But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime 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. (14) Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: (15) Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (16) (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) (17) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. (18) And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, (19) Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. (20) But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. (21) Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. (22) Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. (23) For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. (24) Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me. (25) And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.
I pray the Reader not to overlook, how the Church of God, in all ages, was broken in upon, by ungodly men. Here is a Sorcerer, and like another Balaam, one that used enchantment, rising up among the people, and professing great things. And this man carries matters with so good a face, that at the preaching of Philip, he puts on the appearance of being converted; and is said to have believed, that is, in head knowledge, and no further, he was convinced of the truth as it is in Jesus, And so plausible, even to Philip himself, (who was commissioned to work miracles, but not to read hearts), appeared his conversion; that he was baptized, as well as others. But when Peter, and John came down to Samaria; and the same miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost was poured out upon those whom the Lord had secretly inclined their hearts to the faith that is in Christ Jesus, as were given at Pentecost; then the detection of the hypocrisy of this awful character took place. For, as soon as he saw, through laying on of the hands of the Apostles, that the Holy Ghost was given; he took for granted, that this power, as he conceived the Apostles possessed in themselves, would be more profitable if he could obtain it for gain, than his sham tricks had been, which he had before practiced; and therefore he offered the Apostles money, that he might exercise the same privilege. Reader! pause and contemplate the extreme awfulness of such a character. To what a length men may run, and impose upon others, yea, and through the deceitfulness of sin, impose not unfrequently upon themselves also? How many of the character of Simon Magus, have been, and now are, in the midst of professing Churches, who can calculate? It is a solemn consideration; and enough to excite (as no doubt the Lord the Spirit designed it should) jealousy in every congregation! Neither would any truly faithful souls desire but to be jealous, with a godly jealousy over themselves and others. Gold, never shrinks from the trial of the hottest fire. It is only tinsel, which cannot bear the furnace.
Ministers of Christ ought never to be discouraged, when at any time, unprincipled characters, like Simon Magus, creep in among the faithful. Christ himself had a Judas in his twelve. And Philip here baptized an infidel. In all ages of the Church, it hath been so; yea, it is profitable to the Lord's people, that it should be so. Such detections of hypocrites, when they take place, make the faithful truly jealous over themselves. And seeing that men, even the greatest men, like Philip, cannot discover hearts, the humble believer is hereby led to look to the Lord. And his language is: Search me, 0 God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting, Psalms 139:23-24
Reader! are you truly in earnest to know the ground upon which you stand? Though men cannot judge for you, the Lord's grace will enable you to judge for yourself. Look inward for divine teaching; and judge not by things outward, how promising soever they may appear. The witness of God the Holy Ghost, in the heart and conscience, by his regenerating grace is, in the place of a thousand arguments void of it. A man may learn, as Simon Magus did, by the preaching of Christ, who Christ is; and in head knowledge soar very high. But a soul-renewing apprehension of Christ can only be learnt from God the Holy Ghost. And when any one of those precious souls, whom the Father hath given to the Son, hath been awakened from the death of sin, by the regenerating power of the Holy Ghost: when from feeling, and knowing, by that Almighty Teacher, the plague of his own heart, he hath passed under the rod of the Covenant; the sentence of death in himself, and the sentence of condemnation under God's holy law, which he is conscious he hath broken; when these precious effects are inwrought in the soul, by the power of the Holy Ghost: there can be no deception here. And when he that thus convinceth of sin, hath convinced also of Christ's righteousness; when Jesus in his person, grace, and glory, is set up in the soul; and the heart is secretly and sweetly led to look to him, and to rely upon him for salvation: no soul deceptions can take place here, for such an apprehension of Christ, brings with it a sweet communion with Christ; and the believer is made to abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost, Romans 15:13
I must not take leave of the awful character of Simon Magus, whose history hath given occasion to the observations I have offered upon it, without first remarking to the Reader, what Peter said to this man, after he had told him, that he had no part, nor lot, in this matter; that is, no part nor lot in Christ, neither in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle bid him repent of this his wickedness; meaning his awful offer of money, to purchase the gifts of the Holy Ghost: concluding, (as it should seem), that, added to the natural state of original and actual sin in the Adam-nature of universal apostasy, this sin of his was little short of the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. Let the Reader pause over this view of the subject. And then let him ask, what tremendous judgment may be supposed to follow in the numberless cases of modern times, where the sale of ministerial appointments (and from this man's history called Simony), have been carried on for money!
One word more on this awful instance of hypocrisy, in the case of Simon Magus. When Peter bid him repent of this sin, the Apostle could not mean, that he had power to change his own heart; or that he could practice a Christian grace, which alone comes from God's gift, and Christ is exalted to bestow. Neither could he mean, that one, whom he had before said had neither part nor lot in this matter of Christ, would even receive repentance unto life. But the repentance Peter spake of was the repentance of this particular sin; for he puts a perhaps upon it: that this aggravated transgression might not bring a further load of guilt upon his head. And what Simon Magus in the answer he gave to Peter said, is to the same effect. He desired, as Pharaoh desired Moses, that he would pray for him. But, like Pharaoh, the heart remained hardened. He dreaded the punishment likely to follow, and would have avoided it. But we hear no cry of soul in either, for a change of heart, Exodus 10:17.