Εικόνες σελίδας
PDF
Ηλεκτρ. έκδοση

AN

INTRODUCTORY

SERMON

ON

ACTS X. 29.

I ask therefore for what intent ye have fent for me.

AVING the formality of an introduEtion, I fhall lay before you a few remarks for clearing the occafion of the apostle's using this question, and the reason why we have made choice of this text at this time for the fubject of this difcourfe. And,

1. This chapter contains a large and particu lar account of one Cornelius a Roman centurion, or captain of an hundred foldiers, his converfion to christianity.

2. Cornelius, though by birth a Roman, was of the Jewish religion, a profelyte. Thefe who of other nations embraced the true religion, affociating themselves to the Jews, were called pro-. felytes: and they were either fuch as joined with the Jews in the whole rites of their religion, being circumcifed as were the Jews; or fuch as adhered to the fubftantials of their religion, but remained uncircumcifed. The former fort were called proA felytes

felytes of righteoufnefs, or of the covenant; the latter, profelytes of the gate. Interpreters feem agreed that Cornelius was a profelyte of the gate, one who owned the substance of religion, but remained uncircumcifed, and did not join in the whole of their worship.

3. This captain was a true convert before this difcovery of the gofpet came to him by the apoftle: he was accepted of God, and therefore, was not to be accounted unclean. Now none fave thefe who are converted can be accepted; for they that are in the flesh cannot please God; and without faith it is impoffible to please him; for he that comes to him must believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him, Heb. xi. 6. Wherefore,

4. He, no doubt, leaned upon the promised Meffiah Jefus Chrift for his acceptance with God, fince none can come to the father but by him, who is the way, the truth, and the life, and who only can guide finners in their approaches to God.

5. God being a rewarder of fuch as diligently feek him, did reward this man's faith and obedience with the gofpel revelation of his Son Jefus Chrift, whence he came to understand that the Meffiah he looked for, was already come. His prayers and alms-deeds are faid to come up for a memorial before God; not as if there had been any thing of merit in what was done or attained to, but to encourage others, and discover the riches of God's bounty, in rewarding freely, according to his rich grace, the diligent improvement of light with greater degrees of light and life; and this reward is not of debt, but of rich and fovereign grace.

6. This faint waiting for the confolation of If

[ocr errors][merged small]

rael, has a vifion from God, bidding him fend for the apostle Peter: whence we may learn, That God has a great refpect for his own inftitutions. The gofpel miniftry is of divine appointment, and therefore, the Lord refers Cornelius to it, though it had been no lefs eafy to have difcovered Chrift to him in the vifion.

7. Peter has a vifion to the fame purpose, removing fuch objections as might make him fcruple: whence we may remark, That when the Lord defigns good to a people, by a minister, he gives both the people clearness to call, and the minister clearness to come; though not in fuch an extraordinary manner as this here made ufe of.

8. When the apostle, in compliance with Cornelius his call, and God's call, or rather the Lord's joining in the fame call with him, comes to the place where he was; the first question he puts to him is that which we have read to you: I ask therefore for what intent you have fent for me; - and this he doth notwithstanding he had got fome account of this from the fervants who were fent for him by Cornelius.

The words are in themselves plain, and there fore, we shall not offer any explication of them, but lay before you this doctrine, which is pal pably contained in them. That,

A faithful gofpel minister coming among a people upon their call will be very defirous to know what their defigns in calling him were. I ask therefore for what intent you have sent for me.

In difcourfing this point, we fhall enquire, 1. What defign a people fhould have in calling a gofpel minifter. 2. What way they should evidence thefe to be their defigns. 3. Make fome

[blocks in formation]

enquiry into the reafons of the doctrine. And, laftly, apply the whole.

To begin with the first of these, The defigns a people should have in calling a gospel minifter, are many. We fhall endeavour to reduce them o a few. And,

1. A people fhould, in calling a gospel minifter, defign to hear from him the whole counsel of God in reference to their eternal falvation. This is the great bufinefs of gospel minifters, to declare the whole counfel of God to thefe to whom they come, to keep nothing back from them that may be of use to them. So their commiffion runs, Matth. xxviii. 19, 20. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft: teaching them to obferve all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always even to the end of the world, Amen. And the great apoftle of the Gentiles, in that famous farewel fermon of his to the church of Ephefus, which we have recorded, Acts xx. from the 17. and downward, appeals to the confcience of that people as to his faithfulness in fulfilling his commiflion in declaring to them the whole counfel of God, verfe 27. And in keeping back nothing that could be profitable to them, ver. 20. Whoever would approve himself a faithful gospel minister, must take care faithfully to difcover to his hearers their loft and undone ftate by nature, that they are all become guilty before God, and that there is no other way of their obtaining accefs to him but through Jefus Chrift, who is made of God to them who believe wifdom, righteoufnefs, fanctification and redemption. To these two doth the apostle refer the whole of that coun

ریشی

fel

fel of God. He fhunned not to declare to the Ephesians in that forecited fcripture, Acts xx. 21. He teftified to all perfons, Jews and Greeks, repentance towards God (i. e. that they were guilty of fuch offences against God, as called for deep humiliation) and faith toward our Lord Jefus Chrift, that is, that there was no way of efcaping the wrath of God, but that of closing with Chrift by faith. This is the matter of the gofpel: and Christ's fervants are to make it their business faithfully to unfold the mind of God in reference. to these two, man's ftate by nature, and what he may by grace be advanced to. This is called, f! Tim. v. 17. a labouring in the word and doctrines

This preaching of the gofpel takes in three things. 1. A full propofal of the doctrine juft now mentioned. Minifters muft, without minching the matter, plainly difcover to men their loft ftate, and the impoffibility of recovery any other way than by the gofpel method, through Jefus, Chrift, Acts xx. 21. 2. They muft difcover these things, not as their private fentiments built upon fome rational conclufions of their own drawing and framing, but as the word of God. It is the word of God they are to propofe, and not their own private opinions; and it is the word of God hearers are to receive from them, I Theff. ii. 13. For this caufe alfo thank we God, faith the apoftle, without ceafing, because when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye receivs ed it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God, which effectually worketh alfo in you that believe. 3. This preaching of the word takes in not only a propofal of the word of God, but an authoritative declaration of it by virtue of a commiffion derived from God. Thefe

[blocks in formation]
« ΠροηγούμενηΣυνέχεια »