Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

Fourthly, God shows the glory of his power, in doing such great things as he doth, by a few afflicted, distressed, persecuted, contemptible people: The greatest things that ever God hath done in the world, have been by these: the more afflicted, the more mean and despised they have been, the more hath the arm of the Lord appeared in them. Gods power is made perfect in weakness, 2 Cor. 12. What great things hath God done by a few afflicted, persecuted fishermen, the Apostles? What great things by St. Paul? who many times had not rags to cover his nakedness; who was whipped up and down, and put into stocks, and counted the basest and vilest of men, ⟨p. 42⟩the very off-scouring of men, and the filth of the earth: and yet never were such great things done in ¹the world, by those who had the greatest learning, the most power, the most valour, the most glory in the world, as was done by these; they did even subdue the world unto them, and that by preaching the Gospel, a Doctrine so above nature, so contrary unto nature. Chrysostom in a Sermon upon the 10. of Matthew, speaking concerning this argument, calls forth Plato, and Pythagoras, and the rest of the Philosophers, and challenges them to show what they had done in comparison of these. But because some might say that amongst the Heathens there have been most famous Captains, who have done great things, as Themistocles and Pericles: If you compare, says he, what they have done, with what hath been done by these poor fishermen, all their bravest acts will appear but child's plays, and the enterprises of simple men.

Fourthly, God shews the glory of his power, in doing such great things as he doth, by a few afflicted, distressed, persecuted, contemptible people: The greatest things that ever God hath done in the world, have been by these: the more afflicted, the more mean and despised they have been, the more hath the arm of the Lord appeared in them. Gods power is made perfect in weakness, 2 Cor. 12. What great things hath God done by a few afflicted, persecuted fishermen, the Apostles? What great things by St. Paul? who many times had not rags to cover his nakedness; who was whipped up and down, and put into stocks, and counted the basest and vilest of men,