The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-04-26

tre of his being into the intellectual and lhy.
| steal constitution, now asserted itself, TO
strengthen him in his purpose. This very
strong point in the defense, sufficient to relieve
| Peter OF all blame. At that stage OF the case
| he was in accord with his critics.
| INSTRUCTION.-(vcrs and l0.)-IIow came
| ii to pass that law, Divincy given by Moses
| fourteen centuries before and observed NY the
| chosen people ever since, should he abrogated
| after this distance of time? That the rev
| question which must have come to Peters mind,
| and he shows how it answered. I. The
| voice replied to him that God had cleansel
| these animals and Peter must not call them I'm.
| clean--thc inhibition had been removed ny Him
| who had instituted it, who had right to abol-
| ish what he had ordained. and men must ap-
| prove the act Of God much in the removal
| as in the appointment of conditions This in-
| stricion, greatly needed, opened up the fact
| that dspensltion was ushered in, rcquir-
| ing customs 2. As further method OF
| confirming the instruction to him Peter declared
| that this vision in all its parts. his refusal and
| the explanation. occurred three times. That was
| considered to be adequate proof in the OF
| Balaam (Numb Xyiv 100, and OF the denial
] (Iohn Xiii, 3S), ard of Paul's prayer. e Cor.
| xii, 81 No good jew would require further
| attestation to any matter.
| CIRCUNSTANCES.-(Ne II to ii)-reter
! next showed the brethren that what had thus
| been disclosed 10 him by vision and speech was
| attended by circumstances in which the new doc.
| trnc applied, circumstances that appeared
| to be Providentia |. Willie he receiving
| the vision three mon from Caesarea were in his
! house delivering the message Of Cornelius, the
Gentle, who needed his services. > The Spirit
| of God, under whose guidance all his ministerial
work was conducted John xvi, 13). according
| to the direction Of Jesus, prompted him to re-
| spond to the invitation. 3. There were with him
| at the time six brethren, all of them Jewish
| Christians, sharing therefore his spirit of eN-
| clusycness (Which brethren then stood with Peter
before the apostcs) and they deemed it proper
| to go to Cornelius. and did go. 4. On entering
the house of Cornelius Peter learned that vision
| had been given to the Roman kind OF coun-
terpart, directing that help should be sought, in
| accordance with which the messengers We're sent.
| All this was calculated to convince any candid
person that God had indeed established new
| rule and order.
| OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 10 TO l7.)-Peter's
| mind was dCubtless troubled when he went to
| Cacsarea, gravitatng between two opinions-he
sanctity of the ancient Jewish law and the claim
of the new revelation. His attitude was changed
and the whole settled in the house OF Cornc-
| Illus. While he was speaking, the Holy Ghost
| fell on all present, Gcntiles rs well as Jews. as
| it had done on the day Of Pcntecost, upon the
| apostles only. (Acts ii, A. In this way the
| same. Divine approval was given to the uncr-
| cumcised to the circumcised and the teaching
| OF the vision was confirmed, While beholding the
strange phenomena Peter says that he recalled
certain Scripture where il was said that rndcr
the now dspcnsation men should be baptized
with the Holy Ghost. (Natt. iii, III This ful-
| fmcnt of the word of God was the concluding
| proof and Peter submitted the whole case 10 the
| decision Of the brethren, claiming that he had
| been manifestly drawn ON by the Lord himself
| whom he placed on common ground with Jews,
| CONViCrlON.-Ncrse lS.)--Pcter's recital,
conducted in straightforward mIuner, was Il
complete yindication OF his course, The details
presented an argument which could not be resist
cd by men OF Jewish origin The prayer, the
trance the vision, the speech, the hesitation the
repetition, the approval of associates, the Nisi IN
Of Cornelius, the attempted discourse, the out
pouring OF the Spirit, the word of Scripturc--al
this conculred aud pointed inevitably to special
revelation of great truth. In the Same way
God had appeared in ancient times TO patriarcls
to prophets and 10 holy men, (Gen. iii, l6)
So il came to pass that Peters defense carried
conviction TO the minds of those who heard him
They held th,r peace-thcy no longer ccnsurcd
him, hut approved shat he had done. They
gloriGcd God, rejoicing that in this way Ills
will had been made known, and that lie had
granted to the Gentiles the same mercy as TO
them, that they might repent OF their sins end
attain eternal life
TEACHINGS from this passase' I.
That methods of administration are necessary and
proper, and should be regarded SO long as they
are in force, but that they serve times and sea-
sons and may he set aside and other methods IN
sttuted. 9. The changes in administration must
not be made hastily OF without good authority,