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A. D. 40. the houfe-top to pray, about the fixth hour. 10. And he became very hungry, and would have eaten : but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,

11. And faw hea

ven opened, and a cer-
tain veffel defcending
unto him, as it had
been a great sheet knit

at the four corners,
and let down to the
earth:

nefs of converfing with, or preaching to any uncircumcised Perfons, by a vifionary Representation made to him the very Day the Men were coming from Cornelius, as he was at his ftated Prayers juft before Dinner.

11 & 12. Wherein there appeared to him a large Sheet, let down, as it were, from Heaven, full of abundance of Beasts and Fowl, clean and unclean, fuch as were allowed or forbidden by the Jewish Law, all mixed together.

12. Wherein were all manner of four-footed beafts of the earth, and wild beafts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

13. And there came a voice to him, Rife, Peter: kill, and eat.

13. And at the fame Time, a Voice directed to him from Heaven, bidding him to take and eat any of them, without any Difference or religious Diftinction: God thereby intending to intimate to him, that he fhould now freely and indifferently preach the Gospel to the Jews and Gentiles.

14. But Peter faid, Not fo, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.

15. And the voice pake unto him again the fecond time, What God hath cleanfed, that call not thou

14 & 15. And when Peter seemed to ftartle at fuch a Proposal, as being contrary to the exprefs Law of Mofes, which he knew was not yet totally and finally abolished: The Voice returned to him, and told him, he might fafely do it by Warrant from God who inftituted the Law; fo intimating to him, That thefe pofitive Laws about the Distinction of Meats, being at first defigned to keep the Jewish People Separate from all other Nations, were now of no further Ufe or Obligation, because the Chriftian Church was to confift of Believers of all Nations and Countries.

common.

16. And

16. And to give him a greater A. D. 40. Certainty of the Truth of the Vifion, and fix his Attention to the Meaning of it, it was re

16. This was done thrice and the veffel was received up again into heaven. peated to him three Times.

17. Now while Peter doubted in himfelf what this vifion which he had feen, should mean; behold, the men which were fent from Cornelius, had made enquiry for Simons houfe, and ftood before the gate.

17, 18 & 19. After it was over, and while Peter was seriously confidering and debating with himfelf about the Defign of it, the Holy Ghoft fuggefted to him, That there were People at the Door that wanted to speak with him, and from whom he would learn the Meaning of the Vision; and upon Enquiry made, he found they were there accordingly. which was furnamed Peter, were lodged there.

18. And called, and asked whether Simon,

19. While Peter thought on the vilion, the fpirit faid unto him, Behold, three men feek thee.

20. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for

I have fent them.

21. Then Peter went down to the men which were fent

unto him from Cornelius; and faid, Behold, I am he whom ye are come?

22. And they faid, Cornelius, the centurion, a juft man, and one that fearth God, and of good report a mong all the nation of the Jews, warned from God by

was

20 & 21. The Spirit ordered him, though they were Gentiles, to make no Scruple of converfing and going along with them, for that they came by fpecial Direction from God. He went down to them accordingly, telling them he was the Perfon they enquired for, and asked them their Bufinefs. ye feek: what is the cause wherefore

22. They told him, Cornelius
of Cæfarea,
of Cæfarea, a very pious and e-
minent Profelyte to the Jewish
Religion, (though yet uncircum-
cifed) was warned by an Angel to
fend for him, to inftruct him in
fome great Points of Religion.

an holy angel, to fend for thee into his house, and to hear
words of thee.

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23. Peter entertained the Men that Night, and the next Day went along with them, taking fix of his Friends at Joppa that were Jewish Converts, to accompany him, and to be Witneffes of whatever fhould pafs upon this remarkable Occafion.

24. Cornelius in the mean Time had got his Relations and Friends together, who were all expecting Peter, to partake of his In* ftructions, who the next Day arrived there.

25. As he was entring the House, Cornelius met him, and fell proftrate at his Feet, reverencing him as the † Messenger

of Heaven.

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+ Ver. 25 & 26. Grotius and feveral other learned Men are of Opinion, That Cornelius took Peter to be an Angel. But the Angel having defcribed him in Cornelius's Vision no otherwife than as a MAN; and it not being very agreeable to imagine, Cornelius fhould conceive an ANGEL to be a Lodger in a Houfe; or that one Angel fhould direct him to fend for another Angel to teach him; I have therefore fo expressed it, as not to confine the Reader's Notion, to either merely Civil, Religious Worship.

how that it is an unlawful thing for a man

that is a Jew, to keep

company, or come

rection from GOD, that he now A. D. 40.
did what was fo contrary to the
Jewish Doctrine and Traditions.

unto one of another nation: but God hath fhewed me that
I should not call any man common or unclean.

29. Therefore came I unto you without gainfaying, affoon as I was fent for: I ask

therefore for what in

tent ye have fent for

me?

29. And as he already con-
cluded, from what the Meffen-
gers
told him of Cornelius's Vi-
fion, and what he knew of his
own, that God had some great
and particular Defign in it, he de-
fired Cornelius to tell him the
whence they might learn the Full

whole Matter, from
of the divine Will in this Cafe.

30. And Cornelius faid, Four days ago I was fafting until this hour, and at the ninth hour I prayed in my houfe, and behold, a man ftood before me in bright clothing,

33, 31 & 32. Who accordingly related to him the Particulars of the Angel's Appearance and Order to fend for him, as one that was to inftruct him in the true. Faith and Method of Salvation.

31. And faid, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the fight of God.

32. Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon whose furname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner, by the fea-fide; who when he cometh, fhall speak unto thee.

33. Immediately 33. Which plain Revelation. therefore I fent to from Heaven he could not but thee; and thou haft obey, and now rejoyced to fee well done that thou him come to fulfil and explain art come. Now thereit; affuring him that he and all fore we are all here his Friends about him, would prefent before God, to hear all things that heartily embrace, and chearfully are commanded thee obey whatever Discoveries of the divine Will he fhould make to of God. them.

34. Then Peter opened his mouth, and faid, Of a truth I per

ceive

34 & 35. Peter now by com. paring the two Vifions together, being fully fatisfied of the MeanF 3

ing

A. D. 40. ceive that God is no respecter of perfons. 35. But in every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteoufnefs, is ac-, cepted with him.

ing of them, declared it to be this, viz. "That God intended "the Chriftian Doctrine, and "the great Mercies of the Gof"pel, to be no longer confined "to the Jewish Land and People, "but to be preach'd to, and en

"joyed by People of all Nations, that would fincerely "believe and obey it." And fo gave them the following Account of the Chriftian Faith.

36. The word *
which God fent unto
the children of Ifrael,
preaching peace by
JESUS CHRIST (he is
Lord of al!)

37. That word
(fay) you know,
which was published
throughout all Judea,
and began from Gali-
lee, after the baptifmn
which John preached:
38. How God a-
nointed Jefus of Na-
zareth with the holy

Ghost,

36, 37 & 38. Although (faid he) you may not perfectly know, yet you cannot but have heard fomething of the * Fame of JESUS of Nazareth, who lived and

preached at Jerufalem, and through the whole Jewish Land. This was the true Meffiah, the Saviour of all Mankind, Gentiles as well as Jews, conftituted by God the Father, to be the Governor, and Judge of all the World; whofe Commiffion from God, was demonftrated by the many great and beneficial Mira

- τὸ ρῆμα

cles

Ver. 36, 37. The Word which God sent — rdv xóyov That Word know you Note, If I greatly mistake not, this Paffage lofes all its true Meaning in our com mon Way of interpreting it. To xiyar in the 36th, and 7' yevéμevor ua in the 37th Verfe, are taken to fignify one and the fame Thing; whereas the former is the fame with ov TÓTOV, and xala is to be understood; the latter [pμa) anfwers to Dabar in the Hebrew, and fignifies, not the Dottrine, but the Transactions of Chrift, the History or Facts of his Life, Miracles, . This gives the cleareft Senfe and Connexion thus, viz. God is no Respecter of Perfons, but in every Nation, be that feareth God is accepted with him; xala Jóv λóyou i. e. according to the very Doctrine which God fent to rael, by JESUS CHRIST, who, this GoD, [or this CHRIST] is Lord of all, both Jews and Gentiles. Now, the Tranfactions [ua] of CHRIST you know viz. How that God anointed him with the Holy Ghost, and with Power, &c.

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