Acts 8:22

“Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, etc.] For a great piece of wickedness it was, to offer money for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and to imagine, that could be purchased with money; and what made the wickedness still greater was, the evil design he had in this, to advance himself in opposition to Christ and his apostles, as he afterwards did; and when the apostle puts him upon repentance, his view is to show the heinousness of his crime, the need he stood in of repentance, and that without it, his case must be miserable: and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee; though he was in a state of nature, the apostle exhorts him to the duty of prayer; for prayer…”

“Repent . . . pray . . . if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven--this expression of doubt being designed to impress upon him the greatness of his sin, and the need of alarm on his part.”

“Repent, therefore - Here we may remark: That Simon was at this time an unconverted sinner. (2)That the command was given to him “as such.” (3)That he was required to “do the thing”; not to wait or seek merely, but actually to repent. (4)That this was to be the “first step” in his conversion. He was not even directed to “pray” first, but his first indispensable work was to “repent”; that is, to exercise proper sorrow for this sin, and to “abandon” his plan or principle of action. And this shows: (1)That all sinners are to be exhorted to “repent,” as their first work. They are not to be told to “wait,” and “read,” and “pray,” in the expectation that repentance will be “given” them. With such…”

“Repent - if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee - Without all doubt if he had repented, he would have been forgiven. The doubt was, whether he would repent. Thou art in the gall of bitterness - In the highest degree of wickedness, which is bitterness, that is, misery to the soul; and in the bond of iniquity - Fast bound therewith. Acts 8:26”

“Repent: Act 2:38, Act 3:19, Act 17:30; Rom 2:4; Ti2 2:25, Ti2 2:26; Rev 2:21 pray: Act 9:11; Deu 4:29, Deu 4:30; Kg1 8:47, Kg1 8:48; Ch2 33:12, Ch2 33:13; Isa 55:6, Isa 55:7; Amo 5:6; Mat 7:7, Mat 7:8; Luk 11:9-13; Rev 3:17, Rev 3:18 if: Dan 4:27; Joe 2:13, Joe 2:14; Amo 5:15; Jon 1:6, Jon 3:9; Ti2 2:25 the thought: Act 8:20; Heb 4:12 Acts 8:23”