and confutes in his Epiftle to the Romans: Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not alfo of the Gentiles? yes, of the Gentiles also. 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 Refurrection, when he enlarged their Commiffion, and bade them Go, teach all Nations; they understood him not, but were inquifitive about his reftoring the Kingdom to Ifrael. After the Afcenfion the Apoftles continued at Jerufalem preaching to their own Nation, till, upon the Persecution 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 fews 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

Brethren who were in Judea, Chap. xi. 1: Nor were they fatisfied, till he told them what Vifion he had seen, what alfo Cornelius had seen and in what a miraculous Manner the Holy Ghoft was poured forth on the Gentiles, before he ventured to baptize them : And then, under the Aftonishment of this Conviction, they held their peace, blaming his Behaviour no longer; but glorified God, faying, Then hath God alfo unto the Gentiles granted Repentance unto Life, Acts xi. 18. St. Peter himself was equally furprized, when he found, by comparing Cornelius's Vifton with his own, that God had determined to admit the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, into the Church of Christ; and he expreffes himself in the fame Manner, though not just in the fame Words with the Apostles and Brethren, They fay, Then bath God alfo unto the Gentiles granted Repentance unto Life. St. Peter fays, Of a truth I perceive that God is no Refpecter of Perfons; But in every Nation hé that feareth him, and worketh Righteousness, is accepted with him. Thefe two Reflections, as they are made upon the fame Cafe, one by St. Peter, when he was with Cornelius, the other by the Apostles and Brethren, when St. Peter related the Story of Cornelius, fo are they in fubftance the fame: And St.

Peter,

9

Peter, when he fays that in every Nation he that feareth God-is accepted with him, and the Apostles and Brethren, when they fay that God hath granted to the Gentiles Repentance unto Life, mean one and the fame Thing: And therefore, in the Text, to be accepted with God means no more than to have from God the Offer of Repentance unto Life; and both certainly mean our having Admiffion into the Covenant with God through Christ Jefus. So that the whole of what St. Peter fays in the Text amounts to this: "I now at length perceive that God "has not confined his Mercies to a particular "Nation only; but that all are capable of

inheriting the Promises in Chrift Jefus, "who are duly prepared by Righteousness, " and the Fear of God."

This will farther appear to be the true Interpretation, if we examine the Cafe of Cornelius, and what the Acceptance was that he found. Cornelius was a Gentile, and one of the best of them; a devout Man, and one who feared God with all his Houfe, which gave much Alms to the People, and prayed to God alway: And yet his Goodness did not make it unneceffary for him to become a Chriftian. The heavenly Vision was not fent to satisfy him that his Righteousness was fufficient, and

that

that he had no need to look out for farther Affistance or Direction: On the contrary, it was fent to inform him where he might feek and find a proper Instructor. St. Peter had also a Vision to prepare him to do the Duty of an Apoftle to the Gentile Centurion and, when this devout Man came to him, in obedience to the heavenly Warning, he instructs him in the Faith of Chrift Jefus and baptizes him with Water: Upon which St. Peter fays, he finds that Men of all Nations, who do righteously, are accepted with God. He could not poffibly mean, That those who did their best upon the Light of Nature, had no need of any other Teacher: That Reflection could never rife from the Cafe before him; For why did he then inftruct Cornelius in the Knowledge of Chrift, and baptize him in his Name? St. Peter therefore certainly meant, That all Gentiles duly prepared were capable of the Bleffings of the Gofpel through the Mercy of God; in oppofition to his former Error, that none but Jews had fuch a Privilege. And the Apoftle undoubtedly understood that the best of the Gentiles had need of the Gospel; or elfe his Commendation of the Goodness of God amounts to this only, That he perceived that God would give to the honeft

minded Gentiles, who feared him, and did righteously, that which they had no Occafion

to receive.

From the Words and Circumstances. of the Text thus explained we learn what is the true Notion of that Acceptance, which St. Peter fays the Gentiles of all Nations are intitled to through the Mercy of God.

But then there arises a Difficulty from the Terms to which St. Peter has limited this Privilege: For he does not fay that Men of all Nations are accepted to God; but that in every Nation he that feareth God, and worketh Righteoufnefs, is accepted of him. Now, one great End of the Christian Religion being to inftruct us in the Fear of God, and in Works of Righteousness, it may feem ftrange, that in order to the obtaining of this Benefit of being duly inftructed in the Fear of God, and in Works of Righteousness, it should be required, as a previous Condition, that we fhould fear God, and do righteoufly: Which Condition fuppofes us already in poffeffion of the main Thing for which the Privilege itself is granted; and confequently, the Privilege becomes in a manner useless by our having the Qualifications neceffary to the obtainingto it. To clear this Matter, we muft confider what the Apoftle to the Hebrews teaches us,b Chap