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offer to send her back to the land of Israel? cannot think that she, to whom he owed all, was kept any longer in bondage, against her will. It may be therefore that God took this way of delivering her, after but a short captivity: she remembered Him in her exile, and acknowledged Him before men, and He gave her favour, and set her free, and she went back to live and die among her own people.

But perhaps this was not her choice. She had a kind mistress, and now she had a grateful master; and now an altar to her God was set up, and he and others worshipped there. Her position was greatly altered. She was honoured and loved. Perhaps she stayed in that land. At all events, wherever she was, we may be sure that God's blessing was with her: and if we have that, it matters not greatly where we live, or whom we serve, or whether we be in service to an earthly master at all. He Himself orders all our lot; and "the blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich; and He addeth no sorrow with it."5

5 Prov. x. 22.

PHILIP THE EVANGELIST.

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HILIP was not an uncommon name. It was not a Jewish, but a Greek name. Several Philips are mentioned in the New Testament. Philip the Evangelist and Philip the Deacon were the same; Philip the Apostle was quite a different person.

This Philip the Evangelist is often called Philip the Deacon, from his being one of the seven men (since called deacons) who were specially appointed to manage the distribution of alms in the early church at Jerusalem. As long as the disciples were few, that work was easily done; but when the number increased, difficulties arose. There were among the disciples Grecian Jews, as well as Hebrew, and these complained that the widows of their race were neglected.1 How far this was true, we have no means of knowing; but it is not unlikely that, being less well known than the Hebrews, or pure Jews, some of them had been unintentionally overlooked. Up to this time the work of distributing had been done by the twelve 1 Acts vi. 1-6.

Apostles; but the work had now outgrown their power, and this complaint brought about a change.

To minister the Word of God was the proper work of the Apostles; it was not fit that they should be drawn aside from that work to serve tables"-to distribute alms, or even food itself. Others therefore must be appointed to the work; and the general body of the disciples must choose fit men from among their number: so the Apostles decided.

The disciples at large were to choose them, but the Apostles were to appoint them; and their instructions as to the choice were very precise: "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.' The disciples were well pleased with this arrangement, and chose seven men accordingly, one of whom was Philip. Then they set them before the Apostles; "and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them." Thus, in the most solemn manner, Philip and the other six were ordained to this work. The word deacon is not applied to them in Scripture; but they have been generally called deacons, because of the likeness of their office to that of those who were called so afterwards. As far as we can judge, the deacons whom Timothy was to be so careful in choosing belonged to the same order in the ministry as these seven, and were employed in the like work: only the name (which means servant, or minister) Q

was not at first made use of. The qualifications required in the two cases agree well.2

As the choice of the seven was confirmed by the Apostles, acting under divine guidance, we may be sure that the men were really such as were directed to be chosen. And as Philip was of the number, and one of the two specially mentioned afterwards, we safely may take these directions as descriptive of his character. He was a man "of honest report; full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom."

"Of honest report"-well spoken of, of good character: this was the point first mentioned, because in this case it was of the first importance that the men chosen should be such as to inspire confidence. Such a man was Philip: a good man, and known and esteemed as such by all; one whose character was above suspicion; who might be trusted to administer the alms without partiality, and with no view to his own advantage.

In populous places ministers of the Gospel often find their time too much taken up with secular things. Account-keeping, and the management of charities, and the collecting of subscriptions, and the general machinery of a parish, are in many cases a great burden, interfering with the spiritual work of the ministry, and causing the minister to leave undone much of that sort that he would gladly do. Hence the preaching of the word suffers, and time fails for pastoral visiting. Now, 21 Tim. iii, 8-13.

much of this work is by no means the special work of the clergyman, and might indeed be better done by others; but often these others cannot be found, and unless done by the minister, the work would not be done at all. It is a great help to the minister, and a great benefit to the place, when laymen can and will take part in such work as this. With us the deacon himself is a minister of religion, whose main business should be with the Word of God and prayer; help must therefore be sought beyond the limits of the ministry. Much valuable help of this sort is given by laymen: but more is needed. Every Christian man may find something that he can do.

Where money and alms are concerned, it is of the greatest importance that there be full confidence in the persons employed. Philip, bearing a Greek name, was himself perhaps a Grecian, and chosen partly on that account; but, though the Grecians would thus have confidence that he would not neglect them, yet, on the other hand, he would not unduly favour them; he was chosen to do strict justice, and so no doubt he did. Those who administer charity must be above reproach. Not only must they have a clear conscience, but they must act so as to make their righteous dealing plain to all.

This word "of good report" means literally "testified of," or "borne witness to." The brethren were to "look out" seven men of the kind described. Small as was the number of disciples at

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