The Angel appeareth to Cornelius, doth not preach the Gospel to Cornelius, but from the Lord directeth ⟨p. 4⟩him to send to Peter, to Peter, who was one of Christs Ministers, and He should preach unto him, and tell him such words whereby he and his should be saved. The Angel could have told him such words himself; he could have set forth the Lord Jesus Christ in his Divinity, and eternal abode with God; in his Humanity, with which he clothed and veiled himself, and abode for a while here amongst men; in his Life so holy, his Works so powerful, his Love so great, his Death so painful, his Resurrection so soon, his Ascension so wonderful, his Session and Intercession at the right hand of God; and the Glory which he hath with the Father in Heaven, however he had been vilified by some men when he was upon the Earth. The Angel could have preached the Law with such Thunder and Lightning, as should have made the Conscience of Cornelius to tremble, even as the Israelites did when the Law was given by their ministration on Mount Sinai. He could have shot the arrows of the Almighty so deep into his Spirit, as no balm on earth should have been able to heal his wounds: The Angel could have represented the God of Heaven in a more terrible way than man can do, as Lord of an innumerable host of mighty Angels, of which he was but one, and as set in battle-array against Christless sinners; and told Cornelius what dreadful threatenings were denounced, and what heavy Curses did belong unto such as had broken Gods Law; and hereby could have put him into such terrors and consternation in reflection upon the least guilt, as should have sunk him down to the very brink of the burning Lake in his own apprehension, and forced him in the anguish of his spirit to cry out, O what ⟨p. 5⟩shall I do to be saved? And then he could have represented the Lord Jesus Christ unto him as the only, and an all-sufficient, and most merciful Saviour of Mankind, who had undertaken the Office of Mediator and Advocate, and was faithful. He could have described his beauty and excellency in such high expressions, and invited Cornelius to come to Christ with such sweet words and pressing arguments, as never proceeded out of the mouth of any man. But the Angel had no commission to preach the Gospel to Cornelius;
The Angel appeareth to Cornelius, doth not preach the Gospel to Cornelius, but from the Lord directeth ⟨p. 4⟩him to send to Peter, to Peter, who was one of Christs Ministers, and He should preach unto him, and tell him such words whereby he and his should be saved. The Angel could have told him such words himself; he could have set forth the Lord Jesus Christ in his Divinity, and eternal abode with God; in his Humanity, with which he cloathed and vailed himself, and abode for a while here amongst men; in his Life so holy, his Works so powerfull, his Love so great, his Death so painfull, his Resurrection so soon, his Ascension so wonderfull, his Session and Intercession at the right hand of God; and the Glory which he hath with the Father in Heaven, however he had been vilified by some men when he was upon the Earth. The Angel could have preached the Law with such Thunder and Lightning, as should have made the Conscience of Cornelius to tremble, even as the Israelites did when the Law was given by their ministration on Mount Sinai. He could have shot the arrows of the Almighty so deep into his Spirit, as no balm on earth should have been able to heal his wounds: The Angel could have represented the God of Heaven in a more terrible way than man can do, as Lord of an innumerable host of mighty Angels, of which he was but one, and as set in battel-array against Christless sinners; and told Cornelius what dreadfull threatnings were denounced, and what heavy Curses did belong unto such as had broken Gods Law; and hereby could have put him into such terrors and consternation in reflection upon the least guilt, as should have sunk him down to the very brink of the burning Lake in his own apprehension, and forced him in the anguish of his spirit to cry out, O what ⟨p. 5⟩shall I do to be saved? And then he could have represented the Lord Jesus Christ unto him as the only, and an all-sufficient, and most mercifull Saviour of Mankinde, who had undertaken the Office of Mediatour and Advocate, and was faithfull. He could have described his beauty and excellency in such high expressions, and invited Cornelius to come to Christ with such sweet words and pressing arguments, as never proceeded out of the mouth of any man. But the Angel had no commission to preach the Gospel to Cornelius;
