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us. I was dumb, said the Psalmist, I opened not my mouth, because thou didst it*. And the Prophet describeth our Saviour's patience, that he was oppressed, and was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before the shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. Indeed a modest and unaffected silence is a good way to express our submission to the hand of God under afflictions. The heathen moralists, who pretend much to patience, could never hold their peace; but desired always to signalize themselves by some fetches of wit, and expressions of unusual courage. But certainly the mute and quiet Christian behaveth himself much better. Locquasissimum illud silentium. That eloquent and expressive silence saith more than all their vain and stoical boastings. We cannot now insist in any length on this Christian duty of patience, and submission to the will of God; we shall only say two things of it, which the text importeth. First, That this lesson is most commonly learned in the school of afflictions: He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. In that forecited place of Jeremiah, xxxi. 18. Ephraim bemoaning himself, acknowledgeth that he had been as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; which maketh the greater reluctancy against it. Children that are much indulged, are the more impatient if they come to be crossed; and there is too much of the child in us all. The Apostle tells us, that tribulation worketh patience 1. Custom makes every thing more tolerable unto us; and if it please God to sanctify the first stroke, the second is received with the greater submission. The other thing I have to say on this duty is, That this advantage of afflictions is very great and desirable; that it is indeed very good for a man to have borne the yoke in his youth, if he hath thereby Rom. v. 3.

*Psa. xxxix. 9.

+ Is. liii. 7.

learned to sit alone and keep silence when the hand of the Lord is upon him. There is nothing more acceptable unto God, no object more lovely and amiable in his eyes, than a soul thus prostrate before him, thus entirely resigned to his holy will, thus quietly submitting to his severest dispensations. Nor is it less advantageous unto ourselves; but sweeteneth the bitterest occurrences of our life, and makes us relish an inward and secret pleasure, notwithstanding all the smart of affliction : so that the yoke becomes supportable, the rod itself comforts us; and we find much more delight in suffering the will of God, than if he had granted us our own. Now, to this God who loveth us, and correcteth us for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness, and thereby of his happiness; to God the Father, Son, and blessed Spirit, be all honour, praise, and glory, now and for ever Amen.

THAT THERE ARE BUT A SMALL
NUMBER SAVED

LUKE, Xiii. 23.

Then said one unto him, Lord, are they few that be saved? And he said unto them, &c.

THOSE who have so much charity and goodness as to be nearly touched with the interests of mankind, cannot but be more especially concerned about their everlasting condition; and very anxious to know what shall become of poor mortals when this scene is over, and they cease to appear on the stage of the world, being called off to give an account of their deportment on it. And, seeing we are assured that there are different, and very opposite estates of departed souls, some being admitted into happiness, and others doomed to misery, beyond

any thing that we can conceive; this may put them upon farther inquiry, How mankind is like to be divided? whether heaven or hell shall have the greater share? Such a laudable curiosity as this it was, that put one of our blessed Saviour's followers to propose the question in the text, Lord, are there few that be saved? Our Saviour had been lately foretelling the great success the gospel should have; how, like a little leaven that quickly fermenteth the whole lump it is put into, Christianity should soon propogate itself through the world, and many nations embrace the profession of it. This disciple, it seems, was desirous to know, whether the efficacy should be answerable to the extent? whether it should take as deep root in the hearts of those that owned it, as it was to spread itself far and wide on the face of the earth? in a word, whether the greatest part of men were to be saved by it? I called this a laudable curiosity; and there is reason to think it so, since our Saviour himself, who best knew the occasion and importance of it, doth not check, but satisfy the inquiry; which he was wont to do when the questions were useless or blameable. Those who inquired into the time of the general judgment, received no other account, but that it was inter arcana imperii; among those secrets which God reserved for himself. And, again, when they asked of the time that the kingdom should be restored unto Israel, he tells them roundly, it was not for them, it concerned them not at all to know such things as these. But here, as the question seems to have proceeded from a zeal to the honour of God, and concernment in the happiness of mankind; so the resolution of it might be very useful: and accordingly it is improved by our Saviour; who at once resolves the doubt, and presseth a very weighty exhortation, in the following words, Strive to enter in, &c. We are not at this time to prosecute the whole importance of this latter verse; for

that we refer you to an excellent sermon, intitled, The way to happiness. We shall only consider the answer which is implied in it to the foregoing question; to wit, that the number of those who are to be saved is really small.

It is on this point we design to fix our meditations at this time. And indeed there is scarce any doctrine that needeth to be more inculcated: for, amongst all the stratagems whereby the great enemy of mankind doth plot and contrive their ruin, few are more unhappily successful, than the fond persuasion he hath filled them with, that heaven and everlasting happiness are easily attainable. What one saith of wisdom, Multi ad sapientiam pervenissent nisi putassent se pervenisse, we may, with a little alteration, apply unto this purpose; That many might have reached heaven, if they had not been so confident of it. The doors of the Christian church are now very wide, and men have access unto them upon easy terms: nay, this privilege descends unto men by their birth, and they are reckoned among Christians before they come well to know what it means. The ordinances and mysteries of our religion are common to all, save those whom gross ignorance or notorious crimes do exclude. There are no marks on the foreheads of men whereby we can judge of their future condition: they die, and are laid in their graves, and none cometh back to tell how it fareth with them; and we desire to think the best of every particular person. But, whatever charity be in this, there is little prudence in the inference that many draw from it, who think that they may live as their neighbours do, and die as happily as they; and, since the greatest part of men are such as themselves, heaven must be a very empty place if all of them be debarred. Thus, perhaps, you have seen a flock of sheep on a bridge, and the first leapeth over, and the rest, not knowing what is become of those that went

before, do each of them follow their companions into that hazard or ruin. Interest and self-love do so strongly blind the minds of men, that they can hardly be put from the belief of that which they would very fain have true. Hence it is, that, notwithstanding of all we are told to the contrary, the opinion of the broadness of the way that leads to heaven, and the easy access unto it, is still the most epidemic, and I think the most dangerous heresy. Many of the commonalty are so ignorant as to avow it; and the strange security of more knowing persons doth as loudly proclaim it. I know he undertakes an unwelcome errand, who goes about to dispossess the minds of men of such a pleasant and flattering error. But what shall we do? Shall we suffer them to sleep on and take their rest, till the everlasting flames awake them? Shall we draw their blood on our heads, and involve ourselves in their ruin, by neglecting to advertise them of their hazard? No, my friends: duty doth oblige us, and the holy Scriptures will warrant us to assure you, that there are very few that shall be saved; that the whole world lieth in wickedness*; and that they are a little flock to whom the Father will give the kingdom t.

That this certain though lamentable truth may take the deeper impression on our minds, we shall first propose some considerations for the better understanding what great things are required in those who look for everlasting happiness, and then reflect on the actions and ways of men; that, comparing the one with the other, we may see how little ground of hope there is for the greatest part to build on.

First, then, consider the nature of that divine Majesty, whose presence and enjoyment it is that makes heaven desirable; and think how inconsistent it is with his infinite holiness, to admit impure and *1 John v. 19. + Luke xii. 32.

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