Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

prayed to God continually. This, I suppose, they will allow to be a Description of such a moral Man as they mean: And I would ask then, For what Purpose did God send a Vision to Cornelius, and another to St. Peter, that Cornelius might be made a Christian? 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 Gofpel, 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 demonftrate that all had need of it: For, if the beft, with all the Light they enjoyed, wanted this Affiftance, 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 Difcourse, but fuch as would afford rather Speculation than Profit; fince the Cafe, however determined, could no way VOL. I. affect

[ocr errors]

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 oppofition to the Grace that was offered him through the Gospel? Would fuch a Refufal have been a pardonable Error? Could he have maintained the Character of one fearing God with all his House, 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 Reason 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

1

after he had folemnly rejected the Counsel of God, and followed his own Will in oppofition to that of his Maker declared in the heavenly Vifion? As bad as this fuppofed Cafe 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 Chrift 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 speaks by his Apoftles, or by his Angels: Whoever acts by the Appointment of God, fpeaks with his Authority: And, the regular Powers of the E 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 Christ 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

[blocks in formation]

him, we reject and defpife him. "Tis one Thing not to believe in Chrift, because we know him not; 'tis another to know him, and to disbelieve him. Though fuch Ignorance may be an Excufe, yet fuch Knowledge must be Condemnation.

DISCOURSE

DISCOURSE XIII.

MATTHEW Xxii. 40.

On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

T

HE two Commandments here. referred to are fet down in the Verfes immediately preceding the Words of the Text.

At

Verse 37 we read, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind. This is the firft and great Commandment, Verse 38. At Verse 39 follows, And the fecond is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyfelf. Then come the Words of the Text, On thefe two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets: The Meaning of which Saying is plainly this, That the whole Reason of Z3 Religion

« AnteriorContinuar »