HOW the first Gentile received the forgiveness of his sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost should surely be of great interest to the readers of these lines, nearly all being Gentiles also. The name of this privileged man was Cornelius. He was a Roman officer, a centurion of the band called Italian, posted at the moment, when he received blessing, at the town of Caesarea.
Now Cornelius was a very different man from his fellow-officers in general. They were heathen, either outward worshippers of false gods, or destitute of any profession of faith whatever. But of this centurion it is written, that he was a devout man, one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to and alway.
Doubtless, such a captain as that was a marked man in the Italian band, and probably the subject of much remark, if not of ridicule and jesting, on account of his strange and unusual religious views. That which distinguished him would have been far less remarkable among Jews than among Gentiles. But though he was a pious man, with the fear of God (which is the beginning of wisdom) reigning in his soul, and characterized by liberality to the people, and continued prayer to God, yet was he not in the enjoyment of the forgiveness of sins, or the gift of the Holy Ghost.
No doubt God in His sovereign grace had wrought in Cornelius by His Spirit, and he was born anew. He was a vessel marked out for the salvation of God, and the work was already begun in his conscience and heart. But he was not yet rejoicing in the forgiveness of sins, or free from the bondage of Satan and sin. He, a Gentile, was still where many Jews were before Christ completed the work of redemption, and the salvation of God in all its blessed and wondrous fullness was revealed. But God was about to show that His grace was not limited to Jews, by bringing Cornelius into the rich blessing of His gospel.
Suddenly an angel of God appeared to him, and told him that his prayer to God and his alms to his neighbor had come up for a memorial before Him, and he was to send to Jonna for one Simon surnamed Peter, who would tell him what he ought to do.
It is wonderful to trace the ways of God in Scripture in the blessing of souls. At the very moment when Cornelius’ messengers drew nigh to the city where Peter was, the Lord’s servant fell into a remarkable trance upon the housetop, whither be had gone up to pray. He saw in the vision a certain vessel like a great sheet knit at the four corners, let down to the earth. And in it were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter, kill and eat. Peter, with his Jewish prejudice, replied, Not so, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is coon or unclean. And the voice spake with him the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice. And the vessel was received up again into heaven.
Now while Peter doubted in himself what the vision which he had seen should mean, behold the messengers of Cornelius arrived, and they narrated to him how Cornelius had been warned from God by a holy angel. And Peter went with them to Cæsarea.
Cornelius awaited him with his assembled kinsmen and near friends, and as Peter entered, he fell down at his feet and did him homage. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man. Now God had shown Peter in the vision of the great sheet, that he must let his Jewish prejudice fall, and call no man common or unclean. Hence he had come seemingly to visit Cornelius and other Gentiles.
Then Peter opened his mouth, and proclaimed to him and his friends the rejected and crucified Jesus, Lord of all, whom God raised from the dead, and ordained to judge both quick and dead, closing with the blessed testimony, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” And while Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
Blessed news! Joyful news! Christ, the future Judge, a present Saviour. Free and full forgiveness for the Gentiles, for Cornelius and his house, and today for you and me, dear reader, in His blessed name. All the prophets give witness to it. It was no longer a question of law keeping, no longer do and live long on the earth. The day of the privileged Jew and the law was past. But through the name of that Man who kept the law, magnified it, and made it honorable, Jesus, the blessed Son of God, who gave Himself for His glory on the cross, and for sinners, was preached forgiveness without doing. Whosoever, that is, Jew or Gentile, then or now, yea all men are included. There is no exception. Whosoever embraces the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the moral and the immoral, the religious and the irreligious, all.
Now, when the centurion and his kinsmen heard that precious gospel word, they knew it meant them. And it matters not what the past life of any reader of these lines may have been, good, bad, or indifferent, according to man’s estimate, whosoever means you. Maybe, your conscience is troubled, past sins and failures come crowding on your memory. Satan thunders accusation after accusation against you, the curses of the broken law make you tremble, your heart is ready to sink, despair fills your soul. Yet, above all, sounds out far and wide and loud, the blessed news for the guilty and the lost, that whosoever believeth in the name of that blessed Man, Jesus, who died, and sits now as Saviour at God’s right hand, his sins are remitted. Remitted now, freely, fully, and forever. Dost thou believe on Him?
Every effort on your part to obtain forgiveness through your works is utterly vain. ‘Tis true, if awakened in your soul by the Spirit through the grace of God, and your heart has gone out in prayer to Him, and kindness to men, He is not unmindful of it. But if you wish to be happy now and to spend eternity in glory, you must have the remission of your sins, and the gift of the Spirit. God bestows these gifts on every one who believeth. Why should not you have and enjoy them? Whosoever believeth in His name shall receive remission of sins. And the Holy Ghost fell on them that heard the word. Remission of sins settles the whole past. The whole debt is paid. All your crimson sins are blotted out forever. “The blood of Jesus Christ, His (God’s) Son, cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)). And the Holy Ghost comes and takes up His abode in the one who is forgiven and cleansed, and he is sealed for the day of redemption.
Perhaps you exclaim, But how about my future sins? What have you to do with the sins of a future here that you may never live to see? If the whole past is settled, and you have the Spirit, your future is in glory with Christ. He may come, according to promise, at any moment. God forgives us fully and forever, for Christ bore all our sins or none, and gives us the Spirit, in whom is power to live to and for Him, and sin no more. But “if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” That is another matter. Christ is an Advocate above, and the Spirit below, that the believer may not sin. But if he does, there is this blessed provision for us, that, “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)).
Dear reader, what say you to these things? If the forgiveness of your sins is still an undecided matter, pause now, and earnestly consider. Read the above again, and attentively. A sinner you are, whatever your moral character, and you need forgiveness. You must have it ere you leave this world, or you cannot dwell in glory with Christ, and your life hangs on a thread. Now is God’s time. Hear once again, and pay earnest heed, we pray you, through the name of Jesus, whom God raised from the dead, whosoever believeth, — mark it well, whosoever believeth shall — shall receive — what? The remission of sins. Oh, what joy for the soul that takes God at His word!
Cornelius and his friends received the Spirit, and magnified God, &c. Why should not you? To everyone who believes and receives remission of sins, God gives the Spirit. May He give you to be decided this moment, and henceforth enable you by the Spirit to magnify Him who is the Author and Source of so great salvation in Christ.
E. H. C.