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have no fenfe of the fear of God, and, confequently, no concern about pleafing or difpleafing him? The Gospel does not teach, but fuppofe this doctrine: and, was even an Apostle to preach to a nation perfectly ignorant of God, he muft lay by the Gospel, and first convince the people from reason and nature of the being of God, and the neceffity of righteoufnefs in order to deferve his favour, before he could invite them to embrace the Gofpel as the perfect rule of righteousness prefcribed and ordained by God himself. And therefore, when St. Peter fays, that in every nation he that feareth God, and worketh righteoufnefs, is accepted of him, he is not to be underftood as limiting the mercies of God to certain perfons of the beft character, but rather as declaring the natural order of things. It is frequently taught, that our Lord came to fave finners; and therefore he began his preaching with an exhortation to repentance in the fame words that John the Baptift had done before him, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand: which is as much as if he had faid, Turn to God, and fear him, working righteoufness, 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 houfe, 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 moft virtuous and beft-difpofed heathens; upon

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this fuppofition, both the case of Cornelius, and the declaration of St. Peter, evidently prove, that the beft of men ftand 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 Chriftian religion, provided they lead good moral lives, to confider the character of Cornelius: he was devout, and feared God with all his houfe: he was very charitable, and gave much alms to the people, and 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 purpofe did God fend a vifion 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 difcourfe, but fuch as would afford rather fpeculation than profit; fince the cafe, however determined, could no way 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 circumftances before described, would have found reft to his foul from the mercy and goodness of God: and let this other queftion 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 Gofpel? 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 facrifice, 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 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 supposed case of Cor

nelius would have been, it is the very case of those who, having been betimes inftructed in the knowledge of the Gospel, and called to the faith and obedience of Chrift Jefus, do despise and reject that faith under the colour of preferving the purity of natural religion, and living according to the dictates of reafon and morality. It makes no difference in the case, 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 apostles, or by his angels: whoever acts by the appointment of God, speaks 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, it is 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 him, we reject and defpife him. It is one thing not to believe in Chrift, because we know him not; it is another to know him, and to difbelieve him. Though fuch ignorance may be an excufe, yet fuch knowledge must be condem

nation.

DISCOURSE XIII.

MATTHEW Xxii. 40.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

THE two commandments here referred to are set down in the verses immediately preceding the words of the text. At verfe 37 we read, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment, verfe 38. At verfe 39 follows, And the fecond is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Then come the words of the text, On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets: the meaning of which faying is plainly this, that the whole reason of religion lies in these two general commandments; that in thefe all particular duties and precepts are founded; that nothing can be of any obligation in religion, but as it relates either to the love we owe to God, or the love we owe to our neighbour. In fpeaking to these words, I fhall,

Firft, Shew you the true meaning and import of them; and,

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