Lessons to be drawn from the Narrative :

1. Reverence towards the bodies of the dead, and also for churchyards and cemeteries, the resting-places of those bodies which were once temples of the Holy Ghost, and have been committed to the keeping of the grave, in order to rise again in glory, and be made like unto CHRIST'S glorious body (Phil. iii. 21).

2. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.'

All Christians are called to be sowers of the seed, to tell the story of the love of JESUS to those who are ignorant of it, and to try to win souls for Him.

3. Never to be disheartened at seeming hindrances to the Church's work. Her victories have ever been wrought in apparent weakness and failure; all things, however seemingly adverse, are in reality working together for her final triumph.

4. There was great joy in that city' (v. 8). Spiritual joy is one of the chief fruits of the Spirit. There is no joy so deep and real as that which springs from a sense of forgiven sin, peace with GOD, and power over our own passions.

The Christian soul by patience grows
More perfect day by day;

And brighter still, and brighter glows
With Heaven's eternal ray.

LESSON XIV.

The Laying-on of Hands.

Read Acts viii. 9-25. Learn Eph. iv. 30; Heb. vi. 1, 2.

1. S. Philip and the Sorcerer (v. 9-13).

The Samaritans, like the Jews, were at this time expecting the Advent of the Messiah (S. John iv. 25); and before the arrival of S. Philip, an impostor named Simon, taking advantage of this general expectation, had, by the exercise of certain magical arts, persuaded the Samaritans, 'from the least to the greatest,' to receive him as 'some great one,' so that he had come to be looked upon as 'the great power of GOD' (v. 10)—that is, one of a higher order than the angels. But the far greater miracles which they now saw S. Philip performing evil spirits cast out-the palsied cured-the lame healed (v. 7)-drew the multitude away from Simon, and caused them to listen to the message of salvation preached by S. Philip.

Not their bodies only, but their souls also were healed; they believed and were baptized, both men and women (v. 12).

Among that multitude of earnest believers, so eagerly seeking Holy Baptism, came Simon the sorcerer, to all appearance as sincere as the rest, but in reality envying the superior power of S. Philip, and hoping, by the profession of Christianity, to regain his lost influence.

2. The Gift of the Holy Ghost (v. 14-25).

Glad tidings indeed were those that reached the Church at Jerusalem that 'Samaria had received the Word of GOD' (v. 14).

No time must be lost in imparting to these newlybaptized Gentile converts the gifts of the Holy Ghost. S. Philip the Deacon could preach and baptize, but to the Apostles only, as the first bishops of the Church, had been committed the power of imparting the gifts of the Holy Ghost through the laying-on of hands.

At the risk of their lives in this time of fiery persecution, S. Peter and S. John undertake the long and perilous journey from Jerusalem to Samaria. The multitude of believers are called together; the Apostles make it manifest to all by their prayer that the gift is from GOD, and that they are but His ordained instruments and channels of His grace. Then, one by one, each convert kneels, and receives the gift of the Holy Ghost through the laying-on of the Apostles' hands (v. 17).

Doubtless this descent of the Holy Ghost was accompanied by some outward visible manifestation; for when Simon the sorcerer saw that through laying-on of the Apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given' (v. 18), he dared to offer money that he might have the same power. Well might Simon tremble at the indignant reply of S. Peter, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of GOD may be purchased with money' (v. 20).

He had desired the holiest gifts of GOD from unholy motives, and he had in consequence drawn upon himself a curse instead of a blessing. His heart was not right in the sight of GOD'; he was in the 'gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity'; the slave, the prisoner of Satan, tied and bound with the chain of his sins.

Yet even for such an offender there is hope if only he will repent, and pray GoD if perhaps the thought of his heart, the covetous desire which had led to the commission of so great a sin, might be forgiven (v. 20-24).

There is not much ground to hope, from Simon's answer to S. Peter's burning words, that his repentance was sincere. He utters no word of sorrow for his evil thought, but entreats the Apostle to pray for him-not in order that the sin might be put away, but only, like Pharaoh of old, that he may not suffer the punishment of that sin (Ex. viii. 8, 28; ix. 28; x. 17)—a petition prompted by fear and followed by no change of conduct.

How long the Apostles remained in the towns of Samaria we are not told. They had been sent forth by the Church to confirm those who had been baptized, and, this done, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the Gospel in such villages of Samaria as lay in their road; perhaps, among others, to that very village upon which S. John had once desired to call down fire from heaven (S. Luke ix. 54), but which, through his preaching, may now have received the Holy Ghost, the true Fire from heaven (S. Luke xii. 49)

3. Confirmation.

Confirmation, or the Laying-on of Hands, was probably instituted by our LORD during the forty days between His Resurrection and His Ascension. From the earliest ages of the Christian Church, and in every part of it all over the world, Confirmation has been considered essential to the full perfection of Christian life, completing the life of grace begun in Baptism, by giving a fresh outpouring of the Holy Ghost, to strengthen our faith, to enable us to fulfil perfectly the duties of a Christian life, and to overcome the temptations that surround us.

S. Paul calls Confirmation (or the laying-on of hands) one of the 'first principles' (part of the foundation) of the 'doctrine of CHRIST' (Heb. vi. 1, 2). The journey of S. Peter and S. John to Samaria for the express purpose of administering this ordinance, and S. Paul's first question to the Ephesian converts, 'Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?' (Acts xix. 1-6) show us how important the Apostles considered Confirmation to be.

Confirmation is sometimes called in the Epistles the Seal of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. i. 21, 22; Eph. i. 13, 14; iv. 30), and also the Unction and Anointing of the Holy One (1 John ii. 20, 27). The outward sign in Confirmation is the laying-on of the Bishop's hands on the heads of those who are to be confirmed, while he prays for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them (see Order of Confirmation). We learn from Holy Scripture that the ‘laying-on of hands' has always been connected in a very special way with the bestowing of spiritual gifts and blessings (Gen. xlviii. 8-20; Deut. xxxiv. 9; S. Mark x. 16; 2 Tim. i. 6). The inward grace bestowed upon us in Confirmation is that of spiritual growth and strength-the seven-fold gifts of the Holy Ghost Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Knowledge, Fortitude, Godliness, and Holy Fear.

These seven precious Gifts are called the ordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost, to distinguish them from what are called His extraordinary gifts-such as the power of working miracles, and speaking in different languages. These were given for a special purpose; they were signs, bearing witness to the truth of the doctrines taught (Acts v. 12; 1 Cor. xiv. 22; Heb. ii. 4). They did not impart any spiritual profit to those who exercised them (1 Cor. xiii. 1, 2), and are no longer needed in these days.

What we do need is heavenly light and inward strength, to enable us to know and carry out the will of God, and to work out our own salvation; and these graces are given in proportion to the fervent desire and purity of heart with which we prepare to receive Confirmation.

By the gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel and Knowledge, the Holy Ghost enlightens our understanding, which through the Fall has become dark and ignorant, unable to understand Divine Truth. The gift of Fortitude strengthens our weak and perverse will, which, owing to the same cause, inclines to evil instead of good. The gifts of Godliness and Holy Fear remedy our corrupt affections, drawing us from the love of earthly things to the love of GOD.