whether the whole is not of a Piece, and confiftent. The Gospel tells us, that God has fent his Son to redeem us: You wonder he fhould take fo much Trouble for fuch Creatures: But is it not as becoming his Goodnefs to redeem us, as it was to make us? You will fay perhaps, we are fince that become Sinners. True; and yet ever fince that he has preferved us, and afforded us the Bleffings of this Life: And is it not of a piece to open to us the Hopes of a better? Mistake not my Meaning: I do not mean to infer from what God does for us in this World, that he is bound in Justice to do as much for us in refpect to another. I know of nothing that he is bound in Justice to do for us. But furely it is safest Reafoning upon the Ways of Providence from the manifeft Works of Providence: And by feeing how God has dealt with the Children of Men as Part and as Inhabitants of this natural World, it is reasonable to conclude in what Manner he will treat them as Part of the moral World. And, if we confider what we fee and know of the Works of Nature, and of the Good we enjoy from them, and compare them with greater Works of Grace, as manifested. the in the Gospel of Chrift Jefus, we may eafily difcern the Confiftancy and Harmony of God's Dealings in both Cafes; and fee too at the fame time, that the Methods of Providence by which we hoped to be saved, and which we have from Revelation, are liable to no other Objections, than the Methods of Providence by which we live, and which we see daily with our Eyes. In both Cafes the Works of God are indeed wonderful, and we unworthy of the least of them: And we may justly say of both, Lord! what is Man, that thou regardeft him? and the Son of Man, that thou vifiteft him? *** DISCOURE ACTS X. 34, 35. Then Peter opened his Mouth, and faid, Of a truth I perceive that God is no Respecter of Perfons: But in every Nation he that feareth him, and worketh Righteousness, is accepted with him. T HESE Words, if not carefully attended to, may seem to carry a Senfe contrary to the Meaning of the Apostle in delivering them. St. Peter in the Text declares, that God, without refpect to any national or perfonal Privileges, was ready to admit all People into the Covenant made with Chrift Jefus, provided they were duly prepared for fuch Admiffion. Some from his Words have concluded that there is no Neceffity Y 4 Neceffity of becoming Difciples of Chrift, but that it is fufficient if we live according to the Principles and Light of Nature; forafmuch as every one who feareth God, and worketh Righteousness, is accepted with him: And thus fupported, as they think, by one Paffage of Scripture, they have been emboldened to despise and reject all the rest as of no use to them, and to put their Salvation upon their own Strength, in oppofition to the Method revealed and declared by the Son of God. This Error is common, as well as dangerous: And, fince the great Regard which fome pay to moral Virtue is purely Oppofition to the Gofpel, it is worth while to examine this Paffage of St. Peter, and to place his Meaning in a true Light, that the Doctrine of the Gospel may not be overthrown by its own Authority. The Jews had a Notion that the Bleffings of the promised Meffias were to be peculiar to themselves, and not to be extended to any other Nation or People whatever, whom they looked on as Aliens from God, and not under his Care and Protection, as they were, Hence in the Prophets they plead their Privilege, and tell God, that he is not God of the Heathen, but of the People of Ifrael; which Conceit of theirs St. Paul refers to and and confutes in his Epiftle to the Romans: Is he the God of the fews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? yes, of the Gentiles alfo. The Disciples of our Lord, and especially St. Peter, were as deep in this Opinion as others; and, during our Saviour's Abode on Earth, they were confirmed in it by what they observed in him: He declared, he was not fent but to the loft Sheep of the House of Ifrael: And, when he sent out his Disciples to preach, he exprefly charged them not to go into the Way of the Gentiles, nor to enter into any City of the Samaritans; but to go rather to the loft Sheep of the House of Ifrael: And after his Resurrection,when he enlarged their Commiffion, and bade them Go, teach all Nations; they understood him not, but were inquifitive about his restoring the Kingdom to Ifrael. After the Afcenfion the Apoftles continued at Jerusalem preaching to their own Nation, till, upon the Perfecution of St. Stephen, many fled into other Parts, and, though they went as far as Phenice, Cyprus, and Antioch, yet they preached the Word to none but Jews only, Acts xi. 19. And when St. Peter, admonished by an heavenly Vision, had admitted fome Gentiles into the Church. of Chrift through Baptifm, he was called to an account for it by the Apostles and Brethren |