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doctrines, than that which arises from this harmony and concurrence of so many prophets, who lived at periods so distant from Christ and from each other?]

2. God wrought many miracles, in order to draw men's attention to them

[In the first place he sent an angel to Cornelius, to inform him where he might find a minister capable of instructing him in these points. Then he vouchsafed a vision to Peter, in order to remove his scruples about going to him; and, to render it the more effectual, he renewed that vision thrice P. Then when the messengers were come from Cornelius, and Peter was yet doubting what his vision should mean, the Holy Ghost himself spake to him, and bade him go, doubting nothing.

Can we suppose that all this had respect to a matter of indifference, or of trifling import? or indeed that any thing but that which was essentially necessary to the salvation of every man was the ground of such singular and repeated interpositions?]

3. The Holy Ghost himself set his seal to the truth of them

[While Peter was delivering the very words of the text, the Holy Ghost fell on the whole company, both Jews and Gentiles, as he had done on the Apostles six years before. By this he set his seal to the truth of what was delivered. And it is an indisputable fact, that no other doctrine is ever made effectual to the conversion of men; and that wherever these doctrines are preached with fidelity, there sinners are converted from the error of their ways: the Holy Ghost bears testimony to the word delivered; and, though he imparts not to any his miraculous powers, he does enlighten the minds of men, and sanctify their hearts.

What shall we say then? that the doctrines, thus attested, were of small importance, and, that it is of little consequence whether we receive or reject them?]

4. They are declared to be the exclusive means of salvation

[No man, under the Gospel dispensation, can be saved, unless he cordially receive them. What might have been the eternal state of Cornelius, if he had been out of the reach of the Gospel, it is needless for us to inquire. He lived in an age when the Gospel was preached, and might, notwithstanding

P Acts xi. 5-10.

q Acts xi. 12.

Jer. xxiii. 22.

г ver. 44. and xi. 15.

the prejudices of the Apostles, have been admitted to a participation of all its blessings, by submitting to circumcision first, and afterwards to baptism, provided he had really believed in Christ. There is reason therefore to fear that, notwithstanding his eminent attainments in natural religion, he could not have been saved without faith in Christ; because the angel that bade him send for Peter, informed him, that Peter should "tell him words whereby he and all his house should be saved." And when the Apostles heard of his conversion to Christ, they exclaimed, "Then hath God to the Gentiles also granted repentance unto life"." If then so devout, so abstemious, so charitable, so zealous a worshipper of the true God, needed to believe in Christ in order to obtain the remission of his sins, how much more must we, who possess not half his virtues! Even the Apostle Paul, who was," as touching the righteousness of the law, blameless," "counted it all but loss for Christ:" moreover, he renounced his evangelical, no less than his legal, righteousness, that he might be accepted through Christ alone. We therefore may be well assured, that we must do the same: for in his conduct with respect to this, he has given us an example which all must follow, if they would obtain salvation.

On the other hand, every person who truly receives them, shall certainly be saved. The word "whosoever" is of unlimited import: there is no exception: whether a man be a Jew or a heathen; whether he have been more or less wicked; whether he have a longer or a shorter time to live; whether he have a deeper insight into the mysteries of the Gospel, or be but just initiated into its fundamental truths; he shall assuredly receive through Christ the remission of his sins, the very instant he is enabled to believe in Christ. Whoever he be that desires to obtain salvation, there is but one direction to be given to him, and that is the direction given by Peter to Cornelius, and by Paul to the affrighted jailor; "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved"."

To occupy any more of your time in shewing the importance of the doctrines in the text, is superfluous. If it be not demonstrated by the foregoing considerations, we despair of ever establishing the simplest truth that can be proposed.] APPLICATION

1. Embrace the doctrines which are thus fully established

[What is there to be placed in opposition to these testimonies? Nothing but the unfounded opinions of self-righteous Pharisees. O listen not to their delusions which will only x Phil iii. 6, 7.

t Acts xi. 14.

y Phil. iii. 8, 9.

u Acts xi. 18.
z Acts xvi. 30, 31.

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deceive you to your ruin! Let them argue as they will, no other foundation can ever be laid for a sinner to build upon, but that which God has laid, even the Lord Jesus Christ- -] 2. Improve them for the end for which they are delivered

[God has sent them to you by my mouth, even as he did to Cornelius by Peter; and for the same ends; namely, that "you and your households should be saved by them." Consider your state as guilty and undone creatures, and as needing mercy at the hands of God: and lay hold upon the hope that is set before you. So shall you obtain "the remission of all your sins," and "be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation."]

MDCCLXIX.

NECESSITY AND SUFFICIENCY OF THE GOSPEL SALVATION.

Acts xi. 13, 14. Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.

WHILST we deny that the Apostle Peter possessed any such supremacy above the other Apostles as the Papists ascribe to him, we most willingly acknowledge that very singular honours were conferred upon him by our Lord himself; and especially that of bearing the keys of the kingdom of heaven, or, in other words, of opening the kingdom of heaven both to Jews and Gentiles. We all know, that, on the day of Pentecost, it was his sermon which was made so pre-eminently useful for the converting of three thousand souls at once: nor can we doubt but that his ministry continued to be crowned with very abundant success. But, for the space of six years, he did not discern the just extent of the commission that had been given to the Apostles generally; namely, to "go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature ;" and still less did he know what authority he had himself personally received, to open the door of salvation to the Gentiles, as he had already done to the Jews. Hence, when the time was come for the fuller manifestation of the truth to the Gentiles, he needed to have his prejudices

removed, by a special interposition of God for that purpose; and fresh instructions given him, as much as if the purposes of Heaven, in relation to that matter, had never been revealed to him. Indeed, all the other Apostles were in this respect as ignorant as he for, when he had executed the divine commission, they called him to an account for it, as having been guilty of a most heinous transgression. He, however, in his vindication of his conduct, shewed them, that he had acted under the immediate direction of God, who had instructed Cornelius where to send for him, and had enjoined him also to comply with the request.

The particular direction given by the Angel to Cornelius, in relation to this matter, was, "Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter, who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved." In which words we may see at once both the necessity of the Gospel for man's salvation, and its sufficiency: and these two points it is my intention to dwell on at this time.

Let us then consider,

I. The necessity of the Gospel

Perhaps, in all the Scriptures, there will not be found a passage which more strongly declares this, than that before us.

The knowledge of the Gospel was necessary even for Cornelius

[Cornelius was a peculiarly excellent character, even before he was acquainted with the Gospel: "He was a devout man: he feared God with all his house: though not belonging to the circumcision himself, he gave much alms to the Jewish people and he prayed to God alway :" and so upright was he in his endeavours to approve himself to God, that his " prayers and alms came up for a memorial before God"," and "were had in remembrance in his sight." Now, if any person could be saved without the Gospel, we might well suppose that it would be he. But, now that the Gospel was fully revealed, and he was within the reach of it, a distinct knowledge of its provisions, and a cordial acceptance of its offers, were necesb Acts x. 31.

a Acts x. 2, 4.

sary for his salvation: and, rather than he should be left without an interest in it, God sent an angel to inform him where he might find a person who should "tell him those words whereby he should be saved." That such a man as Cornelius could not have been saved under other circumstances, is what I am by no means prepared to say: for I believe that, "in every nation, he that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him:" and that, though no man can merit any thing at God's hands, yet God would rather work a miracle for such a person, than suffer him to perish for want of that measure of knowledge as, under his circumstances, was necessary for his salvation. But of such matters we can speak only by conjecture, because there is but little revealed concerning them. Of those who live under the Gospel dispensation, we can speak with certainty and if the knowledge of the Gospel was necessary for Cornelius, then]

The knowledge of it must be necessary for us also

66

[We are ready to imagine that a moral and religious character will give us a title to acceptance with God. But it is not by that that any man can be saved. There are words which must be told us:" and what those words are, we know from the discourse of Peter on this occasion. We must be informed respecting the person, work, and office, of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must know, that " He, though Lord of all," became a man for us, and died upon the cross for the effecting of 66 our peace" with God, and was raised from the dead by God, and is appointed both to judge the world, and to save the world. I say, to this the whole Scriptures bear witness; and this testimony we must receive as the ground of all our hopes: and by an humble affiance in the Lord Jesus Christ, as so revealed, we are to obtain "the remission of our sins"." There is no "other foundation than this on which any man can builde;" "no other way whereby any man can come unto the Father;" "no other name given under heaven whereby any man can be saved"." Without a distinct knowledge of the Gospel, our prayers will not avail; nor will our alms avail: nor will a devout spirit, joined to the fear of God, avail: there is a way of salvation provided for us through the atoning blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ; and in that way alone can we ever come to God, or find acceptance with him. If we attempt to seek his favour in any other way, we shall seek it in vain."]

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