modern times has been so eager to deny, but which the Scriptures are always ready to acknowkdgc, and, by acknowledging, admit within the 1inle of the universal Church the higher spirits of every age and of every nation." III. ,Ton AT THE TIME OF TIIE NATIONAL CLIMAX. There is little room for doubtinc, that, whenc,er Job himself may have li'l"ed, the book bearing his namo was written i~ the Solomonic age, and represents the religious sentiments of that time, And the book rep:esents the man ~ob as good, perfect, upright, fearing God, and eschewing evil; but be 1s not a Jew, he 1s an Arab chief or the wealthy prince of some city in distant Uz; the very selection of such a hero for the story plainly showing belief in vital godliness outside the Jewish limit.!'. Not a trace of Mosaic religion has been found in tlJe book, and therefore it is evident that the writer accepts the fact that true and acceptable piety may exist apart from the Mosaic covenant. IT. NAA:MAN A1'."l> NIXEVEli IN THE TIME OF THE NATIONAL DECLINE, We place these two together, but they may be treated separately. Naaman is a Syrian, but God·s prophet makes no difficulty about recognizing the sincerity of his religion, and he requires of him no conformity to Jewish regulations. The Ninevites are penitent before the one living God, and their repentance is even set on record as an example to the wilful Jews. So again and again did God, in the olden times, correct the exclusiveness of his people's feeling, and force them to think of him as the God of the whole earth. And when our Lord Jesus came among men as the Divine Teacher, we find him also correcting the same exclusive spirit by blessing Roman centurions, Samaritan villagers, and Syro-phcenician women; commanding that his gospel should be preached to the whole world; sending Paul" far hence unto the Gentiles;" calling Cornelius into the fellowship of the redeemed; saving the eunuch of an African queen; and moving Paul to witness for the universal redeeming love of God, in Athenian ngora and before Roman tribunals. That the heathen had some religion God did not make a reason for withholding from them his fuller revelation; neither should we 1<0 argue. Our very sympathy with heathen souls groping for the light should increase our longing to give them what we have in our trust, the "light of the knowledge of the glo1y of God in the face of Jesus Christ."-R. 'l'. Vers. Si--43.-The gospel for the heathen. Under the Divine inspiration, St. Peter preached the gospel to this company of devout Gentiles; and we can find both (1) what is the essence of the gospel message, and (2) what are the points of it specially suitable for presentation to the heathen mind, by a careful study of St. Peter's speech on this occasion. As the points are 'l"ery simple, and the illustration of them very abundant and familiar, we need only briefly state the several headings. 'l'he gospel is the declaration to men of the personal Saviour, the Lord Jesus Uhrist, and the demand of instant acceptance of him and yielding the will and heart and life to him. It must deal fully and efficiently with- I. THE CHRIST WHO LIVED. "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good.." IL THE CmusT WHO DIED. " Whom they slew and hanged on a tree." ill THE CRBIBT WBO LIVES. " Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly." IV. THE CIIBIST WBO CAB BA VE FROM BIN NOW. " Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." Upon this gospel, believingly declared to men, even to the heathen, we may still be assured that the power of the Holy Ghost shall rest, and it shall prove, u to the company in the house of Cornelius, a word of "eternal life." -R.T.
EXPOSITION. the metropolis of Jewish Christianity, and CHAPTER XL what a stir it would make in that commu- Ver. 1.-Nou, for and, A.V.; t1l8 brethren nity. It doee not appeo.r what view James ~r brethren, A.V.; auo bad for bad also, and the other apoi;tlee took. A. V. We can imagine how rapidly the Ver. 2.-'l'hey that were of the oiroumoision. uewe of the great revolutioo would travel to At first Bight this phrase, which was natural cu. xt. 1-30.] TilE ACTS OF TilE APOSTLES. 357