Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

were spread over the world, who were unable to visit the temple and perform all the rites at Jerusa lem, yet were accepted by God if they kept them in mind and conformed to them to the best of their power, so probably St. Peter and the other Apostles thought it might be with remote Christians, who should submit to circumcision and other rites consistent with their situation.

The explanation here given of that state of mind, which, while it allowed the comprehensive design of the Gospel, endeavoured still to maintain the dominion of the law, appears to me natural and just, and perfectly agreeable to what might be expected where inveterate prejudices mix with truth. Every thing which favours those, is eagerly adopted, and zealously supported. "I am not sent, says Christ, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel :" It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs :" "Go not into the way of the Gentiles" these were sentiments, in their most rigid sense, too congenial to the feelings of a Jew. A just and liberal interpretation of them, consistent with other passages upon the same subjects, would not be very readily adopted by him. What was meant for a preference of the house of Israel, he would, if possible, construe into an entire exclusion of all other nations, and would overlook the following precept expressly given by our Lord to his disciples, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nati

ons, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."-So again, the conference of Christ with the woman of Samaria, would make but a slight impression on him, although nothing can more clearly mark the approaching fall of mere local dignity in the service of God, to be supplied by worship of a more truly noble, comprehensive and spiritual nature; "Jesus saith unto her, woman, believe me the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain (Gerizim the place of highest sanctity among the Samaritans) nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father." I do not say that St. Peter and the rest of the Apostles carried this disposition to the same excess with others; but to a certain degree every Jew was infected with the prejudice, and so far mistook the true spirit of the Christian religion. And I am of opinion, that this error was for a while permitted by divine wisdom, notwithstanding the various excellent gifts conferred upon the Apostles; for otherwise neither had the proceedings here spoken of been necessary, nor should we find the most eminent of them under its influence, as we see they actually were, till St. Peter instructed them in the design of his vision.

3. It was therefore very gracious to remove these prejudices from St. Peter's mind, in preparing him by this vision for admitting Cornelius into the church. Had not something of the kind been done,

:

dissensions and heartburnings must have prevailed, to a very dangerous degree, among Jewish and heathen converts. We see how obstinate Peter was, in refusing at first to obey the command from Heaven to rise and eat and hence there cannot be the smallest doubt, that if matters had been left to their natural course, the unity and harmony of the church had been utterly destroyed; and multitudes of the Gentiles deterred from becoming members of so di. vided a body.

4. We learn from this vision the true nature of positive commands; I mean such as do not appear to be founded in the nature of things, and the constitution of man, but to be instituted by God for some more valuable intent than their own performance. These depending entirely upon the wisdom of God, adapting them to various times and occa-" sions, as best suits his divine administration, may be as freely withdrawn as given; so that what may in one state of things be very fit and proper, and even necessary, might in another become altogether indifferent, and even improper. God had for certain wise purposes, commanded the Jews to observe the distinction between clean and unclean meats. vision now declares the purpose of this injunction to have been fully accomplished, and the distinction at an end. For upon Peter's refusal to eat of things unclean, the voice from heaven rebukes him, "what God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

The

As if it had said, "be not so presumptuous as to set up your own weak opinion against the authority of God; the same all-wise Ruler of the world, who heretofore forbad the use of certain meats, has thought fit now to recal that prohibition; bend with equal submission to all his commands, and instead of pretending to dispute the present, as though it were inconsistent with the past, rather lay it to heart, as carrying with it matter of further and deeper instruction."-And some such effect appears at last to have been wrought in his mind; for while he doubted in himself, what this vision, which he had seen, should mean, "Behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius came" to seek him.-Peter, by command of the spirit, went down to them without further doubt or hesitation; and being informed by them, that Cornelius had sent for him to his house, to hear words of him," brought them in, and lodged them that night. On the morrow. he with certain brethren from Joppa set out with the men for Cesarea, where they arrived the following day.

"As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him."-This prostration of Cornelius was probably nothing more than an expression of the highest possible reverence towards Peter, as the express messenger of God to reveal his duty. In the eastern countries the usage was common towards princes and great men:

and although it was rejected by the Greeks and Romans, yet the present case being quite above the course of events, in which merely human creatures are concerned, we cannot much wonder at a degree of respect and veneration on the part of the centurion exceeding proper bounds. But Peter, for the purpose of guarding him against this abuse in future, bids him stand up, saying, I myself also am a man." Having gone in with him, and found many that were come together," he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company or come unto one of another nation;" that is, to be closely attached, by affinity or friendship, or fond of associating with any person of another tribe or nation not proselyted to his religion; for this was held unlawful, almost expressly by the law of Moses, and completely so by the judgment of their wise men, as well as by the general sentiment of the nation; and was therefore forbidden, except in cases of absolute necessity:

But," says he, "God hath shewed me not to call any man common or unclean."-From which declaration it appears that he now understood the true import of the vision.

And here we may observe the happy effects of freely obeying the godly notions of the Holy Spirit. For from the time St. Peter did so, his mind became more and more enlightened in the knowledge of his duty the cloud of prejudice and error,

« AnteriorContinuar »