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"on on him whom we have pierced." The history therefore of the Ethiopian nobleman's conversion, effected by St. Philip's expounding to him the 53d chapter of Isaiah, seemeth no improper subject whereon to employ our thoughts, at a time when the church is enforcing on us the duties of repentance and faith, by the same argument which first produced them in the heart of that illustrious person; namely, the unexampled sorrows and sufferings of the Son of God for the sins of the world; to the contemplation of which is dedicated the great and holy week upon which we this day enter; a week, spent in such a manner by them of old time, as made it evident. to every beholder, that these were "the days in "which the bridegroom was taken away.' For now (as the ancient canons and constitutions inform us) men gave over all worldly employments, and, making the happy exchange of earth for heaven, betook themselves wholly to devotion, heightened and improved by those religious exercises, which the experience of pious men in all ages hath evinced to be conducive to that end. Dismissing therefore from our thoughts the cares and pleasures of a vain and transitory world, every thing that perplexeth, and every thing that defileth, let us take a view of the no less engaging than interesting circumstances of the history before us.

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St. Philip, commonly styled the Evangelist, one of the seven deacons, and next in order to St. Stephen, being driven from Jerusalem by the persecution which arose at the time of the protomartyr's death, went down to the city of Samaria; and, ever mindful

of the commission he had received, and the necessity of executing it, preached Christ to the people there. So that the storm raised by the adversary against the church turned out to the furtherance of the Gospel, being made a means of wafting the seeds of evangelical truth to distant lands, in order to a more plentiful and glorious harvest.

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While he was employed in edifying his Samaritan converts, a fresh opportunity was offered him of advancing his Master's kingdom; as, indeed, opportunities of doing that blessed work are seldom wanting to him who has the piety and skill to seize and inprove them aright. "The angel of the Lord spake "unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go towards the south, unto the way that goeth down from Jeru66 salem to Gaza, which is desert." The most unpromising journey shall be a prosperous one, when undertaken in obedience to the divine designation, intimated by a lawful call. Nor let the minister of Christ despair, whose lot is cast in the midst of spiritual barrenness and desolation. He who sent Philip to a desert place, did not send him there for naught; since even in such a soil he raised a fair and fragrant flower, which having bloomed, for its appointed time, on earth, in the beauty of holiness, now displays its colours, and diffuses its odours, in the paradise of God; who, whenever he pleases to bless the labours of his servants, can cause "the wilderness and the solitary place to be glad for them, and the desert "to rejoice, and blossom as the rose."

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This Philip knew, and therefore made no objections, and asked no questions, but "arose and went."

And he who shows the same unreserved obedience to the will of his Lord, shall reap the fruits of it in this world, and that which is to come.

For no sooner was Philip arrived at the place appointed, but (the wisdom of God so ordering) behold, arrived at the same time, "a man of Ethiopia, an "eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen "of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her "treasure." But what made this statesman great in the sight of God, was his extraordinary piety, which led him to the temple at Jerusalem. For the fame of this temple, diffused abroad among the nations round about, brought many continually to inquire "concerning the Name of the Lord," who resided in it, and to worship him in the court assigned them for that purpose, which was therefore styled the court of the Gentiles. Among others came this Lord Treasurer of Ethiopia, who, engaged, as he must of course be by his office, in a multiplicity of worldly business, and advanced to the height of worldly ho-. nour, could find time and inclination, it seems, to take a long journey on the account of religion; thinking himself never so well employed, as when attending the city and court of the great King; never so highly honoured, as when suffered to prostrate himself before JEHOVAH, the GOD of Israel: "He "had been to Jerusalem to worship, and was re"turning."

But as the tide of secular affairs, if suffered to break in, will presently extinguish the spark of devotion, though kindled in the soul by a coal from the altar; in order to cherish the heavenly thoughts and

affections produced in his mind by worshipping towards the holy temple of the Lord, as he returned home in his chariot "he read Esaias the prophet;" thereby teaching us where to look for Christ, and how to sanctify with pious reading all our leisure hours; out of the many thousands of which so carelessly and extravagantly squandered (though God knows we have need enough of them all), there is not one, but, if rightly used, might set us considerably forward in our way to glory. How will this illustrious personage arise up in the judgement against all those Christians, who in the hours of domestic ease and tranquillity never open a Bible, when he would not even travel without one in the chariot with him! “Sitting in his "chariot he read Esaias the prophet." A nobleman thus employed was an object that engaged the attention of Heaven, and an evangelist was sent to sow the seed of eternal life in a ground so well prepared. "Arise," says the ever-gracious Spirit of God to Philip, "and go toward the south, to the way that goeth "down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is desert :" for there he might behold a minister of state, sitting in his chariot, and reading the Scriptures! So ready is God to teach, when man is ready to hear.

Such an opportunity of instructing the well-disposed was not to be neglected, for a single moment, by the faithful messenger of Christ. No sooner, therefore, did the spirit order Philip to "go near "and join himself to this chariot," but he "ran thi"ther" instantly.

Being come to the side of the chariot, he "heard “him read Esaias the prophet;" and his introductory

question to him was "Understandeth thou what thou "readest?" A question, which every reader of the sacred books must frequently put to himself, if he would not read in vain. And happy they, who like this nobleman are not offended when it is put to them, but show the meek and teachable disposition of their minds by returning his answer, "How can "I, except some man should guide me?" Such will have the wisdom and grace to desire the company of those (however lowly their appearance and condition in the world may be, compared with their own) who can tell them words, whereby they may be saved. "He desired Philip, that he would come up, and "sit with him."

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The evangelist being seated in the chariot, they proceeded to consider the place of Scripture, to which the providence of God, predisposing those incidents commonly ascribed to chance, had directed the nobleman; which was the following passage in the 53d chapter of Isaiah; "He was led as a sheep "to the slaughter, and like a lamb dumb before his "shearers, so opened he not his mouth. In his hu"miliation his judgement was taken away; and who "shall declare his generation? for his life is taken "from the earth."

It is obvious, at first sight, that the prophet is here drawing a picture of afflicted innocence. But it was impossible for the nobleman to understand the place, because he knew not to whom the description belonged; as appears by his asking Philip-" I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of him"self, or of some other man?"

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