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
Wise men to our Sauiour Christ were not receiued by him into his owne hands because hee was an Infant but into the hands of his Mother that yet neuerthelesse he gaue vnto the Wise men that offered him those gifts Pro auro fidem pro myrrha spem pro thure charitateÌ„ for the gift of golde the vertue of faith for the gift of myrrh the vertue of hope for the gift of frankincense the vertue of charity And why may not we likewise say that although those temporal blessings which by honourable or rich or great men are offered to Iesus Christ himselfe in his poore members or are bestowed to pious and good vses that though they bee receiued onely by the hand of their Mother the Church yet for all that Christ Iesus himselfe will gratiously and plentifully reward the giuers of them 3 The third or the next thing which I noted in the person of this noble Eunuch is that hee came from his owne Countrie to Ierusalem to worship He might haue stayed at home and so haue saued himselfe a great iourney hee might haue sacrificed to the Gods of his owne Nation and there haue had other Noblemen of his owne ranke to associate him Hee might haue worshipped in Meroe the chiefe and Metropolitan Citie of Aethiopia and needed not to trauell so far as Ierusalem the chiefe and mother Citie of Iudaea But he could not so satisfie himself the Spirit of God wrought another effect in him and that light of knowledge which he had by the operation of the same Spirit which now had changed him into another man did to affect him and worke with him that now no Country but the Countrie of Iudaea no Hill but the Hill of Sion no Place but the Temple no Citie but the Citie of Ierusalem no God but the God of Israel could containe the large extent of his deuotion could fill the desires of his heart and satisfie his soule with comfort It was not contentment enough for him to wish with the Prophet Dauid O that I might ascend into the house of the Lord and come againe vnto Ierusalem there to pay my vowes to the Almighty and so to goe thither in conceit onely It did not sufficiently content him with the Prophet Daniel to set open those his windowes which were towards the holy Citie and looking towarde Ierusalem to direct his prayers to the Almighty It could not sufficiently content him to make a proxie to send giftes and to visit Ierusalem by his deputie but though the iourney were long the way dangerous and the expences great yet would hee vndertake the iourney and goe his owne selfe in person thither Hee went vp to Ierusalem to worship And although it could not choose but prooue a matter of hatred at the least if not of danger and disgrace to this noble Eunuch to entertaine a new forme of Gods worshippe different from that which was vsed by his owne Nation to renounce the superstitions of his Countie-men to single himselfe from the multitude and to refuse to communicate with his Ancestors and forefathers their heathenish and idolatrous seruing of God Yet did hee more esteeme the fauour of God then he feared the malice or disgrace of men and therefore the reuerence and loue which he did bear inwardly in his heart towards the law and truth of God and his holy worship hee shewed it outwardly in his actions openly professed the same before men Hee went vp to Ierusalem to worship An excellent example and worthie imitation not onely of great men and noble personages but of all men of what degree or calling soeuer they be In the matter of religion and the seruice and worship of God not to tie themselues to tread in the steps of others not to bee swayed by a multitude nor to follow their Ancestors and Forefathers in their errours and superstitions but most humbly and most willingly to embrace the true knowledge and sincere worshippe of God whensoeuer and by whom soeuer it is truly taught and brought vnto them A lesson not vnfit for these times and this Age wherein wee liue in which our aduersaries the Papists do so commonly vrge and so strongly inforce the example of our Ancestours and Forefathers against vs thereby concluding that because they were borne and brought vp liued died as they speake in the Romish religion that therefore we ought not to dissent from them and that without the blot imputation of Schism and heresie wee â—ay in no wise separate our selues from their communion or professe any other faith than that which they professed And to speake a truth I am hereof verely perswaded that by this as by their most powerfull and potent charme they doe bewitch and enchant more soules especially of the weaker sort than by all their other sorceries whatsoever and by this as by their strongest argument they do much preuaile and draw many from Iewry to Italy from Ierusalem to Rome from Christ to Antichrist By this motiue especially it commeth to passe that heere in this our Land as it may bee obserued great and whole Families great and whole Kindreds almost haue been and doe continue Popish because their Ancestors and Forefathers were so before them and because it were great presumption in them as they are made beleeue to thinke themselues wiser than They were But if this were an vniuersall absolute and certaine truth that fathers must be patterns and rules for their children to serue God by so that in no wise they may differ from them in matters of Gods worship then how is it that our Sauiour saith in the 14. of Luke the 26. that He that will not leaue his father and his mother for Christs sake should not be his disciple When all the Tribes reuolted together saith Tobit and the house of my father Nepththali sacrificed to the heifer Baal I alone went often to Ierusalem at the feasts as it was ordained vnto all the people of Israel Tobit 1.5.6 Gedeon was commanded by the Lord to throwe downe the Altar of Baal which his father had made and to cut downe the Groue that was by it Iudg. 6.25 And some of the Kings of Iuda are commended because they walked not in the Idolatrie of their Forefathers Saint Paul was the sonne of a Pharisie and the scholler of a Pharisie yet neither Father nor Master could make him continue in the superstition of the Pharisies after that hee was once illuminated and instructed in the truth It is a wise and and a godly speech of Seneca Epist 117. when wee cannot dissentire salua gratia nor consentire salua conscientia when wee cannot dissent from others without their displeasure nor consent vnto them without wounding or offending our owne conscience Let vs preferre conscience before fauour And it is a golden rule which Diuines haue resolued on and deliuered Where God and man speake both one thing there harken vnto both but where God speaketh one thing and
man another there harken to God It is a most Christian and worthy answere fitting this present purpose worthy of all your attention and obseruation which was giuen by Valentinian the Emperour to Symmachus which is recorded in the fift booke of Saint Ambrose his Epist Symmachus a heathen man and in all likelihood an excellent Oratour such a one as was Tertullus of whom there is mention Acts 24. hauing penned an eloquent speech the scope and purpose whereof was to perswade the Emperour that embraced the Christian religion himselfe and was resolued to haue the same receiued and professed in his Empire that he would bee pleased to permit the ancient Citie of Rome to hold her olde forme and to keepe and vse the olde manner of seruing her heathenish Gods thus he tuned his pipes and thus he bespake the Emperour Regard saith Rome mine age which haue now stood a thousand yeares and shall I now at the last be checked and controuled in my olde dayes This religion which wee now seeke for sue for at thy hands O Emperor was that which won to Rome the soueraignty of the earth which repelled and beat back that cruell Hannibal from scaling of our walls which preserued our goodly Capitoll out of the French mens hands And now it were a reproach after so long time so many Ages to haue it quite reuersed Much more was spoken all very suiteable and like if you marke it to the discourses and speeches of our Papists but for an vp-shoot and for a concluding argument that was at last brought in that his owne Father before him had suffered them to enioy that forme and manner of seruing their Gods and neuer disallowed it and therefore it was his part to permit it so likewise But the worthie Emperour as Ambrose saith in his funerall Sermon vpon him beeing resolutely addicted to the defence and maintenance of Christs glory made this answere Let Rome my Mother intreate any thing else at my hands and aske what else she will of me I owe vnto her I confesse a very great dutie and affection because she is my Mother but I doe owe a greater to God my Father who is the author of my saluation This was a worthie answere of a worthie Prince from whence wee may learne this instruction In matters which concerne the glory and seruice of God not to stand vpon the will or words of men but onely on this only point Sic dicit Dominus thus saith the Lord and with thankfulnesse to receiue his trueth whensoeuer it is brought vnto vs. And surely if our ancient Fathers the olde and first Christened Gentiles of this our Iland of Great Britanne other faithlesse at the first and Heathenish Kingdomes had not held this rule and kept this course when it pleased God in great mercy that the Gospell of his Sonne Christ and his sauing truth was first brought vnto them then might they and we still haue remained in our ignorance and infidelitie then should they and wee haue continued aliens from the common-wealth of Israel strangers to the couenants of grace bondslaues to sin and Satan not onely depriued of that glorious name by which we are called Christians of Christ but also debarred from hauing any part or portion in that great worke of mercy and redemption which was wrought by Christ For they might haue replied to them that were the first messengers and preachers which first brought vnto them the glad tidings of the Gospell and haue saide vnto them as the Athenians did to Saint Paul Act. 17.18 What will this babbler say hee seemeth to bee a setter forth of strange gods in that he preacheth vnto vs Iesus and the resurrection They might haue said vnto them Our Fathers worshipt the Queene of heauen they beleeued on Iupiter and Apollo they sacrificed to Mars and Venus they worshipped the Moone and the Starres and so did their Fathers and great Grandfathers and Ancestors some thousands of yeares before them and shall we now begin to listen to a new and vp-start Religion and renouncing those ancient Gods that they so long serued controll their iudgement and so admit of a new-found doctrine worship new-found Gods But it pleased God to mooue their hearts to receiue with meeknesse that truth and so by succession to deriue vnto vs that truth which was and is able to saue both theirs and our soules You see Right honourable Right worshipfull and beloued in the louer of your soules Christ Iesus to vvhat issue this point is brought and what it is that I ayme at namely that as this noble Eunuch renounced the Idolatry of his Country and the superstitions of his Ancestors and Forefathers not suffering them to be a rule or making them a president to himselfe either for his faith or for his manner of seruing God but went vp to Ierusalem there to worship him in his holy Temple so it is the duty of all men to renounce all false superstitious worship of God and to entertaine his holy truth whensoeuer and by whomsoeuer it is reuealed and brought vnto them how many soeuer or how mighty soeuer or how neere or deere soeuer they be vnto them that do discountenance and withstand the same Now although this be a most vndoubted truth and that our Aduersaries doe knowe it in their consciences so to be yet doe they neuer giue ouer to obiect and with a full mouth to exclaime against vs filling the ayre and the eares of men with these and the like frequent questions demaunds What were all our Ancestors and Forefathers deceiued liued they all in error did they all of them misse and mistake the meanes which leade vnto saluation and by consequent did they all misse the end Did so many millions of them perish and vvere they all damned In answer of which their demands which they so willingly and frequently make and by which they haue inthralled many soules especially of the simpler sort and such as are vnlearned carying them away captiue and making them bondslaues to the man of sinne the Antichrist of Rome I will lay downe these three propositions 1. Proposition First They were not all Papists that liued in the time of Popery and so by consequent all our Ancestors and Forefathers were not Papists Secondly They did not all die Papists that in their life time were Papists Thirdly Some that both liued and died Papists in many points yet holding the principall and fundamentall parts of Gods blessed and holy truth might be and vvere also saued And first not to speake of the first six or seauen hundred yeeres after Christ which were the purer times of the primitiue Church in which neither the name of Pope nor the doctrine and points of Popery as now they are held had any beeing or footing in the Church if we shall descend to the lower and later ages and times wherein Popery or the religion of Rome grew strong and held her head at the highest wee shall
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