THOUGHTS UPON OUR CALL AND ELECTION. 143 alone can bring us thither, hath told us, that we must deny ourselves, and take up our cross, and follow him.' THOUGHTS UPON OUR CALL AND 'MANY are called,' saith our Saviour, but few chosen.' O dreadful sentence, who is able to hear it without trembling and astonishment! If he had said, that of all men that are born in the world there are but few saved, this would not have struck such a fear and horror into us; for we might still hope that though Turks, Jews, and heathens, which are far the greatest part of the world, should all perish, yet we few in comparison of them, who are baptized into his name, who profess his gospel, who enjoy his ordinances, who are admitted to his sacraments, that all who are called to him, might be chosen and saved by him; but that of those very persons who are called, there are but few chosen what a sharp and terrible sentence is this! Who can bear it? Especially considering by whom it was pronounced, even by Christ himself. If a mere man had spoken it, we might hope it was but a human error; if an angel had uttered it, we might think it possible he might be mistaken; but that Christ himself the eternal Son of God, who is truth, and infallibility itself, that he should assert : Matt: xxii. 14 it; that he who laid down his life to redeem ours, that he who came into the world on purpose to call and save us, that he in whom alone it is possible for us to be chosen to salvation, that he should say, 'Many are called but few chosen :' this is a hard saying indeed, which may justly make our ears to tingle, and our hearts to tremble at the hearing of it. And yet we see our Saviour here expressly saith it, and not only here neither, but again, Matt. xx. 16. Whence we may gather, that it is a thing he would have us often think of, and a matter of more than ordinary importance, in that he did not think it enough to tell us of it at once, but he repeated it in the same words again, that we might be sure to remember it, and take especial notice of it, that many are called but few chosen.' In which words, that we may understand our Saviour's meaning aright, we must first consider the occasion of them in this place, which in brief was this. Our Saviour, according to the custom that obtained in those days amongst the wise men of the east, delighting to use parables, thereby to represent his heavenly doctrine more clearly to the understanding of his hearers, in this chapter compares the kingdom of God to a certain king that made a marriage for his son, and sent his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding." Where by the king he means the eternal God, the universal monarch of the world, who intending to make a marriage betwixt his Son and the church, styled the spouse of Christ, he sent to his guest before bidden, even the Jews, the seed of Abraham his friend, and at that time his peculiar people. But 1 Matt. xxii. 2, 3. they not hearkening to the first invitation, he sends to them again.' Yet they still made light of it, having, it seems, as we most have, other business to mind, and therefore went their way, some to their farms, others to their merchandize.2 By which our Saviour intimates, that one great reason why men accept not of the overtures of grace made unto them in the gospel, is, because their minds are taken up with the cares of this world, looking upon their farms, their trades and merchandize, as things of greater moment than heaven and eternal glory. Yea, some of them took the servants which were sent to invite them, and treated them spitefully, and slew them." Why, what is the matter? What injury have the servants, the prophets, the apostles, or ministers of Christ done them? What, do they come to oppress them, to take their estates from them? To disgrace or bring them into bondage? No, they only come to invite them to a marriage-feast, to tender them the highest comforts and refreshments imaginable both for their souls and bodies. And this is all the recompence they give them for their kindness, not only to refuse it, but to abuse them that bring it? Well might this glorious king be angry and incensed at such an affront offered him as this was, and therefore, he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers, and burnt up their city,' as we all know he did to the murdering Jews, who soon after this were destroyed, and their royal city Jerusalem burnt. But now the feast is prepared, shall there be none to eat it? Yes, for seeing they who Matt. xxii. 4. 3 Ib. verse 6. VOL. II. 2 Ib. verse 5. L were first bidden were not worthy to partake of his dainties, he orders his servants to go into the highways, and bid as many as they could find to the marriage.' The Jews having refused the gospel, God sends to invite the Gentiles to it, who hitherto had been reckoned aliens to the commonwealth of Israel, 'strangers to the covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." But now they are also bidden to the wedding, they are called to Christ, and invited to partake of all the privileges of the gospel. For the servants having received the command, went out into the highway,' even into all the by-places and corners of the world, and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good, and the wedding was furnished with guests.' But amongst these too, when the king came to see his guests he saw one that had not on a wedding-garment.'3 Under which are represented all of the same kind, who have not on the wedding-garment, that is, who walk not worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called, not being clothed with humility, faith, and other graces suitable to a Christian. All which, notwithstanding they were invited, yea, and come in too upon their invitation, yet they are cast out again into outer darkness." And then he adds, 'for many are called, but few chosen; as if he should have said, the Jews were called, but would not come; the Gentiles are called, they come, but some of them were cast out again; so that of the many which are called, there 1 Matt. xxii. 6, 9. 3 Matt. xxii. 11. are but few chosen. For many are called, but few chosen.' Which short, but pithy saying of our blessed Saviour that we may rightly understand, we shall first consider the former part of it, 'Many are called,' and then the latter, but few chosen.' That we may apprehend the full meaning of the first part of this proposition, Many are called,' there are three things to be considered: I. What is here meant by being called. II. How men are called. III. How it appears that many are called.' I. As for the first, what we are here to understand by being called. We must know that this is meant only of God's voice to mankind, making known his will and pleasure to them, calling upon them to act accordingly, and so inviting them to his service here, and to the enjoyment of his presence hereafter. But to explain the nature of it more particularly, we must consider the terminus a quo, and the terminus ad quod, what it is God calls us from, and what it is he calls us to, both which we shall speak to, jointly or together. 1. He calls us from darkness to light, from error and ignorance to truth and knowledge. As he made us rational and knowing creatures at first, so he would have us to be again, so as to understand and know him that made us, and that gave us the power of understanding and knowing; and not employ the little knowledge we have only about the affairs of our bodies, our trades, and callings in this world, nor yet in learning arts and sciences only, but principally about the concerns of our |