Philip is ordered by an angel to go into the desart. church) become open enemies to that gospel which they pretended for a while to believe and reverence. SECT. XVIII. Philip, by divine direction, instructs an Ethiopian Eunuch in the faith of Christ; and, having baptized him, goes and preaches the gospel in the neighbouring coasts of the Mediterranean sea. Acts VIII. 26, to the end. ACTS VIII. 26. AND the angel of the Philip, saying, Arise, WHEN ACTS VIII. 26. Lord, spake unto WHEN these important affairs at Samaria SECT. were dispatched, and the church there xvii. and go toward the was in so flourishing and happy a state, an angel' Acts south, unto the way of the Lord spake to Philip the evangelista, who vill. 26 Jerusalem unto Gaza, had been so successful in his labours amongst that goeth down from which is desert. and went: and be them, saying, Arise and go towards the south, by 27 And he arose, And without presuming more particularly to the Candace Histories of the church.] See Euseb. called Gaza the desart. But, as this last An angel of the Lord spake to Philip.] It gives us a very high idea of the gospel, to see the ministers of it receiving such immediate direction from celestial spirits in the particular discharge of their office. b Which is desart.] The construction of the Greek leaves it dubious, whether this clause refers to Gaza, or to the way that led to it. Dr. Benson, with Grotius, Drusius, and other considerable writers, concludes that Gaza, (a city of the Philistines often mentioned in the Old Testament, Judg, xvi. 1, 21. Zeph. ii. 4. Zech. ix. 5, after having been conquered by Pharaoh king of Egypt, (Jer. xlvii. 1,) was ruined by Alexander the Great, and afterwards rebuilt with great magnificence, (Arrian. de Exped. Alex. lib. iv. cap. 2; Strab. Geograph. lib. xvi. p. 522; Joseph. Antiq. lib. xi. cap. 8, §4, & lib. xiii. cap. 13, [al. 21,] § 3,) the new city was built at some distance from the old, which was left in ruins, and therefore fact is not sufficiently attested, I rather A certain Ethiopian eunuch.] It is certain way, which should make it an intimation of the good disposition of the person to whom it was given. But in what sense it is used here, is an inquiry of no manner of importance; and I think any curious dis cussion of such kind of questions would by no means suit a Family Expositor.-I only add with Beza, that it seems quite ridiculous to imagine, that avng was intended 27 26 xviii. Acts Philip hears the Eunuch reading the prophet Isaiah, treasure, and had come 28 Was returning riot, read Esaias the SECT. Candace the Queen of the Ethiopians, who was the charge of all her the person that presided over all her treasure, to Jerusalem for to was travelling that way; who, as he was entirely worship. VIII. 27. proselyted to the Jewish religion, had lately come to worship at Jerusalem at one of the great feasts: 28 This man was then returning home; and his mind being deeply impressed with devout and and sitting in his chareligious sentiments, in consequence of those prophet. solemnities which had passed in that sacred place, as he pursued his journey, while he sat in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah; that he might thus fill up that vacant space of time which his journey allowed him to some valuable purpose, and so might be better prepared to pass with safety through those busy scenes which would lie before him when he ar29 rived at home. And the spirit, by that secret suggestion, which inspired men could certainly distinguish as a divine revelation, said to Philip, Approach, and join thyself to this chariot, and enter into conversation with the person who sitteth in it, without fear of offending him, or exposing thyself to any inconvenience. 29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near and join thyself to this chariot. thither to him, and Understandest thou 30 And Philip, running up to the chariot, heard 30 And Philip ran to signify any thing more than τις I have d A grandee in the court of Candace, the true we are to regard the authority, on which De Dieu tells us that the name of this eunuch was Judith, and that of the Queen, by which she was distinguished from others, Lacasa. e Sat in his chariot reading, &c.] Probably this chariot was something in the form of our chaises with four wheels; for though the eunuch did not guide it himself, there was room for another person to come and sit with him, (ver. 31.) the charioteer therefore seems to have sat on a seat by himself. In And is desired by the Eunuch to explain it to him. 27 thou what thou read- true sense of those sublime and important things SECT. which thou art reading? est? 31 And he said, How can 1, except some man should guide me? and he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. xviii. Acts And the eunuch was so far from being offend ed at the freedom he took, that he mildly and viii.31 respectfully said in reply, How can it be that I should fully understand such obscure oracles as these, unless some one, who is better acquainted with the contents of them, should guide me, and throw that light upon them which I, who am so much a stranger to the Jewish affairs, must necessarily want? And concluding from the question he put, besides what he might conjecture from his habit, that he was better acquainted with these things than himself, he requested Philip that he would come up and sit with him in the chariot, where there was room conveniently to receive him, that so he might be farther informed in matters of so great importance. Now the period or passage of scripture which he 32 was reading at that time, was this; (Isa. liii. 7, 8.) "He was brought to the slaughter as a sheep, a and as a lamb before its shearer [is] dumb, so he opened not his mouth: In his deep humiliation his judgment was taken away; and who shall declare or describe his generation? 32 The place of the Scripture which he read, was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and like lamb dumb before his shearer, so he opened not his mouth : In his humiliation his judgment was taken away.] The present reading of the Hebrew clause, answering to this, is much more agreeable to our translation of Isa. lii. 8.) He was taken from prison and from judgment. But the seventy interpreters, whose version is here literally transcribed in the Greek and exactly rendered in our translation, instead of for Clerc (in his Supplement to Dr. Hammond,) g Who shall declare or describe his gene ratione This is one of the many passages משפט לקת appear to have read מצער "y, which seems either to have been of the Old Testament Prophecies, in which hazard any thing to preserve him." Le VOL. VIII. having no advocate to plead his cause. (See D 28 Philip preaches Christ to the Eunuch. SECT. for innocent as he was, his life is cut off from xviii. Acts 34 taken from the earth. the earth." A passage expressly referring to 33 In his humiliathe meekness with which the blessed Jesus tion his judgment was taken away and who VIII.35. should endure all his sufferings, while ungrate- shall declare his geneful sinners, in contempt of all laws both human ration for his life is and divine, persecuted him even to the death. And the eunuch answering to Philip, said, I beseech thee to inform me, of whom doth the prophet say this? of himself, or some other person? Was Isaiah thus inhumanly put to death by the Jews? or did he foretell the sufferings of some future and greater person 35 34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee of whom speaketh the prophet this? of him self, or of some other man ? 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and Then Philip, secretly adoring the divine Providence in giving him so fair an opportunity, began at the same scripopened his mouth with an air of solemnity pro- ture, and preached unportionable to the importance of what he had to to him Jesus say, and beginning from this very scripture, in which he was so plainly delineated, preached to him the glad tidings of that Jesus i, of whom not Isaiah alone, but so many of the other prophets spoke And after he had laid before him the predictions recorded in scripture concerning him, he bore witness to the glorious accomplishment of them, and gave him the history of those extraordinary facts which had lately happened in confirmation of that gospel he taught. 36 His noble hearer, in the mean time, listened attentively, and though he saw no miracle performed in evidence of the truth of Philip's doctrine, he found such a light breaking in vin and Beza, think it is as if the prophet are used as synonymous terms. The for- upon on 36 And as they went their way, they camo the men of his time! because a translator of Scripture should leave ambiguous expressions, as he finds them,) so I thought it would be best to insert the paraphrase on both these clauses in the notes, that I might leave room for the eunuch's question in the next verse, which otherwise must have been superseded. h Philip opened his mouth.] See note c on Mat. v. 2. Vol. VI. p. 199. Limborch i Preached to him Jesus.] very largely shews, in his commentary on this passage, how shamefully the Jews pervert the whole 53d of Isaiah, in expounding it of the afflictions of Israel; and I am surprized to find, that Dr. Hammond intimates, it might be accomplished in some one who lived quickly after Isaiah's time.-See all that Mr. Collins has urged on that head (Literal Scheme, chap. v. § 12. P. 208-220.) abundantly confuted by Dr. Bullock, Vindic. p. 147-156. Compare Bishop Chandler of Christianity, p. 174 -178 k I And when he had professed his faith, baptizes him. nuch said, See here is 29 came unto a certain upon his mind from the view of the prophecies, SECT. water; and the eu- and such an inward conviction wrought in his xvill. water: what doth hin- spirit by the divine influence, that he became a Acts der me to be baptized? sincere convert to the gospel. And having for VIII. 36 some time discoursed together of the person and the sufferings of Christ, and of the method of salvation by him, as they went by the way, they came to a certain water, there being in that place some pool or stream adjoining to the road; and the eunuch, having learnt what was the rite of initiation which the great prophet and sovereign of the church had appointed, was willing to embrace the first opportunity that Providence offered of making a surrender of himself to Christ, and being received into the number of his people; upon which he said unto Philip, Behold [here is] water; what should hinder my being baptized, and becoming from this hour one of your body? $7 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And be answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38 And he commanded the chariot to And Philip said unto him, If thou believest 37 with all thine heart this gospel which I have taught thee, so as cordially to subject thy soul to it, then it may lawfully and regularly be done without any further delay. And he answering said, I firmly and undoubtedly believe that Jesus Christ, whom thou hast now been preaching to me, is really the Son of God, and own him for the promised Messiah, who was sent into the world for the salvation of lost sinners; and I desire with all my heart and soul to give myself up to him, that he may save me in his own way. And, upon Philip's declaring his satisfaction 38 stand still and they in this profession of his faith in Christ, and subwent down both into jection to him, and readily consenting to receive the water, both Philip him as a fellow christian, he ordered the chariot and the eunuch; and he baptized him. to stop; and they both went down to the water'; k I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of GOD.] It is surprising to see, in how many ancient copies and versions this verse is omitted. (See Dr. Mill. in loc. and the version of 1727.) Nevertheless, " says Beza, God forbid, I should think it ought to be expunged, since it contains such a confession of faith, as was in the apostolic times required of the adult, in order to their being admitted to baptism." Allow ing it to be genuine, it fully proves, that Philip had opened to the eunuch the doctrine of Christ's divinity; and indeed, if he had not done it, he must have given him a very imperfect account of the gospel. both 1 They both went down to the water.} Considering how frequently bathing was used in those hot countries, it is not to be wondered, that baptism was generally administered by immersion, though I see no proof, that it was essential to the institution. It would be very unnatural to suppose, that they went down to the water, merely that Philip might take up a little water in his hand to pour on the eunuch. A person of his dignity had, no doubt, many vessels in his baggage, on such a journey through so desart a country, a precaution absolutely necessary for travellers in those parts, and never omitted by them, |