Commentari biblici

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band ,

A centurion of the band — He might well have been a commander in the thundering legion, qui plus precando quam praeliando potuerunt, κεραυνοβολος . Preces sunt bombardae et instrumenta bellica Christianorum, said Luther, who also spared not to tell the Elector of Saxony, his protector and patron, that he by his prayers would secure his Highness’s soul, body, and estate engaged in the gospel’s cause. Sive id credat Celsitudo vestra, sive non credat. Imo Iudico, saith he, C. V plus a me praesidii et tutelae habiturum esse quam mihi praestare, … Yea, I am of the mind that your Highness hath more safety from me than I have from you.

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A devout man , and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

A devout man, … — ευσεβης . Not of the king’s religion, whatever it be, as those Melchites it, Nicephorus. And as Tertullian tells us in his Apology, that the people were bound to worship those gods only that the Senate decreed should be worshipped. Cornelius was a right worshipper.

With all his house — A man is really what he is relatively. David would show his sincerity by being good at home,Psalms 101:2; Psalms 101:2 .

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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.

About the ninth hour — Which was the time of the evening sacrifice, when the joint prayers of the Church were ascending as incense.

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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.

Thy prayers and thine alms — Dr Powel relateth this saying of Leotinus, Prince of Wales, that when he was moved by some to make war upon our Henry III, Ego, inquit, formido eius eleemosynas magis certe multo quam eius copias. And the queen-mother of Scotland was heard to say, that she more feared the fastings and prayers of John Knox and his disciples than an army of twenty thousand men.

For a memorial before God — How did the angel know this? Angels have a threefold knowledge: 1. Natural; 2. Revealed, as Daniel 9:20-23 , and here; 3. Experimental,Ephesians 3:10; Ephesians 3:10 .

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And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:

Call for one Simon — Though an angel certifies Cornelius’s prayers were accepted, yet he reads not to him the doctrine of redemption, but refers him to Peter. The office of preaching the gospel is taken from the angels (who first preached it to the shepherds) and given to the ministers.

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He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.

With one Simon a tanner — God knoweth all his by name, and condition of life.

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And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;

A devout soldier — Cornelius had either found him, or made him so. Nero complained that he could never find a faithful servant; and no wonder, for those that were good, cared not to come about him; and those that were bad, he cared not to make better, as being himself desperately wicked. Qualis herus, talis servus. The master’s faults go as little unattended as their persons.

Of them that waited on him — The Syriac hath it, of them whom he esteemed highly. Good servants are rare and precious.

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And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

And when he had declared — He knew well the worth of a faithful messenger, Proverbs 25:13 . Howbeit the more to affect their hearts, and the better to effect his design, he sets God before them, and shows them the whole matter. God’s commands carry a divine authority, and soon prevail with the religious. Dicto citius dicta peragunt. They say with him in the poet (Lucan),

" Iussa sequi, tam velle mihi, quam posse, necesse est. "

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