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found it impossible, by any milder means, | by bias, by the hope of preferment, by to silence or subdue. the patronage of the great, yet we find Applying all this, therefore, to the mat- that he was moved by none of these ter before us, there is no reason to sup- things; he had appointed a higher standpose that the conduct of the African Ethi-ard of duty, he followed the dictates of opian idolaters, in reference to the con- his own conscience; and if, in such cirversion, or, as they would conceive it, cumstances as these, he yet maintained a the apostasy of their distinguished coun- decided and unshrinking profession of his tryman, would be at all different from Jewish principles, his conduct in this the conduct of other nations, in circum-respect is eminently fitted to minister to stances precisely parallel. Indeed, it our instruction, and is full of reproof to may be questioned very much, whether many, and is replete with instruction for the superior rank of this convert would all. It teaches us, my brethren, that if not give a greater shock to their preju- our religious profession be attended with dices, and a darker and a deeper character to their fanaticism. Of this, indeed, there can be no doubt at all, that if in our own land any of the functionaries of government were openly disavowing, systematically dishonouring, the religion of the country, then the elevation of his rank, and the extent of his influence, would only give a greater aggravation to his crime; and his deprivation of liberty, of office, and of character, would be deemed all too little to atone for the guilt of his apostasy.

What may have been the precise treatment which this Ethiopian nobleman met with, on abandoning idolatry and embracing Judaism, we cannot presume positively to say. These, at all events, are the probable difficulties he would have to contend with these the sacrifices he would be required to make these the temptations which assuredly he would have to resist. In the face of all these things, however, we find that he made an open, an honest, and undisguised profession of his new sentiments; and if, notwithstanding this, he still retained his official appointment and royal favour, and his popularity at court, it just shows us, my brethren, practically, though our religious profession should expose us to many perils, and dangers, and oppositions, and difficulties, those difficulties, perils, and dangers may, after all, be overcome by real force of principle, and by a genuine integrity of character.

Though this distinguished person was, no doubt, strongly tempted to conform to the superstitions of his country in a vast variety of shapes, by early predilections,

difficulty and danger, even though it require from us an abridgment of comfort, and sacrifice of character, still it is our imperative duty to persevere; nor are we to conform to this world in its practical idolatries, in its sinful pleasures, or in its guilty and unlawful pursuits, even though they be sanctioned by custom, even though they be hallowed by antiquity. In the case of the Ethiopian there were many temptations on every side, if not to forsake his profession of Judaism, at least to conceal it.

But with us, blessed be God, brethren, there is little or nothing of the kind. The terror of making an open confession of our religious fidelity, and our religious profession, is in the present day scarcely, if at all, experienced; nor are the outward ordinances of religious worship confined any longer to Jerusalem, as in the time of this nobleman, who travelled so far to attend them. Instead of requiring us to perform long and laborious pilgrimages to procure the means of grace, and to attend upon the ordinances of the church, it has pleased God in his abundant mercy, to bring them to our very door, and we can sit each man under his own vine, and his own fig tree, and none dare to make us afraid. Let us, therefore, improve the day of our merciful visitation-let us hold fast the beginning of our confidence to the end-let us hold fast our profession, and be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, and in the humble confidence and assurance, that if we confess Christ, and that if we act up to our profession-if we confess Christ, and remain steadfast to the end

we shall with him overcome, and with his pride might have been flattered by the him possess all things. cavalcade which accompanied him, the In reference, however, to the character time, in his estimation, was all too preand condition of the person alluded to incious to be wasted on any such trifles; at this passage, allow me to remark, in the this moment, neither Jerusalem, with her third place, on this part of the subject, lofty turrets, which he was leaving bethat he was not only a man of rank, and hind him, nor nature with her eastern a person of firm, and decided, and con- loveliness; no, nor chariots, nor horsesistent character, but he was also a serious men, were of any present interest to him; and diligent inquirer. If it be a fair cri- his soul was occupied with infinitely terion to judge of a man's attachment to higher concerns, his mind was directed religious knowledge by the exertions and to a nobler subject of contemplation, his sacrifices which he makes to obtain it, heart was engrossed, in short, in perusing then the sincerity of the Ethiopian noble- the Scriptures of truth. man must be beyond the possibility of Now, the improvement that all this doubt. Previously to the time alluded to suggests to us, is as obvious as it is imin this passage, he must have acquired, portant. If, in the adorable sovereignty unquestionably, a very considerable ac- of divine grace, we have been brought quaintance with the Jewish economy; into circumstances, and favoured with but not being content with the informa- opportunities favourable for our advancetion he had already obtained, he had tra- ment in spiritual things, let us imitate velled no less a distance than from Africa the diligent searching of this Ethiopian to Jerusalem to obtain more; and even convert, who was employed in consulting now he was engaged in reading the Bible. the word of God. Let us improve the Far from indulging in that capricious and precious moments as they pass, let us superficial kind of inquiry, which origin- prosecute our religious inquiries with an ates in no better principle than curiosity, earnest purpose of heart, and with an and which subsides the moment that humble dependence on the Spirit. Instead principle is satisfied, he appears, on the of resting satisfied with the measure of contrary, to have been a man in solemn knowledge to which we may have already and sober earnest. A man, bending the attained, let us throw off our listlessness, whole power of his faculties to the appre- and set ourselves thoroughly and instanthension of divine truth, and in prosecut- ly to peruse this blessed book with more ing this great object, his investigations diligence, and with more interest, than were at once diversified and laborious; ever we have hitherto done. If, in this not confined to general statements, or to way, we follow on to know the Lord, we partial views, but steadily and diligently have in the text, you will notice, an endirected to the whole counsel of God; couraging precedent to show, that we nor even when he had visited Jerusalem, shall indeed know him, that our labour and had engaged in the worship of the shall not be in vain, and that our temple, did he permit himself to rest sa- inquiries shall be savingly blessed. And tisfied with his previous attainments, or whatever be the temptations to which we with the teaching of the Rabbies, priests, may be exposed, whether the allurements and scribes. Anxious as he seems to of worldly society, or a fondness for unhave been, my friends, to make still fur- profitable reading, or an undue attachther improvement in knowledge, he re- ment to the luxuries and to the pride of solved to inquire for himself, he deter- life, or a grovelling propensity for base mined to receive no second-hand state- and degrading indulgence; oh! let us ments, he consulted the oracles of truth, remember, that as in the case of this noble direct he went to the fountain-head. individual who was now leaving JerusaEven when sitting in his very chariot, lem in his carriage, so the chariot of time when returning home, when his mind is rapidly rolling us along; therefore, it might be naturally occupied in reflecting is our duty, like him, to read and to think on the scenes which he had left, when by the way-that according to the swift

lievers usually delight in the society of those by whom they have been spiritually benefited, his conduct may seem to betray either a callousness of feeling or defici

ness of its motion we are, like him, pro- | have been immediately consequent on his portionably receding from the earthly final separation from Philip; and as beside. Like him, then, let us avail ourselves of every opportunity for receiving instruction that may offer, even though it may present itself in a form little calculated to conciliate our carnal pride, re-ency of gratitude; and it may perhaps, membering the beautiful example set us by this distinguished person, who, when the humble Philip came up to him, when he interrupted him in his reading, was so far from repelling such an intrusion, that he received it with humility; he listened to his instruction without any feeling of pride, or distrust, or suspicion; he even invited him to come up into his chariot, and to expound to him the word of God he condescended to be as a little child, and to receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which was able to save his soul.

Oh, dear brethren, "go and do likewise;" receive the word of truth as it is offered to you, in whatever form, so as it be the truth. In one word, believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as this Ethiopian did, let us follow his example by making a profession of our faith-by not concealing our principles-by not being ashamed to avow ourselves to the church and to the world. No sooner had he received this instruction, than he exclaims the very first opportunity that presented, "Here is water, what doth hinder me from being baptized?" If we know Christ, let us confess him before men, and he will confess us before his Father in heaven; and let us confess him not merely by attending to the ordinances of religion, not merely by being seen keeping our customary places in the church, not merely by associating with God's people, but confessing him by joining his visible church, by doing this according to his own command and in remembrance of his name. In that case we are encouraged to hope that we shall partake of the blessedness of the Ethiopian, and, like him, "go on our way rejoicing."

To some the rejoicing of this distinguished foreigner may possibly appear to be somewhat unnatural and even unlovely. According to the narrative given to us, the gladness of the Ethiopian seems to

be thought that the circumstance of his having quitted such a valuable instructer, ought rather to have excited on his part an emotion of sorrow, and that had he dropped a tear at parting, it would have been at once a credit to his sensibility and a better proof that he rightly appreciated the nature and extent of his obligations. It must be confessed, indeed, that to see Philip caught away from his view by a sudden and miraculous interposition, was of itself fitted to inspire him with the most solemn and reverential ideas; and when to this it is added, that the person so removed was one to whom, of all others, he had been indebted, and to whose company he must have attached associations of the tenderest kind; then the rejoicing of this Ethiopian nobleman may, perhaps, appear to some persons to indicate either that he had set no great value on what he had recently heard, or that he felt so confident of Philip's former instructions, as actually to pursue his journey without requiring his aid, and without deploring his absence. But though this objection may, perhaps, very readily present itself, there is really nothing in it to entitle it to much consideration. It is founded entirely upon an imperfect acquaintance with the practical effects of divine grace, nor can there be a doubt that the vindication of the Ethiopian's joy on this occasion may be triumphantly grounded on the simplicity and sincerity of his faith. To suppose, indeed, that he was unawed by the supernatural interposition of God in removing Philip from his view, or that he felt no regret at the loss of his spiritual instructer, is, in point of fact, a gratuitous assumption, which there is nothing in this narrative to justify; and though it may be true that notwithstanding both of these events he actually did go on his way rejoicing, this fact only proves the power and the efficacy of those doctrines

which he had recently embraced-it only proves that the gift of faith which he had received, had had the double effect, not only for preparing him for extraordinary manifestations of the divine power, but of consoling him even under the loss of a spiritual privilege-it only proves, in short, that though his present circumstances may appear to us sufficient to overwhelm him with the most painful regret, yet that the grace given to him was far more than adequate to counterbalance all such feelings, and to fill his whole soul with absorbing emotions of gratitude, and with an inexpressible feeling of joy.

ward ingenuousness, "How can I unless some man should guide me ?"

Now, my friends, in such a state of ignorance as this, there can be no doubt, I think, that to his reflecting and intelligent mind, the worship, the forms, and the ceremonies of the Jewish church must have appeared extremely perplexing and dark. In the absence of that light which has been thrown upon them by the gospel, the only consideration that could commend them to his judgment, that of rendering obedience and adoration to one infinite and eternal Spirit, was incomparably more rational than to countenance the absurd idolatries of Ethiopia; but, so But this, I trust, will appear more evi- far as the grand question of his own perdently by considering at greater length sonal acceptance with God was conthe second division of our subject, namely, cerned, he was, in reality, not one whit the CAUSES OR REASONS OF HIS JOY. In more forward than before, and, as long as the first place, it may be inferred that he he was ignorant of the Saviour, in whom will go on his way rejoicing, on account all the Mosaic ceremonies and all the of the new information he had obtained. Scripture promises were to be fulfilled, Though previously to the period alluded his attachment to the Hebrew worship to in this passage this eminent person was, in truth, only a different form of had for some time been a convert to the superstition, which, though less revolting Jewish religion, the probability is, that to a cultivated mind, was in his case his attachment to Judaism was little less equally powerless, as well for pacifying than simply giving it a preference above the conscience as for purifying and rethe gross and absurd idolatries of Ethio- newing the heart. In the providence of pia, and that his acquaintance with it God, however, the period of his spiritual was limited entirely to a knowledge of darkness was now brought to a close by its forms and ceremonies, without any his having recently received a clear exhidirect perception either of their spiritual bition of the divine Redeemer, from meaning or of their ulterior end. During whose sacrifice the Mosaic ritual derived his late visit to Jerusalem, his usual in- all its efficacy and all its worth; Philip, tercourse would be confined very proba- we are told, "preached unto him Jesus ;" bly to the scribes and to the Pharisees, and in what did such preaching consist? who constituted at that time the higher Was it to tell him that God was a being orders of Jewish society, and from them, of infinite mercy, who would overlook his we know, he would derive no other kind sins and short-comings, and who would of information than that which related regard such obedience as he might be exclusively to the ceremonial ritual, the competent to render as constituting a only effect of which would be to fortify meritorious title to the divine favour? him more and more in his self-depend- Was it to inculcate upon him that obserence, and in his spiritual pride. It is vance of external rites, and that veneratrue, I acknowledge, he did indeed pos- tion for vain traditions, which constituted sess a copy of the Old Testament Scrip- so exclusively the religion of the Pharitures, but then that he could neither un- sees and scribes? Was it to tell him, derstand nor apply them, is sufficiently in the absence of a confiding faith, and a evident from his own acknowledgment; perfect conformity to the Divine will, the for when Philip inquired of him, "Un- Lord would be satisfied with a sincere derstandest thou what thou readest?" but a perfect obedience on his part? No, he replied, with a frank aud straight-for- my brethren, no such thing; to "preach

unto him Jesus," was to set before him earnestly, and clearly, and faithfully, the infinite holiness of his nature, the guilt and malignity of sin, the deep depravity of his own heart, the awful curse under which he laboured as a guilty and condemned creature, as well as his absolute need of a Saviour, and then to follow up those statements with a broad, full, and clear exhibition of the only method of the sinner's justification, not by the works of the law, but only through faith in the righteousness and the blood of Christ.

Nor was the joy experienced upon such an occasion in any degree peculiar to the Ethiopian. It is, indeed, the common happiness, generally speaking, of every believer, who has been made to participate, like him, in the riches of divine grace. From the moment that the Christian is enabled to look to the Saviour with that undoubting confidence, we fully and firmly believe in his perfect atonement for sin-from the moment that he sees Immanuel exalted to his mediatcrial throne in the heavens, as an advocate Now, observe, as such preaching as for his people, and as dispensing those this is seldom unaccompanied with a blessings which he died to purchaseblessing, so we find in the case before us from the moment he feels the divine influthat it was made abundantly effectual, in ence come over his soul with an enlightenopening the eyes of this Ethiopian's un-ing, and quickening, and convincing, and derstanding, and in opening up to him the transforming power-from that blessed glory of that mystery which had been hid from generations, "God manifest in the flesh." In the course of one single sermon, it appears, this distinguished Ethiopian found himself not only convinced of sin and summoned to repentance, but reconciled to his heavenly Father through faith, and blessed in a very considerable degree with the gracious influence of the Spirit. Having been previously, then, in a state of ignorance, of perplexity, and doubt, having been in a state of distrust respecting his spiritual condition, and his personal acceptance with God, he saw now in Jesus, whom Philip preached to him, the very Saviour whom he needed, and the only Saviour that could give any comfort to him. From the thraldom of Jewish rites, therefore, he now emerged into the glorious liberty of the church of God; and instead of continuing any longer as an alien and an outcast, he now re'ceived, in great mercy, the privileges of an adopted son. The rejoicing, therefore, of this eminent individual, you will notice, was not without a just and direct cause. He had found a physician for his diseased soul-he had found a balsam for his wounded conscience-he had received light into his darkened mind-he had found in short, a great and precious boon, which, while it purified and cheered his earthly course, taught him to look forward with hope, and brightened his prospects for eternity.

moment, he is a new creature. He sees that the work of his salvation is accomplished independently of himself—he is no longer under the dread of death, or the fear of hell, or the pains and penalties of the law-he is filled with joy and peace in believing, and he abounds in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. Instead of fretting, and murmuring, and repining under the divine dispensations, he rejoices in the divine goodness, and he submits with acquiescence to all the appointments of his heavenly Father. Instead of turning away from the world with disgust, as a scene only of turmoil, and misery, and sin, and instead of clinging to it unduly on the other hand as his only and ultimate portion, he regards it as his appointed place of probation, as his appointed place of discipline and trial, where his capacity is to be cultivated and improved-where he is to redeem the time-where he is to receive grace to prepare for a future and eternal world. Like the Ethiopian nobleman, he goes on his way rejoicing, even though his mind may occasionally, as undoubtedly it sometimes will, be overshadowed with sorrow and with doubts, it is only like a passing cloud which leaves behind it a purer atmosphere, a warmer sun, and a brighter sky; and he gathers a varied revenue of enjoyment from nature, from Providence, from the words, and works, and the ways of God; and he is constrained to the dis

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