The Ethiopian Eunuchs Conversion, Commentary on Acts 8 · Verse 34
VERSE 34. And the Eunuch anſwered Philip and ſaid, I pray thee of whom ſpeaketh the Prophet this, of himſelfe, or of ſome other man?
THe Eunuch hauing read, now he asketh the meaning: It is not ſufficient for men to be conuerſant in the Scripture, and diligently to reade the ſame, vnleſſe men vnderſtand that they reade. Ezra not onelyonly read the law vntounto the people, but hee cauſed them alſo to vnderſtand the ſame. And to whom goeth the Eunuch at this time to be taught and inſtructed, but vntounto Philip, whoſe office and calling was to interprete and expound the Scriptures, and to inſtruct the ignorant in the wayes of God. The leſſon is,
That in all our ſtraights we are to goe for counſell all direction to Gods Miniſters. Doct. In all our ſtraights we muſt goe to Gods Miniſters for direction.Men are not negligently and careleſly to paſſe ouer that they reade or heare, and vnderſtand not, but to ſeeke to finde out the meaning, and to labour to bee reſolued of the truth thereof. And to this end, to goe to thoſe Teachers that are appointed of God to the ſame end, to be rightly informed therein. It is the Lords owne ordinance it ſhould be ſo.Mat. 2.7. The Prieſts lips ſhould keepe knowledge, and they ſhall ſeeke the law at his mouth. Againe,Deut. 17.9. Thou ſhalt come vntounto the Prieſt and Leuites, and vntounto the Iudge that ſhall be in thoſe dayes, and enquire, and they ſhall ſhew thee the ſentence of Iudgement. It was the counſell that Iehoſophat gaue vntounto the king of Iſrael,2. King. 22.5.6. when he was to go vp againſt Ramoth Gilead: Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord this day. Then the King of Iſrael gathered the Prophets together, about foure hundred men, and ſaid, Shall I go vp to Ramoth Gilead? And thus came the diſciples vntounto our Sauiour to hauehave the parable interpreted vntounto them.Mar. 4.10. So when our Sauiour taught the doctrine of diuorce,Mar. 10.10. the Diſciples afterwards asked him of the ſame thing. Where they ſaw the man that was borne blinde,Ioh. 9.3. they asked our Sauiour, whether it was his ſinne, or his parents. And hence is it that Paul ſo earneſtly exhorteth Timothy, 2 Tim. 2.15.to giuegive attendance to reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine, and to ſtudy to ſhew himſelfe approued of God, a workeman that needeth not to bee aſhamed: rightly diuiding the word of truth. And this is the Lords owne decree, They hauehave Moſes and the Prophets, let them heare them. Luk 16.31And there is Reaſon for it.
Reaſ. 1 Firſt, the Lord to this end hath called his ſeruants to this calling, and furniſhed them with gifts for the edification of his Church. He gaue ſome Apoſtles, ſome Prophets, and ſome Euangeliſts, Eph. 4, 11.12.and ſome Paſtours and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Miniſtery, for the edifying of the body of Chriſt.
Reaſ. 2 Secondly, ſuch as will not beleeue them, will beleeue nothing elſe,Luk. 16 31 no, though one come from the dead.
Vſe. 1 This ſhewes then how the Miniſters of the word ought to bee qualified for this worke of the Miniſtery; they muſt be men that are able to bring out of their treaſury things new and old, able to reſolue all doubts that trouble the people any way. And therefore muſt bee men faithfull in their places, and skilfull in the Scriptures; they muſt not bee blinde guides, and dumbe dogges. It was an heauy complaint the Lord took vp of the Prophets,Ezek. 34.4. The diſeaſed hauehave ye not ſtrengthened, neither hauehave ye healed the ſicke, nor hauehave ye bound vp that which was broken, neither heaue yee brought againe that which was driuen away, neither hauehave ye ſought that which was loſt. Such ſtand guiltie before the Lord of no leſſe ſinne then the bloud of ſoules.
Vſe. 2 Secondly, this ſerues likewiſe to reproue thoſe that aske queſtions indeed, but not to informe their iudgements; but as the Scribes and Phariſes did vntounto our Sauiour, tempting him. Ioh. 8.3.6.And as they which came with good pretences vntounto Chriſt, Maſter wee know that thou art true, and teacheſt the way of Chriſt truly, &c. This is a thing too common in the world, to demand queſtions, but not to edification; rather to intrap the Miniſter, and to get aduantage againſt him, then as Ioſias did of Huldah the Propheteſſe,2. Reg. 22.13.14.15. to be acquainted with Gods will.
Vſe. 3 And laſt of all, This may ſerue to condemne that great and vniuerſall neglect of this duty: Philip may be a long time amongſt vsus, yet few make this vſe of his preſence. This is one of the maine cauſes why ignorance doth ſo abound amongſt vsus, this day as it doth. Well then as we deſire to come out of our ignorance, and to bee made acquainted with Gods will, let vsus labour to imitate this admirable example of this Eunuch here, by improuing well our time and opportunitie, when we ſhall hauehave Philip amongſt vsus.
Of whom ſpeaketh the Prophet this?
Albeit this Eunuch was a very wiſe and prudent man in worldly affaires, and in the gouernment of a kingdome, yet doth ingeniouſly confeſſe his owne blindneſſe and ignorance in the things of God, Doct. The knowledge of God cometh not by nature.and myſteries of Chriſts kingdome. And herein will teach vsus,
That Religion and the knowledge of God comes not by nature. EueryEvery man is a heaſt in his owne knowledge. Ier. 10.14.When Peter had confeſſed Chriſt to be the Sonne of God: Marke Chriſts anſwer, Fleſh and bloud hath not reuealed this vntounto thee. Mat. 16.The naturall man perceiues not the things that are of God: neither can hee know them, 1. Cor. 2.14.for they are ſpiritually diſcerned. Euen they which otherwiſe many times hauehave the beſt capacities, and are of great vnderſtanding, yet are ſtrangely ſottiſh and blockiſh in the things appertaining to Gods kingdome. But of this before.
Ʋſe 1 This teacheth vsus then not to wonder ſo much at the groſſe ignorance of others, as to magnifie Gods goodneſſe towards our ſelues, that hath giuen vsus more knowledge in theſe heauenly myſteries then they. For as the Apoſtle ſaith,1. Cor. 2.7.8. We ſpeake the wiſedome of God in a myſtery, which none of the Princes of this world knew; Might Dauid ſay, being aduanced from a ſheepfold to a Scepter, What was in me, or in my fathers houſe, that thou ſhouldeſt chooſe me to feede thy people? How much more may thoſe admire the Lords mercy, whom the Lord hath deliuered out of that more then Aegyptian Bondage and darkneſſe, and brought them to the knowledge of his Sonne Chriſt?
Ʋſe 2 Secondly, this lets vsus ſee the great neceſſity of an able Miniſter that can diuide the word of God aright; by which meanes ordinarily we come to hauehave our vnderſtandings enlightened, and wee our ſelues brought to the knowledge of God and of Chriſt.
But why doth the Lord thus keepe his ſeruants from the true Queſt. knowledge and vnderſtanding of his word?
Anſw. 1 The Lord may doe this for diuers reaſons and reſpects.
Firſt, that herein and hereby he might try their patience and faith, whether they will hold out, or not: as the Lord dealt with Cornelius, Act. 10 9.he ſent him not by and by to Peter; hee did not ſtraight way inſtruct this Eunuch; nor Paul, Act. 9.immediately after hee had heard the voyce from heauen, becauſe patience bringeth forth experience;Rom. 5. experience, hope; and hope maketh not aſhamed. God doth not caſt off ſuch, to whom he denyeth neceſſary knowledge for a time.
Anſw. 2 Secondly, the Lord will hauehave it ſo, that herein and hereby wee may be brought to ſee our owne naturall ignorance, and be humbled for the ſame, and may more diligently waite vponupon the meanes, which God hath ordained to make men wiſe vntounto ſaluation; we know that want will make men looke about them, and ſeek where to hauehave a ſupply.
Anſw. 3 Thirdly, that wee may pray more earneſtly, as S. Iames ſaith, If any man want wiſedome, let him aske it of God: we muſt ſeeke ſauing knowledge onelyonly at his hands, whoſe onelyonly it is to diſpoſe of. And herein the Lord is not like vntounto man, who being often preſſed to giuegive, at laſt growes weary; but he delighteth moſt in the conſtant prayers of his ſeruants.
Anſw. 4 And laſt of all, that we hauing obtained this heauenly wiſedome, may make the more account thereof, this is no common iewell to bee had eueryevery where. And when they come hardly by a thing, they will the more carefully keepe it.