SERM. and is a very unbecoming notion concernXIII. ing the most equitable and gracious administration of divine Providence.

But indeed the gofpel itfelf hath taught us to think otherwife, and to believe that God obferveth impartially the fame measures of judgment towards all Men. To this purpofe the inftance of Cornelius is very remarkable; he was a Gentile, thereby feparated in the judgment of the Jews from the people of God fo far, that St. Peter, not yet fully understanding the extent of Chrift's kingdom, and the generous maxims upon which it is founded, was unwilling to go into his houfe, that is, to converfe with him about religious matters, imagining himself to be under a prohibition by the Mofaic law, till God by a vifion taught him to call no man common or unclean. This Gentile was a devout worshipper of the true God, and his character in other respects fuitable to his devotion, though he was not free from thofe infirmities which are common to men; and his fincere fervices were accepted by the impartial and gracious judge of them, of which he not only had the good hope which is founded on the teftimony of an approving confcience, common to good

men,

men, but by fpecial favour, an extraordi- SER M. nary meffenger was fent from heaven to XIII. affure him of it, A&ts x. 3. An angel of the Lord faid unto him, thy prayers and thine. alms are come up for a memorial before God; and as a farther token of the divine approbation, telleth him how he should be further instructed in his duty: Whereupon the apostle Peter, taught by the fpirit of God, and having a very clear example before him, maketh this excellent declaration, ver. 34, 35. Of a truth I perceive that God is no reSpecter of perfons; but in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness (fo far as human infirmity can attain, that is, not without fome failings) is accepted

with him.

Secondly, Not only is there fuch a merciful allowance for fins of infirmity properly fo called, failings into which fincere perfons fall through ignorance, or inadvertency and furprize, which in the whole are unavoidable, so that they do not destroy our hope towards God; but God is alfo graciously pleased to accept of repentance, that is, a thorough and fincere converfion from evil difpofitions, vicious habits, and wicked practices, to good; from impiety, to godliness;

SERM. from fuperftition, to pure worship; from XIII immorality, to every kind of virtue. Now especially, fince he hath given all men affurance of the future judgment by raifing Jefus Chrift from the dead, whom he hath ordained to be the judge, he commandeth them all every where to repent, and hath annexed the bleffing of a free and gracious remiffion of all their fins to repentance; having promised to them who truly repent and are converted, that their iniquities shall be blotted out, Acts iii. 19. When we confider the universal bounty of providence, and that great goodness which God manifesteth particularly to mankind, guilty as they muft acknowledge themfelves to be; he beareth long with finners, unwilling that they should perish, and is kind to the unthankful and the evil; we have the greatest reason to believe he will have a compaffionate regard to the penitent, and that if men forfake their evil ways, and unrighteous doings, and turn to the fincere love and practice of virtue, he will not severely mark their renounced wickedness, but approve of, and reward their change of heart and life. But to christians the cafe is exceeding plain, by the exprefs affurance God hath given of an entire forgiveness, and of eternal falvation to all

who

who break off their finful courfes by righte- SERM. ousness, and a thorough and effectual refor- XIII. mation. This is the profeffed defign of the gofpel, the great doctrine taught by John Baptift, and afterwards by our Saviour himfelf. We must therefore understand the declaration in the text according to it; for seeing the judgment we pronounce upon ourfelves hath a neceffary reference to the judgment of God, and our hearts condemn or acquit us as we believe he will, his rule of judging must be ours; if, notwithstanding many and heinous tranfgreffions, nay, a long continued wicked course of life, God will abfolve the penitent, fo that upon his turning from all his fins, that he hath committed, to do that which is lawful and right, and to keep all the ftatutes of the Lord, be fhall furely live; his tranfgreffions shall not be mentioned to him, in the righteousness of his latter amended life, he shall live, Ezek. xviii. 21. or, be faved by the divine mercy: If it be fo, the man whofe heart witneffeth for him that he hath fo fincerely repented, that he hath submitted to the righteousness that is by faith, that is, to the terms of christianity, that he hath brought forth fruits meet for amendment of life, ceased to do evil and learned to do well; that man hath

con

SBR M. confidence towards God, or a well grounded, XIII. hope of his gracious acceptance.

But, the greatest difficulty attending this fubject remaineth yet to be confidered; which arifeth from mens liablenefs to miftake in the judgment, they make of themfelves, even of their own moral characters and actions. The fcripture teacheth us, and experience confirmeth it, that there are many errors of this fort. On the one hand, the ways of finners are often pure in their own Eyes, when God, who pondereth the heart, judgeth quite other wife concerning them. What multitudes are there, who not only in outward profeffion but in their own deceived minds, make confident claims to the favour of God, which have no foundation at all? And, particularly, fome through the deceitfulness of fin, and an habitual courfe of obftinate abandoned wickedness, are hardened into an utter infenfibility, fo as to be past feeling of their own guilt, and past fear of the divine wrath; their confciences, as the apostle speaketh, feared as with an hot iron, ceafe to do their office in reproaching them for their crimes, and denouncing the judgments of God against them. Is it to be thought that because their own hearts do not condemn them, there