ing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him" that there was such a person as Jesus of Nazareth that salvation had been already first offered to all the people of the Jews in his name, according to the will of God-that John Baptist had prepared them for it, by preaching the doctrine of repentance — and that he had made full proof of his being sent of God, to destroy the devil's power and kingdom, and cast him out of the possession he had gotten in the souls and bodies of men-these things, St. Peter tells them, they could not but know. But, alas! as yet they knew them at best only by hearsay, as too many do now; and Christ must be known by them in another manner, by a true faith in him and hearty acceptance of salvation by him, from an inward sense of their want of him, before he could be a Saviour to them. And this they did, by that time St. Peter had spoken a few plain words more; "for," says he, ver. 39-43. "We are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree. Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly, not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." So that the sum of St. Peter's preaching upon this occasion was to this effect- That man wants peace with God, and that Christ is the Peace-maker-That we obtain remission of sins, and reconciliation with God, through his name, and for his sake only, and by faith in his precious blood-shedding - That John Baptist must first he the preacher of repentance to us, or that there

is no way of coming at so great a benefit, and applying Christ by faith to ourselves for salvation, but by a knowledge of our sinful state, a hatred of all sin, and a will to forsake it; for that he who is our Saviour, is also ordained to be our Judge, and can be the Author of eternal life only to them that obey him, and are so wrought upon by his goodness, as to make suitable returns of love to him, by doing whatsoever he commands them.

Such are the words by which Cornelius and all his house were to be saved, and were saved. The Lord opened their hearts, and they received them gladly. For while Peter yet spake, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word, ver. 44; i. e. the Holy Ghost fell on them in miraculous powers and effects, as he did upon the apostles at the day of Pentecost, such as speaking with tongues, and magnifying or praising God by inspiration. And this was done to show that God was now returned to the Gentiles, and was an evident, solemn declaration of his gracious purpose to take them for his people in common with the Jews, and make them fit for himself, by taking possession of them by his Spirit. Not that they were therefore saved, or secured from all possibility of ever falling away, because they had these extraordinary gifts conferred upon them; for Christ tells us that many should prophesy, and cast out devils in his name, and yet be rejected, as being workers of iniquity, and unrenewed in the depth of their hearts. But these gifts were necessary at that time for the conversion of others; and they were moreover an earnest and a token to all, that God would dwell in them by his Spirit, which should guide them into all truth, confirm them in the faith, and make them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, if they faithfully adhered to him, by prizing and seeking after his graces, and endeavouring

to perfect holiness in the fear of God. For the preaching of Peter was the savour of life to them only by the secret operation of the Spirit upon their hearts. In this way he was the Author and Giver of life, and an inward witness to them; i. e. by their effectual calling and conversion, and faithfulness unto death. So he is to all, to the end of the world, who desire his coming and presence in their souls, the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, in his perpetual and best office in the church; making the words of Christ, his apostles and ministers, saving words to us, by enlightening our understandings, sanctifying our affections, converting our wills, working faith in us, and inclining us to obey from the heart that form of sound doctrine which is delivered us.

These blessed words of truth and peace, of grace and mercy, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, of redemption and salvation, how have they been received by you? And does conscience bear you witness in the Holy Ghost, that you rest your souls upon them, frame your lives according to them, seek your best comfort from them, and make them the foundation of all your hopes? Has the Lord proved and visited your hearts with them, bringing you in repentance and humility before his mercy-seat for grace to help in time of need, raising you to a cheerful trust and confidence in him for the remission of your sins, and acceptance through Christ, and confirming you in the obedience of faith? Or do they carry a dead sound with them, finding no admittance, raising no hope, giving no comfort; or if they are heard with joy at the first, and gain our approbation and consent in some degree for a time, yet working no real conversion, producing no lasting effect? Or, what is worst of all, do we make the glad tidings of mercy by the Gospel to a perishing world a pretence for continuing in sin, and hardening ourselves

against the love and fear of God, and so turning it into poison and a snare to our souls, and utterly defeating his whole purpose in offering it to us?

I say, what think you of Christ, and his Gospel of peace, in the remission of sins? Are you endued with this leading, necessary point of knowledge, that you are sinful creatures, in a state of great disorder, weakness, and corruption, alienated from the God that made you in your wills, desires, and affections, apt to forget, prone to disobey him, and that this is a state of misery and condemnation, and you must be undone without help from the Lord? Do you know indeed, and find within yourselves, that the help he offers you by Jesus Christ is such as you want, and exactly suited to the case of sinners; and have you a will to receive, and a desire to improve it, to your present comfort, and everlasting advantage? What an awakening, full proof have we here, in the case of Cornelius, of the necessity of Christ for every soul of man; and that there is no acceptance with God, no kind of life will stand us in any stead, without being accepted to an interest in the Saviour! Christ himself hath spoken the word, and it must stand for ever against all the thoughts and imaginations of our hearts: "No man cometh to the Father but by me," John, xiv. 16; i. e. to God's covenant of peace and forgiveness here, or glory hereafter, but by being washed from his sins in the blood of Christ, made partaker of his righteousness, and quickened to newness of life by his Spirit. Every man in the world lies under a sentence of death, and has a body of sin to be freed from; the guilt of it must be taken away, and the power of it subdued in him. He cannot deliver himself, he cannot conquer death, atone for his transgressions, or make himself a new heart and a new spirit; and, therefore, if ever he is saved, he must fly to the mercy of God as a sinner, accept of deliverance from him in the way of his appointing for all men, and receive this saying of St. Peter, " To him

give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." Not be rewarded for his own righteousness, or the merit of his good deeds; he must let that alone for ever; that is no plea for condemned, sinful man. Alas! what do we think of; where are those good deeds of ours which must make Christ of no effect; what are they in the best of men, when they are tried by the line and the plummet, and laid to the straight rule of God's commandments? No; but thy salvation, O man, is by the grace of forgiveness, and that forgiveness clearly purchased for thee by the Son of God, suffering the wrath of God in thy stead, and for thee, a sinner, without which thou must have suffered the penalty of thy sins for ever in hell. When thou art established in the sense and belief of this great goodness of thy God towards thee, and of the strangeness of thy deliverance, by mercy far beyond what thou couldst ever think of, then, and not before, thou mayest be a faithful, sincere man, and set thyself to please God, in all holy obedience; then thou mayest say in thy heart, What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits, and how shall I ever love. Christ enough for the great love wherewith he loved me?-and what thou dost in this disposition, and from a root of true faith, will be an acceptable service. But yet it must not, cannot be the ground of thy acceptance to the reward of eternal life. Christ is that foundation, and if thou layėst any other, it will be at the peril of thy soul. Still thou must be a pardoned man in every thing, in thy best as well as worst estate, from one end of thy life to the other; and if ever thou hast true.comfort in thyself, and good hope towards God, it must be through grace. Take especial notice, therefore, that the words by which Cornelius and his house were saved, are the same by which all others must be saved; I mean, by the Holy Ghost working with them, and setting them home upon our hearts. St. Peter knew of no other