Why did he not reveal his mind to Eli a grown man, and in the highest office in the Jewish Church, but open it to Samuel a stripling? Why did the Lord go from the one to the other? Because his motion depends upon his own will. Some are of so dull a constitution, that they are uncapable of any impression, like Rocks too hard for a stamp; others like water, you may stamp what you please, but it vanisheth as soon as the Seal is removed. 'Tis God forms men as he pleaseth. Some have parts to govern a Kingdom, others scarce brains to conduct their own affairs. One is fit to rule men, and another scarce fit to keep Swine. Some ⟨p. 739⟩have capacious Souls in crazy and deformed Bodies, others contracted Spirits and heavier minds in a richer and more beautiful case. Why are not all stones alike? some have a more sparkling light, as gems, more orient than pebbles. Some are Stars of first, and others of a less magnitude, others as mean as Glo-worms, a slimy lustre: 'Tis because he is the Sovereign disposer, of what belongs to him; and gives here, as well as at the Resurrection, to one a Glory of the Sun, to another that of the Moon, and to a third a less, resembling that of a Star. 1 Cor. 15.40. And this God may do by the same right of Dominion, as he exercised, when he endowed some kinds of Crea•••es with a greater perfection than others in their Nature. Why may he not as well garnish one man with a greater proportion of gifts, as make a man differ in excellency from the Nature of a Beast? Or frame Angels to a more purely spiritual Nature than a man? Or make one Angel a Cherubim, or Seraphim with a greater measure of light than another? Though the foundation of this is his Dominion, yet his wisdom is not uninterested in his Sovereign disposal; he garnisheth those with a greater ability, whom he intends for greater service, than those that he intends for less, or none at all: As an Artificer bestows more labour, and carves a more excellent figure upon those Stones, that he designs for a more honourable place in the building. But though the intending this or that man for service, be the motive of laying in a greater provision in him than in others, yet still it is to be referred to his Sovereignty, Since that first act of culling him out for such an end, was the fruit solely of his Sovereign pleasure.
Why did he not reveal his mind to Eri a grown man, and in the highest office in the Jewish Church, but open it to Samuel a stripling? Why did the Lord go from the one to the other? Because his motion depends upon his own will. Some are of so dull a constitution, that they are uncapable of any impression, like Rocks too hard for a stamp; others like water, you may stamp what you please, but it vanisheth as soon as the Seal is remov'd. 'Tis God forms men as he pleaseth. Some have parts to govern a Kingdom, others scarce brains to conduct their own affairs. One is fit to rule men, and another scarce fit to keep Swine. Some ⟨p. 739⟩have capacious Souls in crazy and deform'd Bodies, others contracted Spirits and heavier minds in a richer and more beautiful case. Why are not all stones alike? some have a more sparkling light, as gems, more orient than pebbles. Some are Stars of first, and others of a less magnitude, others as mean as Glo-worms, a slimy lustre: 'Tis because he is the Soveraign disposer, of what belongs to him; and gives here, as well as at the Resurrection, to one a Glory of the Sun, to another that of the Moon, and to a third a less, resembling that of a Star. 1 Cor. 15.40. And this God may do by the same right of Dominion, as he exercised, when he endow'd some kinds of Crea•••es with a greater perfection than others in their Nature. Why may he not as well garnish one man with a greater proportion of gifts, as make a man differ in excellency from the Nature of a Beast? Or frame Angels to a more purely spiritual Nature than a man? Or make one Angel a Cherubim, or Seraphim with a greater measure of light than another? Though the foundation of this is his Dominion, yet his wisdom is not uninterested in his Soveraign disposal; he garnisheth those with a greater ability, whom he intends for greater service, than those that he intends for less, or none at all: As an Artificer bestows more labour, and carves a more excellent figure upon those Stones, that he designs for a more honourable place in the building. But though the intending this or that man for service, be the motive of laying in a greater provision in him than in others, yet still it is to be referred to his Soveraignty, Since that first act of culling him out for such an end, was the fruit solely of his Soveraign pleasure.
