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Introduce by an account of St. Peter's vision, observing how it affected the mind of one who was so thoroughly imbued with Jewish notions. In our Lord's time the laws of the clean and unclean were scrupulously observed, and the apostles had not yet realized how the new spirit of Christ's kingdom was to set them free from the bondages and the limitations of the Jewish ceremonial. God would, by this vision, correct two of the prevailing mistakes.

1. That his favor was granted only to certain defined classes and individuals of mankind. He "so loved the world.

2. That his service was found in the obedience of merely external regulations, that once had their usefulness and their meaning, but were not necessarily expressions of heart-love and devotion. The first mistake was corrected, in the vision, by the outstretched sheet, which was a figure of the wide world, and the four corners as the directions into which the gospel was now to be borne forth into all the world. The second mistake was corrected by the obliteration of all formal distinctions in the announcement that what God has cleansed man may not call common, for God will receive the love and trust and worship of whosoever will." Dean Plumptre says, "In the interpretation of the vision, all that belongs to humanity had been taken up into heaven,

(1) when man's nature was assumed by the eternal Word in the Incarnation (John 1:14), and

(2) when that nature had been raised in the Ascension to the heaven of heavens." We may consider -

I. THE UNIVERSAL TRUTH AS HERE STATED AND ILLUSTRATED. "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." God affirms that the whole earth is free to receive the message of the gospel, all disabilities and barriers are for ever removed, and he recognizes no longer the distinctions of elect and non-elect; "To the Gentiles also is granted repentance unto life." It may be shown

(1) that God, as Creator and Preserver, cares for his whole world;

(2) that, as the fatherly Ruler, he is concerned for the moral well-being of the whole world;

(3) that, as dealing with willful and rebellious children, we must conceive that he seeks to accomplish the salvation of all. This truth is the very life of our missionary labor. We are bidden to preach the gospel "to every creature," with a perfect assurance that God would have "all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth." This truth is often embraced with difficulty, after strong conflict with limiting prejudices; it is often held as mere sentiment; and perhaps on few men is it the inspiration to noble labors and sacrifices that it was designed to be. How it would urge us to missionary work, if we really believed that Christ wants every man to come to him, and would have us bring them!

II. THE LIMITATIONS OF THIS TRUTH FOUND IN JUDAISM. Special favor to one particular race - or, as we may better express it, the special call of one race to a particular work or witness - does not assume or involve the Divine indifference to the rest; we might more wisely say that all special calls of the few were made for the sake of the whole, and God's love to the world made him commit a special revelation to the trust of the Jew. The distinction between "clean and unclean" in the food represented a distinction of clean and unclean between Jew and Gentile. But "unclean" things were still God's, and used by him for other purposes, though not just for food. They were not despised or rejected things, but each had its mission. And so Gentiles were not out of God's care and favor because Jews were in. They too occupied the places he assigned and did the work he willed. It may further be shown that the Jewish limitations were designedly

(1) temporary,

(2) educational -

preparatory to the advent of Christ, in whom and by whom the Divine thought for the whole race could be fully revealed.

III. THE REMOVAL OF THE LIMITATIONS UNDER THE CHRISTIAN SYSTEM. Which deals with man as man, apart from any local and temporary distinctions of

(1) nationality,

(2) class,

(3) genius,

(4) location, or

(5) ceremonial cleanness.

The gospel is for the "sons of men." Jew and Gentile, Greek and Roman, bend and free, meet as sinners at the feet of Christ, to receive the forgiveness of sins and the life everlasting. Now there is nothing common in God's sight. Every soul is a priceless soul, for it has been bought with precious blood, the infinite sacrifice of the Son of God. - R.T.

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KJV: But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.

WEB: But Peter said, "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean."