August 20

26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south, unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

27 And he arose and went; and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship.

28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Eixias the prophet.

29 Then the spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Eixias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

32 The place of the Scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb, dumb before his swearer, so opened he not his mouth.

33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away; and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch said, See, here it water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still; and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.

40 But Philip was found at Azotas; and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Cesarea.

Philip was one of the seven chosen to care for the poor (chap. vi. 5), and was not officially commissioned to proclaim the word. But the operations of the Divine Spirit are not bound by human order. Every converted man should be a missionary to and seek the conversion of every unconverted man. We may learn from the example of Philip, that temporal business, though connected with the church, does not excuse from spiritual labors. Even the daily ministrations of bread required men full of faith and of the Holy Ghost; and these were the very qualifications for ministering the bread of eternal life to a famishing world.

"The care of the temporalities does not justify any in leaving the higher talent wrapped up in a napkin. Surely, though all may not compete with Philip preaching to thousands in the streets of Samaria, yet all may copy him here in the desert."—R. R. Meredith, D. D.

There is a certain part which every sinner must take in his own conversion. What this is finds illustration in the case of the Ethiopian. 1. A sincere inquiry after truth. 2. A teachable spirit. "How can I, except some one should guide me." 3. An implicit faith. When Philip showed him Christ in the prophecy, he accepted Him as the Son of God, and trusted in Him as a Saviour. 4. An open confession of Christ. With this man to hear was to believe, and to believe was to obey. He accepted baptism at once. This act was a public acknowledgment of Christ. It was more public in this desert place than if it had been performed in the city of Jerusalem among a company of believers, supposing his own followers to have been absent.

Closet Promise.—He restoreth my soul.—Psalm xxiii. 3.

We have been wandering away; now He restoreth us. We are sick in soul; He giveth health. Saints, are you out of any gospel goods? Go right to the storehouse of the Lord and have restored what you have lost. How is your faith this morning?—Love? Hope? I do not think God is pleased with empty shelves. He doesn't like complaining Christians, or Christians who are always telling what poor faith or hope they have.

I have read of a brother who used to pray: "O Lord, make me so full of Thee that there will be no room for evil!" The devil passes by such a man and says, No room there. Be full. The clouds come and hold the full goblets to the parched lips of the flowers. In my garden I hear the watery footsteps as the clouds come and give to overflowing. So God is ever ready to come and pour out blessings on the waiting Christian.