read Esaias the prophet. 29. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31. And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32. The place of the scripture which he read, was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33. In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? For his life is taken from the earth. 34. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? Of himself, or of some other man? 35. Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37. And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. 40. But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
We have here the story of the conversion of an Ethiopian eunuch to the faith of Christ; by whom, we have reason to think, the knowledge of Christ was sent into that country where he lived, and that scripture fulfilled, Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands, one of the first of the nations, unto God, Ps. 68. 31.
I. Philip the evangelist is directed into the road where he would meet with this Ethiopian, v. 26. When the churches in Samaria were settled, and had ministers appointed them, the apostles went back to Jerusalem; but Philip stays, expecting to be employed in breaking up fresh ground in the country. And here we have,
1. Direction given him by an angel, (probably, in a dream, or vision of the night,) what course to steer: Arise and go toward the south. Though angels were not employed to preach the gospel, they were often employed in carrying messages to ministers for advice and encouragement, as ch. 5. 19. We cannot now expect such guides in our way; but doubtless there is a special providence of God conversant about the removes and settlements of ministers, and one way or other he will direct those who sincerely desire to follow him, into that way in which he will own them; he will guide them with his eye. He must go southward, to the way that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza, through the desert or wilderness of Judah. Philip would never have thought of going thither, into a desert, into a common road through the desert; small probability of finding work there! Yet thither he is sent, according to our Saviour's parable, foretelling the call of the Gentiles, Go ye into the high-ways, and the hedges, Matt. 22. 9. Sometimes God opens a door of opportunity to his ministers in places very unlikely.
2. His obedience to this direction; (v. 27.) He arose and went; without objecting, or so much as asking, "What business have I there?" Or, "What likelihood is there of doing good there?" He went out, not knowing whither he went, or whom he was to meet.
II. An account is given of this eunuch, (v. 27.) who, and what, he was, on whom this distinguishing favour was bestowed.
1. He was a foreigner, a man of Ethiopia; there were two Ethiopias, one in Arabia, but that lay east from Canaan; it should seem, this was of Ethiopia in Africa, which lay south, beyond Egypt, a great way off from Jerusalem; for in Christ, they that were afar off were made nigh, according to the promise, that the ends of the earth should see the great salvation. The Ethiopians were looked upon as the meanest and most despicable of the nations, black-moors, as if nature had stigmatized them; yet the gospel is sent to them, and divine grace looks upon them, though they are black, though the sun has looked upon them.
2. He was a person of quality, a great man in his own country, an eunuch; not in body, but in office; lord chamberlain or steward of the household; and, either by the dignity of his place or by his personal character, which commanded respect, he was of great authority, and bore a mighty sway under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who probably was successor to the queen of Sheba, who is called the queen of the south; that country being governed by queens, to whom Candace was a common name, as Pharaoh to the kings of Egypt; he had the charge of all her treasure; so great a trust did she repose in him! Not many mighty, not many noble, are called; but some are.
3. He was a proselyte to the Jewish religion, for he came to Jerusalem for to worship. Some think that he was a proselyte of righteousness, who was circumcised, and kept the feasts; others, that he was only a proselyte of the gate, a Gentile, but who had renounced idolatry, and worshipped the God of Israel occasionally in the court of the Gentiles; but, if so, then Peter was not the first that preached the gospel to the Gentiles, as he says he was. Some think that there were remains of the knowledge of the true God in this country, ever since the queen of Sheba's time; and probably the ancestor of this eunuch was one of her attendants, who transmitted to his posterity what he learned at Jerusalem.
III. Philip and the eunuch are brought together into a close conversation; and now Philip shall know the meaning of his being sent into a desert, for there he meets with a chariot, that shall serve for a synagogue, and one man, the conversion of whom shall be in effect, for aught he knows, the conversion of a whole nation.
1. Philip is ordered to fall into company with this traveller that is going home from Jerusalem toward Gaza, thinking he has done all the business of his journey, when the great business which the overruling providence of God designed in it, was yet undone. He had been at Jerusalem, where the apostles were preaching the christian faith, and multitudes professing it, and yet there he had taken no notice of it, and made no inquiries after it; nay, it should seem, had slighted it, and turned his back
