p. 1 | CORNELIUS by T.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA · Jun 7, 1899

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 23.

CORNELIUS.

By T.

"THERE was a certain man in Cæsarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. He saw in a vision, evidently about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter; he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside; he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do." Acts 10:1-6.

The foregoing scripture shows in a marked manner how carefully our heavenly Father regards each one of His creatures. When the angel was sent to the Roman centurion he addressed him at once by his name, Cornelius. This shows that God did not regard him merely as one among many thousands of men, without having any particular or definite knowledge of him. The Lord knew him personally, He knew his individual name. And when the angel was commissioned to make this visit he was not told to go merely to some man down there in Cæsarea who seemed to want something, but he was told to go and see Cornelius. The angel knew just where to go, and just whom to address when he got there.

When the angel spoke to Cornelius he told him, "Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God." Cornelius was known in heaven. And he was known, not to the angels only, but God Himself knew him. His prayers had reached to the throne of the Infinite. And He summoned an angel and told him to go at once down to Cæsarea and carry this message to "Cornelius."

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning." James 1:17. There is no "variableness" with our God, neither is there any "shadow of turning." He knows you just as literally and just as personally as He knew Cornelius. And if you will but turn to

Him as He calls you, He will send you just the help you need, the same as He did for Cornelius.

But there is much more in this scripture quoted from Acts to show how definitely our heavenly Father knows us. The angel was instructed by the Lord to tell Cornelius to "send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter." How perfectly and minutely the Lord knows men and their affairs. Peter was an apostle, traveling about from place to place all the time. And the Lord knew just where he was stopping at that particular time. He was over there at Joppa. And then his whole name was familiar. It was not simply

Peter, nor just Simon, but it was "Simon, whose surname is Peter."

The record goes on to make things still clearer and more definite, thus showing what complete records are kept in heaven in regard to the affairs of men. Joppa was a seaport town, and there were many houses there, and Peter being only a transient in the place, it would not be very well known just where he was lodging. So the angel told Cornelius that his men would find Simon Peter lodging "with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside." "Simon, a tanner"—thus the Lord even knows what occupation we follow, as well as knowing our names. And then He tells just where our homes are located.

Thus it is clear that our names, our homes, and even our occupations are all familiar to the heavenly Father and to the angels that do His bidding.

"Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains; for the Lord hath comforted His people, and will have mercy upon His afflicted. But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me." Isa. 49:13, 14. Yes, that is just what multitudes are saying. Regardless of the fact that our Father in heaven has taken such particular pains to show us that He carefully and particularly looks after each one, yet we are prone to say, "my Lord hath forgotten me."

But hear the Lord's gracious and touching reply to this charge that is made against Him: "Can a women forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." Isa. 49:15, 16.

What consolation the Word of God gives! Heaven comes a little nearer every time we review the scriptures that tell us how particular the Lord is to know each one of us personally, and definitely, and minutely. We can rely upon such a devoted Father all the time. It is impossible for Him to fail us. He loves us too much to neglect us, even in the remotest and most insignificant matters. T.