and placed a great deal of religion in it, they were now as much weaned from it as ever they had been wedded to it, and become the true worshippers, who worship the Father in spirit and in truth, and in the name of Christ, the true Temple, John 4. 20, 23. [3.] When they believed, without scruple (though they were Samaritans) and without delay they were baptized, openly professed the christian faith, promised to adhere to it, and then, by washing them with water, were solemnly admitted into the communion of the christian church, and owned as brethren by the disciples. Men only were capable of being admitted into the Jewish church by circumcision; but, to shew that in Jesus Christ there is neither male nor female, (Gal. 3. 28.) but both are alike welcome to him, the initiating ordinance is such as women are capable of, for they are numbered with God's spiritual Israel, though not with Israel according to the flesh, Numb. 1. 2. And from hence it is easily gathered, that women are to be admitted to the Lord's supper, though it does not appear that there were any among those to whom it was first administered. [4.] This occasioned great joy; each one rejoiced for himself, as he in the parable, who found the treasure hid in the field; and they all rejoiced for the benefit hereby brought to their city, and that it came without opposition; which it would scarcely have done, if Samaria had been within the jurisdiction of the chief priests. Note, The bringing of the gospel to any place is just matter of joy, of great joy, to that place. Hence the spreading of the gospel in the world, is often prophesied of in the Old Testament, as the diffusing of joy among the nations; Ps. 67. 4. Let the nations be glad, and sing for joy, 1 Thess. 1. 6. The gospel of Christ does not make men melancholy, but fills them with joy, if it be received as it should be; for it is glad tidings of great joy to all people, Luke 2. 10.
2. What there was in particular at this city of Samaria, that made the success of the gospel there more than ordinary wonderful.
(1.) That Simon Magus had been busy there, and had gained a great interest among the people, and yet they believed the things that Philip spake. To unlearn that which is bad, proves many times a harder task than to learn that which is good. These Samaritans, though they were not idolaters as the Gentiles, nor prejudiced against the gospel by traditions received from their fathers, yet they had of late been drawn to follow Simon a conjurer, (for so Magus signifies,) who made a mighty noise among them, and had strangely bewitched them.
We are here told,
[1.] How strong the delusion of Satan was, by which they were brought into the interests of this great deceiver; he had been for some time, nay for a long time, in this city, using sorceries; perhaps he came thither by the instigation of the Devil, soon after our Saviour had been there, to undo what he had been doing there; for it was always Satan's way to crush a good work in its bud and infancy, 1 Cor. 11. 3. 1 Thess. 3. 5. Now,
First, Simon assumed to himself that which was considerable; he gave out that himself was some great one, and would have all people to believe so, and to pay him respect accordingly; and then, as to every thing else, they might do as they pleased; he had no design to reform their lives, or improve their . worship and devotion, only to make them believe that he was, τίς μέγας—some divine person. Justin Martin says that he would be worshipped as, πρῶτον θεὸν—the chief god. He gave out himself to be the Son of God, the Messiah, so some think; or to be an angel, or a prophet; perhaps he was uncertain within himself what title of honour to pretend to; but he would be thought some great one. Pride, ambition, and an affectation of grandeur, have always been the cause of abundance of mischief, both to the world and to the church.
Secondly, The people ascribed to him what he pleased. 1. They all gave heed to him, from the least to the greatest; both young and old, both poor and rich, both governors and governed; to him they had regard, (v. 10, 11.) and perhaps the more, because the time fixed for the coming of the Messiah was now expired; which had raised a general expectation of the appearing of some great one about this time. Probably, he was a native of their country, and therefore they embraced him the more cheerfully, that by giving honour to him they might reflect it upon themselves. 2. They said of him, This man is the great power of God; the power of God, that great power; (so it might be read;) that power which made the world. See how ignorant inconsiderate people mistake that which is done by the power of Satan, as if it were done by the power of God! Thus, in the Gentile world, devils pass for deities; and in the antichristian kingdom all the world wonders after a beast, to whom the dragon gives his power, and who opens his mouth in blasphemy against God, Rev. 13. 2, 3. 3. They were brought to it by his sorceries; he bewitched the people of Samaria, (v. 9.) bewitched them with sorceries, (v. 11.) that is, either, (1.) By his magic arts he bewitched the minds of the people, at least some of them, who drew in others. Satan, by God's permission, filled their hearts to follow Simon. O foolish Galdtians, saith Paul, who hath bewitched you? Gal. 3. 1. These people are said to be bewitched by Simon, because they were so strangely infatuated to believe a lie. Or, (2.) By his magic arts he did many signs and lying wonders, which seemed to be miracles, but really were not so; like those of the magicians of Egypt, and those of the man of sin, 2 Thess. 2. 9. When they knew no better, they were influenced by his sorceries; but when they were acquainted with Philip's real miracles, they saw plainly that the one was real and the other a sham, and that there was as much difference as between Aaron's rod and those of the magicians: What is the chaff to the wheat? Jer. 23. 28.
Thus, notwithstanding the influence Simon Magus had had upon them, and the loathness there generally is in people to own themselves in an error, and to retract it, yet, when they saw the difference between Simon and Philip, they quitted Simon, gave heed no longer to him, but to Philip: and thus you see,
[2.] How strong the power of divine grace is, by which they were brought to Christ, who is Truth itself, and was, as I may say, the great Undeceiver. By that grace working with the word, they that had been led captive by Satan, were brought into obedience to Christ. Where Satan, as a strong man armed, kept possession of the palace, and thought himself safe, Christ, as a stronger than he, dispossessed him, and divided the spoil; led captivity captive, and made those the trophies of his victory, whom the Devil had triumphed over. Let us not despair of the worst, when even those whom Simon Magus had bewitched were brought to believe.
(2.) Here is another thing yet more wonderful, that Simon Magus himself became a convert to the faith of Christ, in shew and profession, for a time. Is Saul also among the prophets? Yes, (v. 13.) Simon himself believed also; he was convinced that Philip preached a true doctrine, because he saw it confirmed by real miracles, which he was the better able to judge of, because he was conscious to himself of the trick of his own pretended ones. [1.] The present conviction went so far, that he was baptized, was admitted, as other believers were, into the church, by baptism; and we have no reason to think that Philip did amiss in baptizing him; no, nor
