parts of that prophecie and so his bare or onely reading therof was not in vaine or vnprofitable vnto him And farther I answer that there is great difference between such as haue neuer heard of Christ of faith or of the word of God such as are heathen people Infidels who indeed without an Interpreter cannot much profit by reading and between such who beeing borne of Christian Parents haue as it were suckt religion vvith the milke of their mothers and therefore by continual exhortation of their Parents and by their good example by beeing catechised in the principles of Christian religion and in some sort instructed euen of children as they are among vs Gods Name be therefore glorified I say betweene Infidell and heathen people and vs the case is diuerse for wee may euen by reading onely of the Scriptures or hearing them read in some measure profit in the knowledge of the truth To conclude this point against their exceptions that speake against reading without learned exposition it is most certaine that Scripture read and Scripture expounded chapters read and chapters expounded sentences read and sentences preached on expounded haue all of them one and the same passage to the soule outwardly by the sense of hearing and inwardly by the assent of the iudgement and vnderstanding the text is one and the same that is the word of God the Schoolemaster is the same the Spirit of instruction the meanes the same that is attention the helps the same which are godly motions the fruite the same that is peace of conscience and the end though not in degree yet in some proportion the same that is edification 4 In the fourth place I am now to speake of Philips performance of that duty and seruice to which he was appointed by the Angell ver 30. And Philip came thither and heard him read the Prophet Esaias And ver 35. Hee opened his mouth and began at the same Scripture and preached vnto him Iesus In which words wee may obserue three circumstances 1. First Gods ordinance vvho was pleased to vse the preaching of Philip and not the helpe of the Angel for this Eunuch's conuersion 2. Secondly I obserue Philips readinesse and godly discretion who tooke the present occasion beginning at that Scripture which the Eunuch then read of opening his mouth and preaching vnto him 3. Thirdly I consider what it was that he spake and vttered when he opened his mouth Hee preached vnto him Iesus For the first Philip opened his mouth and preached Iesus Not the Angel but Philip. In the building of the Church it pleaseth God to preferre the seruice of men before the seruice of Angels and to chuse that his holy and heauenlie truth contained in his word should rather be manifested made knowne by earthly and sinfull men than by celestiall and holy Angels And therefore although our Sauiour had the Angels at commaund so that he could haue commaunded and imployed whole legions of them if he had listed in that seruice yet in the busines of preaching his Gospel and the divulgation of his holy and sauing truth vnto the sonnes of men he chose rather to vse the help and ministery of men than of Angels of his Disciples and Apostles than of those holy and blessed spirits Paul was conuerted not by the instruction and ministery of an Angel but by the preaching of Ananias Cornelius was wonne to the faith not by an Angel but by the preaching of Peter The whole world afterwards was brought to beleeue in Christ not by Angels but by men And here this noble Eunuch is conuerted not by the Angel but by the preaching of Philip. Philip opened his mouth c. A reason whereof may be this As our Redemption was to be wrought and was performed onely in the nature of man and not of Angels no more was the preaching of the said Redemption to be declared by an Angel or any other creature saue onelie by man And this reason the Apostle seemeth to vse 2 Cor. 5.18 when hee saith All things are of God which hath reconciled vs vnto himselfe by Iesus Christ and hath giuen vnto vs the ministery of reconciliation From hence we may must learne this lesson Seeing it is the proper and peculiar dutie of the Minister to expound Scripture That although it be most true that God who is almightie and therefore can doe all things and that in such sort and after such manner as he listeth either by order or by miracle by means or without means Yet in the course of our conuersion the work of our regeneration we must not expect when God will send an angel from heauen to instruct vs or whē hee will immediatly and miraculously call vs and worke our conuersion vnto him but must content our selues make our best vse of those meanes which God in mercy offereth vs by the ministery and preaching of such as he hath by his owne dispensation holy designment appointed to waite vpon his Altar to attend his seruice and by preaching of his word to beget sonnes and daughters vnto him And therefore if wee desire either to knowe or to beleeue in God wee must attaine to that knowledge and to that faith by the onely effectuall meanes of the word of God and by the Ministerie and help of such men as God hath set aparte for the worke of the Ministerie and for the gathering together of the Saints which is the institution and holy ordinance of God himselfe For this is Gods own appointment and his owne holy ordinance That as children should expect receiue from their corporall Parents and Fathers of their bodies such corporall foode as is needful for the nourishment of their bodies So they should likewise expect and receiue from their Pastors and spirituall Fathers such as are appointed by God to beget them in Christ through the Gospell such spirituall food of knowledge instruction as is needfull for the spiritual nourishment of their soules and consciences And this was the manner and custome in former and ancient times they were wont to go to the Prophets and men of God for resolution of their doubts and for comfort in their heauinesse For resolution in their doubts The Priests lippes should preserue knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth Mala. 2.7 So doth the Eunuch in this place desire Philip that he would tell him the meaning of these words of the Prophet which without an interpreter or a guide he acknowledgeth that he could not vnderstand For comfort in their heauiness One example for many The Shunamite trauelled to mount Carmell to Elisha the Prophet when her soule was full of heauinesse for the death of her onely sonne and shee was comforted 4. King 4. The reason why both in former and later times and indeed why in all times men and women should repaire to the Prophets Ministers of God both for the resolution of their doubts and for comfort in their heauinesse is
eyes they beleeue nothing but what they see whereas faith hath indeed no greater enemy than sense Gregorie in his fourth booke of Dialogues and first chapter compareth him that will not belieue Christ or his Ministers preaching and telling him of the ioyes of heauen because he seeeth them not vnto a child borne of his mother in a darke prison and there brought vp whom shee telleth that abroad there is great light a Sunne and a Moone starres men beasts trees riuers and such like things but he belieueth none of these because hee seeeth none of these which things howsoeuer he thinketh they are not yet they are so indeed as his mother informed him So although they that haue no faith thinke there is no heauen no Christ no Angels no ioyes because they themselues are included and shut vp in a darke prison of ignorance and infidelitie and therefore see them not yet it doth not follow but that it is so and our Mother the Church that so teacheth vs doth not lie but speakes the truth and happy are all they that belieue her c. My exhortation for cōcluding this point shall be this As heere you see how this nobleman lent not onely his outward eare of hearing but his inward eare also of obeying and belieuing to that which Philip preached vnto him so ought wee also to doe as often as wee heare the word preached vnto vs c. And if it happen while wee are so busied and imployed either in the reading or in the hearing of Gods word preached and expounded vnto vs that wee feele any good motions of Gods Spirit mouing vs to faith let vs account of them as the Wise men did of the Starre that appeared vnto them in the East Math. 2. And as they followed the Starre so let vs follow those motions and inuitations of Gods Spirit to faith for as they following the Star were brought at last euen to the house where Christ was so if wee follow the motions and callings of Gods holy Spirit they will bring vs at the last to the house and place where hee is euen to the kingdom of heauen c. 2. Effect Hee was baptised First he beleeued and secondlie or after he had professed his faith and belieued he was baptised This is Christs owne ordinance to his Apostles Goe yee into all the world and preach the Gospell to euery creature Hee that shall beleeue be baptised shall be saued Mark 16.15 So was it in this Eunuch Hee first beleeued and after was baptised So must it be in all that are adulti grown to full age or come to yeeres of discretion before they come to baptisme they must openly professe their faith It is the ordinance of Christ himselfe who first instituted Baptisme did himselfe first sanctifie the element of water to that holy worke or businesse that water should be vsed in Baptisme To signifie thereby that as water cleanseth the outward filthinesse of the body so by the operation of Gods Spirit which worketh both mightily graciously with the outward element of water and with the word the originall guilt and vncleannesse of our soules should be purged and cleansed Vessels vncleane are vnfit to haue precious liquors put into them they be therfore first to be cleansed What liquors can be more precious than the graces of God What vessels can be more vncleane than our vnregenerate and vnbaptised soules Wee are brought to Baptisme therefore to be cleansed that our soules may be made the fitter to receiue graces from aboue For as in worldly things wee cannot be partakers of them vnlesse we be borne so neither can we be partakers of spirituall things except we be baptised and borne anew Wee come to Baptisme the sonnes of Adam sinners and accursed vvee returne from Baptisme the sonnes of God and blessed Saint Peter in his first Epistle third chapter and later part of the chapter compareth Baptisme to the Arke yet there is great difference for that creature which entred into the Arke a Lion was nothing altered but came forth a Lion that creature which entred into the Arke a Wolfe was nothing altered but came forth a Wolfe that bird which entred into the Arke a Crowe was nothing altered but came forth a Crowe c. But it is far otherwise in Baptisme for hee that before Baptisme entreth into the Church a Lion returneth frō thence after Baptisme a Lambe he that before Baptisme entereth into the Church a Wolfe returneth from thence after Baptisme a Kid he that before Baptisme entereth into the Church a Crowe returneth from thence after Baptisme a Doue So this Eunuch came from home a stranger to the couenant of grace but returned home a sonne and of the houshold of faith he came to Ierusalē an Aethiopian but returned a true Israelite This is the happy fruit and blessed benefit which redoundeth to all both men and Nations to whom the Lord is pleased in mercy to reueale himselfe in the power and might of his word and in the grace and efficacie of this Sacrament by which as by a stampe or marke set vpon our flesh by our Sauiour Christ Iesus his ovvne hand and institution like to the mark of Circumcision which was set vpon the flesh of Abraham and of his seede wee are not onely distinguished from other Infidels and heathen people but are also knowne and acknowledged by God himselfe to be of his houshold to belong to his couenant But as for others which haue not this seale or mark and are not washed in this Lauer of Regeneration it is not so with them but the corruption of their nature and the filthinesse guilt of sin cleaue as close to their soules as their skin doth to their flesh Many excellent things are spoken of Naaman the Syrian that hee was a great man honourable in the sight of his Lord mighty and valiant yet it is added that he was a Leper and therefore to be washed So although many excellent things may be spoken either of the nature of man in generall or of many excellent men in particular which either were or are meere naturall men vnbaptised and vnregenerat yet the conclusion must be It is a Leper and they all are Lepers and must be washed in the water of Baptisme And till such time as they be so cleansed and so washed the Lord seeeth nothing in them but that which hee disliketh and setteth not his heart or his loue vpon them All the Patriarches were the sonnes of Iacob yet he loued none of them so well as Ioseph Beniamin who were the sonnes of Rachel whom hee deerly loued So all men are the sonnes of God by creation but hee loueth none so well as his regenerate and baptised sonnes because they are the sonnes of Rachell the sonnes of his Church which he most deerly loueth The 3. effect He reioyced or hee went on his way reioycing The doctrine or preaching of Christ is rightly tearmed Euangelium a
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