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May 1927
T h e
K i n g ’ s
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A prepared preacher and a prepared people are bound to mean an outpoured Spirit (v. 29). The Holy Spirit sometimes cuts a ser mon short (v. 44). There is less excuse for a Gentile neg lecting the winning of Jews to Christ than the first Jewish believers had in hesitating to preach to the Gentiles. Our sectarianism is apt to be most ob trusive when spiritually we are at low tide (see v. 45). —o— S uggestive Q uestions Was Cornelius the first Gentile centur ion whose faith in Christ was rewarded? (Matt. 8:5-10). What other Gentile was especially com mended by Jesus for great faith? (Matt. 15:22-28). Is any other centurion spoken of with favor in the New Testament? (Acts 27: 3, 43). Is there anything striking about the number “three” in Peter’s life? (v. 16; Cp. Matt. 26:40-45 ; 26:75; Jno. 21:17). Who went down to Joppa in Old Testa ment times? (Jon. 1:3; Cp. Acts 9:43). Was the man who took ship from Joppa ready to take a message to the Gentiles? Would Peter (the so-called first Pope) permit-any bowing down in his presence? (v. 25, 26; Cp. 2 Cor. 12:6; Rev. 19:10; 22:9). If an unsaved man has been inclined to pray sincerely, will he rest until he. has the Saviour Himself? (vs. 30-32; Cp. Jn. 9:31). What is a good recipe for all who would listen to sermons and get a blessing? (v. 33). Did the baptism of the Spirit set aside the necessity of water baptism? (vs. 45, 47). Is the truth that “God is no respecter of persons” a distinctly New Testament truth? (2 Sam. 14:14; 2 Chron. 19:7; Job 37:24; Cp. 1. Pet. 1:17; Rom. 2:1; Eph. 6:9; Col. 3:25). —o— G olden T ext I llustration “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.”—Rom. 10:12. No better illustration of this text can be found than in the sun. The Scripture de clares that “The Lord God is a sun.” The sun does not shine for a few trees or flowers, but for the wide world’s joy. The lowly pine on the mountain top waves its sombre boughs and cries— “Thou art my sun.” The little meadow violet lifts its cup of blue, and whispers, with its perfumed breath, “Thou art my sun.” The grain in a thousand fields rus tles in the wind and makes answer, “Thou art my sun.” So 'God in heaven is not for the favored few, but for the universe of life; and there is no creature so poor or so low that he may not look up, and by accepting the Saviour God has pro vided, be able to say: “My Father—Thou art mine.” (Beecher). •. 3 k Æ Adolph Saphir in “The Sinner and thé Saviour” T he A braham of the G entiles VV7HAT Abraham is to Israel, Cornelius ■v is to the Gentiles. He was the first Gentile who was publicly admitted by the
apostle into the visible Church of Christ; with him commences a new era in the di vine kingdom upon earth ; from him we may date “the times of the G e n t i 1e s.” Now the word of Jesus began to be f u l f i l l e d : “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold : them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice ; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” Cor nelius was not merely the representative and earnest of a great multitude which no man can number, who, besides the chosen number of Israelites, are to be gathered out of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, jibut his conver sion, and the outpouring of the Spirit upon him and all who, with him, heard the word preached by Petér, were the events which formed a turning-point in the views and efforts of the apostles. It was the dawn of a day of light and joy for the Gentiles. As God chose, called, and separated Abraham to be the father of Israel according to the flesh, so was Cornelius chosen to be the beginning of the Gentile Church; and it is for this reason that his conversion possesses a world-historical character. It was in the large city of Caeserea, on the Mediterranean, the capital of the pro vince of Syria, which embraced likewise Judea, a city which Herod had beâutified, and on which he had conferred a new name in honor of the emperor, that Cor nelius lived as centurion of an Italian Band. Thé fact noticed by Paul, in his Epistle to the Corinthians, that hot many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, was not confined to any particular age or coun try; and this general circumstance may, at first sight, incline us to think, that Cornelius (no name was more honorable at Rome than that of the Cornelian house) was a man not likely to be reached by the influence of the despised followers of Jfesus. His calling, too, was one which many designate, with peculiar emphasis, “world ly”-—a calling in which, doubtless, there are many strong temptations, and in which it is difficult to remember the vanity of all earthly glory and strength, and to seek the hidden kingdom, into which none can enter who is not like unto a little "child. And if these temptations and difficulties arise in the military profession in our day and country, there can be little doubt but they were much greater and stronger in the days of proud and godless Rome. However, whatever temptations and dif ficulties our different callings and occu pations may bring with them, as they form no insuperable barrier to God’s pow erful and' gracious influence, so they afford no ground of excuse for our indo lence and negligence, for our sins and transgressions. In a calling which is in itself sinful we dare not abide; but, be lieving firmly that when God is against us, it is impossible that any real good should attend us, we ought to pray to God to give us strength, and to open up ways, that we may leave it forthwith; and' in a calling which is lawful, it were sin and murmur ing against God to maintain that in it we cannot serve God, and lead a holy life. God has His children and obedient fol
lowers among rich and poor—men who live in the glare of celebrity, and men who live in the shadow of obscurity; .busy merchants and scholarly recluses; cour tiers in the gay metropolis, and peasants on the quiet farm. It seems that, though his knowledge was defective, and his privileges scanty, and his opportunities limited, Cornelius made use of the little which was entrusted to him. If we1know only the simplest and most elementary truths, such a s : God is good and righteous—God is everywhere— I ought to please Him—He wants me to love Him, and to love my neighbors, to be pure in thought, word and deed—if we used these simple truths, trying to re member them and to give them, would not the Lord reveal more to us ? Nay, would He not instruct us in His mysteries, as it is written, “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him”? He feared God, with all his house; he felt that, as a parent, as a master, he was entrusted with the welfare, temporal ,and spiritual, of his household; that, as he was responsible for his'band to Caesar, so and much more was he responsible for his children and servants to God; and, therefore, like Joshua, he resolved, that as for him and his house they would serve the Lord. It appears from a subsequent statement in the chapter, thatfpje:spoke to his household servants and attendant sol diers, as a friend, a fellow-pilgrim to an eternal world, remembering that they had a common Master in heaven. ;i And this fear of God, as it was in his heart, as it manifested itself in the in struction and example he gave to his fam ily, so it led him also to works of charity and kindness, He gave much alms; lib erally; as. one who owed much and loved much, as ori'e who remembers that he is a steward in God’s house; he gave much alms to the people—that is, Israel—,as if he felt that it was a little thing to minister unto them in temporal things, when through them he. had received the invalu able treasure of God’s Word. But the depth of his piety is described in the concluding words—he prayed to God alway. He had been taught by the Spirit to lift up his soul unto God and to speak to Him; in prayer he found access unto God, who alone was able to supply his wants out of His riches in glory.- He delighted in prayer: not merely publicly did he acknowledge God, but in secret, where no man saw and witnessed it, he poured out his soul before God. He prayed alway, not merely in times of dan ger and perplexity, not merely in hours of anguish and sorrow, not merely in hours of joy and gratitude, but at all times, and amid all circumstances, he lived before God and with God. What a beautiful character 1 Fear and reverence; trembling at God’s word; wor ship and adoration; confession of His name before men; making mention of His glory before all who were around him ; a life of purity and devotion, of kindness and benevolence, of meditation apd prayer. Such was Cornelius.' W hat L acked H e Y et ? There are many who, knowing the Gos pel of Christ, and professing to believe it, must feel ashamed when they compare themselves with the centurion—of whom it cannot be said that they are devout, that they fear God with all their houses, that they give alms to the people, and pray to God alway: but of whom it must be
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