Peter's Preparation

Tune: St Botolph

('For Mary, mother of our Lord'

= 'I come with joy to meet my Lord')

Acts 10 v.9-16

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Called to Caesarea to go

Disciples they did know

And Peter, they to that city

Did draw nigh, there they be

 

Peter went to house-top to pray

About noon, 'twas one day

And he became very hungry

He did a vision see

 

Heaven opened, certain vessel

He fixed eyes on it all

It descended as a great sheet

Tied at four corners neat

 

It was let down to earth, and he

Within the sheet did she

All sorts of four-footed beasts, too

Wild beasts there he did view

 

And creeping things, and birds of air

He did see them all there

A voice came to him, Peter, rise

Kill, eat, what sees your eyes

 

But Peter said, Not so, Lord, I

Have not eaten, no lie

Anything common or unclean

No, not once has it been

 

The voice did speak to him again

Said, Peter, what God then

Has cleansed, call not unclean, common

Not anything, not one

 

He did see this vision times three

And then all was, this see

Received up back into heaven

End of the vision then

 

But it was to prepare him (a Jew) for

Mission to Gentiles sure

That they with Jews should salvation

Share, e'en every nation