And while these men were inquiring for Peter, the Spirit of God spoke to him and told him to go with the men and do what they wanted him to do, because he had sent them. This was the third miracle that took place on this occasion. And thus the strong prejudice of Peter was overcome. He went with these men. He preached the gospel to a company of Gentiles. And when he saw the Holy Ghost come down on them, in a visible form, as it had come down on the apostles, on the day of Pentecost, he baptized them, and received them into the church. And thus Peter had the honor of being the first minister of Christ who preached the gospel to the Gentiles. He first opened the door of the Christian church to them. The prejudice of Peter, if it had not been overcome, would have prevented him from being useful in this way.
And if we wish to be useful, and do the work God has for us to do, we must try to overcome our prejudices.
“A Lesson from a Pair of Shoes.” There was a minister of the gospel once, who had a member of his church who was a shoemaker. He thought no one could be a Christian who did not think and feel just as he did. This interfered with his usefulness. His minister had often talked with him on the subject, but in vain. At last, he concluded to give him a lesson from his own trade, which he would not be likely to forget, and which he hoped would do him good. He did it in this way:
He sent for the shoemaker one day, and when he came in, he said, “I wish you to take my measure for a pair of shoes.”
“I will do so with pleasure; please take off your boot.”
The minister did so; and the shoemaker took his measure, put down the figures in his notebook, and was going away, when the minister said to him, “I want a pair of boots also for my son.”
“Very good, sir. Can I take the young man’s measure?”
“That is not necessary,” said the pastor, “you can make my boots and his from the same last.”
“Please, your reverence, that will never do,” said the shoemaker, with a smile of surprise.