Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 6.djvu/111

Rh made use of other informations, as they had occasion for them.

III. He went with them to Cornelius, whom he found ready to receive and entertain him.

1. Peter, when he went with them, was accompanied by certain brethren from Joppa, where he now was, v. 23. Six of them went along with him, as we find, ch. 11. 12. Either Peter desired their company, that they might be witnesses of his proceeding cautiously with reference to the Gentiles, and of the good ground on which he went, and therefore he vouches them; (ch. 11. 12.) or they offered their service to attend him, and desired they might have the honour and happiness of being his fellow-travellers. This was one way in which the primitive christians very much shewed their respect to their ministers, they accompanied them in their journeys, to keep them in countenance, to be their guard, and, as there was occasion, to minister to them; with a further prospect not only of doing them service, but of being edified by their converse. It is pity that those who have skill and will to do good to others by their discourse, should want an opportunity for it by travelling alone.

2. Cornelius, when he was ready to receive him, had got some friends together of Cesarea. It seems, it was above a day's journey, near two, from Joppa to Cesarea; for it was the day after they set out that they entered into Cesarea, (v. 24.) and the afternoon of that day, v. 30. It is probable that they travelled on foot; the apostles generally did so. Now when they came into the house of Cornelius, Peter found, (1.) That he was expected, and that was an encouragement to him. Cornelius waited for them, and such a guest was worth waiting for; nor can I blame him if he waited with some impatience, longing to know what that mighty thing was, which an angel bid him expect to hear from Peter. (2.) That he was expected by many, and that was a further encouragement to him. As Peter brought some with him to partake of the spiritual gift he had now to dispense, so Cornelius had called together, not only his own family, but his kinsmen, and near friends, to partake with him of the heavenly instructions he expected from Peter, which would give Peter a larger opportunity of doing good. Note, We should not covet to eat our spiritual morsels alone, Job 31. 17. It ought to be both given and taken as a piece of kindness and respect to our kindred and friends, to invite them to join with us in religious exercises, to go with us to hear a good sermon. What Cornelius ought to do, he thought his kinsmen and friends ought to do too; and therefore let them come and hear it at the first hand, that it maybe no surprise to them to see him change upon it.

IV. Here is the first interview between Peter and Cornelius; in which we have,

1. The profound, and indeed undue respect and honour which Cornelius paid to Peter; (v. 25.) He met him as he was coming in, and, instead of taking him in his arms, and embracing him as a friend, which would have been very acceptable to Peter, he fell down at his feet, and worshipped him; some think, as a prince and a great man, according to the usage of the eastern countries; others think, as an incarnate deity, or as if he took him to be the Messiah himself. His worshipping a man was indeed culpable; but, considering his present ignorance, it was excusable, nay, and it was an evidence of something in him that was very commendable—and that was a great veneration for divine and heavenly things: no wonder if, till he was better informed, he took him to be the Messiah, and therefore worshipped him, whom he was ordered to send for by an angel from heaven. But the worshipping of his pretended successor, who is not only a man, but a sinful man, the man of sin himself, is altogether inexcusable, and such an absurdity as would be incredible, if we were not told before, that all the world would worship the beast, Rev. 13. 4.

2. Peter's modest, and indeed just and pious refusal of this honour that was done him; (v. 26.) He took him up into his arms, with his own hands, (though time was when he little thought he should ever either receive so much respect from, or shew so much affection to, an uncircumcised Gentile,) saying, "Stand up, I myself also am a man, and therefore not to be worshipped thus." The good angels of the churches, like the good angels of heaven, cannot bear to have the least of that honour shewn to them, which is due to God only. See thou do it not, saith the angel to John, (Rev. 19. 10.—22. 9.) and in like manner the apostle to Cornelius. How careful was Paul that no man should think of him above what he saw in him! 2 Cor. 12. 6. Christ's faithful servants could better bear to be vilified than to be deified. Peter did not entertain a surmise that his great respect for him, though excessive, might contribute to the success of his preaching, and therefore, if he will be deceived let him be deceived; no, let him know that Peter is a man, that the treasure is in earthen vessels, that he may value the treasure for its own sake.

V. The account which Peter and Cornelius give to each other, and to the company, of the hand of Heaven in bringing them together; As he talked with him—, he went in, v. 27. Peter went in, talking familiarly with Cornelius; endeavouring, by the freedom of his converse with him, to take off something of that dread which he seemed to have of him; and when he came in he found many that were come together, more than he expected; which added solemnity, as well as opportunity of doing good to this service. Now,

1. Peter declares the direction God gave to him to come to those Gentiles, v. 28, 29. They knew it had never been allowed by the Jews, but always looked upon as an unlawful thing——"an abomination," for a man that is a Jew, a native Jew as I am, to keep company; or come unto one of another nation, a stranger, an uncircumcised Gentile. It was not made so by the law of God, but by the decree of their wise men, which they looked upon to be no less obliging. They did not forbid them to converse or traffic with Gentiles in the street or shop, or upon the exchange, but to eat with them. Even in Joseph's time, the Egyptians and Hebrews could not eat together, Gen. 43. 32. The three children would not defile themselves with the king's meat, Dan. 1. 8. They might not come into the house of a Gentile, for they looked upon it to be ceremonially polluted. Thus scornfully did the Jews look upon the Gentiles, who were not behindhand with them in contempt, as appears by many passages in the Latin poets. "But now," saith Peter, "God hath shewed me, by a vision, that I should not call any man common or unclean, nor refuse to converse with any man for the sake of his country." Peter, who had taught his new converts to save themselves from the untoward generation of wicked men, (ch. 2. 40.) is now himself taught to join himself with the towardly generation of devout Gentiles. Ceremonial characters were abolished, that more regard might be had to moral ones. Peter thought it necessary to let them know how he came to change his mind in this matter, and that it was by a divine revelation, lest he should be upbraided with it as having used lightness.

God having thus taken down the partition-wall,

(1.) He assures them of his readiness to do them all the good offices he could; that, when he kept at a distance, it was not out of any personal disgust to them, but only because he wanted leave from