Andrew, so was the first convert from the Gentiles one, who, in prayer, in alms-giving, in subduing of the flesh, had already made some progress; that so all might see, that neither the abyss of sin was too deep for God's arm to rescue thence the foulest sinner, nor any holiness, which even He had imparted, sufficed to admit to the glories of His kingdom, without the "birth of water and the Spirit." Cornelius was already, in a measure, sanctified; and therefore He, who "giveth more grace," translated him into the kingdom of His dear Son, chose him first of the Gentile world to be a member of Christ, re-generated him and then sanctified him wholly; that "all who glory might" henceforth "glory in the Lord." The miraculous imparting of the Holy Ghost, whereby they (not Cornelius only) "spake with tongues, and magnified God," does not appear (one must speak reverentially, but still it does not appear) to have been imparted for the sake of Cornelius, but of the Church; or rather for Cornelius' and all our sakes, that it might hence be testified that from that time there was neither Jew nor Greek, but that the "kingdom of Heaven was opened to all believers." And so the Gentile Church, in the house of Cornelius, was inaugurated in the same solemn way wherein the Apostles themselves had received the "promise of the Father;" and it was signified, that "to the Gentiles also was given repentance unto life," that among the Gentiles, also, and through the Gentiles, in every speech, and nation, and language, men "should magnify God." And since the visible descent of the Holy Ghost, and the speaking with tongues, and magnifying God, had, for its immediate object, to convince St. Peter, and the rest of the Apostles, that "no man should forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost, as well as we;" what are we, that we should venture to say, that Cornelius had received all the benefits of Baptism before he was baptized, when it was his very admittance to Baptism, which God chose in this way to effect[1]? or how dare we lower the greatness of our pri-
- ↑ Calvin (Institt. 4. 15. 15.) asserts, that "Cornelius was baptized, having had remission of sins, and the visible gifts of the Holy Spirit, already, before this, bestowed upon him: not looking for a fuller remission from Baptism,
