24 But unto them that are called, x both Jews and | Greeks, Chriſt * the power of God, and * the wiſdom * Rom: :. of God y + 1 R—_ x Bleſſed be God Chriſt isnot to all the Jews 2 ſtumbling-block, & Mop nor to all the Greeks is he fooliſhneſs ; for ro fo many of them as are called ( not by the exrernai call of th? Goſpel bur only, by the internal c-1!, and «ff (tual operation of the Spiric ) ler them be of one Nation or another. To their Country men 7ews or Pagans. Chriſt is lo far from being a ſtumbling-block , and rhe Do&trine of Chciſt 1s fo far from being fooliſhneſs , that Chriſt and the DoErine of the Gopel appear to them , the Power'f Gia, and the Wiſaom of God. 25 Becauſe the fooliſhneſs of God is wifer then mens: and the weakneſs of God is ſtronger then men 4. z The leaſt things that are the produQs.of the Wiſdom of | God , or the conrrivance of God for man's ſalvation, which the | finfu] and filly World cal's foolifhn:ſ5, are infinirely more wiſe , and have more wiſtom in them, than the wiſcſt imaginations, counſels, and contrivances of men. a And thoſe things and means which God hath inſtituted in order to an end, have in them more virtue, power , ard efficacy in order to the production of God's intended effe&s, than any ſuch means as app-ar to mens eyes of reaſon, to have the greateſt ſtrength, virtue, and efficacy. | Whence we tnay obſerve, that the efficacy of preaching for the changing and converting Souls, dependeth upoa the efficacy of God working in and by that holy Inſtirution, which uſually at. tendeth the Miniſtry of thoſe who are not only called, and ſenr out by men, but by God, being ficted for their work, and faich- tully diſcharging of it. | 26 For ye ſee yourcalling, brethren, how that * not « 7,1, . many wite men after the fleſh, not many mighty, not 48. many noble are called b. 6 To prove that this is the method of Divine Providence , ro make uſe of ſeemingly infirm and weak means to produce his great effe&s, you need not look further than your ſelves, look up- on the whale body of your Church at Corinth ; it is not made up of many that havea reputation for the wiſe-men, or the Noble men of your City : ſome indeed were ſuch, Criſpus the Ruler of the S17.2g0gue was converted, and Softhenes : but the generality were men of very ordinary repute. 27 But * God hath choſen the fooliſh things of the + Fam, 2.5. world to confound the wiſe c : and God hath choſen the weak things ofthe world, to centound the things which are mighty &d. LE c God hath even amongſt you choſen perſons that are in the account of the world as fooliſh chings, to pur the wiſe ro ſhame, d Perſons of weak efteem to confound choſe that are mighty in the repute of the World, I | 28 And baſe things of the world, and things which are deſpiſed , hath God choſen : yea,, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are Ce. ; 7 Things that arenot in the world's account, to bring tonought things thar are in bigh eſtecm. 29 * That no fleſh ſhould glory in his pre-*Rom.;, ſence f. | of
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"Preached to the World. Others underſtand the Goſpel, which walled, o. 2L. & cp. 2.7. bur I take the wiſdmef Godin WTextto ſignifi rhe wiſe adminiſtrations of Divine Providence "Me Governmerit of the World to bis wiſe ends. The unregene- Patt of the World would not come to a knowledge of, and an Wiltance with God, in that way whereby he choſe to re- himſelf in and'thifough Jeſus Chriſt, as ro which they were MY their own reaſonings and knowledge and apprehended fl
Ings, and capacity to comprehend them. » Ir pleaſed God
f And God doth this in infinite Wiſdom, conſulting his own Eph. 2. 9, Honour and Glory, that none might ſay, that God harh choſen them, becauſe they were nobler born, or in higher repute or e-
ſteem in the worid' than others, bur that the freeneſs of Divine Grace might be ſeen in all God's Ags of Grace.
39 Bur of -him are ye in Chriſt Jeſus g,,* whoof«,, ..
Godis made unto us wikdom 4, and righteouſnefs 7, and's; s. ſanQification &, and redemption
L. Joh, 17.
'g Ofhis Grace ye are implanred intoChriſt, and believe in fiim 59.
Ute the grear Ordinance of preaching the Goſpe), ( which
You are of him , not by Creation only , as 2Jl Cieatures are ,
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Chap. 7.
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Chap. IT.
* Jer. 9 23, 24- 2 Cor. 17.
; (; al. 6.
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21 That, according as it is written, * He that glo-
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but-by Redemption and Regenetation,which isin Chriſt Jeſus, who of God is made unto us, þ 1/:iſdem : the principal mean by which we come to the Knowledge of God, and an acquaintance with his Will; for he is rhe Image of the inviſible God, Col. 1.15. Thc brightneſs of his Fathcr's Glory , and the expreſs Image of þ1s Perſon, Heb. 1, 3. God hath ſhined into onr hearts , to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Feſus Chriſt 2 Cor. 4. 6 So that he who hath ſcen him , hath ſeen the Father , Joh. 14- 9- HH the trcaſurcs of wiſdom and knowledge are hid in him, Col. 2. 3+ And 0 man knowet,» the Father , ſave the Sm , and he to whomſoever the Son will reveal him , Matrh. 11. 27. Thus rhough God de- ſtroyed the Wiſdom of the Wiſe , yet the Corinthians were not without Wiſdom ; for God had made Chriſt ro them Wiſdom both can':{ly, being the Author of Wiſdom to them ; and objeFively their Wiſdom lay in their Knowledge of him, and in a Fellow- ſhip and Communion with him. And / whereas they wanted a righteouſneſs in which they might ſtand before God juſtified and accepted, God had alſo made Chriſt to them Righteonſucſs . Send- ing t4s own Son in the likeneſs of ſinf i! feeſb , and for ſin, ana condemning fn im the ficſh, that the righteoubeſs of the Law might be fulfilled in 25. k And Saittification alſo, Believers being renewed and ſanQai- fied by his Spirit. ! And he is alſo made Redempr7on : where, by Re- dcmption is meant the Redemption of the boay mentioned, Rom. 8. 23. So as Redemption here ſignifies the ſame with ReſurrciFion of the body. Chriſt is the ReſurreF#ion and the 1ife, Joh. 11. 25.
rieth, let him glory inthe Lord mn.
» God doth this, or hath done this, for this end, that man ſhould have nothing to glory in, neither Wiſdom nor Righteouſneſs, nor SanRification, nor Redemption ; but ſhould glory in the Lord, ac- knowledging that whatſoever Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs, or Holineſs he hath, it is all from God in and through the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
CHAP. IE.