doctrines, than that which arises from this harmony and con- currence 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 q.
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 r. 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 wayss: 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. i Acts xi. 12. r ver. 44. and xi. 15.
s Jer. xxiii. 22.