Englands duty under the present gospel liberty from Revel. III, vers. 20

Fourthly, I shall next speak unto the personal Objects unto whom Christ ordinarily directs this his internal, efficacious, and saving Voice or Call. And although it be true that the Spirit of Christ is a free Agent, acting with the greatest liberty, and calleth whom he will, according to that, John 3. 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth. And it is true de facto, That Christ hath made some of all sorts and ranks of men to hear his voice; yet if we consider the way he commonly takes, we shall find that it is very rare and seldom that Christ directs this saving voice or call of his to the great and wise of this world, 1 Cor. 1. 26. You see your Calling, Brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. He saith not any, but not many. Some Christ doth call, Lest (as one notes) the world should think that Christians were deceived through their simplicity and weakness. One rich Joseph of Arimathea; one honourable Nicodemus, but not many. Men of the greatest fame and renown in the world have been the greatest and fiercest Enemies against Christ. Galen the chief Physician, Porphyry the chief Aristotelian, Plotinus the chief Platonist, Lybanus and ⟨p. 295⟩Lucian the chief Orators, were all the professed Enemies of Christ. Two things make a man great in the eye of the world; The external endowments of Providence, heaping up Riches and Honours upon the outward man; and internal gifts and endowments of the mind, adorning the inward man, as strong Reason, sharpness of Wit, &c. when both these meet (as many times they do) in one and the same person, they make him great in the eye of the world, and usually in his own eyes too; yea, too great to stoop to the simplicity of the Gospel, and the humbling self-denying terms thereof. These the Lord usually passes by, and directs his voice to the poor; the poor receive the Gospel: God hath chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and Heirs of the Kingdom, James 2. 5. And this choice of God Christ blesseth him for, Matth. 11. 25. I thank thee, O father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes;even so Father, for so it seemeth good in thy sight. And indeed the wisdom of God deserves our admiration in this dispensation. For (1.) hereby the freeness of his Grace is vindicated.