SE e T. XII. of Eifitlua1 Ctllin ,~ áo3 thy_fpirir, even then thy thoughtsof kindenefs Oh think onthefe things I what, is there nothing'but your children, your husbands, yourwives, fhould pofefs thy whole an. in á Yes, that grace ofGod calling thee Thirdly , The perfons wham God caileth: They afford ohs; As many confiderati_ Firft, They are the meanejf in outward co,dit:on: If you read the Evangelifts, God calf`sr youfhallfinde, that thegreateft pare of perfons called, were of no pomp, no L noife or fame in the world : Though the material Temple was built of precious the me " ftone, and excellent wood, andadornedwith gold, whereby it was the t;.agni- ficenteft wonder in the world ; yet there is no fuck beauty in the fpiritual Temple of God, in his Church and children ; This bathalways been ohjetied again£ the ways of Chrift. ?titian objected it, the Papifs objected it again£our Martyrs, that fuffered by their cruel violence: Not God bath delighted to take filch a way, not onely in heavenly things, but even in the Government of the world, he bath many times flamed fuck remarkable paflsges : f ,%èph a con- temptible prifone _, hath his irons taken off, and he is admitted to the greaten, honorin theLani Mot r, froth whatcontemptible originals, did herife to be the chief Governorof the people; and thus 'David alto! So that as God to make himfelf glorious in the outward Government ofthe world, huhadvanced men of no degree; thus he makes heirs to the incorruptible crown. of glory, men accounted as dung andoff-fcouringof theworld: Take heed then,that as the Pharifees looked for a glorious Melúas, and that.was their fumbling block fo thou alto look for the great, and rich, and mighty men of the world, tobe as they are, to live as they do, and that prove thy fpiritual undoing; Oh the wifdomand goodnefs of God ! how unfearchable his ways? thole who have fcarcecloathes to cover their nakednefs, thall have the crownof glory, and the robes of immortality upon them; thofe who have fcarce a cottage to live in, £hall belet on thrones of glory; thofe who are defpifed and contemned by men, are highly prifed by God, andloved by Angels : This honor have al the Saints.. Secondly, Confider alto, That the perfons called, are many times the Worfl of men, great andhainous fassens, As they are the meaneft for their external con- II° dition, fo theworth for their Moralities, that all the world maybeconvinced, T c cer,'. and fay, It wasnot fuch a mans goodnefs, his ingenuity, his honett endeavors, his willing delires, but God fpake unto him, while walloping in hit bloo- To live. The Pharifees, who gloried inan external ftriftnefs, andknew no further then an outwardgodlinefs, did upon thisconfideration, labor to defame Chrift and his Do&rine, that he kept company with publicans and linnets; as the Ifraelires murmured that Motes married a Blackamoor, and as thecontempti- ble and vileftof men followed David; fo it was a great fumbling block, that. Chrif called great tanners to repentance that he rejefted the Pharifees, the teeming glory of the world. Our Saviour in many places he difcovers, that prophane andopen fnaers, did fooner obtain thekingdom ofheaven, then thole civil, moral men;' and if you diligently eye Gods way, you thall finde it fill true, That the rich hefendeth empty away, andthehungry hefalls withgood things' that none arefurther from being effectually called, then fuch who fay, They are full, rich,and want nothing; their own righteoufnefs, their own goodnefs, their own felf- fufficiency, is that which beareth up their hearts ; and being thus whole in their own apprehendons, they leek out for nophyftian: Oh its worthy ofour ferions conlideration, to take notice ofhow manyrhoufands are forfaken and pallid over byGod, who are perfwaded all is well with them. Defpairing men are but few to prefuming men, they are like the lands upon the Tea chore; go from one man to another, andyou full finde them all content- ed in themfelves; there are no groans for Clarif, there are no pantings for a Hhhh x Saviour,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=