CHAPTER IV.

THE ETHIOPIAN TREASURER.

Acts viii. 26-40.

THE case of the Ethiopian Treasurer affords a beautiful example of the way in which an ignorant, but sincere and devout inquirer, is often led, under the guidance of the Spirit of God, and notwithstanding many unfavourable circumstances in his condition, to a clear and saving knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. It belongs to a different class of cases from that to which the Philippian Gaoler, the Dying Malefactor, and Saul the Persecutor, are to be referred; since these memorable characters, while they differed from each other in many respects, agreed in this, that each of the three was chargeable with some specific crime of a very aggravated nature, the Gaoler with intentional suicide, the Malefactor with robbery, and Saul with persecution and bloodshed,-while nothing is recorded of the Ethiopian that is criminal, and much that is creditable to his character-his main defect being his ignorance of divine truth, and even that he was devoutly seeking to remove. His experience, therefore, is fitted to illustrate the case of such as have

long been seeking the truth, but are still "walking in darkness and having no light;" and it cannot fail, when rightly understood, and duly considered, to impart to them a very large measure both of instruction and encouragement.

unfavour

I. In his previous state there were many able circumstances which might seem to render his conversion a very difficult undertaking, while there were, at the same time, some very hopeful symptoms.

Among the unfavourable circumstances which might seem to present an obstacle to his conversion, and which probably retarded his progress in acquiring a knowledge of the truth, I may mention his birth and residence in Ethiopia—a land of heathen darkness—at a great distance, probably not less than one thousand miles, from Jerusalem, the seat of the true religion ;— his worldly wealth, which is often a snare to the soul, for "how hardly, says our Lord himself, shall a rich man enter into the kingdom of God;" and again, “I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God;" for not only the cares of the world, but the deceitfulness of riches also, and other lusts, choke the Word and render it unfruitful;—and his elevated rank and extensive influence, as 66 an eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians : he belonged to a class of men who exercised almost unlimited power in some of the Eastern nations, and who were notoriously addicted to intrigue and the other arts of courtly ambition; and this might be a bar in the way of his spiritual progress,-for "ye see

your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen; yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence.” It is manifest that these, or some other circumstances of a like nature in his condition, had exerted an injurious influence over him, and had retarded his progress in the acquisition of religious knowledge; for he was, as we shall immediately see, lamentably ignorant, notwithstanding all the efforts he had made; and, looking on him, as he returned in his chariot to his native land, we might be ready, in a spirit of hopelessness, to exclaim, "Can this Ethiopian change his skin?"

But while many circumstances in his outward condition were unfavourable, we cannot read the narrative without discovering some hopeful symptoms in the state of his mind. For, while he was by birth and residence an Ethiopian Gentile, he was, notwithstanding, both in his creed and in his profession, a proselyte to the Jewish faith, and a believer in the one only, the living and the true God. Although surrounded by the forms of polytheistic superstition, and living in a land of gross spiritual darkness, he had in some way, not described, become acquainted with the revelation of divine truth in the Old Testament Scriptures, and his eye had been opened to

discern the true light, so far as to satisfy him that it was the light of heaven. Thus much is implied in the fact that he had come to Jerusalem to worship,” and that on his return he was engaged in reading the Old Testament Scriptures. And this instance affords an exemplification and proof of a very delightful truth, I mean the extensive influence which was exerted by the Jewish dispensation on the surrounding nations.* While it was in some respects limited and local, as being specially designed for the children of Israel, and established in the land of Judea, it was nevertheless fitted to instruct other nations in the grand principles of religious truth, and all the great nations of antiquity were successively brought into such near contact and such familiar intercourse with the Jews as could not fail to impart to many a thinking mind amongst them the knowledge of the one living and true God. In the earlier part of their history, the Jews were connected with the Egyptians, who were the wisest, the Canaanites, who were the most warlike, and the Phoenicians, the most commercial of these nations: and at a later period, partly by their long captivity, partly by their dispersion and their residence in almost every city, they were intermingled with the Assyrians, the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans,-insomuch, that not only was the Old Testament translated into Greek for the use of the Hellenic Jews, but heathenism itself derived from it many useful hints as well as the materials of many a fable, as is clear in the case of Zoroaster and others.

* Dr Graves on Pentateuch, p. 336-351.

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And as the Old Testament dispensation was fitted to exert such an influence over the surrounding nations, so provision was made for the admission of proselytes to some, at least, of the privileges and services of the Jewish Church. These proselytes have been divided into two classes, called respectively the proselytes of righteousness and the proselytes of the gate; and these were in the habit of coming up to Jerusalem at the stated festivals as well as the Jews that were scattered abroad,—of whom it is said, that on the day of Pentecost, which occurred after the crucifixion of the Saviour, there were then assembled, " Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians,” speaking different languages, but worshipping the same God. The Ethiopian Treasurer was one of these ; and his coming out of Ethiopia, and repairing to Jerusalem, was a virtual declaration that his mind could not rest in the popular mythology of his own country, that he saw the error of polytheism, and admitted the cardinal principle of the Divine unity,and was in itself a solemn and public testimony to the supremacy of the God of Israel.

While he was, both by conviction and profession, a believer in the one only, the living and the true God, and a proselyte to the Jewish faith, he was also a devout worshipper, and an attendant on the services of the Jewish Church. It is said of him, that "he