506 CORNELIUS.

CCCXLIL

PoRNELIUS,

FTER Saul had become a

believer in the Lord Jesus,
\| he went from Damascus
to Arabia, and stayed there
some time. After this, he
went back to Damascus, and preach-
ed so boldly to the Jews there, that
he made them all very angry, and
they tried to kill him. Night and
day they watched by the gates, to
lay hold of him, if they could. But
Saul, and the disciples at Damascus,
knew what these Jews were trying
to do; so the disciples took care of
him, and let him down from a win-
dow, secretly, by night, and sent him
away to Jerusalem.

But when Saul was come to Jer-
usalem, the disciples there were all
airaid of him. Why? Because
they did not believe he was really
a disciple. They remembered how
he had persecuted them in times
past, and they could not believe, at
first, that he now really loved Jesus.
But a good man, named Barnabas,
took him, and brought him to the
apostles, and told them how he had
seen the Lord in the way; and that
He had spoken to him; and how he
had preached boldly at Damascus
in the name of Jesus. Then the
apostles believed that Saul was
really a disciple, and gladly received
him among them. There was no
unkind feeling in the apostles ; they
only wanted to be quite sure that
Saul was a Christian ; and then they

 

were rejoiced to forgive all his past |

 

 

unkindness and persecution. 8
Saul stayed and preached at Jer.
usalem, till his enemies Sought to
kill him; and then the brethren sent
him away to Tarsus.

There was living at this time in
Cesarea, a centurion named Corne-
lus. This centurion loved and
served God. He did not yet know
very much of holy things; but he
wished to know more, and prayed
daily to be taught. Now the Bible
tells us, that if any man will do the
will of God, “he shall know of the
doctrine ;” and so it was with Cor-
nelius.

One day, an angel appeared to
the centurion in a vision, and called
him, and said, “ Cornelius.” Corne-
lius looked upon the angel, and was
afraid, and asked, .“ What is it,
Lord ?” The angel answered, “ Thy
prayers are heard; they are come up
for a memorial before God. And
now send to Joppa, and call for a
man there named Simon Peter. He
is lodging with Simon the tanner,
whose house is by the sea-side: he
shall tell thee what thou oughtest
to do.”

What a wonderful vision this was!
Did Cornelius attend to it? Yes;
as soon as the angel was gone, he
called two of his servants, and a
soldier, a good man who always
waited on Cornelius, and told them
what he had seen, and sent them to
Joppa to fetch Peter. But as Peter
did not know Cornelius, might he