The Ethiopian Eunuchs Conversion, Commentary on Acts 8 · Verse 26
VERSE 26. Ariſe, and goe towards the South, &c.
HEre we hauehave Philips commiſſion and calling vntounto the worke; wherein we are to obſerue two things:
1 The preparation that Philip is to make, Ariſe, and goe.
2 The place or extent of his iourney, towards the South.
Ariſe, and goe, theſe two words differ in their ſignification; the one calling vp Philip as it were from ſleepe, ariſe; the other ſetting him forward in his iourney, goe.
Q. d. Sit not ſtill, be not any longer diſcouraged, there is now ſome worke to bee done, Ariſe, and goe.
It is like that charge the Lord gaue vntounto Ieremy; Ier. 1.17.Truſſe vp thy loynes, ariſe and ſpeake vntounto them.
The word ariſe, preſuppoſeth one that was either fallen downe, or one that ſate owne, as being weary.
If Philip were fallen downe at this time, it was at the ſight of the Angell; and ſo indeed was Paul ſtroke to the earth, when the voyce came from heauen. And he fell to the earth. Act. 9.4.So might the glory of this Angell, worke this feare in Philip.
The like appeares in Manoah, Iudg. 13.20when the Angell had declared himſelfe vntounto him, and his wife, they fell both on their face to the ground. So the Prophet Ezechiel fell on his face,…zech. 1. vlt. when the glory of the Lord appeared Euen ſo when the viſion appeared vntounto Daniel, he confeſſed,Dan. 10.8. there remained no ſtrength in me. And the Angels appearing vntounto the Shepheards, the Text ſaith,Luk. 2.9. They were ſore afraid.
Now then if Philip were thus caſt down to the earth at the ſight of this glorious Angell that came vntounto him in mercy; Vſe. What then ſhall be the terrour that theſe ſhall ſtrike in the hearts of all wicked and vngodly men? When they ſhall come, not in mercy, but in iudgement, at that day, when the Lord Ieſus Chriſt himſelfe ſhall come with all his holy Angels? No meruaile though wicked men in that day, ſhall cry to the mountaines to fall vponupon them, Reu. 6.16. Eſay. 2.19.and ſhall creepe into the holes of the rockes and caues of the earth, for the feare of the Lord. O that all wicked and vngodly men would lay this to heart, how fearefull the comming of the Lord Ieſus will be at the laſt day, when he ſhall come with all his holy Angels with him, to take vengeance vponupon wicked men.
Secondly, the word ariſe, preſuppoſeth againe, ſometimes, a man that ſits downe to take his reſt, as being aweary, and ſo it might be that this was the condition of Philip now at this time. Either in regard that he ſaw not the fruit of his miniſtery as he deſired, or elſe in regard of the preſent trouble that lay vponupon the Church. This was the caſe of Elias, being perſecuted by Ahab and Ieſabel. Sitting vnderunder the Iuniper tree, he ſeems to be ſo much diſheartned, as if hee were weary of his life. It is enough, O Lord, take away my life, I am no better then my Fathers. And if this were the caſe of Philip, we are taught,
That it is the condition of the beſt of Gods ſeruants in the Miniſtery, Doct. Good Miniſters …ometimes diſ…uraged when they ſee not the tru… of their miniſte…y.many times to be much diſcouraged, and out of heart when they cannot ſee the happy returne of their labours. And this is it, many times, that makes them dull and heauy in doing the duties of their calling. This haply, might bee the condition of Philip now at this time, that hee had preached the word vntounto the people, and ſaw little fruit of his miniſtery; and againe, the troubles & perſecutions of the Church which hee now ſaw before his eyes, might make him heartleſſe, and beate him off the worke of his calling, that he ſate downe as a man forlorne and out of heart, till now the Angell giues him a call, to preach the word to this man.
For the preuenting of this in the Prophet Ezechial, the Lord tels him aforehand, The houſe of Iſrael will not hearken vntounto thee, Ezech. ….7for they will not hearken vntounto me: yet the Lord would hauehave him to doe this duty, and to leaue the ſucceſſe to him. And this is that indeed which all Gods people muſt looke vntounto, to doe their duties, and to leaue the ſucceſſe to God. We are not in Gods ſtead to mollifie mens hearts; no, Paul may plant, and Apollo may water, but the bleſſing is from God.
He that laboureth to bring men to heauen, though hee effect not his deſire, ſhall notwithſtanding hauehave his reward. But yet not withſtanding, ſuch is the weakeneſſe, euen in the beſt of Gods ſeruants, many times, that when they hauehave laboured in the workes of the Miniſtery, and ſee not their deſired fruit thereof to follow, much deadneſſe of heart, and drowſineſſe is ready to creepe vponupon them, that they are ready to be diſcouraged and beaten off from doing their duty. But what may be the reaſon hereof?
Firſt, men are naturally impatient of delayes, Reaſ. 1 eſpecially when men deſire a thing. Now what is that which a faithfull Miniſter doth principally deſire, but this? That Iſrael may be gathered. Now when after much labour & paines taken in the worke of the Miniſtery, their hope and expectation failes in this, they cannot but bee diſcouraged and diſheartened, as Philip here.
Secondly, ſuch doe not conſider that the word to ſome, is to be the ſauour of death vntounto death, as it is vntounto others, to be the ſauour of life to life: which thing were it duely conſidered, Miniſters would looke more to their owne duties, and meddle leſſe with the ſucceſſe of their miniſtery, which is wholly in God.
The vſe concerneth Miniſters, Vſe. eſpecially, to teach them not to be diſcouraged, becauſe they ſee ſo little fruit of their labours: they muſt inſtruct ſtill with meekeneſſe, prouing if God at any time will giuegive them repentance. God hath many houres to call men into his Vineyard, ſome in the ſixt, ſome in the ninth, and ſome in the eleuenth. In the morning (ſaith Salomon) ſow thy ſeede, and in the euening, with hold not thy hand, for thou knoweſt not whether ſhall proſper. It may bee the ſeaſon of grace is paſt with ſome, and that GOD will now hauehave them left without excuſe, for certainely God doth ſend his word to the greater condemnation of ſome, that will not bee gathered: what then? the Miniſter notwithſtanding is to doe his duty. If a Huſbandman be commanded by his maſter to …w his ſeed in a barren ſoyle where there is no hope of an increaſe; It is anſwer good, he did but his duty. If the Lord ſend a Miniſter to a congregation where he can ſee little or no fruit for his labours, yet ſtill ſhall he ſerue the Lords purpoſe and prouidence, and his labour notwithſtanding ſhall be with the Lord, Eſa. 49.4.and his recompence with his God.
(And goe)
The Angell, as he biddeth Philip Ariſe, ſo he biddeth him goe. It is like, as we hauehave heard, Philip might be much diſheartened and diſcouraged in his calling, and ſo began to be drowſie and heauy in the diſcharge of his duty; in which regard, Paul willeth Timothy to ſtir vp the grace of God in him. 2 Tim. 1.6But now the Angell giues him a new call, and acquaints him with a ſpeciall ſeruice he is now to doe, and therefore wils him to ariſe and goe; he doth not goe before he be ſent, but ſtayeth vntill hee hauehave a lawfull calling to the worke. Now here is his warrant and commiſſion to goe and preach to the Eunuch, and herein will teach vsus, that
That Miniſters muſt hauehave a lawfull calling to the worke of the Miniſtery, M Doct. Miniſters muſt be called, before they preach.before they take that ſacred function vponupon them. None ought to ſpeake and teach in the name of the Lord, that is not able to ſhew his authoritie from the Lord. This was it whereupon all the Prophets did depend, both for their ſitting downe, and riſing vp. Moſes would not goe vntounto Pharaoh, Ex. 3.11.before hee had learned his leſſon perfectly;Ier. 1.6.8. Ieremy is a childe,Ier. 1.6.8. and knoweth not what to ſay, till God had aſſured him to be with him. And the Lord tels the Prophet Ezechiel, that he ſhould heare the word from his mouth,Ezech. 3.17. and warne the people from him. So Paul, That which I hauehave receiued from the Lord, 1 Cor. 11.23.deliuer I vntounto you. And thus the Apoſtles, in all their Epiſtles they wrote vntounto the Churches, firſt ſhew their authoritie, that the ſame was from God, before they taught the people: and the reaſons are,
Reaſ. 1 Firſt, without this, they are but intruders, as Vzza was: and the ſame God that ouertooke him in that ſinne of his, will neuer ſuffer ſuch intruders eſcape vnpuniſhed.
Reaſ. 2 Secondly, the conſideration that their calling is from God, makes men bold and couragious in the performance of the duties belonging vntounto the ſame, and in time of their hotteſt oppoſition, to ſay with Nehemiah, Shall ſuch a man as I flye? and with Chriſt,Neh. 6.11. Goe tell the Foxe, Luk. 13.32I walke to day, &c. And with Paul, I paſſe not by my life, Act. 20.ſo I may fulfill my Miniſtery with ioy. Abſolom bids his ſeruants,2 Sam. 13.28. Smite, kill, and feare not, for I hauehave commanded you, (ſaith hee) and ſhall not they ſpeake whom the Lord hath commanded?
Thirdly, Reaſ. 3 the conſideration of this calling, that it is from God, comforts a faithfull Miniſter againſt all the diſcouragements hee meetes withall, to ſay with the Prophet Eſay; Yet my reward is with the Lord, and my recompence with my God. Hee hath done his duty, he hath deliuered his owne ſoule.
Reaſ. 4 And laſt of all, without this, we can expect no bleſſing, for ſeldome doth a Miniſter doe any good in his place, that hath not his calling from God.
Vſe 1 This ſerues then to reproue ſuch fantaſticall ſpirits that runne before they be ſent. I hauehave not ſent thoſe Prophets, (ſaith the Lord) yet they ranne; Ier, 23.22I hauehave not ſpoken vntounto them, yet they hauehave prophecied. Such can expect no bleſſing from God; for whom hee ſends, he furniſheth with gifts, & toucheth their tongue with a cole from his Altar. Thoſe then that hauehave no gifts, yet occupy the place of a Miniſter, doubtleſſe were neuer ſent of God.
Let this then ſerue to admoniſh eueryevery faithfull Miniſter of Chriſt, that hee labour aboue all things to be aſſured of the truth of his calling, that the ſame bee from God, that ſo they may performe the ſame in faith and obedience, and feed the flocke of Chriſt that is committed vntounto them.
But how ſhall a man truely know that he is called to preach the Goſpell? Queſt.
This is knowne diuers wayes. Anſw.How to know a Miniſter to hauehave his calling from God.
Firſt, by thoſe gifts that qualifie a man for the worke of the Miniſtery; for God neuer ſends, but qualifies firſt.
Secondly, the teſtimony of a mans owne conſcience, that hee enters not for any other by-reſpect, but for the aduancement of Chriſts kingdome.
Thirdly, the approbation of the Church.
Fourthly, a propenſe inclination to be exerciſed in that calling, as if a Miniſter were like a creature out of it clement, vnleſſe hee were ſetting forward the Lords worke, either in publike or priuate.
Fiftly, if the Lord in ſome meaſure bleſſe his labours, this is as the Lords ſignet or ſeale ſet to his calling.