be a passage from a transitory to a lasting felicity Thus much of the condition excluded Now followes the limitation The Apostle doth not say not any but not many wise rich and noble There are so few that the Scripturâ— sometimes cals them none Mat. 11.25 Thou hast â—idden these things saith our blessed Saâ—iour from the wise and prudent without naming any exception The wisdome of God saith St. Paul was â—nown to none of the Princes of this World 1 Cor. 2.8 Yet must we not exclude all great men from the kingdome of heaven for the text doth not The Scripture sometimes speaks in generall though it speak not of all but of the most part So John the Baptist accuseth all No man received his testimony Joh. 3.32 33. yet in the next verse mentions some receivers He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true The summe is that rich men are not wholly excluded from the Kingdome of heaven Else where should we look for Abraham the father of the faithfull Where for Isaac the son of the promise Where for Israel that prevailed with God Where for David a man after Gods own heart All these were rich in this world yet never any good man questioned their happinesse in a better world God is no accepter of persons All men naturally pity the poor whether their cause be right â—or wrong and condemn the rich ere their cause be discussed God doth not so His commiseration is not so great as to save all the poor nor his austerity so great as to condemn all the rich Though he be a friend to the poor yet is he not an enemy to the rich Though the poor more commonly finde his ear open yet is he not hard to be entreated by the rich and wealthy It were the way to make rich men despaire if God had rejected them Who should receive them to favour whom God had refused Who can make them happy whom God had devoted to eternall misery Without Gods favour there is no salvation It is a hard thing for rich men to be saved yet is it possible to God It were the way to make poor men to insult and almesmen ingratefully to despise their benefactous and to trample their persons under feet by whose purses they are maintained Lastly it might be a means to bring Gods good gifts and temporall blessings into contempt and to make men cast away their goods that they might not damn their souls Who would keep those treasures that must necessarily bring him to eternall confusion Who would thank God for those riches that must needs keep him from heaven Who would count that a blessing that â—infallibly brings an everlasting curse upon him No man in his right wits Some have been so far from hurting themselves with their riches that they have helped others So far from encreasing their pain in hell by the abuse of them that they have through Gods mercy increased their reward in heaven by the right use of them They have built houses for Gods worship They have maintained Ministers They have setled Schooles They have founded Hospitals Many other good things have they done pleasing to God and profitable to the world They have sowne their seed liberally in this world and received a plentifull harvest in the Kingdome of heaven They have not laid up treasures upon earth but sent them before to heaven Shall I say that these mens riches are perished with them God forbid They were rather wings to mount them toward happinesse and ladders to clime by to a greater degree of glory Vse The former meditation might drive rich men to their prayers this may urge them to the praising of God that hath not clean refused them Although he have given them a more liberall portion then others upon earth yet hath he not deprived them of all hope of the Kingdome of heaven Those great men that have been good have been very thankfull to God because they have perceived Gods speciall love to them in their double portion But it sufficeth them not to acknowledge Gods bounty to them unlesse they make use of it Their earthly portion must not satisfy them nor make them negligent in seeking after an heavenly Salvation is a matter of great consequence and is not attained without hard labour and much diligence worldly wealth cannot be gotten with looking about much lesse can heavenly which is of far greater estimation If there were no hope at all of obtaining heaven for great men them needed they not labour for it It is invain to wash a Blackmore But the difficulty of obtaining it should not discourage but incourage noble natures to endevours beseeming so great happinesse None but a mad man besiegeth a Town that cannot possibly be taken But if the town be hard to be taken yet if it be rich the warlike Governor will not give over the siege â—till he be Master of the Town He knows that the labour is great and â—he cost not small but the spoyles will pay for all So should great men â—eckon for heaven It will cost them more pains then poorer men to attain â—o it but the glory and happiness thereof will make a full amends Let them â—hen pursue it with courage and they â—hall not misse of it So farre have we waded in the Negative description of Gods called â—nes Now it is time to come to the Affirâ—ative Wherein the Apostle First sets out their Election And Secondly the end of it In their Election note 1. The Electour 2. The Elected The Electour is God But God hath â—osen Where the Apostle informeth us â—at Mans salvation depends upon Gods Election Gods choise is the true ground oâ— our happinesse Hence it is that in Scripture they have that honourable title of Gods Elect. Luk. 18.7 Rom. 8.33 Shall not God avenge his own Elect Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect When the Jeweâ— were cast out and the Gentiles received in their room yet was there among the Jews a remnant according to the election of grace Rom. 11.5 7. And this election hath obtaineâ— that which Israel could not The free dome of Gods election and foundation of mans felicity appears in Jaâ—â— and Esau born of the same parents lying in the same womb at the sanâ— time yet one received the other refused not for any thing in themselves for it was before the children had doâ—â— good or evill Rom. 9.11 but for Gods choise thâ— the purpose of God according to election migâ—stand God hath indued us with aâ— spirituall blessings in heavenly thing in Christ Eph. 1.3 4. saith the Apostle but it is according as he had elected us So thâ— every where the beginning of our haâ— pinesse is ascribed to the same fountain even to Gods choise alone anâ— to nothing besides For our case aâ—â— and condition in nature is alike Iâ— Adam we are all dead We are children indeed
unto the former For ye see your calling Not to trouble your patience with any longer coherence I proceed to the exposition of the words Yee see Some read it indicatively 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yee see others imparetively See or look upon your calling They that read it the first way may urge these reasons First the coherence it seems scarse to be good English For look upon your calling Secondly it seems more fully to prove what the Apostle intended to read it For yee see your calling that is to say yee know the truth of what I spake already and have had experience of Gods wisdome in choosing you before many wiser men and therefore I need not to prove it to you But the other reading is more consonant to the Originall and native signification of the Greek word which is not barely to see but to fixe ones eye upon a thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to look wishly upon it and with consideration Now for the Apostle to say yee do view or look well upon your calling peradventure might be more then was true of many of them for no doubt but there were divers amongst them that did not throughly consider of it It therefore may seem more fitting to bid them to do so then to presume they did so already And this latter reading the Syriack translation followeth reading it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For my brethren look upon your calling also Neither is the speech incongruous but very emphaticall and very fit for the Apostles purpose As if the Apostle should have said If yee doubt whether the foolishness of God be wiser then men I will not send you abroad to look for an example to prove it only I advise you to look inward into your own condition and see if God have not sufficiently proved it in calling you to the hope of eternall life when he neglected many wiser men For thus hath God so provided for your good that he hath not failed his owne glory Poor men are most glad of riches and most thankfull for them But what is it that the Apostle would have the Corinthians to view Calling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whereby he puts them in mind that there was nothing bred in them by nature nor gotten by art or labour that could advance them to this high honour but they had it only from Gods calling them Next observe whose calling he bids them look into not other mens but their own Your calling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But what doth the Apostle mean Doth he call his beloved Corinthians fools Had he no other example in the world of simple men called to be Saints but the Corinthians to whom he writes Surely he did it not to discredit them but to credit God that had called them They could not so well tell what God had done for others as what he had done for themselves The Apostle therefore puls down them that he may set up God The Apostles were despised by the Philosophers and the Corinthians by the Gentiles among whom they lived Yet had both the Apostles and Corinthians obtained that which neither the Philosophers nor Princes of the Gentiles could attain unto to be called of God Consider next what title the Apostle gives them Brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fratres uterini This name of kindness qualifies the former example and makes the Corinthians to take it kindly and to hearken to what else the Apostle should say to them because it came from a brotherly affection and unfaigned love For what stricter name of familiarity could the Apostle have bestowed upon them then this of Brethren Now what manner of calling is this which the Apostle cals upon them to consider of How what not many wise men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Syrian translation addes Among you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well expressing the Apostles meaning as if he should have said unto them Consider your selves and consider them that dayly joyne themselves unto you Que vous n' estes point beaucoup de sages selon le chaix Gall. Transl That ye are not many wise according to the flesh you shall finde that few men noted for learning joyne themselves unto you but many of mean capacity are dayly added to your number And lest the Apostle should seem to discommend wisdome he qualifies the matter in the next words After the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is such wisdome as is pleasing to the flesh or rather such as is born and bred in the flesh or gotten by the strength of naturall wit and by our own labour as Philosophy and other naturall Sciences and artificiall inventions Yet the Apostle doth not say not any of these wise men but not many for though God more freequently call the simpler sort of men yet doth he not wholly passe by the wiser but sometimes makes use of them also Else had St. Paul been in a worse condition then the Corinthians to whom he writes So that as they stand for examples of ignorant men called so he stands for a patterne of a learned man reclaimed If the Kingdome of heaven cannot be taken by craft yet peradventure flesh and bloud will imagine it to be like the kingdomes of the earth that are often carried by the sword That we may think that force hath no stroke in this businesse the Apostle proceeds Not many mighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possum Meaning such as are able to do more then other men are for so the Greek word imports Gods wisdome is too great to be overreached and his power too mighty to be compelled to calany and that he shews by his common calling in that for the most part he sides with the weakest Further it may be thought that Noble men may by their birth make some challenge to Gods kingdome because they are born of greater parents and to greater means then other men To prevent this conceit it followes in the text Not many noble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not many that are born of a good stock as the Greek word signifies or of a great kindred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Syriack translation reads it They may be borne to great possessions upon the earth but not to the kingdome of heaven unlesse they be twice born as well as meaner men Joh. 3.3 And that happinesse fals not upon many of them unlesse the text be mistaken The wise God then that hath refused these whom hath he chosen Hath he refused all Or will he chuse the worst when he hath put by the best Surely God is as wonderfull in his choosing as in his refusing He hath not refused the chief to rid his hands of all or to discourage the meanest to come unto him But rather to make way for the meanest and in them for his own
out of which Gods calling delivers us So Davids preferment was the greater when he was made a King because he was taken from following the Ewes with young Psal 78.70 71 72. Gen. 32.10 Jacobs two bands were the greater riches because with his staffe only he went over Jordan The mercy of the caller is the greater because of the misery the called did endure before Our condition was obscure before now it is famous It was servil before now it is free It was full of impiety formerly but now God hath planted piety in us It was loaden with impiety at first yet now our hearts are set upon equity and righteousnesse This promotion of ours cals for the more inspection because of the high honour and great riches we are called unto What greater honour then to be Gods children What greater riches then the inheritance of the kingdome of heaven 1 Thess 2.12 Walke worthy of Goâ— who hath called you unto his kingdomâ— and glory Great disproportion there iâ— betwixt darknesse and light Eph. 5.8 Ye werâ— sometimes darknesse but now are ye lighâ— in the Lord. No lesse difference between life and death 1 Joh. 3.14 Yet we know that we have passed from death to life Every man is willing to understand his own honours And we count them but bad husbands that dive not into their own Estates and are ignorant of their own Possessions Look then how far spirituall honours and treasures goe beyond temporall the soul beyond the body immortall possessions beyond mortall so much the more reason have we to pry carefully into our vocation and all the circumstances of it and dependences upon it Lastly consider we the way which God cals us by and that is his word Great is the power of Gods word and worthy to be lookt into By it God made the world and all the creatures in it By it he brought all things out of nothing By it he brought light out of darknesse Yet hath Gods word a very different operation in calling of sinners The same Sermon reclaimes one and offends another One man obeyes it and another resists This diversity of operation proceeds not out of the diversity of the soil for we are all naturally corrupted But it comes from the assistance of Gods Spirit joyned to the Preaching of the Word or restrained from it And are not all these things worthy of admiration Vse 1 A sort of secure persons come here to be censured who slight Gods choise and calling They never look into the worth nor the price of it Yet are they wonderfull curious in observation of earthly things They fully understand what belongs to their inheritances There is no corner of their offices unsearched If new honours be bestowed upon them they know quickly how to take state upon them But although God dayly call men by the mystery of the Word yet do they never look into the worth of that heavenly calling Hence it comes to passe that this spirituall honour is slighted This is the cause why the means of salvation is neglected because men never look into the worth of our vocation Yet in the mean while worldly studies are embraced all means of gain and new projects are attended Yea such as often end in losse are embraced in hope of gaine because men enriously pry into every hole where worldly profit may hide her self but neglect to take to peeces and view the severall parts of our divine vocation Vse 2 Yet let their carelesnesse make us the more carefull Let their negligence make us the more diligent in searching the mysteries of our calling Let us looke into all the parts of it This is the way to make us thankfull to God that hath called us This is the way to make us profitable to men that are not yet called Let us when we look up to God that cals us remember his greatnesse Let us when we look downward to the misery out of which he hath called us remember the depth of it Let us when we look forward to the honour unto which he hath called us ponder upon the height of it Let us when we look backward upon the means whereby he hath called us consider the ineffectualnesse of them upon others So shall we finde the totall sum to be this That the highest God hath called us out of the lowest degree of misery to the greatest step of glory out of his own grace and free mercy One thing more ere we leave St. Pauls exhortation offers it self to our meditation He bids them not look upon other mens calling but their own Look upon your calling Remember how mean ye were once and how miserable whom God by his calling hath now made so high and glorious Such as be exalted by God must often call to minde their former meannâ—sse Such a meditation it was that made David a King to cry out Who am I O Lord God 2 Sam. 7.18 and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto And St. Paul a glorious Apostle remembers himself and leaves it written for others to read that he had been a blasphemer 1 Tim. 1.13 a persecutour and injurious A low meditation for an high Apostle yet very profitable to himself and exemplary to others Many and great are the commodities that arise to the highest of men from such low meditations as these Benefits of remembring our low estate First 1 Thankfulnesse it breeds thankfulnesse to God that hath preferd them As for generall favours that are common to us and others they do not so much affect us much lesse make us thankfull to God as those peculiar mercies which are proper to us and which others have no share in Thus the remembrance of our own particular basenesse first affects us with joy and then stirs us up to thankfulnesse towards God Secondly 2 Admiration of Gods providence it breeds admiration of Gods providence in us who raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill Psal 113.7 8. that he may set him with Princes even with the Princes of his people The changes that are wrought in others do not commend Gods providence to our cogitations so much as those that are wrought in our selves Gods providence then which though it work many strange things for others and it may be more strange then it works for us is slighted and neglected by us by calling to minde our former lownesse is highly wondered at by us and admired Thirdly 3 Patience it brings forth patience in all adversities that can happen unto us There can nothing happen to such as are exalted from a low to an high estate but the same or the like they have had experience of before If poverty fall upon them they have been poor before If want trouble them they have been in want before Experience makes a man better able to bear any calamity These things may be strange to such as never
that no particular reason can be given of Gods chusing one man rather then another yet there may be many grounds of preferring the meaner before the mighty For it doth much more set out the glory of God Gods order is sweetly noted by Bernard Regnum Dei conceditur in praedestinatione promit titur in vocatione ostenditur in justificatione percipitur in glorificatione Iâ— praedest est gratia in vocat potentia in justaf laetitia in glorif â—loria Beâ—n de verb. lib. sap Gods Kingdome is granted in predestination it is promised in vocation it is shewed in justification it is received in glorification In predestination there is grace in vocation power in justification joy in glorification glory But if God had chosen the great ones he had not shewed so much grace in chusing nor power in calling neither had they received so much joy in being justifyed nor so great addition of honour in being glorifyed They would have thought their condition somewhat bettered but not clean altered The mean therefore are Gods choise So saith Basill of the Apostles who were sent to publish Gods choise and to call such as he had chosen O counsail truly high and wisdome immortall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil Sel. in illud Venite post me When Christ did intend to teach mortall men a strange matter and a new opinion and an heavenly doctrine and sought for fit dispensers of such instructions he despised the Cities he made no reckning of poâ—ular states he refused the governours of Kingdomes be detested the power of â—ich men he hated the â—loquence of oratours he wished not for the tongues of Philosophers he passed â—hrough the nations and â—either chose their warâ—ke preparations nor the â—exterity of their hands â—or the swiftnesse of their â—eet But why do I reckon â—p humane helpes Sufâ—ering the ranks of Angels to enjoy a perpetuall rest he goes about the havens and rivers and shores determining to take from thence ministers of his heavenly doctrine and standing by exhorted them saying Follow me and I will make you fishers of men I come saith he to fish for you I seek for fishermen not for Princes I perswade mariners not Potentates Thus God made the great ones of the world that afterwards should be converted indebted to poor and simple men by whose Ministry God brings them to the knowledge of his truth which they by all their greatnesse and wisdome could not attain unto Dominus noster Jesus Christus volens super borum frangere cervices non quaesivit per oratorem piscatorem sed de piscatore lucratus est imperatorem Magnus Cyprianus orator sed prius Petrus piscator per quem postea crederet non solum orator sed et imperator Aug. in John Tract 7. And this St. Augustine wonders at Our Lord Jesus Christ saith he being willing to pull down the pride of highminded men did not seek the fisherman by the Oratour but gained the Emperour by the fisherman Cyprian was a great oratour but Peter was first a fisherman by whose meanes afterwards might beleeve not only the Oratour but also the Emperour That which is true of the choise of these men to their Apostleship is as true of Gods choise of men to heavenly happinesse And therefore the same Father elsewhere brings in God as it were fitting upon his throne and making his choise out of all sorts of men standing before him If I should chuse the Senatour the Senatour would say Si eligerem Senatorem diceret Senator dignitas mea electa est Si eligerem divitem diceret dives opulentia mea electa est Si eligerem imperatorem diceret imperator potentia mea electa est Si eligerem oratorem diceret orator cloquentia mea electa est Si eligerem Philosophum diceret Philosophus sapientia mea electa est Interim differantur superbi isti Da mihi prius istum piscatorem Veni tu pauper sequere me Nihil habes nihil nosti sequere me Idiota pauper sequere me Aug. de verb. Dom. ser 59. My dignity is chosen If I should chuse the rich man the rich man would say My wealth is chosen If I should chuse the Emperour the Emperour would say My power is chosen If I should chuse the Oratour the Oratour would say My eloquence is chosen If I should chuse the Philosopher the Philosopher would say My wisdome is chosen Put these proud ones aside a little Give me that same fisherman first Come thou poor man follow thou me Thou hast nothing thou knowest nothing follow thou me I say thou poor Idiot follow me The same is delivered more briefly elsewhere by the same Writer Potest Senator gloriari de semetipso potest Orator potest Imperator non potest nisi de Christo Piscator Aug. de ver Ap. ser 27. The Senatour may glory in himself so may the Oratour so may the Emperour but the poor fisherman can glory in none but in Christ Vse 1 Thus you see Gods choise now how usefull this may be to us appears in many particulars First It concernes the Ministers and teacheth them not to be servile to great men Adulation becomes not them Flatery should be far from them God respecteth the poor most Their safety is not to be neglected whom God cares fâ—r Gods Ministers must not regard earth more then heaven Worldly pompe must not affect them The meanest in their charge must be tended by them as well as the greatest Revel 4.8 10. The four living wights in the Revelation are taken for the Ministers and the four and twenty Elders for the people The four living wights have between them four and twenty wings The Minister must have a wing for every member of the Congregation The shepherd is so far from neglecting the meanest sheep that he puts no difference nay he is most tender over the sick and weak So must the Ministers bend their labours that way where there is most hope of successe even to the meanest among whom God hath most choise Hope of preferments and by-ends may tempt the Ministers as well as other men to look after great men but piety teacheth them not to neglect the meanest To such I may give counsail as Jeremiah did to Baruch in his dumpes Jer. 45.5 Seekest thou great things for thy self Seek them not Gods Ministers must be like God himself no respecters of persons Where they may exspect most fruit there they must be most painfull So shall their labours not be spent in vain but much comfort will arise out of them Vse 2 Secondly It cals upon great men not to condemn mean ones They may have a greater patrimony in heaven then richer men yea paradventure then those that condemn them It savours too much of pride to object poverty to any man To set by the poor Jam. 2.4 and give place to the rich Luk. 14.12 13. is to be partiall in our selves and to be judges of evill thoughts
that his disguised apparell though it saved him from the sword of the Syrians yet it could not save him from an arrow shot by one that little dreamed of killing of a King Vse 1 Thus we see that God confounds the wisdome the power the greatnesse the riches the honour the nobility of the greatest men upon earth by some small and contemptible means to pull down the pride of the sons of men Hence then may we read to the greatest a lecture of vigilancy and a caveat to take heed of security No place so secret that can hide from Gods judgments No time so quiet and free from commotions that can secure us against a thousand evill accidents In the night when we lie quiet in our beds theeves may break in and murther us fire may begin within and devour our lives and substance The least creatures have some stinging qualities whereby they are fitted to be executioners of Gods wrath against mighty Princes Great men thing themselves safe in their palaces But how soon can God set fire on them They think no man dare make known their secret sins nor reveal their hidden wickednesses But often doth God bring their works of darknesse to light by the meanest of their servants and the most contemptible of their attendants Let not them trust to their wals nor to their wealth nor to their power God fears not their greatnesse and he can stir up mean men to courage so that they shall not fear the frowns of the mighty but shall lay open their secret crimes unto the world when God will come into the lists and execute judgement upon the mighty Vse 2 Secondly Great men are here taught not to contemn mean ones nor to despise the lowest among the sons of men Some way or other there is whereby the least things may work sorrow to the greatest Flies and frogs and lice disturbe Pharaoh the mighty King of Egypt and come into his bed-chambeâ— without the Kings leave but sent by a greater and a divine authority No shift had Pharaoh to rid his Kingdome nor himself from these incombrances And indeed there is no shift that great men have to avoid the fury of mean things but by turning away the anger of the most high God who is Lord of hosts and in his displeasure serves himself of the lowest things to pull down the greatest men For as in a clock or a jack the first wheel moving moves all the rest and if it stand still the rest move not so in the world if God stir not against us the creatures are quiet but if he once pitch his tents and set himself in battell array against us then all the creatures even the least are up in armes ready placed in their ranks to confound those whom God determines to ruine But if they be once truly reconciled to God then need not the least to fear the power of the greatest much lesse need the greatest to fear any mischief from the least Otherwise the least Bee hath a sting to anger a King and the poorest must not be set light for by them can God confound the mighty Vse 3 Thirdly It teacheth all men to give glory to God when they see great men and wise confounded by such as are of no reputation Or when they finde great impediments removed and taken out of the way by little things and such as men make no account of Peradventure some great disease that threatens not only pain and grief but death it self to the whole body is taken away like Hezekiahs sore 2 King 20.7 with a lump of figs. This is Gods doing Peradventure some great Goliah 1 Sam. 17. challengeth and terrifyeth the whole hoast of Israel and some David contemned by him overthrows him Let God have the glory of it Peradventure some evill members in a Kingdome great in estate and policy seek the ruin of it and God prevents their designes by the means of men of low degree and far beneath them both in estate and understanding God looks for the honour of it and that the safety of the Kingdome should be attributed to him Peradventure in the Church some great Clerks may prove great hereticks or Schismaticks and raise factions and divisions which may indanger the Church it self If God by others of meaner learning and parts overthrow their heresies reason good that God should have all the glory God doth often make choise of weak instruments to work by that he may be known to be the author of the good work and that his power may appear in the weaknesse of the instrument and the homage and honour of every glorious action may be attributed unto him who is the King of glory Vse 4 Lastly hence may we learn in all difficulties especially such as the policy or might of our adversaries plunge us into to depend upon God through whose providence great ones are brought low by mean instruments No means are ever wanting unto God who can make means and such means as we look not for even the smallest accidents to overthrow our greatest enemies Their secretest plots are known to him Their wisest designes he can overturn by foolish instruments to their greater confusion Men meet with many difficulties in closing with their enemies They fall short of them sometimes in power sometimes in policy God is omniscient and omnipotent Where he undertakes the work all is easie It proceeds with facility which otherwise would prove a work of great difficulty Without this dependence there is no fafety to be had in the world There is no man so wise in his own conceit but another may over-reach him There is none so great but another may prove greater then he But suppose a man that were every way both the wisest and the greatest in the world yet were he far from a sure estate because he fals infinitely short of Gods wisdome and strength who can put matter enough into such weak and simple ones as he skorns to look upon utterly to overthrow all his prosperity Happy is he then whether great or small wife or foolish that depends on God alone for he shall be safe in the fall of the mighty ones Hitherto we have passed through the the sea of Gods election now we are to come to the haven of Gods glory We have heard the persons largly described and finde them for the most part to be the meanest Now let us touch upon the impulsive cause which might move God to make choise of such as it is delivered in the conclusion of the text That no flesh should glory in his presence That they who glory in their power or in their policy may perceive their own weaknesse and may be driven to acknowledge that without God they have nothing they can do nothing when they see the Kingdome of heaven opened by God to weak and simple perâ—ons and shut against them Neither â—oth the Apostle say That these great â—nes may not glory in his presence but â—hat no
nor never had any Behold how low a foundation God hath laid to raise so high a building See how deep he digs in the earth to finde out heires for the kingdome of heaven And why doth God make choise of these things that are not The words following give an answer To bring to nought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is somewhat more then confounding or making ashamed He doth it to bring them to desperation in themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reddo◠to make them give over working and studying for so the word imports And what can wise men do lesse and great and noble but cast away all their naturall and carnall studies and labours and priviledges and despaire of attaining heaven by them when they see foolish weak and mean persons attain to Gods favour without them Thus the word used elsewhere by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Rom. 3.31 Do we their make void the Law or idle through faith God forbid that is we do not take away the operation of the Law when we preach faith in Christ but leave it a work still fit for it So in the text by chusing base men God makes idle the labours and prerogatives of great men even in their own account which when they perceive they either give over all seeking for heaven or see themselves forced to seek it another way But who are they whom God intends to confound by calling these contemptible people Things that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By things that are the Apostle means things that are in price in the world and greatest estimation Things of no reckning in the Scripture phrase are called things that are not and such as are of greatest account are called the things that are 1 Joh. 2.16 So St. John reckons the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life to be all that is in the World meaning all that is in greatest account amongst wordly men St. Paul then by Gods bringing to nought things that are by things that are not intends his overthrowing the vain hopes of men of greatest reckning by such as are accountlesse in the world Now to what end and purpose is all this say the great ones of the world Wherefore doth God refuse us to chuse such as these be Doth he envie at our prosperity Or is he like to the men of this world that compassionate the poor whether their cause be right or wrong Surely no saith our Apostle God doth not envie your greatnesse for he need not fear any evill you can do unto him neither doth he want any thing that he need be beholding to your greatnesse to procure He doth it not on the other side out of too much pity to the poor as if he respected their persons because they are poor but the main reason that moves him to his choise is his own glory That no flesh should glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is that no man should boast himself of his wisdome his power or his honour He saith not no man but no flesh that he may shew us what little cause we have to be proud or to boast that are but flesh Mortall we are and corruptible our worser part is here put for the whole man that we may not be lifted up Thus when we with the Peacock spread our feathers the Apostle gives us just cause to look down to our black feet The wisest are but flesh as well as the foolishest of the sons of men the greatest as well as the weakest the noblest as well as the basest Thus the Prophet puls down that confidence which the Jewes put in the horses of Egypt Their horses are flesh and not spirit Isa 31.3 And so the Apostle warns us by the weakness of our nature not to glory in our selves Another Argument to keep us low the Apostle takes from Gods greatness opposed to our weakness in the last words In his presence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Great men must remember that they are in Gods presence and comparing their weakness with his power they have little reason to be lifted up but much to be humbled The word may be passed a little further Before him that is over against him or in opposition to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicuntur parietes domus qui sunt e regione januae vel ad utrumque ejus latus Hom. ll θ et Od. χ. And so the phrase in the first Commandement may well be understood Thou shalt have no other Gods before me that is over against me or to set in opposition against me We must not then advance our own good parts and set them in opposition to God as if our happiness came from our selves and not from him This were to set God on the one side and our selves on the other to derogate from God that we may attribute to much to our selves And this is the finall reason why God chuseth the meanest and basest passing by the greatest that all may give him the glory of their salvation and not rob him of it to magnifie themselves Thus ye see the sense of the words as if the Apostle should have said God hath shewed his wisdome wonderfully in his choise Ye Corinthians are lively patterns of it ye see how few wise or mighty or noble personages how many simple feeble and base men in the worlds account dayly joyn themselves to your Congregation This cannot come to passe without Gods wonderfull work who by this means humbles the great men of the world by preferring the meanest before them and gives cause to all flesh to see their own weaknesse that they may not set themselves in opposition to God nor glory in their prerogatives but give to God the whole glory of all their felicity And thus the text justifies the title and shews us what we must drive at in all this discourse Gods glory in Mans happiness Now that we may the more orderly proceed in the handling of the words we may well observe Two parts 1. St. Pauls Compellation 2. St Pauls Application In the first he bestowes a loving title upon his beloved Corinthians In the second he produceth them for patterns of Gods favour in chusing mean persons before great ones The title our Apostle bestowes upon them is a very loving and amiable title Brethren There are in the Scriptures divers kinds of Brethren mentioned First there are Brethren in the flesh These are not only such as are borne immediately of the same parents but all our kindred also Thus Abraham and Lot are styled Gen. 13.8 Let there be no strife between me and thee for we are Brethren So the kinsfolkes of our Saviour Christ are called Mat. 12.47 Thy Brethren stand without desiring to speak with thee Secondly there are Brethren in evill Gen. 49.5 6. 34.25 Such were Simeon and Levi who are called Brethen not because they were born of the same parents
Israel Josh 6. Thus the sound â—f Rams hornes blowes down the wals â—f Jericho Act. 4.16 Thus poor fishermen make â—hief Priests and Scribes almost at their â—vits end by their own confession so â—hat they know not what to do Thus Moses a poor sheep-keeper troubles Pharaoh and all the Kingdome of Egypt â—nd brings out Israel in despight of Pharaoh and all the power of Egypt A glorious work wrought by a mean man which a great Army could not have done This was the finger of God Gen. 14. Thus Abraham a stranger on â—arth a sojourner and one that dwelt â—n tents overthrows four Kings and â—heir Armies Josh 12. Thus Joshua the serâ—ant of Moses overthrows a multitude of Canaanitish Kings in a little space and takes their strong cities and over-runs their countries and gives them to the people of God in possession So easily doth God expell the Idols and Idolaters out of Canaan that none but God himself might be served in the holy Land Gods preparations are like his proceedings He hath planted some qualities in the meanest which do exceed the strength of the greatest These he hath planted for rods to scourge the greatest withal and the proudest A little vermin carries a sting to kill a mighty man withall He need but touch him and he dies A little arrow a great way off murders a hugh stagge and there is no flying from it He may flie from men from dogs from horses but not from death His wound runs with him In many things the brute beasts goe beyond reasonable men Whose sight can reach so far as the Eagles Whose nose so far so as the bloud-hounds No wonder if God scourge wise men by fools and confound great ones by mean that can do it by dogs Act. 12.24 and by filly vermin if he please Herod in all his pride and royalty cannot flie from silly wormes These eate him alive that use not to â—evour others till they die Where are â—ow his Physicians Where are his Chirurgeons Where are his men of â—ar Can none of these by skill nor â—rce drive away a few wormes from â—â—e carkase of a King So it seems â—or Herod must be a quick coarse Where is mans nobility where is is policy where is his greatnesse â—â—at cannot free him from those creaâ—ures that mans foot could consume 〈◊〉 a minute if it could come at â—â—em But besides the naturall and imbred â—alities of weak creatures when â—od purposes to make use of the meaâ—est to confound the greatest he can â—crease their naturall quality miraâ—lously As the corn that goes single in 〈◊〉 the earth comes forth with a happy â—â—d plentifull increase so the qualities 〈◊〉 meanest men yea of meanest creaâ—â—res of molehils are made mountains â—hen God hath some great work to 〈◊〉 by them Thus by way of blessing â—hen God purposeth to reward Jacob 〈◊〉 his hard service and to translate â—â—bans cattell with his children to â—â—â—obs possession how slight a matter â—â—th it A few pilled rods cast before the sheep in the gutturs make the cattell bring forth speckled sheep iâ— abundance Gen. 30.38 39. and by virtue of a formeâ— contract made Laban poor and Jacob rich Nature peradventure might have done something working upon the phantasie of the Cattell but Godâ— blessing strangely increaseth the poweâ— of nature and Jacobs portion And thuâ— by way of cursing 2 King 9. 10. chapt a mad fellow esteemed by the Captaines whispering something in the ears of Jehu procures aâ— strange alteration in the Kingdome oâ— Israel as the deposing of Joram the death of Jesabell the slaughter of seventy oâ— Ahabs sons and all his kindred thâ— murther of two and forty of Ahaziahâ— brethren the destruction of all the worshippers of Baal and the rooting oâ— Baal out of Israel It was much thaâ— an uproare should rise on so light 〈◊〉 ground but almost incredible to findâ— so many alterations Besides the naturall and encreaseâ— gifts of the meanest creatures wheâ— God hath a purpose to pull down thâ— strength and pride of great ones hâ— lessens their force and puls down theiâ— spirits that they may easily be troâ— under foot of the weakest When Goâ— purposeth to scourge Samson by those Philistims whom he had often conquered before he takes his strength from him Judg. 16. and then Samson becomes a prey to his enemies His wit was overcome by a filly woman and his strength by those that had been conquered by it The men of Jericho that had strong wals to enclose them from the Israelites yet when they had heard of the great things that God had done for them in the Countries about their hearts melted Josh 2.11 and there remained not any more courage in any man God dismayes the men of Jericho that the Israelites may have the more easie victory That this is Gods doing appears by Moses swan-like song who was best acquainted with Gods courses How should one Deut. 32.30 saith he chase a thousand and two put ten â—housand to flight except their Rock had sold them and the Lord had shut them up Strange it is to see how weak great men â—â—re and how foolish wise men are when God hath a purpose to confound them He that gave them wit and strength can take them both away when they abuse them and he intends to bring some great judgment upon them to the utter desolation of their estates and destruction of their souls and bodies And if God do none of all these yet he hath many suddain accidents at command to inflict upon men in the midst of their jollity which neither their wisdome can foresee nor their power prevent And this is done lightly by the meanest of the creatures The Popes themselves that insult so proudly over Kings and Princes have had wofull experience of this conclusion and have sealed it with their unexspected ruin Bal. de vit Pont. Rom. Pope Adrian IV. was killed with a flie which got in his throat None of the Physicians could get it out again So a small flie makes an end of a great Pope Serres French Invent. Vrban VI. scap't no better who in his malice had tyed up some of his Cardinals in sacks and cast them into the sea to feed fishes This tyrannous Pope catcht aâ— fall off his mule as she stumbled in the street and took his deaths wound whereof he dyed within 27. dayes So little an occasion as the trip of a mulâ— layes the glory of an insolent Pope upon the ground 2 Sam. 18. Absalom the proud and rebellious son of David riding under an oak is hanged by the hair oâ— the head none of his followers offerâ— to take him down till Joab and his youngmen make an end of him 1 King 22. Ahab the wicked King of Israel the bane of Naboth and the usurper of his vineyard is killed by an arrow shot by he knows not whom coming from he knows not whence So