THE niGIIER INTERCOURSE BETWEEN NATIONS. 87 



liings, and makes schism wHli its })rincii)le of life and 

 unity. The miraele of the union of nali(»ns, like tliat 

 of the union of souls, has bei'U possible only in the 

 alliance of Jerusalem and Ivome. 



The call of the Gospel and the Church is addressed 

 not only to souls, but to nations; as the very language 

 of the Scriptures implies — "the conversion of the na- 

 tions.''* Perhaps Christian thinkers have not suffi- 

 ciently pondered the fact of the blessing of all the 

 nations of the earth, promised to the seed of Abraham, 

 and fulfilled in the blood of Jesus."t 



However this may be, at the hour when tliis promise 

 was about to be accomplished — Avhen the nations were 

 more than ever hungering and thirsting, not for the 

 Roman unity which was crushing them, but for that 

 better unity which they dimly discovered, not knowing 

 by what name to call it — there was at Cesarea a centu- 

 rion of the Italian school, named Cornelius, a devout 

 man, born in the darkness of paganism, but seeking 

 God in all the uprightness of his heart and mind. 

 While he was praying, an angel of the Lord drew near 

 to him and said, "' Cornelius, thy prayers and alms are 

 come up for a memorial before God. And now send 

 men to Joppa, and call for one Simon Peter, who is 

 lodging at the sea-side, at the house of one Simon, a 

 tanner. He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.'' 

 And the centurion chose three trusty men, and dis- 

 patched them to this first pope of the universal Church, 

 whose utterance the angel from heaven had not ven- 

 tured to anticipate. 



Simon Peter was hungry ; and while they were making 

 ready his repast, he was praying on the house-top. when 



* Acts, XV. 3. " Gentiles" = " nations." 

 t Genesis, sxii. 13; xsvi. 4. Acts, lii. 25. 



