angels charge concerning me, to direct my way in all things, and to guard me from every danger; and grant that each token of thy merciful providence may strengthen me more and more to set forth thy glory. Grant me the Spirit of wisdom, to be able to give a reason for the hope that is in me, and the Spirit of faithfulness, that I may instruct others and warn them of their danger; and grant that, whenever my conscience is impressed with the sense of sin, I may be humbly led to Christ by thy Spirit, and not excited to increase my sin by rebellion. Teach me, O Lord, to discern thy truth in all things, and to embrace it as thine, while yet there is room for faith. Leave me not to the indifference of a worldly heart; but give me grace to decide for thee, and to follow thy way at whatever cost, enabling me to rejoice whenever I am counted worthy to suffer shame for thy name's sake. AMEN. May God, for the sake of Jesus Christ, give me the Holy Spirit, that I may understand this portion of His Holy Word, and profit by it. AMEN. THE SCRIPTURE. ACTS, chap. VI. verses 1 to 7. And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because 2 their widows were neglected in the daily ministrations. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, "It is not 3 reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of 5 the word." And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a 6 proselyte of Antioch: whom they set before the apostles: and when 7 they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. EXPLANATION. The number of christians in Jerusalem had now become very large-it was composed of two different classes of Jews. Persons of this nation were to be found in almost every part of the world; they were children of Jewish parents who, under the various circumstances of their history, had been dispersed, and settled in the several towns and countries which formed the then vast empire of Rome. These dispersed Jews had nearly lost the use of their own language, and most of them had adopted the Greek, which was at that time the polite and the most general language that was spoken; and they were therefore called Hellenists, or Grecians, in order to distinguish them from the native Jews, who were born and bred in the country of Palestine and its immediate neighbourhood, and who were called Hebrews. The Jews of these two different classes, who had been converted and professed themselves to be christians, continued to maintain the distinction, and probably assembled in separate congregations, for the convenience of using in their worship the language which was the more familiar to each. It so happened, that in the distribution of the daily supply given to the poorer christians, out of the funds placed by the richer in the apostles' hands, the Grecian congregation of christian Jews found some cause of complaint: they considered that the poor widows who worshipped with them were not treated fairly, and that some partiality was shewn in supplying the poor widows who belonged to the congregation of Hebrew christians. This occasioned some dissatisfaction; and immediately the apostles took measures to settle the point. They called together the whole body of christians in Jerusalem, and stated to them that they did not consider it right or proper that they, who had received the special commission to preach the Gospel from the Lord Jesus Christ, should allow the great duty of teaching his word to be hindered, by attending to the arrangement of matters of mere worldly account. In order to avoid this, they bid the christian brethren select from the whole body seven persons properly qualified, (by possessing the confidence and respect of the christians generally, and by a more than ordinary gift of prudence from above,) whom the apostles might depute to transact all the business necessary in the management of the temporal concerns of the church; while the apostles themselves would thereby be enabled to devote their whole time and mind to the exercise of prayer, and the preaching of God's word. The whole body of christians approved of this plan; and they immediately proceeded to elect the number of persons recommended by the apostles. The names of those thus chosen were Stephen, a person singularly gifted with faith. and with the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas; this last was not born a Jew, but had become one by adopting the Jewish law and ceremonies; he belonged to the city of Antioch. These seven men were presented by the people to the apostles, who first asked for God's blessing in prayer, and then they laid their hands upon them; thereby appointing them to their special charge, which has been called the office of a Deacon. After this arrangement was made, the effect of the preaching of the Gospel was more and more powerful and effectual: the number of people who joined the church in Jerusalem grew larger and larger, till it became very great; and a very considerable proportion of the converts to christianity were from a class of persons, the least likely to have been influenced, according to the judgment of man; these were the Jewish priests, who gave up their notions of the righteousness of the law, and became obedient to the faith of the Gospel of Jesus. APPLICATION. 1. The evidences of human frailty did not fail to appear, even in the best days of the church; and it will be vain for us to expect it otherwise, until the time come, when the knowledge of the glory of the Lord shall cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea. A jealous suspicion of partiality too naturally arose, out of the distinction produced by accidental differences. But out of this circumstance, it pleased the Lord to bring forth the good caused by the appointment of Deacons. He works in a similar manner upon many different occasions; permitting the infirmity of man to produce hindrances, from which His wisdom draws consequences of blessing. While however we enjoy the benefits which result from such wisdom in God, we should take warning by the examples of the frailty of man, even under the best dispensation in which he has lived. QUESTION. Do I ever give way to a jealous fear, lest I should suffer through partiality for others? or am I ready to turn every occasion for such jealousy into good? 2. The appointment of the order of Deacons shews us how important it is that ministers of the Gospel should be entirely devoted to their great work: and it should lead those who receive the benefit of their ministrations, both to be earnest in prayer, that their ministers may be preserved from the entanglements of worldly concerns, and also to be diligent in endeavouring by every means in their power, to relieve them from such temporal labours as might interfere with their spiritual duties. QUESTION. What means do I take to relieve my minister from any secular occupations in which I can assist him? and do I pray that he may be able to give himself wholly to the work of the Lord? THE PRAYER. Holy and Gracious God, send forth thy Spirit into my heart to enable me so to deny myself, that I may never give way to jealous suspicions, but may be willing rather to suffer wrong than to imagine evil. Grant that I may exercise self-denial in constant endeavours to relieve my minister from such labours as may be within my power; and may thus manifest my sincere desire that he may be wholly given to the work of the Lord Jesus, for the benefit of the souls committed to his charge. AMEN. TENTH PORTION. The martyrdom of Stephen. PLACE.-Jerusalem. TIME.-A.D. 37. May God, for the sake of Jesus Christ, give me the Holy Spirit, that I may understand this portion of His Holy Word, and profit by it. AMEN. THE SCRIPTURE. Acts, chap. VI. verses 8 to 15; VII; VIII. 1. (part first). 8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles 9 among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, 10 and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. 11 Then they suborned men, which said, "We have heard him speak blas12 phemous words against Moses, and against God." And they stirred up say, the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, and set up false witnesses, 13 which said, "This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against 14 this holy place, and the law: for we have heard him that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs [or, 15 rites] which Moses delivered us." And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. 7 Then said the high priest, “ Are these things so?" And he said, “Men, 2 brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Char3 ran, and said unto him, 'Get thee out of thy country, and from thy. 4 kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.' Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein 5 ye now dwell. And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on yet he promised that he would give it to him for a 6 possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child. And God spake on this wise, 'That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil 7 four hundred years. And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve 8 me in this place.' And he gave him the covenant of circumcision : and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and |