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widows were neglected in the daily ministration (b). 2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and faid, It is not reason that we should 3 leave the word of God, and ferve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honeft report, full of the holy Ghoft and wifdom, 4 whom we may appoint over this bufinefs. But we

will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the 5 miniftry of the word. And the faying pleased the whole multitude: and they chofe Stephen, a man 'full of faith and of the holy Ghoft, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parme6 nas, and Nicolas, a profelyte of Antioch (c): Whom they fet before the apoftles: and when they had pray7 ed, they laid their hands on them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the difciples multiplied in Jerufalem greatly; and a great company 8 the priests were obedient to the faith (d). And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

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Then there arofe certain of the fynagogue, which is called the fynagogue of the Libertines (e), and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia, 10 and of Afia, difputing with Stephen. And they

were not able to refift the wisdom and the fpirit by I which he fpake (ƒ). Then they fuborned men which faid, We have heard him fpeak blafphemous

(b) Because their widows did not receive a due share in the diftribution of the common flock.

(c) See Matt. xxiii. 15.

(d) A great number even of the priests, thofe inveterate enemies and perfecutors of our Lord, were converted and became chriftians.

(e) By Libertines we are not to understand diforderly perfons (as the word is now commonly used) but the fons of flaves who had obtained the freedom of the city of Rome.

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(f) Obferve here the effect of the promife made, Matt. x. 20. Luke xxi. 15.

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12 words against Mofes, and against God. And they ftirred up the people, and the elders, and the fcribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought 13 him to the council, And fet up falfe witneffes, which faid, 'This man ceafeth not to fpeak blafphemous 14 words againft this holy place and the law. For we have heard him fay, That this Jefus of Nazareth fhall deftroy this place, and fhall change the customs 15 which Mofes delivered us. And all that fat in the council, looking ftedfaftly on him (g), saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

2.

CHA P. VII.

I THEN faid the high priest, Are these things fo? And he faid, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken (a): The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mefopotamia (b), before he 3 dwelt in Charran, And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I fhall fhew thee. Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran and from thence, when his father was dead, he

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(g) It pleafed God to give his eyes and countenance a fupernatu ral brightnefs, which commanded extraordinary attention and refpect.

(a) St. Stephen was charged with declaring that the temple was to be deftroyed, and the Jewish ceremonies and customs were to be laid afide to make way for the religion of Chrift. This charge he admits to be true, and for his juftification appeals to feveral inflances of the Jewish biflory, which prove that God did not confine his favour to any particular place, nor intend the rites and ceremonies of the law of Mofes to be perpetual.

The glorious God vouchfafed to favour Abraham with a divine intercourfe and revelation, even when he dwelt among idolaters; for in every nation he that feareth God, and worketh righteoufnefs, is accepted with him. Chap. x. 35.

(b) In that part of Mefopotamia, which is elfewhere called Ur of the Chaldeans.

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removed him into this land wherein ye now dwell. 5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no not so much as to fet his foot on (c): yet he promised that he would give it to him for a poffeffion, and to his 6 feed after him, when as yet he had no child. And God fpake on this wife, that his feed fhould fojourn in a ftrange land, and that they fhould bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred 7 years. And the nation to whom they fhall be in bondage will I judge, faid God: and after that fhall 8 they come forth, and ferve me in this place. And he gave him the covenant of circumcifion (d): and fo Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcifed him the eighth day and Ifaac begat Jacob, and Jacob begat the 9 twelve patriarchs. And the patriarchs moved with envy, fold Jofeph into Egypt: but God was with 10 him, And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wifdom in the fight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor 11 over Egypt, and all his house. Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction; and our fathers found no fuftenance. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he fent out our fathers firft (e). And at the fecond time Jofeph was made known to his brethren; and Jofeph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. 14 Then fent Jofeph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threefcore and fifteen fouls. 15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he and

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(c) The promises of God, though not fulfilled in the manner they are understood at firft, will be made good in due time. See Matt. xxii. 32.

(d) It was not circumcifion that recommended Abraham to the divine favour, but the faith which he had before he was circumcifed. (Rom. iv. 11.) Why then may not true faith be as acceptable for the future without circumcifion, as it was before circumcifion was appointed?

(e) Firft; that is at the firft time.

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16 our athers (f); And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the fepulchre that Abraham bought for a fum of money of the fons of Emmor the father 17 of Sychem. But when the time of the promife drew nigh, which God had fworn to Abraham, the peo18 ple grew and multiplied in Egypt, Till another 19 king arofe, which knew not Jofeph. The fame dealt

fubtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, fo that they caft cut their young children: to 20 the end they might not live. In which time Mofes

was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up 21 in his father's houfe three months: And when he

was caft out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and 22 nourished him for her own fon. And Mofes was

learned in all the wifdom of the Egyptians, and was 23 mighty in words and in deeds. And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to vifit his 24 brethren the children of Ifrael. And feeing one of

them fuffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppreffed, and fmote the Egyptian : 25 For he fuppofed his brethren would have understood

how that God by his hand would deliver them; but 26 they understood not. And the next day he fhewed himself unto them as they ftrove, and would have fet them at one again, faying, Sirs, ye are brethren; Why do ye wrong one to another? But he that did

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his neighbour wrong, thruft him away, faying, Who 28 made thee a ruler and a judge over us? Wilt thou 29 kill me as thou didst the Egyptian yefterday? Then

fied Mofes at this faying, and was a ftranger in the 30 land of Midian, where he begat two fons. And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina, an angel of the Lord

(f) The children of Ifrael were no lefs the people of God in Egypt, than afterwards; and though he suffered them to be oppreffed for a great number of years, yet he was pleafed in his own good time to deliver them, and at length, after a feries of wonderful events, to fettle them in the promifed land.

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31 in a flame of fire in a bush. When Mofes faw it, he wondered at the fight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, 32 Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Ifaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Mofes trembled, and durft not behold. 33 Then faid the Lord to him, Put off thy fhoes from thy feet: for the place where thou ftandeft is holy 34 ground (g). I have feen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And I will fend thee into Egypt. 35 now come, This Mofes whom they refused (b), saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the fame did God fend to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hands of the angel which 36 appeared to him in the bush. He brought them out, after that he had fhewed wonders and figns in the land of Egypt, and in the Red fea, and in the wil37 dernefs, forty years. This is that Mofes which faid unto the children of Ifrael (i), A prophet fhall the Lord your God raife up unto you of your brethren, 38 like unto me; him fhall ye hear. This is he that was in the church in the wilderness (k), with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to 39 give unto us. To whom our fathers would not obey, but thruft him from them, and in their hearts

(g) In the Eaft it is not the custom, when they come into the houles of the great, to uncover the head (as we do) but the feet; and in whatever manner we pay respect to our superiors, we ought certainly to pay the like cuftomary reverence when we enter any place dedicated to the honour of God.

(h) This very Mofes, of whom you think fo highly now, did your forefathers treat with the fame difrespect and obftinacy which you

have fhewed to Christ.

(i) Mofes himself, the great lawgiver of the Jews, prophefied of Chrift, that he fhould found a new religion, which fhould fet afide his own. Deut. xviii. 15.

(k) Indeed it was by means of the Spirit of Chrift (long before he was made man) that the Jewish church was founded.

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