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March 24, 1909. THE PRESBYTERI^
pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known my words
unto you. Whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely,
and shall be quiet from fear of evil."
Sunday School
PETER AND CORNELIUS.
Acts 10: 1-48.
Lesson for April 4, 1909.
Golden Text?"In every nation he that feareth Him, and
worketh riahteousness. is accented uuith w; "?10. or
_ _ , I ?? ??.-?. . -IV.IO IV. UJ.
SHORTER CATECHISM.
Q. 49. Which is the second commandment?
A. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make
unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that
is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that
is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down
thvueif to then;, nor serve them, for I, the Lor.l, thy God,
am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon
the children unto the third and fourth generation of them
that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them
that love nie aud keep my commandments.
DAILY HOME READINGS.
M.?Acts 10: 1-16. Tu.?Acts 10: 17-33.
W.?Acts 10: 34-48. Th.?Acts 11: 1-18.
F.?Gal. 3: 7-14. S.?John 4: 1-14.
S.?Isa. 60: 1-11.
LESSON COMMENT.
It is always interesting to study the events connected with
and contributing to a crisis in any institution. We are dealing
in this lesson with a great crisis. The church now confronts
the issue: Jewish or Christian. By far the best and certainly
Ihe most uplifting, as well as the most honoring, to the
great Head of the church will be a study of the providential
guidance, as evidenced in this incident. As is always true
when firwl 1c nrH ovincr " Pfr* 4? ~ Al ? * *
uiuv.iut, an auaii, uiv uiuc, iue piaco and me
men are just exactly right. To speak humanly, loo much
is involved at this point in the church's history lo permit
of any bungling.
First, as to the time. For about eight years the church had
remained Jewish. It would seem that the Apostles were exceedingly
slow in taking up the world-wide program laid down
by Christ. Is it not true, however, that the very slowness is
working to the advantage of the tremendous Interests Involved?
There are many things in the Jewish church essential
to the proper conduct of the work of the Christian institution.
Most of the growth of the Jewish church, It is true,
is cut away, but the stock remains and upon it, or into it,
to be more exact, the Christian Church is grafted. There
must be time for the cutting to heal and for the grafting to
take hold before the growth can begin. We must carefully
guard ourselves against looking upon the Christian Church as
snmpl or * I???. rnu?? 1 - ? ?xA ? * * * *
cuuicij ucn. nine is ? vtiui connection Detween
the old covenant and the new. Much, exceeding much, that
was temporal and non-e3sential In Judaism passed away, but
the essence remained and became the foundation of Christian
polity and worship. Still, it should also be noted that not
too much time must elapse between the beginning of the work
among the Jews and the extension to the Gentiles. If the
time be long the church will become too thoroughly Jewish.
I Rut God is ruling and overruling and all things will work
together for good. All things are now ready; the great AposL
iN OF THE SOUTH. 15
tie to the Gentiles, Paul, has been converted and is in preparalion
for .he work he is to do; the church is at rest, largely
because of the absorption of the Jews In the work of overcoming
the designs of Caligula for establishing the worship of
himself; and the Gospel has been preached by Philip and
others in and about those centers where there are many Gentiles.
The Place. There is a great deal to interest us in the
place chosen for the beginning of the work among the
Gentiles. It is not just a happy chance that makes Caesarea
the chosen place. A reference to the map and to the history
of the place will indicate its importance as the starting point
of such a great woik It is the capital of the Roman power
in Palestine, a city of magnificent government buildings and
a splendid artificial harbor. The fact that it was the center
of the Roman power made it the ideal place for the beginning
of the Gentile movement. A prominent scholar says: "Caesarea
was to a large extent a Gentile city, though within some
seventy miles of Jerusalem. It had a considerable Jewish
population, with their attpnHonf ?
o^uagugues, DU[ tlie most
prominent features wer^ pagan temples, one of them serving
for a lighthouse and beacon for the ships which crowded its
Larbor, together with a theater and an amphitheater, where
scenes were daily enacted from which every sincere Jew
must havo shrunk with horror. Such was the place?a most
lltting place. Gentile, pagan, idolatrous to the very core and
center?where God chose to reveal himself as Father of the
Gentiles, as well as of the Jews, and showed Christ's gospel
as a light to lighten the Gentiles, as well as the giory of
His people, Israel."
The Men. How well fitted for the parts assigned them
are the two men who are prominent in this incident:.
Cornelius and Peter. Cornelius, "a devout man, who feared
God with all his house, praying to God always, and giving
much alms to the people." It follows that he was, because
f. f thAQO footo 11 "r
- iuvu, wiiii me Jewish people and was, therefore,
the best man to begin with, as his conversion to Christianity
would not give the offense that would be given by
the conversion of some Gentile who was not acceptable tothe
Jews. Now, that Cornelius has been brought in, it
will be easier to make the transition to other Gentiles. Thecther
person prominent in the event is the Apostle, Peter.
He is eminently qualified naturally for the work and his
vision has shown him exactly what the Lord expects of himia
going to the Gentiles. Peter is an interesting study, from
the point of view of seeking and following the divine guidance
He never, in all the incidents recorded of him, took
glory to himself. He magnified the Lord. In the last
uont we had, the raising of Dorcas, we find his
pendeiice in prayer. He has been going up and dow fl
land doing what Christ had commanded him to do?fee'
cheep. When he realizes the meaning of the vision he has
no hesitancy, no questioning, but goes straight ahead to
do what the Lord wishes him to do.
Notwithstanding all the interest that attaches to this lesson,
as showing the beginning of tbe preaching of the gospel
among the _ Gentiles, its teaching as to the leadings of
providence should by no means be overlooked.
Geo. D. Booth.
THE LAKE.
Low lies the lake, the purple peaks reflecting,.
Holding the heights half-hidden In its heart,
So may my life, its lowly light perfecting,
Reveal thine image, Savior, as Thou art.
?W. H. T. Squires.