Courtiers and Conversion
A. Coquerel. Acts 8:26-39 And the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza… Courtonne, a celebrated pastor of Amsterdam, notorious for the freedom of his preaching, was urged to preach at court. He consented on condition that the household of the Prince of Orange should be present, and that no one should be offended at his freedom of speech. When the time came, a great and distinguished audience assembled, and the preacher took for his text the present subject, which he said contained four subjects of astonishment, which increase one upon the other. I. A COURTIER WHO READS THE HOLY SCRIPTURE, which is sufficiently surprising. II. A COURTIER WHO OWNS HIS IGNORANCE, which is more surprising still. III. A COURTIER WHO ASKS HIS INFERIOR TO INSTRUCT HIM, which should cause a redoubling of the surprise. IV. A COURTIER WHO IS CONVERTED, which brings the surprise to a climax. (A. Coquerel.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. WEB: But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert."