ioyfull Message or gladsome tidings So spake the Angell to the Shepheards Be not afraid for behold I bring you tidings of great ioy that shall be to all the people that is that vnto you is borne this day in the Citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2.10.11 Which most heauenly most sweet comfortable doctrine when Philip had once taught and preached to this noble Eunuch it was no maruell though as a man full of gladnesse he went on his way reioycing For if libertie be gratefull to him that hath long been captiue if to be made a free-man be a cause of ioy and reioycing to him that hath long been a bondslaue if to be eased of a heauie burden if to be cured of a dangerous disease if to be brought foorth of a darke dungeon into the cleere light to conclude if to be raised from the death of sinne to the life of grace and to haue our part and portion in the communion of Saints if all and euery of these be blessings much to be esteemed of and true causes of reioycing Thē to be brought into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God to be made the Lords Free-men to be eased of the heauy burden of sinne to be cured of the infectious diseases which arise from humane corruption to be enlightened by the Spirit of God to liue vnto the Lord the life of righteousnes and to haue our names written in the booke of life all which were offered and exhibited by Philip to this noble Eunuch in his preaching of Iesus vnto him these things I say could not chuse but much affect him and be great causes of great ioy and reioycing vnto him And as Philips preaching of Iesus was to this honorable Eunuch a cause of much reioycing so also should the preaching of the same Iesus be a cause of ioy and reioycing to as many of vs as are by the mercy of God and the labour of his faithfull Ministers made the happy hearers partakers therof For looke what plenty is to men that haue long liued in penury what health is to men that haue been long visited wearied with sicknes what meat is to them that haue been long pinched and almost starued with hunger the same and more is the publishing and preaching of the comfortable assurance of Gods loue and fauour towards vs in Christ Iesus In whom though the traytor Iudas found no excellency aboue the value of thirty peeces of siluer yet his godly and faithfull children can and doe finde in him all the treasures of wisedome of iustification of redemption and saluation When Samson in the time of his extreame thirsting faintnes euen then when he cried out and said Giue me vvater or I die for thirst had tasted of that water which God miraculously sent vnto him his spirit came againe he was reuiued Iudg. 15.19 When Ionathan had tasted a little hony his eyes were opened his spirits comforted and his body strengthened 1. Sa. 14. Yet neither was the water which Samson dranke of nor the hony which Ionathan tasted of halfe so sweet comfortable to them as the preaching of Christ Iesus is to the fainting dying soules of true Beleeuers Great is the ioy vnspeakable are the comforts which the preaching of Iesus affordeth to the children of men the sauour of which comforts is sweeter in the Church of GOD than the sauour of Libanon and the ioy therof like vnto the dropping of milke and hony vpon their soules Samson found a swarme of Bees and hony in a dead Lion Hic est favus qui ex ore Leonis mortui exiuit Out of the mouth out of the word out of the preaching of Iesus Christ which is the Lion of the tribe of Iudah which was dead but is aliue and liueth for euer commeth such sweetnes as cannot be vttered or cōceiued Nemo nouit nisi qui accipit This is such a ioy as is not like worldly ioy which may be taken away Your ioy shall no man take from you Iohn 16.22 Christ like a royall King neuer entreth any citie any towne any village any priuat house or into the soule or minde of any priuate man but hee giueth gifts And it also pleaseth him of his fulness to giue to his Apostles his Disciples his Ministres power and grace also to make them able whersoeuer they come and wheresoeuer they preach him and publish his truth as heere Philip did to this Eunuch to giue great gifts to the sonnes of men to instruct them in the knowledge of God and so to fill their hearts vvith sweet ioyes heauenly comforts The publishing of the word of God the preaching of Iesus Christ is as Chrysostome speaketh in his 5. Homily vpon Gene. a casting of spirituall treasures into the laps or bosomes of men The L. God grant that my preaching of Iesus at this time may be a casting or sowing of such spirituall treasures and heauenly seed as may bring forth in you all much fruite of good liuing to eternall life Amen FINIS
liued in the time of ignorance but that as many among vs liuing in the light of the Gospell descend notwithstanding into the darknesse of hell so there were many liuing in the darknes of Poperie who ascended vp to the place of light to the kingdome of heauen and were partakers of eternall blessednesse To conclude this point Let vs not rashly enter into the iudgements of God for he saith I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy Sometimes God refuseth the father and chooseth the sonne as in Salomon to build the Temple and not Dauid Sometimes hee sheweth his iudgements on the sonnes and mercy on the father as in the children of Iob Sometimes he cutteth off both the father and the sonnes as he did Elie his children Sometimes hee saueth both the father and his children as Noah and his children in the Arke and this hee doth to the end that be we fathers or be we children be wee many or be we few we should learne to submit our selues to him and rather be carefull to obtaine our owne saluation than to bee curious in the disputing of the saluation of others I will close and shut vp this point with a saying of Ciprian in his 3. Epi. If any that went before vs either of ignorance or of simplicity hath not obserued that which the Lord commanded his simplicity through the Lords indulgence may bee pardoned but we whom the Lord hath taught and instructed cannot be pardoned 3 In the third place of my first generall diuision I thought it fit that we should cōsider how this noble Eunuch was busied imployed in his return homewarde and that is set downe in the 28. verse And as he returned sitting in his chariot he read Esaias the Prophet The Lord hauing touched the heart of this noble Eunuch and finding that hee desired to taste of the bread of life resolued in great mercy to feede him plentifully therwith and finding him to haue a holy thirst after the water of life was pleased to set open vnto him the very fountaine or conduits thereof and prouided that hee should bee fed with the very marow and fatness of his holy truth and that hee should drinke de torrente voluptatis at the very well-head the water of life and the sweet wine of the sauing knowledge of his Son Christ He prouided in his gratious prouidence that the booke of the Prophesie of Esay should come to his hands which he ioyfully receiued reuerently accounted of making it as Alexander did Homer his companion in his iourney and diligently read the same He read Esaias the Prophet And what followed thereof The Lord who as the blessed Virgin speaketh filleth the hungry with good things did fill his hungry soule with the best things and verefied in him that saying of Salomon Non perdet Dominus animam iusti fame The Lord will not famish the soule of a righteous man with hunger but will feed it for he fed him with the richest and most precious cates and iunkets of his most holy and heauenly truth Neither did it only please God that the Booke and Prophesie of Esay should onely and alone come to the hands and sight of this noble Personage but heerein also did Gods gratious goodnesse and rich mercy plainly appeare vnto him in that not by chance or at aduenture but by the prouidence of God his hand was turned and his eye directed to the reading of such a part and portion of that Prophesie as contained in it the summe and substance of the Gospell and from whence Philip might haue a good ground and take iust occasion beginning as hee did at that Scripture to open and expound vnto him the whole mystery of Gods mercy in Christ and mans saluation by Christ The words of the place he read are these ver 32. and 33. Hee was led as a sheep to the slaughter c. In which words the Prophet sheweth the manner and order which it pleased God to vse in the redeeming of his Church namely by the death of Christ as of a Lambe slaine as a propitiatory sacrifice for the sinnes of mankinde That as a sheepe he was led to the slaughter and like a lambe dumbe before his shearer hee opened not his mouth c. Whereby is signified that he willingly offered vp himselfe as a voluntary sacrifice or free-will offering for mans redemption vnto God More briefly in a word for I purpose not at this time to make any stay in the interpretation of these wordes in my Text howsoeuer they be most worthy to bee largely entreated of more briefly I say and in a word In these words of Esay which the Ennuch was now in reading when Philip came and spake vnto him two things especially are mystically and prophetically deliuered concerning the person of Christ the first his Humiliation and Passion the second his Exaltation or Glorification and that not for himselfe onely but for vs also Which words beeing a prophesie or prediction of a thing then to come when they were written by Esay are in effect repeated by Saint Paul who speaketh thereof as of a thing done past and now performed Hee was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification Romans 4.25 And both of these appeare most plainely in the 53. of Esay through that whole chapter Of this argument or of this matter Esay speaketh as a Prophet Saint Paul as an Euangelist the one speaketh de futuro the other de praeterito the one of that which should come to passe the other of that which is come to passe and yet which is worthy your marking Esay though he speak thereof as of a thing long to come yet hee speaketh of it in the Preterperfect-tense or in the time past to shew the certainty thereof You see how this noble Eunuch was busied and you see also what end the Lord made and what course hee tooke with him He went vp to Ierusalem to worship and in his returne hee read the Prophet Esay and it pleased God that being so busied and imployed the foundation and ground-work of the sauing truth and knowledge of God in Christ should be laid and built in his soule to his eternall comfort and saluation Iesus Christ beeing the chiefe corner-stone of that holie and blessed building Tu vade fac similiter Goe thou and doe the like goe thou whosoeuer thou art that hearest me this day and doe the like goe vp to Ierusalem that is worship God in his holy Temple reade the Prophesie of Esay or some other part of the booke of God reade it when thou art at home reade it when thou art abroad reade it earely reade it late reade it with reuerence reade it with diligence reade it with an humble minde reade it with an hungry appetite reade it with a deuout desire to vnderstand it to conclude reade it with the like mind with which this noble Eunuch read it and thou shalt be partaker
Eunuch The maine scope principall drift of the Spirit of God in this Scripture and history which I haue read vnto you is to shew and shaddow out vnto vs the large extent of the doctrine of the Gospel the kingdom of Christ and how the same is by the counsell and mercifull purpose of God to be propagated extended to the vtmost borders of the earth And therefore in this present history which I haue chosen at this time to treat of you may bee pleased to beholde how God vouchsafed to poure vpon the head of this Honorable Eunuch the precious ointment of the sauing knowledge of Christ that like as the sweete and precious oyntment that was powred on the head of Aaron ran downe from his head and beard to the skirts of his garments so also this fragrant and sweete oyntment might stream downe and flowe to the skirts as it were of his cloathing to the vtmost borders of his Countrie and first to open to him the fountaine of life and to let him drinke thereof and then by him as it were by a conduit pipe to deriue and conuey the sweete streames and waters therof to his countrie-men that dwelt a farre off euen to the people and inhabitants of Aethiopia Which thing came accordingly to passe for he being conuerted conuerted many brethren and as wee receiue it by tradition brought many of his owne nation to the knowledge of Christ The chiefe and principall points which I obserue in this Scripture and whereof I purpose by Gods assistance to speake at this time are these 1. An Angel disposeth of Philip assigneth him a place for his employment ver 26. 2. Who what he was to whom by the direction of the Angell Philip was sent First hee was of Aethiopia Secondly hee was an honourable Personage chiefe Gouernor to the Queen of that coūtrie and had the rule of all her treasure Thirdly he came or he trauelled to Ierusalem to worship ver 27. 3. In the third place wee will consider how this noble Eunuch was busied emploied in his returne homeward as hee returned sitting in his chariot he read Esaias the Prophet ver 28. 4. The fourth thing that I intend to speake of is Philips performance of that duty and seruice to which he was appointed ver 30. 5. Fiftly and lastly the effectes which his owne reading and Philips preaching of Christ wrought in this Eunuch they are three first he beleeued secondly hee was baptised and thirdly after he beleeued and was baptised he went homeward reioycing In the first place in that an Angel is appointed by God to warne Philip to hasten and meete the Eunuch for his conuersion it may teach vs how gratious and mercifull God is to the sons of men who for their sakes for their good will haue his Angels to bee seruiceable and helpfull vnto them By the help of Angels Lot was deliuered and preserued in the destruction of Sodome ver 19. An Angel of God went before the hoast of Israel and behinde the hoast and did deliuer them defend them from the Egyptians Exod. 14.19 An Angell of the Lord opened the prison doores by night and brought forth the Apostles and set them at libertie Acts 5.19 An Angel directed Cornelius to send for Peter and here an Angel is sent to warne Philip to ioyne himselfe to the Chariot of this Eunuch and to expound the Scripture vnto him So true is that of the Apostle Saint Paul Angels are ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes vvhich shall be heires of saluation Heb. 1. last Happy are they who by the blessing of God doe make a wise and gracious vse of the ministration of Angels who by the cleannesse of their life and holy conuersation make glad those holy and blessed spirits which are beholders and eye-witnesses of all their actions and by their vnfained repentance giue them cause of reioycing For there is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God for a sinner that cōuerteth Luke 15.10 Which thing if wee shall doe then shall those Angels which reioyce in our wel-dooing and are by Gods appointment content to loue vs and to minister vnto vs heere in sterquilinio mundi in this dūghill of the world much more honour and loue vs in aula coeli in the Palace and kingdome of heauen and beeing glad of our conuersion in this life will bee more glad of our assumption and saluation in heauen 1. In the second or next place we haue to consider the person to whom by the direction of the Angel Philip was sent and hee is here said first to be a man of Aethiopia If any man shall vvonder how any sparke of the knowledge true worship of God should giue light shine in Aethiopia by the light whereof this great and noble man might attaine to any glimse of the knowledge of God and thereby bee brought to desire to performe any seruice and worship to him and that in the place principallie appointed thereunto namely in his holy Temple at Ierusalem especially seeing that howsoeuer the Commission of preaching the Gospel to all Nations though it were giuen sealed to the Apostles and Disciples yet it was not yet sped or as yet executed If any man I say shall wonder hereat he must knowe that although the light of the Gospell did not as yet shine either in Aethiopia or in the remote and vtmost kingdoms of the earth yet besides that knowledge which men might haue by nature and by the beholding of the creatures and the frame of the world the light of the law and the knowledge of God did in some proportion either more or lesse shine or shimmer foorth to all Nations singulis generum though not generibus singulorum as the Schoole speaketh to some of all Nations though not to all particulars of euerie Nation God hath not left himselfe without witnesses in any place but hath left in all the Nations of the world some prints footsteps of his knowledge of his power and goodnes And although it might be said in regard of the eminencie thereof that in Iurie God was well known that his tabernacle was in Salem yet was he knowne in other Nations also and he made his Name glorious in all the quarters of the world The prayer or wish of Noah that Iaphet might dwell in the Tents of Shem was in some measure in all succeeding ages heard and granted Gedeons fleece was not onely and alone watered but the whole threshing floore the Land of Iury was not alone bedeawed moistned with the heauenly deaw of the knowledge of God but the whole earth with the Nations that were farre remooued euen to the vtmost bounds thereof Some part of this heauenly deaw might light vpon this Eunuch's head and with some part of this holy oyntment his heart might be anointed The bookes of Moses and of the Prophets came into the hands and Schooles of many of the
Gentiles not onely Plato and many other of the more intelligent better sort of Philosophers but Poets also as Iustine Martyr writeth saw them became as he speaketh Fures Mosis Prophetarum theeues of Moses and of the Prophets And howsoeuer the Apostle Saint Paul affirmeth in the ninth to the Romans that to the Israelites pertaineth the adoption and the glory and the couenants and the giuing of the law and the seruice of God yet did it also please the Lord that the knowledge of his law and the manner of his holy worship and seruice should in some degree and proportion and that many times by diuerse accidents and strange meanes bee deriued and communicated in all ages to Heathen men and Gentiles So in the old Testament by reason of the two great Captiuities of the Israelits the one into Egypt the other into Babylon the knowledge of God was spred in those Nations and from thence both the Grecians and the Romans fetcht a great part of their best and most mysticall and diuiner kinde of learning And though the Israelites spoyled the Egyptians of their iewels and other costly raiments yet the Egyptians spoyled the Israelites of a far more precious iewell euen the knowledge of the true God Thus you see how by all or by some of these meanes some glimse or portion of the knowledge of GOD might come into Aethiopia To conclude this point It was promised to Abraham it was prayed for by Salomon it was prophesied by Esay fore-told by Dauid that strange Nations should knowe the Lord and should be made his sonnes and vvorship him in his holy Temple It was promised to Abraham In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed Gene. 26.4 It was prayed for by Salomon and mark I pray you how Salomons prayer reacheth and fitteth the person of this Eunuch Touching the Stranger saith Salomon that is not of thy people Israel who shall come out of a far Country for thy Names sake and shal come pray in this House meaning the Temple heare thou in Heauen and doe according to all that the Stranger calleth for vnto thee 3 Kings 8.41.42.43 It was prophesied by Esay The Gentiles shall walke in thy light and Kings at the brightnes of thy rising vp thy sonnes shall come from far Esay 60.3.4 And Dauid more plainly and particularly pointeth at this Eunuch's Country saith Aethiopia shal haste to stretch her hand to God Psal 68.31 2 Secondly he is said to haue been an honourable Personage chiefe Gouernour and Treasurer to the Queene of that Country of Aethiopia This sheweth that Nobilitie may stand with Christianity and that honour and greatnes riches vvealth doe not in themselues hinder men either from the knowledge or from the worship and seruice of God Although Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 1.26 that not many noble men not manie mighty men not many wise men after the flesh are called yet he doth not exclude all noble men all mightie men all wise men after the flesh from beeing called to the knowledge and seruice of God For if all things come to passe by the direction and appointment of God so that without him not a sparrovv lighteth on the ground Math. 10.29 If euery good gift come from aboue from the Father of lights Iam. 1.17 If preferment come neither from the East nor from the West but it is God that maketh lowe and maketh high Psal 75.6.7 Then to sit at the stearn of Common-wealths and to guide Kingdoms to be borne of royall bloud to come from the loynes of Princes to sit on seates of iudgement from thence to minister iustice to the people to be aduanced to the highest or to the subordinate and inferior places of power and authoritie to be rich and to haue this worlds goods in great abundance euen all of these and the like they come not by chance nor happen at aduenture nor is it Catch that catch may among the sonnes of men but it is the prouidence hand of God that dispenseth them at his owne pleasure many times to them to whom with them he giueth grace to vse them to his glory to the protection defence of his Church and to the behoofe and comfort of his Saints and seruants Domini est terra et plenitudo eius The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof whether it be the fulnesse of soueraigne authoritie princely dignitie or the fulness of honor worldly prosperity or the fulnesse of wealth of riches or temporall abundance all these and the like as they come from God and are in themselues rich graces excellent ornaments and euident arguments of Gods gracious goodnes and fauour to them whom before aboue others hee there-with blesseth so are they also if in the vse of them they be sanctified to the owners of them excellent means of doing good and of glorifying God in the gracious vse and imployment of them He was a noble man he was chiefe Treasurer to a Queene a verie great man in his country yet he was also the seruant of God Nay as he was so are all such as are noble great and rich mē in that they are noble great rich the better fitted and the more bound to be the seruants of God The better fitted For gold siluer are metals far more fit to be wrought and to haue precious stones set placed in them than lead or iron so are the mindes of noble and great and rich men for the most part more fit to receiue into them the rich and precious graces the gifts of God than those that are vulgar men of meane condition And as they are for the most part better fitted than others so are they more bound than others to the seruice and worship of God In a ciuill life this is the greatest cōfort Meus sum I am mine owne man and at liberty but in a Christian life this is the greatest comfort euen of the most noble and greatest persons Non sum meus I am not mine owne man but Iesus Christs vvho hath bought mee with a price and hath therefore bound mee to glorifie and to serue him It is a true saying that Maior must be Melior the greater must be the better and to whom God giueth most at his hands he wil require most As therefore mortall men are most bound to honour God most because they are the excellentest of all mortall creatures so those amongst mortall men who are noble or rich or great men either by birth or by imployment or by their endeauours in the places where they liue are most boūd to serue God most because they are most excellent among mortall men Nobilitas ad virtutem obligat nobilitie bindes men as it were in an obligation to be vertuous and he that hath lost his vertue hath broken his bond hath lost his nobilitie argentum suum in scoriam conuertit hee hath changed his