Acts 10:31 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Thy prayer is heard, &c.— The case of Cornelius before St. Peter was sent to him, was, I have no doubt, the case of many, who were far from being in any degree Jewish proselytes, and had never heard of the Jews and their religion; as it was most certainly the case of many before the peculiarities of Judaism existed, and even before the institution of the Abrahamic covenant; though Cornelius was one of the most eminent for piety of these persons. This history evidently proves, that God would sooner send an angel to direct pious and upright persons to the knowledge of the gospel, than suffer them to perish by ignorance of it. But I refer my readers to my annotations on the epistle to the Romans for the fullexplanation of my sentiments, on the salvation of the pious heathen by the righteousness which is of God by faith. God forbid, however, that I should intimate, that any persons like Cornelius, may be found among those whoreject Christianity, when offered to them in its full evidence. But see the next note.