102 FALLING SHORT OF HEAVEN. Sometimes he chuses a man of great intellectual powers, and sets an invisible mark of divine love upon him : At another time he takes pleasure to pour contempt on all the pride of human reason, by chusing a foolish man, and makinghim an humble be- liever. Sometimes he exalts the man of natural virtue into a saint; and again, he spreads shame and confusion over all our own pretended righteousnesses and vainconfidence, by calling out, here and there, a profane wretch, and converting him to faith and holiness, and in the mean time he leaves some that are sober, and have many human virtues, and good appearances, to perish with the Pharisee and the hypocrite for ever, in their pride and self-righteousness. Jesus, the Man, looked upon this pretty - youththat was well-born, sober, and virtuous, and he loved him ; but the eternal God chosehim not for a saint, for he suffered him torun madding after his many possessions, and to despise hea- ver. Here it becomes us to be silent and adore. O the depths of divine counsel ! O the awful and glorious sovereignty of the grace of God, that could pass by so desirable aperson, whom the man Jesus could not lookupon without pity and love ! How un- searchableare his ways, andhis judgments pastfinding out; Rom. xi. 33. Now though this be a very painful and tremendous medita- tion, yet there is in excellent, Use to be made of it. No man should despair of salvation, and the love of God, how mean and despicable soever his appearance be amongmen,'or how remote soever from all that we call lovely. Let him forsake all sin' and be happy for ever. Nor should the most amiable of creatures, in the natural or civil world, flatter themselves that they are upon that account beloved of God, and shall certainly be partakers of eternal blessings in the wòrld of glory. Let them follow Christ, and be saved. But I would dwell upon this last thought a little, and there- fore I shall propose my fourth remark in this,manner. 4th Remark. Many lovely accomplishments, joined toge- ther, will not carry anatural man to heaven. The finest compo- sition of beauty and youth, strength and riches, and all this em-. bellished with many forms of godliness, and some shining out- wardvirtues, will not obtain eternal life. The man that is thus qualified and adorned, if he prefers earth to heaven, and loves thepòssessious of this world, above spiritual treasures; abides in a state of condemnation and death. Grace is not a flower 'that grows in the field of nature, nor is it made by the heart of man : it is a divine seed ; it is planted in our hearts by the Spirit of God ; John i. 13. The saints are born not of blood; that is, by natural generation: nor of the will of theflesh, that is, by our own powers of nature ; nor of the Will of man; that is, by the influence that others haveover us : but of God.
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