SECTION III. 297 in the main, kept alive in some of the Gentile nations, especially by such persons among them, as had most conversation with the .Jews before their dispersion ; and after their great dispersions by many captivities, there were several other persons among the Gentiles, who by this means got acquaintance. with the trueGod, and the religion of the proselytes of the gate, which was the reli- gion of Noah. The expression of St. Peter concerning Cornelius; Acts x. 34. is very easily explained by this . view of things. Ofa truth, I perceive God xs no respecter of persons, that is, I who was once involved in the common prejudices of my countrymen, and thought the Jews onlywere to be favoured, with the bles- sings,of the Messiah's kingdom, I am now convinced,- that God does not respect men of one nation more than another, but in every nation whether Jew or Gentile, he thatfears God, and works righteousness, that is, he who practises the duties of that religion which is prescribed' to him, is accepted of God. St. Peter does not say, a man may be accepted in every religion, but only in every nation ; for Cornelius was probably a believer and practises of the patriarchal religion, and was in a saved state, and reconciled to God, though he slid not know the peculiar means which procured that reconciliation. Youwill saythen, why was St. Peter sent to speak words to him whereby he should be saved ? The plain meaning is, that Peter was sent to teach him those particular transactions of di- vine grace, and the doctrine of the death and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whereby God saves sinners ; that by this means he might have clearer discoveries of his own acceptance, and be assisted in the ways of holiness, with incomparably more advan- tage and comfort, than ever he could have attained by following his imperfect notices of the patriarchal religion, and the precepts of Noah. As for the sacrifices and abstinence from blood, and things strangled, whichwere parts of Noah's religion, it is not certain, how far Cornelius knew, or compliedwith them ; I there- fore proceed to a second answer to the objection : II. If through length of time, and the wide dispersion of some nations, and the negligence of their fathers, many of them lostsome parts of thereligion of theirancestor Noah, yet several of them, might retain the most substantial and necessary articles of it. If they practised sincere love to God, and trust in his mercy, through some expected, but unknown methods of recon- ciliation, together with sincere repentance for their sins, and dili gence in their endeavours after holiness, we have reason to hope, that a gracious and condescending God , would accept of their hearty desires and endeavours to please him, while they believed and practised according to the utmost degrees of the discoveryof grace and duty, that ever were conveyed down to them. It is
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