Sacr.XII. yt EeElual Calling. fot ISatobliFiñRRFiFSttgA;;AtiiWFì144A4414äHC SERMON CIII. Stirring up to ferious andfixed e `2 feditationsupon this Calling, in refpecl of the manner and time of it, and the perms called. 1C0 1.26. For ye fee year Calling (Brethren) bon, that not many wife men after the Alb, not manymighty, not many noble are called, &c. THe Apostle at the r 8. Ver/e, begins an excellent difcourfe about theminer and way which God caked) to convert and fave men ; for whereas the eyeof reafon doth look for fome Wife, Eloquent, andExternally glori- ous manner; the Apoftle Iheweth, that God taketh theclean contrary way, by that admirable potation, verfe 26. to be engraven on ill our hearts, and which is of daily ufe, both in Religious andCivil Affairs, The foolifhnef.o ofGod ù*Or then men; and the Weakne/s of Godfironger then men; the Apoftle calls the foolifhnefsand weaknefs of God, that which in humane thoughts and re- fpellsis fo: Now heconfiders, that the things of God, which have this out- ward defpicable appearance, yet have glorious operations; whereupon the Apoffie amplifieth this tranfcendent methodofGod, as in themanner ofpreach- ing the Gofpel, fo in the perlons that are converted thereby, in the Textread t where Firft, we have the introdu@ion toobferve. Secondly, The matter to be confidered. The introdu&tion, Foryefee your calling; Come read it imperative.. ly, See andtake notice ofyour calling; whichway foever you take it, it amounts to this, That Gods callingof men from a Dateof fin, to grace, is likeEzekiel& waters, that rife up higher and higher; we may Dill take notice of forne more excellent and admirable aggravations in it : The looking uponthe Creation, and confidering of theCreatures, it may jualy Dir up men to glorifie the Wif -, dom and power of God: But this much more; and that which theApofle Both efpecially take notice of in this Text is, the perlons whom he bath called, and they aredefcribed,fitíi, Negatively, then Pofitively. Negatively, Not ma- ny wife, not many mighty, not many noble; where he doth not abfolutelydeny, no wife, no ;nighty, no great ones; for examples in Scripture are recorded, of fome few fuch, but not many: This is a ferions confideration, to fhame and confound allBeíh; Who do not look upon there things, as making men happy andglorious? but God overlooketh them all. Now ro fix as the more upon this confideration, he illufirates it on the contrary, God hath chofenfoolifb and Weak, andbale things in the World: The Apolle in this Argument, makes cal- ling and choofing all one, becaufe they neceffarily agree, as thecaufeandei feEt together, Eleftionand efficacious calling follow one another. Lafly, the Apofileinlru%s us about the endof Gods difpenfation inall their things; and that is twofold ; t. Toconfound the wile, and to bring to nought the mighty things that are. a. Which is a confequent of the former, That no fiehfhouldglory in hit prefixes that none may fay, It was his power, wifdom, or any humane FIhhtò excellency
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