174- The ?3ackeparts ofIehouah. i Gan, t. 3/, and it roarfo'. And this is worthy the noting,as an argument ofthe flrengthand 7. power OfGod , that howfoeuerforthe notpart, he vfeth meanes for the brin- ging ofthere things to paffe.,which hebathdetermined,yet,lefi we lhouid fo faire admirethe meanes,asthat in the meane timewe fhould afcribc the leffe veto him thstvl th them, he dothordinarily,eff P. thegrcatefl things by the weakeft and mollunlikely meanes. He brought the Ifraelites out of the Egyptianscaptiuity by Mfar and Aaron, two filly perfons (in mans opinion) to preuaileagainfí fo kP(,1.7CO. puiffant a Prince as Pharaoh wask. Iericho, a mighty floongcity,enuilonedwith I toil, 6. :0. prong wals,ouerthrownby the blaftsof trumpets'. Sfora thegreat commander under robin, Kingof Canaan, who held the lfraelites in bondage twenty yeares, m Iudg.ç. ne. vanquiíhed bya Woman"'. When Godrailed vpGideon todeiner thepeople, from the tvîidíanires,andGideòn had muflred his men together,The Lordfaid,7he ntuig.y,at. people thatare with thee, me toomanyformetognu. the Midianiteimo their hands ". In the wars ofPrinces it is thought,that the more flrength there is,&the greater multitude offightingMen, the more likely-hoodof viäory ; but yet God laid, the companywas too great , knowing that thepeople would be ready to vaunt and to fay, Mine handbath jarred me: therefore theLord brought themfrom two and-thin ty thoufand,to yco.men.It was all one with himto faue with few as with many:and thefmaller was the company, the more glorious wasthe viftory. But in matters ofgraceand falsar ion, the matter is suchmore apparant, howJiro g God is,to do great mattersby retake inflrnments. The worke is great,to loofe the o t.In' .3.8. wor%esofthe dine/! °,to vanquilh death, tokill fin, toappeafe Gods inftice, to call men toknowledge, tobeget faithintheir hearts : but let vs confider , by how weakmanes (in brew) all there thingsare effe&ed; God fends litsSouse into theworld : Well; in whatmanner, and after what fafhioncommeth he ? Very poorely,&very meanely,the place ofhis birth afiable,thecradle a cratcb,the firli p Leks.y,S. towhom it was reuealed,Sheepheard:P, Chrifi himfelfe in thewhole conn e ofhis &c. lifewanting all thingswhich mightgrace himamong men. He had final) wealth, his retinue was very thinne, andconfiltingof menof no note in the worldsopi- nion,a manhated, and (corned, and defpiled amongthe great onesof the times, perfeeuted to the dearh,arraigned as -a malefaâor, fcoffed at , vied mot! defpite_ fully,condemned tobe executed among theeues. This meanes might fameve- ry unlikely todeliver mankinde from the captiuity and thraldome of the deuili. And yet (bleiffedbe this firing lebonais) wee fee how hispower was made perJetl q s.Cor. u,9. throughhis great weaken J q. Thisdefpifedman,yea a Worme andnot aMan" , by 511Gl.n,.6. contempt procured ourglory, by dying fubdueddeath, by beeing condemned acquired vs,bybecomwing porrobathmade verich r, by takingon bins the formeof n >.cots.aa afr''rreane t hath rebored vs into liberty , by being madefirne " hath remooued csl.aa}, the guiltof our fin;by becomming a curie * bathmade vs Mires of blJng n. 7 his x ,Pei.;.9. is the Lardsdoing,and it is maraellorcr inour eyes y.Proceed yet:Chrill afcending vp Ya`'r'a' 3 intoheauen, pureftdrhe conuerlionof tire world, the callingofthe Gentiles, the gathering of Ms particular and chores peopleunto himfelfe r Whom chofe he,and what ones dothhe daily chafe unto his feruice ? not Angels, though they be all at his fernier, but men like unto vs. And what mull theydoe toconuert foules ? The wife men oftheworld loolte for tome great matter, which might breed aflonifhment.But what is it?Heart the Aponte:/t ',leafed Gpdby thefeelifh- sr.Cont.u, neofpreaching tofaro them thatbeletee'. Here is a poore meanes(asa man would b tGr.p ;.t thinke) to conuertfoules:and yet is it the arme s andpowerofGedunto f lxation,to c Roma, r6, every one that beleenetb C. Thus haue you the fecond caufe whyGod is called Strong: whatfoeuerhewilleth, thatheeffc éteth, withoutdifficulty ; many times without rneanes,gencrally by weake weaves , totheend that the excellencie of The 3. esul, his owne power might appeare. The thirdcaufe why he is tearmed Strong,is tse- caule he can doe more,their eitherhe doth,or will doe.God ir able of thefefi'onrsto dMath,3,9. r'aife upchildrenvete Abraham, laidJohn Baptifta. ThisGod coulddoe, but he waS
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