SERMON UPON ACTS X. 34, 35.
Tlien Peter opened Ms mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons ; hut in eveiy nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted luith him. — Acts X. 34, 35.
These words are Peter's reply to Cornelius, who sent for him to hear the gospel from his mouth. For the entertaining of this message, both Peter and Cornelius were aforehand prepared severally by God. Peter by a vision, Cornelius by an oracle. So much ado was needful to gather in the first-fruits of the Gentiles. In the words take notice of two things —
1. Peter's acknowledgment of his former mistake, ver. 34.
2. His assertion of the positive truth which he learned by this pro- vidence, ver. 35.
First, In the acknowledgment of his former error you may observe three things —
1. The preface or introduction : ' Then Peter opened his mouth, and said.' Profane spirits cavil at this expression as needless ; for how could he speak, say they, without opening his mouth ? But they mind not that it is an Hebraism, frequently used in scripture concerning them that are about to speak anything weighty upon mature deliber- ation. As of our Lord Christ it is said. Mat. v. 2, ' He opened his mouth and taught them, saying.' So Ps. Ixxviii. 2, ' I will open my mouth in a parable ; ' Prov. viii. 2, ' I will speak of excellent things ; the opening of my mouth shall be right things.' To open the mouth is to speak considerately, prudently, confidently. Would to God that those that scoff at these things would never open their mouths to worse purpose.
2. The means of his conviction: 'Of a truth I perceive;' 'E7ra\r]deia<i KaToXa/x^dvofxaL. The phrase is used of those that are apparently convinced and persuaded to change their opinion. The Latins would express it, A vero vinci, to be overcome by the truth itself Peter once thought that it was unlawful for a man that is a Jew to keep company with or go to one that is of another nation, as he himself expresseth it, ver. 28. But being prepared by his vision, and now con- vinced by the words of Cornelius, he perceived the contrary.
3. The error, that God was a respecter of persons, or had so confined his respect to the Jewish nation that he would not reveal himself to any of the gentiles who had not submitted to their rites. But now
406 SERMON UPON ACTS X. 34, 35.
he saw that all respect of nations was taken away by the coming of Christ.
Before I go off from explaining this branch —
[1.] Let us see why this was spoken to Cornelius. Was not he a proselyte to the true religion ?
I answer — Cornelius was a Eoman captain over the Italian band, therefore probably himself of that nation. But though by race and breeding a gentile, yet no idolater, but a worshipper of the God of Israel, or the true God, the creator of heaven and earth; for we are told, Acts X. 2, that ' he was a devout man, one that feared God with all his house, and gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always.' Now the ae^ofievoL, those that were called devout men, were proselytes. Yet he was not circumcised, nor had he taken upon him the yoke of Moses' law, and so was not accounted a member of the church of Israel. The Jews distinguished of proselytes, the pro- selytes of the covenant, and the proselytes of the gate. For the former, the proselytes of the covenant were such as were circumcised, and counted and conversed with as Jews born ; but the proselytes of the gate bound themselves only to observe the precepts of Noah, as to worship the true God, to abhor idols, to abstain from murder, forni- cation, robbery, and in all things to do as they would be done to. With these the Jews might not converse, as being not incorporated into the commonwealth of Israel, though they granted them a part in the life to come. Of this sort was Cornelius.
[2.] Let us observe something from this branch of the text.
(1.) That God's own people may err in some points of religion. Peter before this had read in the prophecies of the old testament much about the calling of the gentiles ; he had heard from the mouth of Christ the command of discipling the nations. Mat. xxviii. ; yet he did not comprehend the thing till he was prepared by a vision from heaven, and now found Cornelius endowed with great graces given by God. Thus often we hear the truth propounded, explained, proved, yet we conceive it not. Surely this was a great error in Peter, so difficult to come over to this truth after the ascension of Christ, that still he should think God to be the God of the Jews only, and not also of the gentiles. But good men do not see all things, even those things which are before their eyes, especially wheu blinded with pre- judice, and prepossessed with contrary interests and opinions. Therefore we had need all look about us lest we be ignorant of an obvious truth.