The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-04-01
PETER AND
CORN ELIUS |
Sunday School Lesson for April 4, 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper

LESSON TENT.-Acts 1oI-2o. Memory
verses 1915.
GOLDEN TFNT.-'In every nation he
that feareth him. and worlleth righteous
ness. is accepted with him. Acts. 1875.
TIME.-3S-t0 \. u.
PLACES.-Joppa and Caesares. The
traditional house of Simon the tanner
is typical eastern dwelling. with heavy
barred sdteWayS and forbiddins. Win
dowless exterior. The waves of the Medi
teTranean beat against the low outer
wall, while in the courtyard is a spring
of pure water which tradition tells Us
was used by Simon. Rev. Francis
E Clark. D. y.
RULERS.-Herod Agrippa king of Ju-
dea and Samaria. Cahgula, emperor of
Rome
Comment and Suggestive Thought
The main purpose of the book of
the Acts is to untold the Broadening
spirit and form OF the church of God.
Theodore T. Munger. D. D. This
chapter Acts l0l is parallel in inn
pOrtance with that which depicted the
scenes of Penticost. David O. Mears
D. D.
Cornelius was a centurion, CORE
spending TO our captain, the head of
a company of soldiers numbering 100
when full. This company was part Of
the cohorJ called the Italian band "
because made up of Romans born il
Italy
Q) He was "a devout man and one
that feared Cod The words have a
technical sense says McGiffert. and
indicate that Cornelius wor,hiped the
God Of the Jews, but was not formally
proselyte ~ He was a good hus
band and father, and led all his
house in his own righteous ways CD
He was liberal. and gave much aims
to the people" (4 He was not only
outwardly devout but inwardly pious
and prayed TO God always In these
secret prayers we may be sure, from
the sequel, that he sought for better
knowledge of God and of Gods will
for that is what was given him ". A..
(5)MoreOver (Acts 10: 22l Cornelius
carried his religion into practical al
fairs, where he was just and fair deal
ing; and 60 as the result Of it all, be
was held in high honor by the Jews
themselves acts 10: 22), as well as
by the Gentiles 1t would nave been
impossible to find better man for
Gods purpose. or one VINO would have
appealed more strongly to Peter.
The sixth hour" moon was "a set
time of devotion with pious Jews -
Geikie. Peter had retired from his
comrades in toll. for perhaps he helped
Simon in his tannery, and nowhere
better than upon the house,op' could
he lind privacy and quiet for prayer.
The roofs of eastern houses are fiat.
and often surrounded with parapet
three or four feet high, which would
screen Peter from observation as he
knelt He was very hungry" for he
probably had not yet broken his fast"
--Rackham. They We're preparing
food below, and perhaps the SAVIOR of
it rose ts the housetop, Tut before
it was ready Peter fell into a trance
The Greek word for trance is different
from the word for Cornelius vision.
A vision is something seen outside
ones self a trance is the condition OF
ones mind, that sees inner visions
One is not asleep. and It is not
dream, but a peculiar eXaiiatiOn of
the spirit In this trance Peter saw,
let down from the sky, a g"eat sheet.
like the wind-stretched canvas of the
craft on the Lake of Galilee. '-Lumbv.
1t was full of animals. many of them
the wild beasts and reptiles which the
Jews considered incl an. Three times
mysterious voice babe Peter rise
from his knees and stay and eat the
shocking food. three times he refused
in horror. three times he was hidden
to make nothing unclean that God
had cleansed by bidding him partake
of it, and then the great sheet was
lifted and disappeared in the sky
The messengers from Cornelius
had made inquiry for Simons house"
(the Greek word implies careful
search through the streetsl, and while
Peter was meditating on his vision,
they were even then al the gate, and
calling for him. Before word of his
visitor could reach him, the Holy
Spirit in some way made Peter con-
SClOuS Vi tucli anu MIN
go with them
The outstretched sheet which Peter
saw in his vision signified the whole
world, and the four corners symbol
lied the directions, north, south. east
and west, in which the gospel was to
be carried The contents OF the sheet
showed that all men were to be
reached, the lowest races as well as
the highest, savage and civilized, poor
and rich. ignorant and wise It was a
perfect symbol of foreign missions.
From every nation on earth immi-
grants are pouring into The United
States at the rate OF more than a mill
ion a year. America is the modern
equivalent of the sheet Of Peters
vision, full of clean and unclean. men
of all languages, beliefs, customs, help
full and hurttul, blessings and
scourges The work of home missions
is to believe in all these, love them all,
and win them all for Jesus Christ.
Peter obeyed promptly and gladly,
taking one step toward fellowship
with the Gentiles by ntertaining the
three messengers over night In ST.
- bouoa Tho pausp Of ihie obad{