76o Chap. 26. An expofttion upon the Tookof J 0 B. Vert 7. Thirdly, It flaewes the power ofGod muchmore to do great things without the ufe ofany means at all.Such aetings are crea- tings, as the Apoftle fpeakes ofthe Creation ( Hob: II. 3. ) 2 kroughfaith we nnderfand that the worlds were framedby the word ifGod ; fo that things that arefeene, were not madecf things that dce appeare. Nothingappeared out of which this world was created. There was no pre. xiflent matter, cut of which the worldwas made ; The world was made out ofnothing ; That Goodly fabrick of heaven and earth which is now feen,was made of that which was never feene ; no man can tell what were the material's of which God made the world. Now as God fhewed his infinite power at firm in making all things of thatwhich did not appeare, fo the great power ofGod doth appear now in do- ing great things without the appearance or external concurrence ofany thing. The-Lord turnes whole Nations fomet+mes by no- thing;things are dome and no mancan tell how they were done, or by what. We love to have a faire Appearance ofmeans,when we attempt great matters;Buc God loves to aft when and where nothing appeares. We honour God moil, when we a-e rencible that the great&means is nothing without him and that,he him- felfe is enough when no meanes at all apperres to fence. h is gods ufuali way to doe things in a way which is net ufed ; and ey- ther to ufe no helps or that which lignifieth nothing. Thus the Apofile defcribes the dealirg of God in bringing fouls to hirsi elf by a holy calling, and in removing whatfoevrr flandeth in the wayof that call(t Cor. r,26.)For jefee your calling,brethren,bew that not many wife men after the fiefh, not many migyy, not many ,, ble are called. &c.(fome wife and mighty menare called,left any thing in man thould feeme too hard for the Grace ofGod ; and not many wife and mighty men are called, left any thing in man fhould feeme to contribute to or help out the cell of God) but g, d kath chafe» foolifh things to confound the wife : and God hash cbofen the weakthings ofthe world to confound the things which are mighty, andbate things ofthe world,and things which aredifpiled, kath godchafen, yea and things whichare not, to bring to nought things that are;that is,thofethings which are to foolifhand weak and bale & defpifed, they Teem to have no being,or are accoun- ted as nothing, even thefe nonentityes, thefe poore toolesdoth God chute and take up to doe great things by, and to nullifie or bring
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