ple. He required not only to be instructed by a vision from above, but also to receive an especial command to go to the Gentile family that sought after him. Now, for the first time, in consequence of the divine injunction, and also from the sight of Cornelius, his family and friends, he acknowledged the decree of God with joyful admiration. The Apostle required to see a practical illustration of this truth, which he already knew in theory; for he had often heard it from the mouth of Jesus Christ, and he himself had distinctly preached it at the day of Pentecost, when he said, All that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.' It is thus with the decrees of God, in respect of our beatitude; the day of our own experience can alone make them clear to us, and we can only understand the whole truth, when we ourselves have seen, tasted, and felt the goodness and glory of our Lord.

6

What did the Apostle now perceive, That God is no respecter of persons.'-That is to say, God, the searcher of the heart, does not judge from appearance and outward talent, whether to impart or withhold his blessing unto men, for his love is impartial. When Samuel was sent to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse's seven sons, as King of Israel, he wished to choose Eliab, the firstborn and most majestic looking;—but the Lord said, 'Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him; for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.' 1 Sam. xvi. 7. God also commands in the law, 'Ye shall not respect persons in judgment, but ye shall hear the small

6

as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's.' Deut. i. 17. Jehovah is no respecter of persons, either in his blessings or in his judgments. Job says, speaking of him, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor, for they all are the work of his hands.' In his sight, the poor widow's mite is of as much value as the gold thrown in to the treasury by the rich. Both give him of their substance, and he seeth their hearts.

But particularly in his kingdom of grace, he has shown that he regards not the person. Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.* But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are; that no flesh should glory in His presence.' 1 Cor. i. 26-29.

He chose the people of Israel, to use the words of Moses, the fewest of all people, to be a nation of his covenant, and the depository of his wonderful light. He drew Moses out of the water, and made him, though slow of speech, become his oracle, the leader of his hosts, and his trusted one, with whom he spoke as one friend speaks to another. He took a shepherd boy, the descendant of a Moabitess, from among the sheep, and anointed him to be king and prophet in Israel. And the Son of God himself called his Apostles, not out of

* See Note B,

Jerusalem, not out of the schools of the Pharisees, and those learned in the law, but from amidst the fishingnets, and out of obscure and despised Galilee. But the highest example of God's impartiality, which astonished even Peter the Apostle, was, that he now directed his mercy and grace towards the Gentiles, thereby calling all men to his kingdom and fellowship without distinction of family or descent. Oh! it is a most precious truth that God is no respecter of persons! Had he been so, then, surrounded by myriads of angels and perfect intelligencies, he would never have regarded us poor children of the earth. But it is well for us!. He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.' He has looked even upon us, given us the light of his countenance, and become man for our sakes. O wonderful condescension of our God and Savior! Unspeakably great is the divine mystery, God manifested in the flesh! God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.

'In every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.'-These words have sometimes been explained thus: "It matters not of what faith thou art, whether Jew, Heathen, or Mohammedan, if thou only honor and fear God, or whatever thou regardest as thy God-do nothing unjust towards thy neighbor-and lead a blameless life before the worldthen thou requirest nothing more for thy salvation!" To the dishonor of the Gospel, this expression has often been thus interpreted. How miserably foolish! The Apostle Peter would then have contradicted his own words, for he said, in Acts iv. 12, speaking of the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Neither is there salvation

in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.' In this case also, the devout and charitable Cornelius would not have needed to call the Apostle, to hear from him what he must do to be saved, he might have remained in heathenism. The continuation of the history, and the just interpretation of the Apostle's words, however, will show the truth more clearly.

Out of every nation God will certainly recollect his flock and his people; He has the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession. God wills that all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth. The grace of God has appeared to all men, and he has redeemed us by his blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.' Rev. v. 9. But all is done according to his holy and gracious ordinance. Man must first feel and confess himself to be in need of help, before he will receive it from above; he must desire and strive to become blessed, and then all things shall be given unto him. Our Apostle says, he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him.

'He that feareth God.'-The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, the wisdom from above. It is also the root and commencement of repentance, faith, and sanctification, in a word, of the new and divine life. It is not the servile fear which seizes the ungodly, when the judgment of God, having arrested him in the midst of his profligate course, he sees the handwriting on the wall, the joints of his loins are loosened, and his knees smite one against another; such a fear only prompts men to

fly from the face of God. Nor is it the fear of an idolator, which, grounded upon a false idea of the divinity, is but the terror of a superior power, and is without consolation and without hope. No, the fear alluded to by the Holy Scriptures and our Apostle, is very different. It depends as much upon a right understanding of the holiness and omnipresence of the living God, as on a knowledge of ourselves and our dependence on him. Its very essence is the humble conviction of our distance from him who is the spring of light and life, of our unholiness before the Holy One, and our unworthiness of his mercy and love, as well as the desire of possessing a pure heart, and of enjoying the light of his countenance. The true fear of God is already an approach to him. The publican, who, in the fear of God, entered the temple, and would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, 'God be merciful to me a sinner,' went down justified to his house; not so the Pharisee, in whom no trace of the fear of God could be discovered.

Cornelius feared God: he had learned to know him through divine revelation, and by its light he had also become aware of his own unworthiness; for he was contrite and pure in spirit. Humility was the root and foundation of his spiritual life: he feared God. When this is the case with man, there can never be awanting a desire for the grace and fellowship of God.

Peter added this other characteristic: And worketh righteousness,' that is to say, whoever desires and strives to perfect his spiritual life. Our Lord says, 'Labor for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life,' or in