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 com- mission, 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 ?iecessity 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 be- fore 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 " pi-ayers and alms came up for a memorial before Goda," and "were had in remembrance in his sight V Now, if any person could be saved without the Gospel, we might well suppose that it would be he. But, now that the Gospel icas fully revealed, and he was within the reach of it, a distinct knowledge of its provisions, and a cordial acceptance of its offers, were neces-
a Acts x. 2, 4. b Acts x. 31.