him occafion to pronounce then. For there all that were firft called refused to come to the Marriage Feaft which they were invited to, and of them which came fome had not on their wedding garment; that is, although they came in to the outward profeffion of the Gofpel, yet did not walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith they were called, and therefore they likewife were excluded; upon which our Saviour adds, these words, For many are called, but few chofen. From whence it is eafie to obferve his meaning in general to be only this, that although many were called to partake of the Privileges and Graces of his Gofpel, yet feeing of those who were called, many would not come at all, and of those who come, many do not come fo as the Gospel requires of them, with their wedding garment on; hence of the many who are called, there are but few chofen to partake of the Marriage Feaft, that is, of the glorious Promises made in the Gofpel, to those that come aright unto it. Few, not abfolutely in themselves confidered, but few comparatively in refpect of the many which are not chofen; or rather few in comparison of the many which are called. For if we confider them abfolutely in themselves, they are certainly very many; our Saviour himfelf faith, Many fhall come from the Eaft and

Weft,

Weft, and fball fit down with Abraham, &c. Mat. viii, 11. And in the Revelations you read of many thoufands that were fealed of every Tribe, Yea, There was a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, ftood before the throne and before the lamb, cloathed with white, and palms in their hands, Apoc. vii. 9. Infomuch that for all the numberless number of fallen or apoftatized Angels, St. Austin was of opinion, that there will be as many Men faved, as there are Angels damned, or rather more. For, faith he, upon the fall of the Angels and Men, he determined to gather together by his infinite Grace, fo many out of the mortal Progeny, ut inde Suppleat & inftauret partem que lapfa eft Angelorum, That he might from thence make up and restore that part of Angels which was fallen, ac fic illa dilecta & fuperna Civitas non fraudetur fuorum numero civium, quinetiam fortaffis & uberiore latetur. And fo that beloved City which is above, may not be deprived of the number of its Citizens, but perhaps rejoice in having more, Aug. de Civ. Dei, 1. xxii. c. I. which notion he grounds upon those words of our Saviour in this Chapter, For in the refurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are jody Señor, as the Angels of God in heaven,

Mat.

Mat. xxii. 30. Or as the words may be interpreted, they are equal to the Angels, and equal in number to the fallen, as well as in quality to the elect Angels, as that learned and pious Father expounds it. But how foever that be, this is certain, that the number of Men chosen and saved, will be very great, confidered abfolutely in themfelves, and yet notwithstanding; if they be compared with the many more which are called, they are but very few, Chrift's flock is, as himself ftiles it, punev Toleviov, a very little, little Flock, Luk. xii. 32. that is, in comparison of the vaft multitudes of Souls that flock after the World and Sin. As in a Garden there are but few choice Flowers, in comparison of the Weeds that grow in it; there are but very few Diamonds and precious Stones, in comparifon of Pebbles and Gravel upon the Seafhore; in the richest Mines there is far more dross than Gold and Silver: So is it in the Church of Chrift; there is but little Wheat, in comparison of the Tares that. come up with it; Chrift hath a great many hangers on, but few faithful and obedient Servants; there are many that speak him very fair, and make a plaufible profeffion of the Faith and Religion which he taught, but where fhall we find one that practiseth it? If there be here one and there another;

two

two or three in a Parish, or perhaps in a whole City, what is this to the innumerable company of fuch as are called by him, and baptized into his Name, and yet leave him to follow after the World and Vanity: Oh what just ground had our Saviour to fay, Many are called, but few cho fen?

BUT to demonftrate the truth of this Propofition still more fully, and as clearly as poffibly I can, I must first lay down one Principle as a Poftulatum, which I fuppofe all will acknowledge to be true, and that is this, that whatsoever profeflion a Man makes of the Chriftian Religion, it will a vail him nothing without the practice of it; or if you will take it in our Saviour's own words, Not every one, faith he, that faith unto me, Lord, Lord, fhall enter into the kingdom of beaven, but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven, Mat. vii. 21. Or as the Apoftle expreffeth it For not the bearers of the law are just be fore God, but the doers of the law fhall be juftified, Rom. ii. 13. That is, it is not our hearing and knowing our Duty that will ftand us in any ftead before God, but our doing of it; it is not our believing that we may be faved by believing in Chrift, whereby we can be faved without actual belie ving in him, without fuch a Faith where

by

by we depend upon him, for the pardon and falvation of our immortal Souls, and confequently for the affiftance of his Grace and Spirit, whereby we may be enabled to obey his Gospel, and to perform all fuch things as himself hath told us are necessary in order to our everlafting Happiness: And whatsoever Faith we pretend to, unlefs it comes to this, that it put us upon univerfal Obedience to all the Commands of God, we may conclude it will do us no good, for it is not fuch a Faith as Chrift requires, which always works by Love, conquers the World, fubdues Sin, purifies the Heart, and fanctifies the whole Soul wherefoever it comes. It is fuch a Faith as this which is the wedding Garment, without which no Man is chofen nor admitted to partake of thofe celeftial Banquets, which Christ our Saviour hath provided for us. And therefore no Man can have any ground at all to believe or hope himself to be elected or chofen to eternal Salvation, that is not holy in all manner of Conversation; God himself having told us exprefly, that without boliness no man fball fee the Lord, Heb. xii. 14. So that having God's own word for it, we may positively and confidently affert, that no Man in the world can upon juft grounds be reputed as chofen by God, that doth not in all things to the ut

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