THE OBJECTS OF GOD's CALL.
1 Cor. i. 26 — 29. Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called : but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise ; and God hath chosen the weak things of the tvorld to confound the things lohich are mighty ; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things ivhich are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence.
IT is manifest to the most superficial observer, that the Gospel, wherever it comes, meets with a very different reception from different people ; some accomiting it foolishness, whilst others regard it as the wisdom of God and the power of God\ That we must trace this to the dispositions of men, is cer- tain ; because the guilt of rejecting the Gospel must lie upon the sinner himself : yet, inasmuch as a love of the truth is not attainable by mere human efforts, we must acknowledge God as the true and only source of that difference which appears. If he did not interpose, all would equally despise the Gospel : it is his grace which makes the distinction, and causes some to overcome the corruptions of their nature, and to accept his proffered salvation.
To unravel this mystery, or at least to throw light upon it, we shall shew,
I. Who are the objects of his choice —
God's thoughts and ways are not only far above ours, but often directly contrary to ours.
He has not chosen *' the wise, the noble, and the mighty"—
[He has not indeed excluded these ; for he invites them aU ; and no more wills the death of them, than he does the death of any others : but he has not chosen them either in preference to the poor, or even in comparison of them. Some there have been in every age, who were possessed of much
a ver. 23, 24.
1931.] THE OBJECTS OF GOd's CALL. 11
human wisdom, and power, and wealth. God would not pass by them altogether, lest it should appear as if the possession of earthly wisdom and power were an insurmountable obstacle to the reception of the truth ; or lest the embracing of his salva- tion should be thought incompatible with natural abilities, or intellectual attainments. Among the Corinthians there were Crispus and Sosthenes, chief rulers of the synagogue'': and Gains, a man of wealth and of an enlarged heart ; and Erastus, the chamberlain of the city''. Some few others were num- bered with the disciples : there was Joseph of Arimathea, a rich and honourable counsellor"^; and Sergius Paulus, a Ro- man deputy, famed no less for his wisdom than his power ^ But if we were to collect the names of all, they would bear no proportion to the numbers of those who composed the Church of Christ. Though therefore there were some, there were '* not many " of this description called.]
The objects of his choice are, the weak, the ignoble, the illiterate —
[As we do not say that these are chosen exclusively, so neither do we say that they are chosen miiversally ; for, alas ! there are myriads of poor who are as ignorant and depraved as it is possible for any of the rich to be. But the great majority of the Lord's people are of this description. They have not rank, or learning, or wealth, or great abilities, or any of those things which would recommend them to earthly preferments. This was the case with the first teachers of Christianity : they were, for the most part, poor illiterate fishermen and mechanics. And they who have been their followers have been almost entirely of the middle and lower classes of society. Who are the persons in every town and village who most welcome the preaching of the Gospel? Who are the people that are glad to avail themselves of all the spiritual instruction they can get? Who are they that will be thankful to you for speaking closely to their consciences, and for warning them of their danger? Who are they who will go miles every sabbath to a place where the Gospel is faithfully preached, notwithstanding, when they come thither, they can scarcely be accommodated with a seat whereon to rest ? Who are they that love social meetings for reading the word of God and prayer ; and that make it their meat and their drink to do the will of God ? In short. Who are they that prove their effectual " calling," by turning " from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God^?" Are these the rich, the great, the learned? or are they