One day, which, it seems, he had devoted to fasting and prayer, as he was upon his knees, at three o’clock in the afternoon, an angel of God appeared to him, and said,―― “Cornelius, thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. 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.” Immediately Cornelius despatched two men to Joppa upon this mission. As, about noon the next day, they were approaching the city, Peter was upon the flat roof of the house, the usual place of retirement, engaged in prayer. In a vision he saw a sheet let down from heaven by its four corners, containing animals of all kinds,――those reputed clean, and those which the ceremonial law pronounced unclean. A voice came to him, saying,―― “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter replied, “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.” The voice rejoined, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” This vision was repeated three times in immediate succession. While Peter was seated upon the house-top, pondering its significance, the messengers commissioned by Cornelius arrived, and stood before the gate of the house, inquiring if Peter lodged there. The spirit then said to Peter, “Behold, three men seek thee. Arise, therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.”[108] Peter immediately descended, met the messengers, and received from them the following communication: “Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by a holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.” Peter invited the men in, entertained them for the night, and the next day accompanied them to Joppa. The vision had taught him, that, in the eye of God, there was no distinction between the clean and the unclean in the human family; that the barrier between the Jew and the Gentile was now broken down; and that the gospel of Jesus was now to be preached to all nations, tribes, and families alike. The centurion received Peter with profound reverence, regarding him as a divinely-appointed ambassador to him. Several of the friends of Cornelius, probably all Greeks or Romans who had abandoned idolatry, were assembled in his house to meet Peter. The zealous and bold apostle, addressing them, said,―― “Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I, without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for. I ask, therefore, for what intent ye have sent for me.”