The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-11-15

tai in the presence of the immortal, of the
physical in the presence of the spiritual, of
the sinful in the presence of the holy.
What is 1t Lordg The word here is the
same as sir with us. A respectful saluta-
ton only.
Thy prayers and thine aims haze come up
for memorial before God. In Revelation
": s. We are told of the golden walls full of
odors (incense) which are the prayers of
saints" How few prayers seem worthy OF
such preservation How few appear to have
in them such immortal fragrance! But how
many are the expressions of no sweet inward
experiences; are mere words and nothing
else.
Thy prayers and thine aims have come up.
The prayers frat as they should do. Aims
alone never would have gained entrance
there. Good works pass the portal only BE-
cause Faith has endorsed them.
NoeO send men to Joppa and call for one
Simon. He shall tell thee s0hat thou oUghtest
to do. Why did not the angel himself tell
him? He was sent to do nothing but to tell
Cornelius to send for Peter. Why did he
not himself tell the story of the cross! He
had never experienced its saving power
That is one reason. Those who can best
comfort mourning friends are those who
themselves have suffered bereavement. Those
who can best hell sinful souls are those who
themselves have sinned. Cornelius had to
find bis way there in the same lowly manner
as do all who become Christ's disciples. And
from this We learn that God never uses the
services of an angel when there is man
ready to be used
What thou oughtest to do. Here we have
toe key to his prayer. Cornelius must have
been praying to know what he ought to do.
Acts ii IA interpretS this still farther
.'Who shall tell thee words whereby thou
and all thy house shall be saved" He was
praying then that he and all bis house might
be saved. He had been led from the worship
Of many g ds to the worship of one. Bat as
yet he had no assurance that he was accept
cd of the true God. Judaism had so sur
rounded the true deity with ceremonial
hedges that he could not come into his pre-
sence. He was not satisfied with mere Ju-
daiam, but longed for something better. He
was seeking for a Saviour--Peter was ap-
pointed to lead him thither.
VISION OF PETER On the morrOw as they
went. God was timely preparing Peter for
the message. Here we have view of the
way in which God is always working. A
divine message comes to the heart of one
man to repent and be saved, and another
divine message sends another man to show
him, the way.
Fent upon the housetop. Roofs of houses
were fiat. Retired place.
Slrh hour. Noon.
Very hungry. Usual to have only two
meals-one at ten or eleven o'clock, the
other at six or seven in the afternoon. After
the usual time-therefore Every hungry.
Fell into trance. A state in which the
body is insensible to outward objects, but the
mind is exceedingly active. Not like q
dream, for that occurs during sleep; nor
like a vision, for that takes place during
bodily consciousness.
Saw-d certain vessel descending. Seemed
as if it were great sheet, held by its four
corners.
Wherein wsre all manner of toartooted
beasts, etc. All kindS-not merely, as some
have said, those Levitically unclean.
Rise, Peter, kill and eat, AS he was hun.
cry, the vision came to him in the way which
then would most impress him.
Not so, Lord. TIE command to kill had
been for him to slay without distinction
the unelean as well as the clean. For dis
tinctions between the two classes, see Lev.
chapters XIV. Peters revolving from the
thought of partaking of upcleau meats shows
how thoroughly Jew he was. If ne was
thus particular as to his food, he would have
been still more scrupulous about going to
such man as Cornelius; for, as be explained
TO him, "Ye know it is an unlawful thing for
q man that is a Jew to keep company or to
come unto one of another nation" And
Cornelius was not only one Of another ma.
ton, but of the hated nation of their rulers,
and Of this he was soldier, aud not only
that but an officer besides.
"What God has cleansed that call not THOU
common" His trouble was that he could
not conceive that God could make uncleau
things clean.
This was done thrice. To be sure and
make the desired impression. Was the Wis
ion twice repeated, or only the concluding
command? We do not kuow--but certainly
the command was, and that was the main
thing.
While Peter doubted. Did not know wheth.
er to take it literally or not Was the dis
sinction between food clean and unclean TO
be obliterated2 If so, was the distinction be-
tween Gentle aud Jew also to be done away
with Very probably it seemed to him as
f such a vision would not be vouchsafed to
aim merely to show to him that he might eat
pork if be chose. But was be authorized or
commanded to go further than that ? That,