that ye may be made Members of the Kingdom of his Son, which now approaches. But, fhould the Cafe of Cornelius, who was a devout Man, fearing God with all his House, giving much Alms, and praying alway, from which Cafe St. Peter makes the Reflection contained in the Text, incline us to believe that he means a greater Degree of Goodness by fearing God, and working Righteousness, than was commonly to be found; and, confequently, that what St. Peter fays can be applied only to the most virtuous and beftdifpofed Heathens; upon this Suppofition, both the Cafe of Cornelius, and the Declaration of St. Peter, evidently prove, that the best of Men stand in need of the Affiftances of the Gospel of Chrift to make themselves fecure of obtaining the End of their Hopes, Glory and Immortality, from God, who is the Rewarder of them who diligently feek him. I would defire those who are of a different Opinion, and think that they have no Reason to trouble their Heads about the Christian Religion, provided they lead good moral Lives, to confider the Character of Cornelius: He was devout, and feared God with all his House: He was very charitable, and gave much Alms to the People, and prayed prayed to God continually. This, I suppose, they will allow to be a Defcription of fuch a moral Man as they mean: And I would afk then, For what Purpose did God fend a Vision to Cornelius, and another to St. Peter, that Cornelius might be made a Chriftian? Was all this Care thrown away upon a mere unneceffary Point, that might as well have been let alone? Was Cornelius thus called to 'the Profeffion of the Gospel, and was it of no Confequence whether he had been called, or no? If God made choice of Cornelius, one of the best of the Gentiles, to fhew that fome of them were capable of his Grace, he did at the fame time demonstrate that all had need of it: For, if the beft, with all the Light they enjoyed, wanted this Affistance, what could the worst do without it? It may be asked perhaps, What would have become of Cornelius, had he died, as he had fome time lived, a devout Gentile, in the Fear of God, full of Alms and of Prayers, without having been called to the Knowledge of Chrift Jefus? Which Question, if pursued through all its Views, would open a large Field of Difcourfe, but fuch as would afford rather Speculation than Profit; fince the Cafe, however determined, could no way affect Z affect us, who have been called to the Knowledge of Chrift Jefus. Let it then be taken for granted, that Cornelius, had he died in the Circumstances before defcribed, would have found Reft to his Soul from the Mercy and Goodness of God: And let this other Question be confidered, which is much more to our Purpose, What would have been the Cafe of Cornelius, if he had rejected the Call, refused to hearken to St. Peter, and had infifted on his own Merit and Virtue, in opор pofition to the Grace that was offered him through the Gofpel? Would fuch a Refufal have been a pardonable Error? Could he have maintained the Character of one fearing God with all his Houfe, after fuch an open Contempt of the Divine Call? Could he ever have prayed more to God to guide and direct his Way, after he had abfolutely denied to be guided and directed by Him? Would even his Alms have been an acceptable Offering to the Almighty, after he had renounced that Obedience which is better than Sacrifice, and which is the only Thing that can fanctify our imperfect Works? If Reafon and Natural Religion teach us that it is our Duty to please and to obey God, what Part even of Natural Religion could this Centurion have exercised, after after he had folemnly rejected the Counfel of God, and followed his own Will in oppofition to that of his Maker declared in the heavenly Vifion? As bad as this fuppofed Case of Cornelius would have been, it is the very Cafe of those who, having been betimes inftructed in the Knowledge of the Gospel, and called to the Faith and Obedience of Christ Jefus, do defpife and reject that Faith under the Colour of preferving the Purity of Natural Religion, and living according to the Dictates of Reason and Morality. It makes no Difference in the Cafe, that their Call has been through the ordinary Administrations of the Church, and that Cornelius's was by a Vifion directed to himself: The Voice of God is. the fame, whether he fpeaks by his Apoftles, or by his Angels: Whoever acts by the Appointment of God, fpeaks with his Authority: And, the regular Powers of the Church being ordained by him, when the Church speaks to her Children conformably to the Commiffion received, 'tis the Voice of God calling Men to Repentance unto Life through Chrift Jefus. And, whatever the Condition of those may be who have never heard of the Lord who bought them, ours is certainly very bad, if, having heard of Z 2 him, |