BERM. VII.1 FALLING SHORT OF HEAVEN. 123 If the question were put to us, Who are the persons that are fit to stand in the court of God above,, to be the inhabitants and ornaments of heaven ? Weshould be ready to say, the beautiful "and the ingenious, the souls of a sweet disposition, and the persons of grace- ful behaviour. We arc tempted to think that the xvell- born, the wise, the affable, and the well-accomplished, should all be made saints, and the favourites of God ; but he sees with other eyes, he determines his special love by other principles, and makes another sort of dis- tinction by his sovereign saving grace, unguided and unallured by the merit of man. 1 Cor. i. 26, 27, 28, 29. Ye see your calling, brethren, hgw that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are Called; But God hath chosen thefoolish things of the world, to confound thewise; and Godhath chosen the weak things of the world, to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, bath God chosen ; yea, and things whichare not, tobring to nought things that are, that nofleshshouldglory in hispresence. What would become of the morose, the rough natu- ral tempers, if God loved none but such as were lovely in our eyes? What would become of all the deformed and the most uncomely pieces of human nature ; the clownish, and the weak, and base things of this wòrld,. if God should chuse none but the fair, and the well- bred, the well- figured, and the honourably; ? If this were the rule of his conduct, what dismal distinction would light upon thousands, and some good men too, who must wear in their faces, in this world, the dread- ful sentence of their damnation in the next? But the great and sovereign God acts by other measures; he lays down to himself divine rules, that are to us un- known, and must be for ever unsearchable. Some, who are endowed with native excellencies, he adorns with heavenly graces, and they shine as jewels set in rings of gold : Others, who have scarce any thing in them amiable by nature, are the objects of divine love, and made vessels of grace; though these do never make so charming an appearance among men. Moses the meek and .obliging, Jonah the rough and the peevish, were both beloved ofGod; for he made saints and pro-
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