Rant the Gentiles, (as by clean creatures they won}d have themſelves to be underflood) howſfoever they oppoſed Common unto Holy ; indeed a holy man 1s (as they called him) a finzolar man : *®twas God that Ceanted Cornelis, rurning him from idolatry to the worthip of the true God, from darkneſs unto light.
16 I hits wes donebthrice: andthe vellel was received up again into heaven.
2 Wheieby this great myſtery of the converſion of the Gentiles. and taking them into the Church might be the more confirmes, ang tixed 1a St. Peter's, mind. :
17 Now whiite Peter z doubted in himſelf what this viton which be had ſeen, ſhould mean ; behold Z, the men wilch were ſent from Cornelius, had made enquiry tur Sinions houte, and ſtood before the gate.
- Recolictting himſelf; for the viſion had fo aff:Red h , that it had put him into a kind ofextafie, out of which wherFhe came unto hmſclf, & the two ſervants and the Soldier which Cornelizs had
ſent, L : I And / called, and asked whether Simon which was ſurnamed Peter, were lodged there.
/ Being ſtrangers, they addreſs themiclyes to ſuch of the houſe as came to the duor.
drawn off
was reputed a p os and good man, and {oit would be no difpzryc, ment to the Apoſtle ro go unto him. » This argument &t, p;;, could not deny. When Gods command 1s evident his peop!: ;;; determined, and reſolved,
23 Then called he them in, and lodged them, Any 7 on the morrow Peter went away with them, and . cain 2 brethren from Joppa accompanicd him.
» He delays not to obzy the Heavenly viſion; but as 45-4}, took his journey the very next morning after that he had reccire the command, Gen. 22. 3. fo did Peter here, and bz dar, quic;;; dat, he doubles his obedience, that obeys ſpeedily and cheerful}; z Theſe Brechren were fix in number, as Chap. 11. 12. Who might undertake this journzy, 1. Out of refpeCt to Peter, * to accompun; him. Being moved at the extraordinary viſions that wa ſpoken of ; bur efpecially, 3. diſpoſed by the Providence of Go to accompany St. Peter, that they * might teſtifie the grace of (4 that was come unto the Gentiles, when it nyght be atterwardj Mee ſtioned.
24 And a the morrow after they entred into Ceſare; And Cornelius waited for them, and had called tz. ther his þ kinſmen and c near friends.
a Joppa was abour fifteen Leagues from Ceſare, fo that the nz day atter they fet our, they might eaſily come from 7oppathither, 6 His Relations, « And ſuch as he had the greateſt love and kindn for, he thought that he could notexpreſs it better, than by giving them an opportunity to hear the word of Life, and to gain inſt. ction for their Souls; and probably, t1oſe here ſpoken of, were r2c- koned as friend;, and near friends by Cornelius ; becaule they wire ſuch as with him had forſaken all Pagan Idolatry, and wer Wor ſhippers of the true and Living God.
25 And as Peter 4 was Coming in, Corneiius ne: him, and fell down at his feet, and & worſhipped him.
d Into Cornelicy fiis houfe, for he haſtned to meet with lim e Cornelizs worlhipped withthes moſt humble, civil worthip ; but he could not rhink him to hz God, and therefore he did give him no Div:ine Worſhip, he having forſaken the Idolatry of the G:ili; but might perhaps think him to have been an Angel, and intended ro worſhip him accordingly, for which he is blamed in the follow- ing verſe. |
26 But Peter took him up, ſaying /*, Stand vp; Ig my ſeit alſo g am a man. Ret ; Flriscertain that Peter did think this Worſhip Corn: ;ins (ave Kh him, to haveexceeded ; and here he blames him for it; te'iing him, he g was bur a man like unto him, and he needed not give any further reaſon ofhis reproof, for man muſt adore, but by n9 means inay be adored; no, nor take too much hogour to him- iclf.
27 And as he btalked with him,he went in,an-l ;ound many that were come togerher.
hþ They went talking together intothe houſe ; probably, of tt: goodneſs of God that they ſhould be direRed fo happily unto 0n: another; for they could not bur fee, and acknowledge God 1n it.
A
- *
28 And he ſaid unto them, Ye know how * that !t:j, is an unlawful thing for a man thatis a Jew, to KEE & 13 company with, or come unto one of another nation p. = » Eph, but God hath ſhewed me, that I ſhou!d not call any * man common or & unciean. : God himle)f did ere& a partition-wall betwixt his peop!e, other Nations, Jews and Gentiles ; hence by Gods own comm the Jews might not have any familiar converſe with the ny eſpecially, they might not marry with them : The Jews _—_ '” had made this partition-wall much larger, and they held 1t un K ful to eat withany of the Gentiles, or to go ſo much as 170 tt houſes; hence that objetion made vpon this occaſion aga1? Ir Peter, Chap. 11. 3. kNo man 1s now unclean by any —— uncleanneſs, becanſe he is not circumciſed, or becauſe he Fo bog ſprinkled with the blood of bulls, #4. 9.13. yet fin batt , neſ the whole maſs of man-kind, and theyarz equally by nature M9!" unclean
and mand,
_ 19 @ White Peter z- thought on the viſion,the » ſpi- rit faid unto him, Behold, three men ſeek thee.
* vet bimfſelf to medirate upon that he had ſee , and heard, ie holy Spirit informs him farther. Thus whoſoever meditates
. 3;
A p 21 179 29 Therefore came I unto you without [ gain-fay! s s fr I)
afloon as 1 was ſen for »:: I ask therefore, for wha!
tenit ye have (cnt for me ?
W3p-
"'F 23, 16.5 ; Cornelis does not intend to declare by this, how long he had + ted; buthe tells him, when he being faſting, ſawthe viſion, which
Y. The 4
came about, partly by the viſion, and its interpretation ; partly, by what he might have heard from them, thar Cornelins ſent for him, un- ro whom Cornelius had declared the whole matter, as we find verſe g, yet Peter's queſtion 1s bur neceſſary, for to give Cornelius an op- Oreunity to acquaint his friends, who were met there, with all that had paſſed. : ; : zo And Cornelius faid », Four days ago I was faſting antil this hour, and at » the ninth hour I prayedin my . = . houſe, and behold, a p man ſtood before me 1n 4 * bright
clothing.
£2 >
wasfour days betore ; at the ſame time of the day. o The ninth hour, which was atime of prayer, it being thetime of offering the evening- Gicrifice, ſee Chap. 3- 1. P A man 1n appearance, but an Angel in- deed, as in the 3- verſe, q Why Angels appeared in bright or white raiment, ſee Chap. 1. 10. :
;1 And ſaid, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine r alms are had in remembrance s in the ſight of