The Ethiopian Eunuchs Conversion, Commentary on Acts 8 · Verse 31
VERSE 31. And he deſired Philip that he would come vp and ſit with him.Text.
THe religious diſpoſition of this Nobleman comes further to be deſcribed vntounto vsus, as by his great paines in trauelling vp to Ieruſalem, there to worſhip God; and by his diligence in reading of the Scriptures, and that in his iourney, and in his Chariot, ſo by his deſiring of Philip to come and ſit with him, to inſtruct him in the knowledge of Chriſt.
And herein againe wee hauehave another inſtance of his great meekneſſe and humilitie, that he would thus accept of Philip a poore man, thus to come into his Coach and to ſit with him.
Much vnlike to this Eunuch are many men in theſe dayes and times, though farre inferiour to him, yea it may be to ſome of his ſeruants, yet would thinke ſcorne to call Philip into their company. Nay, they would hardly indure Philip to be ſo bold with them, as hee was with this Nobleman. What elſe meane theſe diſgrace full ſpeeches, ſo often ſpoken by ſo many men, what! ſhall he teach me? doth he thinke to hauehave our heads vnderunder his girdle? O how farre are theſe men from the ſpirit of this Eunuch.
Yet, God be thanked, we hauehave ſome Chiefe Rulers that beleeue on Chriſt. Ioh. 12.48.We hauehave ſome Corneliuſſes that will receiue Peter; Act 10.Some Sergius Paulas that will entertaine Paul the Apoſtle. The Lord increaſe the number of ſuch daily more and more.
This, this muſt needs bee no ſmall commendations vntounto this ſo great a man, to intreat Philip thus to come into his Chariot to inſtruct him.
Hee doth not onelyonly acknowledge his igno…nce that he could not vnderſtand the Scriptures without a guide; but he doth alſo deſire Philip to teach and inſtruct him. Note hence,
That it is the property of a true diſciple of Chriſt, Doct. It is not enough to ſee our ignorance but wee muſt labor to come out of it.and of a gratious heart, not onelyonly to ſee his ignorance, but alſo to deſire to come our of it, to be taught and inſtructed in the wayes of God. This is in deed Gods owne ordinance; The Prieſts lips ſhall preſerue knowledge, M…l. 2.7.and the people ſhall heare the law at their mouth. And thus the men of Macedonia came to Paul, and beſought him that hee would come and preach in their City the word of God. And indeed none profit more, wee know, in the ſchoole of Chriſt, then they that deſire to be taught, that hunger and thirſt after knowledge, that will go to the Miniſters of God, as ſhe widdow did to the Prophet, in the new Moones and ſolemne Feaſt dayes. Indeed in the matters of the world men will not be a ſhamed of their ignorance, but will confeſſe it, as in the ſowing of their ground, when, after what manner, with what kinde of ſeed, &c. and they will deſire to be directed. But, alas, in this heauenly art, how many diſſemble their ignorance, will not deſire the direction of Gods huſband men, by which meanes their hearts lye vntilled and barren.
It is a ſigne of a good ſtomacke and perfect digeſtion, when men grow in ſtrength and hauehave a good appetite to their meat.Pro. 9.5. A wiſe man (ſaith Solomon) will heare and increaſe in knowledge. And thus it is with that man that is made wiſe by the word, hee growes ſtill in grace, and hungers and thirſts more and more after wiſedome. And there is reaſon for it.
Reaſ. 1 Firſt that of our Sauiour,Luk. 8.18. To him that hath ſhall be giuen. But frō him that hath not ſhall be taken away. God hauing betruſted any of his ſeruants with a Stocke of ſauing knowledge, they increaſe in the ſame daily, and thriue and proſper in grace and godlineſſe. Whereas wicked men and hypocrites, that hauehave all but in ſhew, and nothing in truth, God many times doth take from ſuch, that which they ſeeme to hauehave.
Reaſ. 2 Secondly, when God doth once open the vnderſtanding of his ſeruants, they diſcouer daily more and more in them the defects of their vnderſtanding and knowledge, and in them is that verified of Solomon, Hee that increaſeth knowledge, increaſeth labour. For none labour and trauell more earneſtly after knowledge and grace, then ſuch as hauehave already attained to a compet…nt meaſure there of. It is with a Chriſtian herein, as it is with a worldling, the more the world comes on hand, the more gripple and couetous they are; So the more knowledge and grace that any of Gods people hauehave, the more they couet after it.
Reaſ. 3 Thirdly, they, and they onelyonly know the worth of knowledge and of grace, and this makes them earneſt ſeekers after it; whereas Ignoti nulla cupido. Such as know it not, neither prize it, nor labour after it. A godly man is inſatiable in his deſire after knowledge and grace, he is greedy in hauing, he reades daily, he heares as often as opportunitie ſerues, hee takes all occaſions, with this Eunuch here, to edifie and build vp himſelfe in his holy faith. And what might be the reaſon of all this, he knows his wants, and withall the worth of this heauenly treaſure, and this makes him, the more he receiues, the mote to hunger and thirſt after it.
Vſe. 1 This ſhewes how farre ſuch men are from approuing themſelues the true ſeruants of Chriſt, and ſuch in whoſe hearts the work of grace is truly wrought, who hate to bee inſtructed, who ſay to the Prophets,Iſa. 30.10. Prophecie not; and with thoſe wicked ones Iob ſpeaketh of,Iob 21. We deſire not the knowledge of Gods ways; Who refuſe inſtrudion, though the Miniſters of God doe tender their ſeruice vntounto them, they ſcorne them, and care not for them:Pro. 1.22. O ye fooles, how long will ye learne fooliſhneſſe, and the ſcornfull take pleaſure in ſcorning, and the foole hate knowledge. They thinke themſelues wiſe enough, and good enough, and therefore deſire not to bee taught in the word. But what ſaith Wiſedome there, Verſ. 26 I will laugh at your deſtruction. How many hauehave we in the world, that conceit themſelues to hauehave knowledge enough, yea they will not ſticke to ſay, they know as much as the Preacher can tell them, and out of the abundance of their pride, they ſleight Gods ordinance. But let ſuch heare what the Spirit of God teſtifieth in this caſe to the conceited Laodiceans, Reu. 3.17.When they ſaid they were rich, &c. Chriſt tells them that they were indeed wretched, and poore, and blinde and naked. He that hath as much knowledge as hee doth deſire, did neuer as yet deſire to know as he ought.
And this ſerues likewiſe for the iuſt reproofe of thoſe that make no reckoning and account of Phillips company, or vſe of Philips preſence. This Nobleman deſires his company, and makes good vſe thereof. Many in our dayes will hauehave their houſhold Chaplaines, and ſometimes a Philip about them, to bee in their companie, and at their tables: but what vſe make they of them; Surely little more then if they were a dumbe Miniſter. Let a Lawyer bee with them, and they will make vſe of his knowledge; Let a Phyſitian be with them, and they will make ſome vſe of his skill. But how long may many a faithfull Miniſter of Chriſt be in the company of many before he bee asked one queſtion, or hauehave one doubt or caſe of conſcience propounded vntounto him.
Let this then admoniſh all in the feare of God, that as we deſire to approue our ſelues to hauehave the worke of grace truly wrought in vsus, that we manifeſt the ſame by this our hungring and thirſting deſire after the increaſe of knowledge, and euen to long after the Sabbath-day, and ſuch times when we may be inſtructed in the wayes of God; and that wee reioyce in the fellow ſhip of Gods people, whereby we may be edified in our holy faith. This is it that will yeeld ſound comfort at laſt, when all other comforts faile; and thus ſhall we be inriched daily more and more with grace and holineſſe, and ſhine forth as lights to the credit of the Goſpell, in the midſt of a crooked and forward generation.