THE PRAYERS AND THE ALMS OF CORNELIUS.

REV. H. MELVILL, A.M.

CAMDEN CHAPEL, CAMBERWELL, JULY 5, 1835 *.

"And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God."-ACTs, x. 4.

THESE Worbs occur, as you are probably aware, in the history of the Centurion Cornelius. the first Gentile admitted into the Christian Church. We have on other occasions explained to you, that the power of the keys, with which St. Peter was entrusted, and on which the Papists lay such stress when contending for the supremacy of the Pope, appears to be nothing but the power of first opening the Church to the Gentiles. Hitherto there had been a wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles, the former belonging to the people of God, whilst the latter were strangers and foreigners. Hence the Church was a citadel, closed and barred against the great mass of the human population. But when Peter, instructed by the heavenly vision, admitted Cornelius and his friends into the Church, he did, as it were, apply the key to the massive gate, and throw open the citadel to those who had been hitherto excluded.

It is very observable, that the honour of thus opening the Church was carefully reserved for St. Peter, though Cornelius, as it would seem, might have been more readily instructed by others. We find it said of Philip the evangelist, after his interview with the Ethiopian eunuch, that "passing through he preached in all the cities till he came to Cesarea. Now it was at Cesarea that Cornelius abode, and you might have expected that Philip would have been employed in preaching to him the Gospel. Why is Peter to be brought from Joppa, a place at a considerable distance from Cesarea, unless it was because he was to be the commencement of the call of the Gentiles, and the honour of introducing this new dispensation having been promised to Peter, in reward of his memorable confession of Christ?

We would also remark, before entering more particularly on the history of Cornelius, that God put great honour on the appointed means of grace, by directing the Centurion to send for the Apostle. Why is not an angel instructed to preach the Gospel to Cornelius? An angel visited him, but only to inform him where instruction might be gained, and not himself to communicate that instruction. Certainly, as we conceive, the heavenly visitant might as well have preached the Gospel to Cornelius, as directed him to one of its ministers. But having appointed a ministry for the propagation of

On behalf of the Camden Chapel Schools.

Christianity, God would honour it by employing no other. An angel might guide to an apostle, but not discharge the office of an apostle.

Having premised these considerations on God's employing a man rather than an angel, and Peter in preference to any other preacher of the faith, (considerations which could not have been aptly introduced into the body of our discourse) we are prepared to examine the history of Cornelius, so far as that history has a bearing on the words of our text.

There are many important inquiries suggested by this history, on some of which it would be foreign to our purpose to enter; whilst others are almost forced upon us by the tenor of the narrative. It is evident that our text, containing, as it does, the words by which the angel first addressed Cornelius, represents prayer and alms-giving as acceptable to God, and as moving him to shew favour and grant blessings. The prayers and alms-giving of Cornelius were had in remembrance by God, and seemed to have prevailed on him to send the angelic messenger; and it well becomes us to examine into the reasons of the power and the prevalence thus ascribed to alms-giving; in order that we may estimate at their just value, duties to whose performance we are often admonished.

Thus the most observable thing in the history before us, on which we must; in the first place, enter, is, that the prayers and the alms were not those of a believer in Christ, but of a man who was still a Gentile, and uninstructed in the Gospel. It were not difficult to draw specious, though false, inferences from the fact, and to represent it as a proof that, provided there be high moral practice, it matters comparatively little what may be the man's creed. Such inferences have not unfrequently been drawn-with how little fairness we shall see in the sequel. But it is clear that the circumstances of Cornelius must be taken into the account in explaining our text; and it is quite necessary, therefore, that ere we explain that text more at length, we should survey the leading features of the history of the Centurion.

Now Cesarea, a large and magnificent city, greatly enlarged and beautified by Herod, was at that time the metropolis of Judea, Judea being in subjection to the Roman empire, and the Roman President holding his court at Cesarea. Hence there were many soldiers at Cesarea, divided into companies of one hundred each; each of these companies commanded by officers, who, from the number of their men were designated centurions. Cornelius, who may be judged from his name to have been of a noble Roman family, commanded one of these bands, distinguished as the Italian band; probably because composed for the most part of men from that country. We have no information from other sources with respect to Cornelius; we must therefore learn his character and condition exclusively from the Scriptures. Cornelius, it would appear, had been brought up a heathen; and had probably joined in all the idolatries of his countrymen: but he having been led, in the discharge of his military duties, to Judea, had enjoyed intercourse with the worshippers of the one true God, and was thereby instructed to renounce his superstition. We cannot pretend to determine what degree of acquaintance with the Jewish religion, with its prophecies, and sacrifices, and types, had been acquired by Cornelius: it is manifest, however, that he worshipped the one true God; and it is just as manifest that he had not been admitted within the pale of the Jewish Church. You will observe there were two sorts of proselytes among the Jews, namely,

the one the proselytes of the covenant, and the other the proselytes of the gate. The proselytes of the covenant were circumcised, and embraced the whole Mosaic dispensation, and enjoyed the same privileges as if they had been born Jews: the proselytes of the gate (and these were very numerous) were not circumcised, and not obliged to observe the ceremonial law; they were only obliged to worship the true God, and observe certain moral precepts, which were said to have been delivered to Noah. In this condition they were admitted into the outer court of the temple; while entrance into the other parts of the temple was confided to none but the circumcised. Now Cornelius was a proselyte of the gate, and not of the circumcision. We call him a proselyte of the gate, because he had evidently renounced idolatry, and was living by the guidance of God's moral law: but he was certainly not a proselyte of the covenant, for had he been circumcised, and thus grafted into the Jewish Church, he would not have been esteemed unclean by Peter, and there would have been no need of a vision to prepare the Apostle for his visit to Cornelius; for you remember that St. Peter, being in a trance, saw a vessel descend from heaven, wherein were animals which the ceremonial law pronounced common or unclean. The Apostle is commanded to eat, but refuses on account of the ceremonial prohibition; he is then told not to reckon as common what God had cleansed and the purport of this vision, as we afterwards find, was to inform Peter that ceremonial distinctions were abolished, and that Gentiles, though uncircumcised, were qualified for admission into God's Church. So that it is clear that Cornelius was not circumcised, and that he had gone no further in the Jewish religion than becoming a proselyte of the gate. Residing amongst those who, whatever their sins, worshipped no God but the true, he had learned that God is, and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. He had set himself, therefore, to the vigorous performance of such duties as natural religion, enlightened and corrected by some assistance from revelation, had taught him, as required from him as an accountable creature. He was earnest in prayer, for he knew himself dependant upon an invisible God: he was liberal in alms, for he was willing to shew, by his readiness in succouring the necessitous, his gratitude for mercies daily received. But we have no right to conclude that he went further than this. He may have read the Jewish Scriptures; he may have been aware of the national expectation of the Redeemer; but we have no information on these points; we must not assume, therefore, that he was one who looked for the Messiah. He had indeed heard of Jesus Christ; of the miracles which he wrought, and the death which he died. This is evident from what Peter said, when he reached Cesarea, and found Cornelius and his friends assembled to hear the message from God: "The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all :) that word, I say ye know." Yet it was instruction with regard to Jesus Christ that Cornelius needed; so that, though not unacquainted with his history, we cannot suppose him a believer in his doctrines and all, therefore, that may be positively affirmed of Cornelius is, that having been brought to right views of the unity and spirituality of the Godhead, and his own business as a responsible being, he acted up to his measure of knowledge. So far as God had been pleased to reveal himself in his word, the Centurion took that revelation as his guide and his standard of duty; and if he knew not much, at least he practised to the full what he knew.

And thus he gained the high character which is given him by the evangelist, "A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to his people, and prayed to God alway." Alas! ought not Christians to blush at this description of one who was yet only a Gentile? And must not most of us, notwithstanding the privileges we have enjoyed firm our birth, shrink from comparison with this proselyte of the gate, and feel ourselves immeasurably his inferior in all that is characteristic of piety?

Acting, then, conscientiously up to the measure of his knowledge, and soliciting, it may be, greater light from above, Cornelius was favoured by God with a vision which directed him to send for Peter, that he might be instructed in the truths of the Gospel. The Centurion was distinguished by his prayers and his alms-giving, which had come up before God; so that the Apostle, when told of the circumstance, broke into the exclamation, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." Now here arise questions, which, if it be not easy to answer, it is not easy to overlook: Are, then, the duties of natural religion, if they be faithfully discharged, sufficient to recommend us to the favour of God? and may a virtuous Gentile, though ignorant of Christ the Redeemer, obtain final acceptance with his Creator? Is it true, that an acquaintance with the peculiar doctrines of Christ, so broadly insisted upon by the preachers of the Gospel, is, after all, of minor importance? If Cornelius stood so high in divine favour, merely through his performance of moral duties, are we to be told that salvation must depend as much on our creed as it does on our practice? It is thus the history of the devout Centurion may be perverted into an argument against the necessity of the Gospel; and the observation, that every one that worketh righteousness is accepted of God, be interpreted as proving that a man's faith is unimportant, if he do but form his life to the law which he professes. We observe at once in regard to these questions, that the case of Cornelius affords no information as to virtuous heathen, who act up to the light of nature and the religion of conscience, but then die without obtaining the assistance of revelation. We shall not enter on the case of such heathen; for there is nothing in the subject before us which requires us to travel into so wide and perplexing an inquiry. Cornelius was not wholly without the idea of revelation; and nothing, therefore, can be inferred from God's dealings with this Centurion, as to his final dealings with those who have never heard the Gospel. We deliver no opinion as to what those dealings will be; we only affirm that there is no groundwork for the opinion in the history of Cornelius. Had Cornelius died before visited by the angel, and had we been told that he was then removed into heaven, there would have been a great deal in the narrative from which to argue the possibility that the heathen may be saved. But as Cornelius did not die before instructed in the doctrines of the Gospel, it is evident we have only our own speculations to guide us as to his state had he gone hence in his ignorance; and it must at least be admitted, that our own speculations in regard to Cornelius have no right to pass as proofs in regard to God's dealings with the heathen.

Let it further be observed, that in place of proving the sufficiency of natural religion, the history of Cornelius proves rather exactly the reverse. Instead of shewing that a man's creed is unimportant provided there be righteousness

of practice, the argument, if any can be inferred from the narrative, is all the other way; evidencing that God requires in those whom he approves, that correctness of faith should be superadded to correctness of life. It is quite true that Cornelius, without the aid of the Gospel, had found favour in God's sight, such favour that an angel is sent to certify him as to the acceptance of his prayers and his alms. But what message is the angel commissioned to deliver? Does the heavenly visitant come charged with the announcement, that ignorance of Christianity was an unimportant thing when set against rectitude of conduct, and that the devout Centurion had no need for further illumination? On the contrary, the whole subject of the supernatural communication is the informing him how he may gain instruction in the truths of Christianity. So far from being told that his prayers and his alms rendered faith in the Redeemer unnecessary, he is only told, that his prayers and his alms are so remembered by God, that he had condescended to direct him to a teacher of that faith. The prayers and the alms are not commended as supplying the place of faith in Christ Jesus, but only as inclining God to furnish the Centurion with the materials of that faith: " Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter." So that, as we have before remarked, if any argument is to be derived from the narrative under review, it is an argument against, and not in favour of, the sufficiency of natural religion independent of revealed. If I appeal to the history of Cornelius at all in arguing the possible salvation of those to whom Christ has not been preached, it would be as opposing, and not corroborating the opinion. Cornelius had gone as far as man could go without the knowledge of Christ; and even Cornelius, it would seem, had gone no farther than to prove himself a fit object to be favoured with that knowledge: and though St. Peter declares, that "in every nation he that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him," it is evident from the whole tenor of the narrative, that the Apostle means not that God confines his mercy to a particular nation, but that all, without respect of country, are capable of inheriting the promises of Christ; it does not mean that all who act faithfully up to the principles of natural religion find acceptance, as well as those who are acquainted with, and governed by, the principles of revealed: for this was certainly not the truth communicated to Peter by the vision that he saw: his reference, as instructed by that vision, must have been exclusively to the removal of all distinctions between Jew and Gentile: therefore the opinion which it gives possibly could only be regarded as declaring, that Christianity was to be hence forward the religion of the world, and not merely that of one of its provinces.

Now we have gone thus minutely into the case of Cornelius because aware how much it may be misrepresented. We cannot allow that his history can be appealed to, as affording proof of the sufficiency of natural religion. We know that Cornelius is often referred to as an instance of a man who without Christianity, did enough to secure the favour of God, and as therefore an evidence, that acquaintance with Christianity is not necessary to salvation. We say again we do not enter on so controverted a topic as that of the possible salvation of the heathen. We decline the question, simply because not fairly brought before us by the subject under review. Cornelius did not die a heathen -Cornelius did not enter heaven, through conforming himself to the principles

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