The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1897-04-08

Dry verses, oo-oS-Ssolden Text, Acts X,
43-Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
30. Peter and six men from Joppa Cchcp-
ter xi, 12) have arrived ar the house of Cor
nelius, the Roman centurion in CiesareiI.
Cornelius was a just and God fearing man.
much given TO prayer and good deeds and
beloved by all the Jews OF the city Oversees
1, Z, 22), yet not saved man (chapter xi,
1G. But God saw his earnest desire, and
in the way here recorded brought Simon
Peter to him as He had before brought
Philip to the eunuch. Cornelius, with his
kinsmen and friends, welcomed Simon
Peter and the brethren, and Peter, having
explained why he, a jew, had come to I'M
circumcised gentiles, asks for what intent
they had SCI for him, and Cornelius here
begins his story
81. ga man in bright clothing is his
description of the angel who came to see
him. The appearance of the angel at the
sepulcher was like lightning and his raj
ment white as snow (Math. xviii, 3D.
Some day we, too, shall shine as the sun
(Math. xiii, 43). The angels message was,
Thy prayer is heard and thine aims are
had in remembrance in the sight of God. -
81 Heaven is interested in Simon Peter
also and knows just where to find him
and how to make him willing to take this
''all things working together in this rec
ord-the hungry man, the delayed dinner,
the trance, the vision, the visitors and
everything just at the right time. BE not
afraid to believe that heaven is interested
in you, and have faith in God.
SO. Immediately the centurion sent to
Joppa. Peter did well to come, and now
they are ready to hear the message from
the God of heaven. They were assembled
1ofO 10, ~, n
through Peter They wanted none of Pc
ter's thoughts or wisdom or eloquence,
but only what God had commanded him
to speak. The Lord Jesus Himself only
spoke what the Father commanded Him
(John xii, 49), and every messenger of the
Lord may take all possible comfort from
Elk. iv, IL; Jer. i, TO, etc.
"a. "Of a truth 1 perceive that God is
no respecter of persons" Thus Peter be-
gan his message God took great pains to
teach him this oversees 11-16), and he never
forgot it, but long afterward referred to it
in Pet j, II. See also Paul's reference
to the same in Rom. ii, II. If necessary,
God will give vision OF send an angel to
instruct US, but blessed are the simple and
teachable who, like Mary, sit at Jesus feet
and hear His word duke x, 800.
35. but in every nation he that feareth
Him and worketh righteousness is accepted
with Him. This does not conflict with
chapter iv, IL, and the great truth that
there is none other Saviour besides Jesus
Christ, but wherever any one, jew or gen
tile, earnestly seeks after God, He will re-
gard them and so reveal Himself to them
that they may be saved. To conclude from
this verse that if we do the best we know
how we are safe would be "a peryersion of
Scripture, for by the deeds of the law (and
the law is holy no flesh can be justified
(Rom. iii, 20-24l.
Sc. preaching peace by Jesus Christ -
Made nigh by the blood of Christ, for He
is our peace, having made peace through
the blood of His cross. The work of right
eousness shall be peace, and the effect of
righteousness, quietness and assurance for
ever. Therefore, being justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ (Eph. ii, IS, II; Col. i, 20;
lisa. xxi, II; Rom V, u. That which
every soul needs is peace, peace with God,
and it cannot be found apart from Jesus
Christ.
81. "That word say, We know which
was published throughout all Judaea. -
They had heard of Jesus. they knew some
thing of the way, but they needed clearer
light. They evidently knew something of
the deeds of the law, of prayer, of almsgiv-
ing of the one living and true God and the
Righteousness which He required, but they
knew not the way to get it. They were
ignorant of Gods righteousness Rom. K,
81.
SO. Jesus of Nazareth was righteous and
did righteousness. He was God manifest
in the flesh and set forth before men per-
fectly the righteousness which God required
of man. He never pleased Himself nor
lived unto Himself; but, being filed with
the Spirit, went about showing men by
word and deed the love and goodness of
God. He revealed God to men; He glori-
fled God
49, Peter was with Him during all His
public life and saw His acts and heard His
words and as an eyewitness could testify
that He was what He protested to be, the
Son of God, the Messiah of Israel, the
Saviour of sinners. He saw Him cleanse
the leper, heal the sick, raise the dead and
send the penitent sinner away with the as
surance of all sins forgiven. He also saw
Him crucified on Calvary.
40. "Him God raised up the third day
and showed Him openly All Scripture
concerning His life and death and resur-
rection had been fulfilled, and that to the
very letter, and, as He in His lifetime had
repeatedly foretold, He rose from the dead
on the third day, taking out of the tomb
the very same body that was put in the
tomb, having the unmistakable evidences
of the nails through His hands and feet
and the spear thrust into His side.
Al. 1fNot to all the people, but unto
witnesses chosen before of God" Unbe-
levers have not seen Jesus since He was
crucified, but as many as 500 of the disci-
Piles saw Him at once after His resurrec-
ton Il Cor. XIV, g., and He appeared not
less than ten different times, and He actu-
ally ate with them, as Peter here says
duke XIV, Al
AZ. cit is He which was ordained of
God to be the judge of quick and dead. -
He will judge His redeemed at His own
Judgment seat (Rom. xiv, 10; II Cor. V,
nations when He shall come in glory,
bringing His saints with Him (Math. XIV,
81, 80; / Cor vi, 2; Col. iii, ~, and then
at the end of the thousand years, at the
great white throne, He will judge the I'M
godly who took no part in the first resur-
rection.
43. s'To Him give all the prophets wit
ness that through His name whatsoever be-
heveth in Him shall receive remission of
SINS See lisa. i, IS; xiii. 25; xiv, %; Jer.
iii, IA; XXI, 81; Mic. vii, 10; Ps. xxi, 1,
q; Gill, 12, as some of the places where
the prophets testify that through Him is
the forgiveness of sins as a free gift with
out any works or merit on our part.
A. 1'While Peter yet spake these words
the Holy Ghost fell on all them which
heard the word. - And thus on uncircum-
cised gentiles God wrought as He had done
at Pentecost on circumcised Jews, and
they were there and then baptized oversees
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ElHG AMI TLICTI