The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-04-02
PETER AND
CORNELIUS
Sunday School Lesson for April 4, 100!
Specially Arranged for This Paper

| GOLDEN TExT.-'ln every nauon ne
that feareth him. and worketh righteous
| ness Is accepted with him. N:3o.
| TIME-3S-40 A. d.
| PLACES.-Joppa and Caesarea. THE
| traditional house of Simon the tanner
| is a typical eastern dwelling. with heavy
barred gateways and forbidding, win
/ dowless exterior. The waves of the Medi-
| terranean beat against the low outer
| wall while in the courtyard Is spring
| of pure water which tradition tells us
was used by Simon. REV. FRANCIS
| e. Clark. D. d.
RULERS-Herod Agrippa. king OF Jul
| dea and Samaria. Caligula, 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 1O) is parallel In i'm
portance with that which depicted the
scenes of Penticost. David o. Mears,
D. D.
Cornelius was centurion, CORE
spending to our captain, the head OF
a company of soldiers numbering 100
when full. This company was part OF
the cohort called the Italian band"
because made up of Romans born In
Italy.
% He was "a devout man, and one
that feared God" The words have a
technical sense" says McGiffert, and
/ indicate that Cornelius worshiped the
God of the Jews, but was not formally
a proselyte (2) He was a good hus-
band and father, and led "all his
! house" in his own righteous ways. (3)
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 ". ~.
(5)Moreover (Acts 10: 22), Cornelius
carried his religion into practical af-
fairs, where he was just and fair deal
ing; and CO. as the result Of it all, he
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 who would have
appealed more strongly to Peter.
1.-THE sixth hour" (noon) 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 housetop" could
he find privacy and quiet fer prayer.
The roofs of eastern houses are nat,
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 were preparing
food below, and perhaps tho SAVIOR OF
it rose to the housetop, hut before
it was ready Peter fell into trance"
The Greek word for trance is different
from the word for Cornelius vision.
A vision is something seen outside
ones self; trance is the condition or
ones mind that sees inner visions.
One is not asleep, and 1t Is not
dream, but a peculiar exaitation OF
the spirit In this trance Peter saw,
let down from the sky, great sheet,
like 1.-The wind-stretched canvas of the
craft on the Lake of Galilee. "-Lumby.
1t was full of animals, many of them
the wild beasts and reptiles which the
Jews considered unclean. Three times
a 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 Simon's house"
(the Greek word implies careful
search through the streets), and while
Peter was meditating on his vision,
they were even then at the gate, and
calling for him. Before word of his
visitor could reach him, the Holy
Spirit in some way made Peter con-
scious Of their coming, and babe him
go WIFI IueIu.
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. 1t 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 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 hurtful, blessings and
scourges. The work of home missions