abfolute Strangers to thefe Doctrines. The whole Scheme, and Method of the Doctrine, they preached to Gentile Chriftians, is comprehended in that fingle Sentence, Eph. v. 8. "Ye were fometimes [in your heathen State] Darknefs, but now [in your Chriftian State] are ye Light in the Lord; walk as Children of Light." [185 the 4th Note.] To the Gentile Chriftians they explained, and inculcated the Glory of the Grace of God in Chrift, which had delivered them from the Power of Heathenish Darkness, and tranflated them into the Kingdom of the Son of his Love. To raife their efteem of the exceeding Riches of this Grace, they opened the Fountain from which it flowed, the pure and free Love of God, and the Counsel of his Will, in which it was formed and established before the World was. They alfo explained the grand and furprising Method, in which it was conveyed and administered, even by the Incarnation, holy Life, obedient Sufferings, and glorious Exaltation of the Son of God. They put their Difciples in Mind, how deplorable their Cafe was in their Heathen State, as they were then in a difmal State of Darkness and Ignorance; under the Power of Sin and Satan, obnoxious to Condemnation and Wrath. On the other Hand; they reprefented the Glory and Honour, to which they were now raised, in their Chriftian State, by their Election, Calling and Adoption. They demonftrated that they were in a State of Juftification and Salvation; that they were regenerated or born again, born of God, washed and fanctified, and made to live together with Chrift; that they were the House and Temple of God, his peculiar People, invested in all the Benefits of the Gofpel-Covenant, particularly the Remiffion of Sins, and the Donation of eternal Life. And then they warmly urged and be feeched them, not to receive this Grace in vain, but to improve it, to the forming all the folid Principles of Holiness in their Hearts, and the bringing forth all the Fruits of Righteoufnefs in their Lives. They reprefented, how difagreeable their former Heathenish Converfion was to their prefent honourable State, and Relations to God; they earnestly exhorted them, to put off all former Works of Darknefs, and to put on the whole Armour of Light; to be patient and perfevering in Duty, under all Trials and Afflictions; to be fincere in their Love one to another; humble, peaceable, and kind towards all Men; to pray unto God, continually for a Supply of all their Neceffities. To animate their Obedience and Patience, they frequently pointed at the Coming of our Lord, and the Crown of Righteoufnels, he will give to the Faithful and Upright. And on the other Hand, to awaken the Carelefs and Impenitent, they difplayed the Terrors of the future Judg ment, and that dreadful Wrath, which would confume all the Workers of Iniquity, without any Refpect of Perfons, whatever their Proteffions or Privileges in this World have been*. If the Apo

ftles

the Doctrine of Original Sin, when it firft crept into the Church, always de clared themfelves true Catholics, and ftigmatized Auguftin, and his Followers, as Manichees. See Hift. of the Popes. Vol. I. p. 349.

* I cannot here omit quoting an ancient Piece, which bears the Title of Clement's Second Epiftle to the Corinthians (though it feems to me Part of a Sermon,) and gives a remarkable Specimen of the Apoftolick Way of Preach

ftles knew how to preach the Gofpel, this is preaching Chrift and the Gospel.

The Gospel-Conftitution not prejudicial to the rest of Mankind. Virtuous Heathens fhall be eternally faved.

pahat

a

THE ten to HE ten foregoing particulars, I think, are all clear from the Proof I have given, that the Gofpel is a Scheme, calculated to reftore true Religión, and to promote Virtue and Happiness. I now proceed.

66

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289. This

pe

ing. Take the Senfe as follows. "Brethren, we fhould not have low "Sentiments of our Salvation -For if we account the Things we hear "preached little and inconfiderable, we fin, not confidering, out of what "Condition we were called, [97.] nor by whom, nor to what Place, nor "what great Things Jefus Chrift patiently fubmitted to fuffer for us. What "Return then shall we make him?-All Praife, and pious Regards are his "Due. For he has graciously given us the Light, [Ephef. v. 8.] has ad"dreffed himself to us as a Father to his Sons, and faved [93.] us when rifhing.-Being blind in our Understanding, worshipping Stones and Stocks, "and Gold and Silver, and Brafs, the Works of Men, and our whole "Life was nothing but Death [100]. In the Midft of fo great Darkness [Ephef. v. 8.] through his good Pleafure, we recovered our Sight, being difengaged from the Cloud which incompaffed us. For he had Mercy [139, 143.] upon us, and in his Compaffion faved us, beholding us in fo "great Error and Destruction, and having no Hope of Salvation but "from him alone. He called us, who were not, [20.] and was pleased "that of nothing we fhould be [or have an Existence: 102.]- -Seeing "then he has vouchfafed us fo great Mercy, chiefly, in that we, who are "alive [or (wrles] facrifice not to dead Gods, nor worship them, but by "him know the Father of Truth, what Acknowledgment fhall we make "him,but to confefs him before men? And how fhall we confess him? By doing what he has taught, and not defpifing his Commandments."Then let us not only call him Lord; for that will not fave us [finally: 275.] -But let us confefs him in our Works [280.] by loving one another, "not committing Adultery, not Slandering,but being chafte, merciful, "good, fympathizing with each other, not loving Money.- -If we do "otherwife, the Lord has faid, Though ye were gathered into my Bofom, "and do not my Commandments, I would caft you away, and fay unto "you, Depart from me, I know you not whence you are, ye Workers of Iniquity. "Wherefore, Brethren, ceafing to live after the Manner of this World, "let us do the Will of him that has called us. For the Sojourning of "the Flesh in this World is low, and of short Duration; but the Promile of "Chrift is grand and wonderful, and the Reft [109.] of the future King"dom, and of Life eternal. And how fhall we attain thofe Things, but by "living holily, and justly, and by accounting worldly Things foreign to our Happiness; for if we covet them, we fall from the righteous Way. 66 -and nothing can deliver us from eternal Punishment."

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Obferve; how clearly he distinguishes between the first and final Salvation

289. This noble Scheme was not intended to exclude any Part of the World, to whom it should not be revealed, from the present Favour of God, or future Salvation; or any Ways to prejudice them [73]. The moral and religious State of the Heathen was very deplorable; being generally funk into great Ignorance, grofs Idolatry, and abominable Vices. But there might be fome virtuous Perfons among them. Now the Gospel was not intended to fink the honeft, virtuous Heathen, or to leave him deftitute of the Bleffing of God; but to exalt the upright Chriftian, and give him greater Advantages for improving his rational Powers; not to make the Heathen worse, but to make the Chriftian better. Nay, further; Though the Nations, who protefs the Gofpel, are, at prefent, greatly favoured in external Privi leges, beyond thofe who are ignorant of it, yet, in the Day of Judg ment, God will, without refpect of Perfons, render to every Man according to his Works, and according to the honeft Ufe he has made of the greater or leffer Advantages he has enjoyed: And in that folemn Day, the virtuous Heathen will not be rejected, because he did not belong to the vifible Kingdom of God in this World, but will then be readily accepted, and received into the Kingdom of Glory. Nor, on the other Hand, will a wicked Profeffor of Chriftianity be partially fa voured, because, in this prefent Time, he was a Member of Christ's vifible Church, and numbered among the Elect; but will certainly then be difowned, and condemned with all the Workers of Iniquity. This is very evident in Scripture. Our Saviour, fpeaking of the Centurion, who was a Heathen, faith (Mat. viii. 11, 12.) "Verily I fay unto you, I have not found fo great Faith [as this Heathen has profeffed] no, not in Ifrael," [who are the peculiar People and Kingdom of God]. “And I fay unto you, many [Heathen, who are not the Children of the Kingdom in this World, ] fhall [in the last Day] come from the Eaft and Weft [from all Parts of the Globe,] and fhall fit down with Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven: But the Children of the Kingdom fhall be caft out into outer Darkness; there fhall be Weeping and Gnafhing of Teeth." This relates to the present Kingdom of God in general, as well under the Chriftian, as the Jewish Difpenfation: For our Lord is fpeaking of the final Iflue of Things at the laft Day, as I have fhewn [172], when all the various Difpenfations of the Kingdom of God fhall be finished, and therefore, what he faith most naturally refers to the Kingdom of God under any Difpenfation. Befides, if the many, who fhall" come from the Eaft and the West, and fit down with Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven," be understood of those Heathen, who fhould hereafter embrace the Faith of the Gospel, and be taken into the peculiar Kingdom of God in this World, then our Saviour's Affertion furely is not to the Point, with regard to the Centurion's Cafe, who was a Heathen. For then, his Affertion would run thus, "I fay unto you, many who" shall hereafter be the Children of the Kinge dom, fball come from the Eaft and Weft, and fit down with Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, while the Children of the Kingdom [that is, the prefent Jews] fhall be caft out." Thus the Oppofition would be between the future "Children of the Kingdom," or Chriftians, and the prefent "Children of the Kingdom," or Jews:

Whereas

Whereas the Centurion's Cafe required, that the Oppofition fhould be between Heathens, and the Children of the Kingdom. Confequently this Text proves, that many Heathens fhall be faved, while fome of the Chifdren of the Kingdom, whether Jews or Chriftians, fhall perish.

290. And that a Heathen may poffibly fo believe as to come unto God, is evident from Heb. xi. 6, " He that cometh to God muft believe that he is, and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently feek him." The Objects of true faving Faith are more or lefs extenfive, according to the lefs or greater Light any Man enjoys. The Objects of Faith, before our Lord's Coming, were not fo extenfive as ours, who have before us the whole Scheme of Revelation. And he who has no other Guide than the Light of Nature, and in that Light fees" that God is, and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently feek him," and accordingly comes to God by an obedient Life, fo far as he knows his Duty, is a true Believer, according to the Apostle's general Account of Faith, even though he doth not fee any Part of the Objects of Faith, which are peculiar to the Chriftian Revelation. Confequently, a Heathen, in any Part of the World, may poffibly exercife true Faith, and be an accepted Believer in the Sight of God; for he may believe, that "God is, and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently feek him."

291. Our Lord (Mat. xxv. 14, &c.) fhews us, how he will in the laft Day judge "his own Servants, to whom he has delivered his Goods;" that is, the Members of his Church, whom he has favoured with fingular Privileges. But in the next Parable (Ver. 31, &c.) he fhews, that all Nations, both within and without the Pale of the Church, shall be gathered before him; and that he will receive all the Righteous that are found among them into eternal Life, and condemn all the Wicked to. everlafting Punishment [178]. This is agreeable to what the Apostle fit, Rom. ii. 9, 10, 11, "Tribulation and Anguifh fhall be upon every Soul of Man that doth Evil, of the Jew firft, and alfo of the Gentile. But Glory, Honour and Peace fhall be rendered to every Man that worketh Good, to the Jew firft, and alfo the Gentile; for there is no Respect of Perfons with God."

292. And indeed, through the Whole of that fecond Chapter to the Romans, the Apoftle fuppofes true Religion is of an univerfal Nature and Extent, and may poffibly be found every where, among all Nations upon the Globe. Wherever rational Nature is, there true Religion may in Fact be. This is manifeftly his Senfe, Ver. 27, "And fhall not the Uncircumcifion, which is by Nature, if it fulfil the Law, judge thee, who by the Letter and Circumcifion doft tranfgrefs the Law;' That is, "Shall not the mere Heathen, who is deftitute of the Benefit "of Revelation, and is by Nature, or hath no other Guide but his "own Natural Reason and Understanding, fhall not fuch a one, if he "fulfil the Law by a fober and upright Converfation, condemn thee, "who enjoyeft the Privileges of Revelation, and perverteft them "to the Purposes of Wickedness?" The Apoftle's Argument has no Force, if it be not true, that the mere Heathen, who is by Nature alone; who has no other Guide befides that Reafon and Understanding, which is the Gift of God to all Men, and the Infpiration of the Almighty, may fulfil the Law, the Law, at least, that he is under;

that

that is, may be a fincerely virtuous, honeft, fober, kind, good and benevolent Man. This is the Foundation of the Apoftle's Reafoning with the Jew; and will equally hold with Regard to the Chriftian too. We may truly turn his Words to ourselves, and fay; "Shall not the Heathen, who is by Nature, if he fulfil the Law of God, condemn thee, O Chriftian, who by mistaking and perverting Revelation, and its Privileges, doft tranfgrefs the Divine Law."

293. The first Sermon that was ever preached to a Gentile-Chriftian Audience begins with those remarkable Words, (A&ts x. 34, 35.) “ Of a Truth, I perceive that God is no Refpecter of Perfons; but in every Nation he that fears him, and works Righteousness, is accepted of him." For (1 Tim. iv. 10.) "The living God is the Saviour of all Men, fpecially

of those that believe."

294. This may fuffice to fhew, That as the Gospel, preached to fome Nations of the World, could not make the Condition of others worse, fo, in Fact, it did not deprive any virtuous Perfons among them of the leaft Degree of God's Favour, or leave them deftitute of the Regards of his Goodnefs. 'Tis a great Bleffing to us, and no Injury to them.

CHAP. XIV.

The Gospel was not defigned, in itself, to unchurch the Jews: Yet they warmly oppofed it, 1. Some Totally; 2. Others only in Part.

ND as the Gofpel was not intended to prejudice the

295. A Heathen, to whom it fhould not be difcovered, so neither

was it, in itself, defigned to unchurch the Jews. This appears from what has already been faid to prove, that the believing Gentiles are taken into the fame Body, Church and Covenant, in which the Jews were before the Gofpel-Difpenfation was erected [79, &c.] Only, whereas till the Coming of our Lord they had profeffed Sbjection to God alone, as their King and Governour, when the GospelDifpenfation was fet up, they were further required to profefs Subjection to Jefus Chrift, as conftituted King and Lord of the Church. Before, they believed in God; under the Gofpel, they were required to believe alfo in the Son of God, as his Chrift or Meffiah, whom he had fet King upon his holy Hill of Sion. John xiv. 1. And believing in the Meffiah, they remained ftill the People, though not the only People, of God.

296. Nor doth it appear, that they were obliged to difufe any Part of their former Law or Conftitution. Indeed, they were to confider themselves, and all the Jews that had been under the Sinai Covenant, from first to laft, as delivered from the Curfe of the Law, which fubjected them for every Tranfgreffion to eternal Death. And further; they were not to Regard any of the Peculiars of the Law of Mofes as

neceffary,