Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-03-11
ca, FOR rr.c,,c.r wo,

have very practical Interpretation.
When Peter looked on from Simon's
house top he saw a great sheet let
down from the heavens. oiled with "an
manner OF four footed beasts OF the
earth, and Wild beasts. and creeping
things, and fowls OF the air" That
vision was symbol OF the fact that
Jesus died to save the gentle as well
an the jew, the despised barbarian as
well as the Jewish high priest, the un-
circumcised as well as the circumcised.
Hardly had the vision ended when
Peter heard loud rapping at the
lower gate. "Who is there? Who is
therei" was aslssd. II am u messenger
from Cornelius" Is the answer. II am
| not Jew, but a gentle. sent by a
holy angel 10 thee. WHIT thou come
| and tell him about Jesus Christr
The vision and the knock ut the door
were one summons. Then IL was that
Peter knew his vision was divine and
that he was called to u duty which he
might have shrunk from II he had not
seen the preparatory vision. No longer
| was the offer of salvation to be made
to the Jews only; no longer were the
| messengers OF Christ to regard the
gentiles as common or unclean. So
much the vision had taught him, and
so Peter went with the men and
preached Christ TO the gentle centu-
rion, and ne found TINT the gospel was
the power OF God unto salvation to
the gentle as well as to the Jew.
Gods vfsions Not Haphnxard.
Gods visions are never haphaZard in
congruitles. When the good Ananias
one day in the city of Damascus had
the command in vision that he should
place the hands OF holy ordination up
on the bitterest enemy of the Christian
disciples he at first doubted the divine
authenticity of the vision. Ananias
looked up at first into the heavens and
In surprise said: Lord, l have heard
by many OF this man, how much evil
he hath done to the saints at Jerusa-
lem. Not him, Not Saul, l cannot
ordain Saul of Tarsus." But hardly
had the good Ananias entered the
house TO which God had directed him
when they brought him a staggering,
stumbling blind man. 1t was SAUL
IT was the arch enemy SAUL Then
AnRnias knew that his vision was d.
vine. When Simeon had the vision
that he should not die before he had
seen the Lords Christ, ne knew the
vision was divine, when Mary the Vir-
| gin placed in his arms the infant
Christ So, o man and woman, the
divine vision comes to you for prac-
teal gospel work You feel It.. You
know 1t. Why? Because while
speak there arises before your mind
some one man. some, one woman, some
one child, you can save. You are like
Peter standing upon the house top. You
are listening to the messenger OF Cor
nelius calling you 20 carry the news OF
salvation 60 some waiting soul
But there is still another fact about
Gods visions which it would be well
for us TO dwell upon. The divine lte-
lepathy comes TO the despised mans
home as frequently as IL does TO the
rulers palace. Who was Peters host
at the house where he had this divine
yisioni He was Simon the tanner. He
was in all probability the most despis-
ed man In all the coast capital Mt that
| time. Among the Jews the dealer in
cured hides Of animals was looked up
on as social outcast- The harlot, the
murderer. the insurrectionist, were
more respected than be. The con-
demned criminal might be paruloned
or his crimes even though he was the
thief who waylaid the poor man on the
road to Jericho. but the tanners call.
Ing was never forgiven. As men shrank
from contact with the leper, whose
touch might communicate his loath.
some disease to the healthy person. SO
the Jew shrank from contact with the
tanner, whose presence In n home
brought ceremonial contamination. The
door OF hospitality was always slam
med shut in the face OF the tanner.
The Despised Tanner.
BY the old Jewish law. il IA husband
died without any children, his brother
was compelled TO marry the widow.
But a widow was not compelled TO
marry that brother IL he was tanner.
Not even the, Jewish law would COM
pei woman TO suffer such an igno-
miny. III a man married a woman
without telling her he was tanner.
she could have the matrimonial-bonds
instantly annulled, as soon as the de-
ception was found out. or course,
thore had to be tanners among the
Jews, as there must be hangmen for
this present generations: yet, so bit
teriy were the tanners despised in
ancient times that by the eastern law
no tanner was allowed 10 build his
tannery nearer 10 the outskirts of n
town than fifty cublts. 1t was to this
despised home that The heavenly vision
came. opening the gate OF the Chris
uan church 10 the gentle nations.
Your home. man, o woman, may be
humble; 1t may be located In what the
aristocratic people call the slums: II
may even have been associated with
the vicious pollution OF society; but
even there the voice from the heavenly
mansions may be heard. 81 came not"
said the compassionate Saviour, Ito
call the righteous. but sinners, TO re-
pentapce," You may, be n social out
east as much shpAned as Simon the
tanner. but In yonr house, too. you
may hear a voice saying. Come, now,
and let ms rea son together, though
your sins be as scarlet. they shall be
white as snow; though they DO red
IKE crimson. they shall be as wool"
| A Message of Salvation.
One more thought is suggested by
Peters experience. This vision OF the
sheet coming down from the heavens
| nlied with all manner OF four footed
beasts and creeping things and fowls of
the air came to Peter when he was
comparatively young man. 1t came
TO him not only as a message OF saliva
ton, but also as command, especially
Tor young men and women, to 20 To
work The Apocalyptic visions of st.
John were entirely different When
John had his visions upon the island of
Patmos he. was feeble, wornout pa
uiarch OF ninety. Most of his friends
were In heaven. He was dreaming for
the most part of the life beyond. His
earthly work was practically finished.
But the vision came TO Peter while he
was In the staiwart prime OF maphood.