of that they did but help to spread it.

I. Here is a general account of what was done by