Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

2. Nor is it from any prerogative in the Creature. He converts not any for their natural perfection: Because he seizeth upon the most ignorant. Nor for their moral perfection: Because he converts the most sinful. Nor for their Civil perfection: Because he turns the most despicable.

1. Not for their natural perfection of knowledge. He opened the minds and hearts of the more ignorant. Were the nature of the Gentiles better manured than that of the Jews, or did the Tapers of their understandings burn clearer? No, the one were skilled in the Prophesies of the Messiah, and might have compared the Predictions ⟨p. 732⟩they owned with the Actions and Sufferings of Christ, which they were spectators of. He let alone those that had expectations of the Messiah, and expectations about the time of Christ's appearance, both grounded upon the Oracles wherewith he had entrusted them. The Gentiles were unacquainted with the Prophets, and therefore destitute of the expectations of the Messiah. Eph. 2.12. They were without Christ. Without any Revelation of Christ, because aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenant of Promise, having no hope and without God in the World, without any knowledge of God, or promises of Christ. The Jews might sooner in a way of reason have been wrought upon, than the Gentiles who were ignorant of the Prophets, by whose writings they might have examined the Truth of the Apostles Declarations; thus are they refused, that were the kindred of Christ according to the Flesh, and the Gentiles that were at a greater distance from him, brought in by God. Thus he catcheth not at the subtle and mighty Devils, who had an original in spiritual nature more like to him, but at weak and simple man.

1. Not for their natural perfection of knowledge. He opened the minds and hearts of the more ignorant. Were the nature of the Gentiles better manur'd than that of the Jews, or did the Tapers of their understandings burn clearer? No, the one were skil'd in the Prophesies of the Messiah, and might have compared the Predictions