ciples of Jesus, and he wished to hear from him the nature and evidences of this new religion, which now made so much noise in Jerusalem; and he desired the man to come up and take a seat with him.

The place of scripture, which he had been reading, was very pertinent to the present state of his mind, and naturally introduced such a discourse as he needed to hear. The words were these; "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb dumb before his shearer, so he opened not his mouth. In his humiliation," or in his sufferings, "his judgment," the justice of a fair trial, "was taken away from him. And who shall declare his generation?" Who shall describe the wickedness of the people, who condemned him to death?"For his life was taken away from the earth.”

The Eunuch here makes a judicious inquiry; "Of whom, I pray thee, speaketh the prophet this? Of himself, or of some other man?”

He considers Isaiah as a prophet; and in reading this passage, a question arose, whether it might not be a prediction of the patient sufferings and quiet death of some extraordinary man, who should appear in the world, and be unjustly and cruelly persecuted and put to death by his own nation. Probably he might apprehend, that the person described by the prophet was the same, who had lately been crucified at Jerusalem. And he desired the Evangelist to explain the passage. How pleasant must be the work to instruct a man of this serious and candid disposition? A seat in the chariot was a relief to Philip's body; an interview with the rider was a refreshment to his mind.

"Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus."

We may think, it would have been a privilege, if Luke in his history had recorded at large Philip's

:

sermon from this text. And certainly, if it had been transmitted to us, it would have been well worthy of our perusal. But, then, we have no special need of it; for we have the doctrines which Christ taught, when he was on earth, and we have the letters, which his apostles wrote to the churches after his ascension. And if Philip preached Jesus, as Luke says he did, he preached the same doctrines, which are every where else taught in the gospel. And by reading the gospel, we shall learn every thing which Philip taught the Eunuch.

Besides; We know the text, from which Philip preached, and we have the book and chapter in which it is found. We know too, that the apostles were correct and rational preachers, who always kept to their text, and adapted their discourses to the occasion and the audience: It is, therefore, no difficult matter to know the drift and substance of this

sermon.

His first intention was to prove to the Eunuch, that Jesus was the son of God: For this, in the result, the Eunuch professed to believe. He had before received the scriptures of the Old Testament, as divine. From them Philip argued in proof of Christ's divine mission and character. He stated the prophecies concerning the Messiah, and testified that these had been minutely accomplished in Jesus of Nazareth.

He then, as we may naturally suppose, opened the nature of the gospel scheme..

The prophecy under consideration, would lead the Evangelist to represent to his proselyte the fallen and guilty condition of mankind-the great purpose of Christ's death, which was to make atonement for sin-the mercy of God to pardon sin through this atonement-the way of pardon by repentance toward God, and by faith in his Son-the ascension and

intercession of Jesus the consequent effusion of the divine Spirit, and the success and spread of the gospel among the Gentiles; for all these things are expressly mentioned by the prophet in the chapter, which was now opened before them.

From the Eunuch's request to receive baptism, we must conclude that Philip taught him the necessity of professing his faith in Christ, and the institution of baptism, as a token of relation to Christ, and as a vow of obedience to him.

What a happy discovery was now made to this honest and inquisitive Gentile? A new scene was opened to him. His anxious doubts were removed, and obscure prophecies were made plain. He now saw divine mercy extending its richest blessings to Gentiles. He saw pardon reached forth to him. He saw a Savior to whom he could commit his immortal soul, and in whose grace and power he might, trust for everlasting life.

Can you wonder that he rejoiced? Rather wonder that thousands now hear the same things with cold indifference. If he had gone his way regardless of this wonderful scheme of salvation, who would not have condemned his stupidity? But how many hear salvation through a dying Savior preached from sabbath to sabbath, and feel no solicitude to obtain a share in it?

"Some will plead in their excuse, that their hearts are in God's hands; and if they are ever turned, he must turn them. But, tell me, who are they, whose hearts God turns to accept salvation? Are they such as neglect it? or, Such as seek it? Attend to the case of this Gentile. God by his kind providence sent Philip to instruct him, and he blessed the instructions which were given. But what had the Eunuch been doing before? He had faithfully attend. ed on such means as he enjoyed. He went up to

Jerusalem to worship, to hear the scriptures read, and to learn from them the acceptable will of God. When he was in private he read the scriptures by himself. When he met with a minister, he asked him to explain the scriptures to him. This is the man, for whom God so wonderfully interposed to bring him to the knowledge and faith of the gospel.

In him was verified an observation, which our Lord often made, "To him who hath," or improveth what he hath, "shall more be given." If you expect the grace of God to work in you, or to do for you, in any respect, more than it has done, you see what the Eunuch did: Go, and do likewise.

To proceed with our narrative: As Philip and the Eunuch went on their way, "they came to a certain water: And the Eunuch said, see, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?"

Christ commissioned his Apostles to "disciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and teaching them to observe all things, which he had commanded," Baptism is a badge of discipleship to Christ, of admission into his church, and of subjection to his government, It does not denote a particular relation to this, or that church in distinction from others; but a relation to the church of Christ in general, "As many as are baptized into Christ, have put on Christ." Relation to a particular church depends on a covenant made with that church, either explicitly by profession, or implicitly by situation and tacit consent. But all baptized persons are members of the church at large; and they are under the immediate care of that church in the bosom of which they live, unless they choose to join themselves to another. And as it is necessary for social worship and actual communion, that particular churches should be

formed, so every Christian is bound to unite himself to some church or other, if his situation allows of this connexion. The man who pretends to be a Christian, and yet lives in a state of disconnexion with the church of Christ, without attendance on ordinances and subjection to discipline, contradicts himself, as really, as he who professes subjection to the church of Christ, and yet lives in the neglect of moral duty.

The Eunuch, as soon as he embraced the gospel, expressed a desire to receive baptism, that he might thus testify his faith. "What doth hinder me to be baptized?" He did not wait to be urged to this duty. The same disposition appeared in other converts in the apostolic times. The prophets, when they foretell a revival of religion, usually mention the increase of the church as a consequence of it. When one feels the operation of true religion in his heart, he will attend to the duties of it, and apply the means appointed for promoting the power and practice of it. He will not excuse himself from a Christian profession, and from communion with the church, under a pretence, that he is not holy enough for the church, or the church not holy enough for him; for religion is neither desirous of vain glory, nor affectatious of a false humility: He will not plead his sins in excuse for the neglect of plain duty, nor cast off the restraints from sin, and the excite, ments to duty, with a view to walk according to the course of the world; for religion seeks not to be conformed to this world; but to prove what is acceptable in the sight of God. It is meek, peaceable, candid, charitable, attentive to the calls of duty, watchful against sin, humble for conscious imper, fection, and desirous of improvement.

"If

To the Eunuch's question, Philip answers, thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest" bẹ