Acts x. 33. Now therefore are ive all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.
HERE we see the door of salvation opened to the Gentiles : and it is a sight in which we are deeply interested ; for it is in virtue of the commission then given, and then executed, that you are assembled and
addressed on this day. And O what a blessing it would be, if you all possessed the frame of mind then manifested by Cornelius and his company! Surely we might hope, in that case, that there should be somewhat of a similar blessing upon us, to the edifi- cation and salvation of all our souls.
Let us particularly notice, I. What they expected Peter to declare unto them —
Cornelius had had a special intimation that Peter was ordained of God to be his instructor in the way of life8: him, therefore, he regarded as God's Ambassador to his soulb: and from him he hoped to hear, without any reserve, all that God had commis- sioned him to declare. Now,
This is the light in which every minister of Christ should be viewed —
[Though we are not Apostles, yet are we ambassadors of God to the people of our charge, and have the same message to deliver now as the Apostles had in their dayc. We are to
" preach peace by Jesus Christd" We are to declare
the sufficiency of Christ to " save all that come unto God by hime" And this salvation we are to proclaim indis- criminately to all, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free1-.]
And you have a right to expect the utmost fidelity at our hands —
[We are to " keep back nothing that is profitable unto you," but to " declare unto you the whole counsel of God." The express command of God to us is, " He that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully8." We are to do this, whether men will hear, or whether they will forbear. God says to us, as he did to the Prophet Ezekiel: " Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee: for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither : declare all that thou scest to the house of Israel'1." And, as it is our duty, so it is also our privilege, confidently to affirm, that " what our eyes have seen, our ears have heard, and our hands have handled, of the word of life, that same declare we unto you'."]
» ver. 5, G, 32. b ver. 25. c 2 Cor. v. 18—20.
d ver. 3(5. e ver. 43. with Heb. vii. 25. f ver. 34, 35.
8 Jer. xxiii. 28. '' Kzek. xl. 1. ■ 1 Jehu i. 1—3.