AN

INTRODUCTORY SERMON.

Acts x.

29.—I ask therefore for what intent ye have fent for me?

AVING the formality of an introduction, I fall

W lay before you a few remarks for clearing the oc

cafion of the apostle's using this question, and the reason why we made choice of this text at this time, for the fubject of this difcourfe. And,

1. This chapter contains a large and particular 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 Jewifh religion, a profelyte. Thofe who, of other nations, embraced the true religion, affociating themselves to the Jews, were called profelytes; 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 profelytes of rightcoufness, or of the covenant; the latter, profelytes of the gate. Interpreters feem to agree that Cornelius was a profelyte of the gate, one who owned the fubftance 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 gofpel came to him by the apoftle he was accepted of God, and therefore was not to be accounted unclean. Now, none fave those who are converted can be accepted; for they that are in the flesh cannot please

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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 promifed 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 bin, did reward this man's faith and obedience with the gospelrevelation of his Son Jefus Chrift; whence he came to understand, that the Mefliah he looked for was already come. His prayers and alms-deeds are faid to come up for a me. morial before God; not as if there had been any thing of merit in what was done or attained to, but to encourage others, and to difcover 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 fovereiga grace.

6. This faint, waiting for the confolation of Ifrael, has a vifion from God, bidding him fend for the apostle Peter; whence we may learn, that God has a great respect for his own inftitutions. The gofpel.miniftry is of divine appointment; and therefore the Lord refers Cornelius to it, though it had been no less easy to have discovered Chrift to him in the vision.

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 minifter, he gives both. the people clearness to call, and the minifter clearness to come; though not in fuch an extraordinary manner as this here made ufe of.

8. When the apostle, in compliance with Cornelius's 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 ye 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 themfelves plain; and therefore we

fhall

fhall not offer any explication of them, but lay before you this doctrine, which is palpably contained in them.

DOCT. A faithful gofpel-minifter, 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 ye have fent for me?

In difcourfing this point, we fhall enquire,

1. What defigns a people should have in calling a gospel. minifter.

II. What way they should evidence thefe to be their de. figns.

III. Make fome inquiry into the reafons of the doctrine. And, laftly, Apply the whole.

I. To begin with the first of thefe, The defigns a people Should have in calling a gofpel-minifter:-they are many. We fhall endeavour to reduce them to a few. And,

1. A people fhould, in calling a gospel-minister, defign to hear from him the whole counfel of God, in reference to their eternal falvation. This is the great business of gol pel-ministers, to declare the whole counfel of God to thefe to whom they come, to keep nothing back from them that may be of ufe to them. So their commiffion runs, Matth. xxviii. 19, 20. "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptifing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft; teaching them to obferve all things what foever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world. Amen." And the great apòftle of the Gentiles in that famous farewell fermon of his to the church of Ephefus, which we have recorded, Acts xx. from ver. 17. and downward, appeals to the confcience of that people as to his faithfulness in fulfilling his commiffion in declaring to them the whole counfel of God, ver. 27. And in keeping back nothing that could be profitable to them, ver. 20. Whoever would

approve himself a faithful gospel-minifter, must take care faithfully to difcover to his hearers their loft and undone State 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, fan&tification,

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and redemption." To these two doth the apostle refer the whole of that counfel of God, he fhunned not to declare to the Ephefians, in that fore-cited 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 to wards our Lord Jefus Chrift; that is, that there was no way of escaping the wrath of God, but that of closing with Chrift by faith. This is the matter of the gofpel: and Chrift's fervants are to make it their bufinefs faithfully to unfold the mind of God in reference to thefe two, man's ftate by nature, and what he may by grace be advanced to. This is called, i Tim. v. 17. a 66 labouring in the word and doctrine,"

This preaching of the gofpel takes in three things. 1. A full propofal of the doctrine juft now mentioned. Minifters nuft, without mincing the matter, plainly dif cover to men their lost state, and the impoffibility of re. covery any other way, than by the gofpel-method, through Jefus Chrift, Aas xx. 21. 2. They muft difcover thefe 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 propose, and not their own private opinións; 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 apostle, " without ceafing, becaufe when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received 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 things fpeak and exhort, and rebuke with all authority,' Tit. ii. 15. The word, in the first language, may be rendered command, with all command. Minifters are clothed with authority from God; and in his name, by virtue of a commiflion received from him, they are to preach the gospel, and to fpeak the counfel of God, as being his mouth to the people, 1 Pet. iv. 11. This is the principal part of the minifter's work; and therefore to hear the word of God from them in this manner fhould be the great

defign of these who call a gospel-minifter, that they may hear from them as the mouth of God, what by nature they are, and what through the grace of God in Chrift Jefus they may be. But now,

2. When a people call a gofpel-minifter, they fhould defign the regular and orderly performance of the worship of God. This worship of God, as it is contradiftinguithed from the doctrine of the gospel, of which under the former head, confifts principally in the administration of the facraments and prayer; public prayer, I mean, under which PRAISES are comprehended, as belonging to, and always to be joined with it, according to our bleffed Lord's appointment in that form, commonly called the Lord's Prayer, which concludes with thankfgiving. In A&s ii. 42. we have an account of the public worship of the church, which confifts in preaching, there expreffed by doctrine, and breaking of bread, that is, adminiftering the facrament of the Lord's fupper, and prayers and praises. "And they," faith the Spirit of God fpeaking of the church,

continued in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers;" and, ver. 47. "praifing God." The celebration of the facraments, public prayers and praifes, are divine inftitutions for the falvation and edification of the church, which cannot be gone about, or orderly performed, without a gospel-ministry, who only have commiffion to celebrate the facraments, and to be the mouth of the people to God in their public affemblies, being furnished with fpiritual gifts for the work, Matth. xxviii. 19. 1 Cor. xi. 23. and xiv. 16. And therefore, when a people call a gospel-minifter, they fhould have this in view, as one great defign, that there. by they may have the gofpel-worship celebrated among them in all its parts, according to Chrift's inftitution, to their spiritual advantage and his glory.

3. They should call a gofpel-minister to rule over them. This is one part of the minifter's work, to rule over his flock, 1 Tim. v. 17. Let the elders that rule well, be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine." This fuperiority which

gofpel-minifters have, is not a lordly dominion over ei ther the perfons or faith of the flock. No, any thing of this fort that ever crept into the church, had its rife

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