you must ere long suffer and undergo. And this is, indeed, the case of the greatest part of mankind, that though they be called and invited to partake of all the merits of Christ's death and passion, yet they will not come unto him. And this is the first and great reason why so many are called, and yet so few chosen.1

2

II. The second reason is, because men do not really believe that they are invited to such glorious things as indeed they are, as our Saviour himself intimates in the parable. For when they who were bidden would not come upon the first invitation, as not believing the message that those servants brought them, the king sent forth other servants, saying, 'Tell them which are bidden, behold I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready, come unto the marriage.' When the first servants were not believed, he sent others with fuller instructions, giving them orders to acquaint the guests, that all things were now ready, and to assure them that it was to a marriage-feast they were invited. But it seems, whatsoever the first or second servants could say, it was to no purpose, they would not believe them, and therefore sent them away as they came; whereby our Saviour exactly discovers to us the entertainment that his gospel always did, and still would meet with in the world. Before his own coming into the world, he sent his prophets to invite mankind to accept of the terms propounded in it, and to call upon them to repent and turn to God, that their sins might be blotted out, and their souls admitted into the grace and favour of almighty God,

"2

3

and so partake of eternal glory, which the prophets call men to, under the notion of a feast; 'Feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined," which they called all men to, saying, 'Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.' But how their message was received the same prophet declares, saying, 'Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ?'3 and so is it since. For when the prophets could not be credited, God afterwards sent his apostles, and still to this day is sending servant after servant to invite men to grace and pardon, to heaven and eternal happiness. But we, his ministers, may still say with the prophet, 'Who hath believed our report? We tell men, that unless they repent and turn to God, iniquity will be their ruin; we tell them also, that if they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, they shall be saved, and if they be holy here, they shall be happy hereafter. But what signifies our telling them of these things, if they believe not what we say ? And yet who doth? Men give us the hearing, censure what they have heard, and that is all the use they make of it, never really or firmly believing any one truth that we make known or expound unto them; and this being the case not only of some few, but of the greatest part of mankind; hence, it comes to pass, that so many are called and so few chosen; even because they who are called do not believe it, and so it is all one with them whether they be called or Be sure God chooseth none but such as believe the word he sends unto them; for as the

not.

Isaiah, xxv. 6.

2 Ibid. lv. 1.

3 Ibid. liii. 1.

VOL. II.

N

apostle saith, God hath chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith." If they be not rich in faith, they are not for his purpose; and seeing there are but few that are so, hence of the many which are called, there are but few chosen.'

III. Another reason why of the many which are called there are so few chosen, is because they have no real esteem or value for the things which they are called to; as it is in the parable, when the servants were sent to call upon them to make haste to the feast, because all things were ready, it is said that they made light of it.2 They did not think it worth their while to go, though it was to a feast, a marriage-feast, yea to the marriage-feast of so great a person as the king's son: no, not though they were invited by the king himself unto it. Thus it was in ancient time, and thus it is still; the King of heaven sends to invite men to his court, to lay aside their filthy garments, and to put on the robes that he hath prepared for them, that they be holy as he is holy, and so live with him and be happy for ever. But they make light of such things as these, they can see no such beauty in Christ, why they should desire him; no such excellency in God himself, why they should be in love with him; and as for heaven, they never were there yet, and therefore care not whether they ever come there or not; though they be called, they matter not whether they be chosen to it or not; and hence likewise it is that of the many which are called, there are but few chosen.

IV. Another reason is, because they who are called are generally addicted to the things of this

1 James, ii. 5.

2 Matt. xxii. 5.

life, they have the serpent's curse upon them, to feed upon the dust of the earth, and therefore slight all the overtures that are made them of heaven and eternal happiness. As our Saviour himself intimates in this parable, saying, that when they were invited, they made light of it, and went their way, one to his farm, another to his merchandise.'1 Thus we read of the Pharisees, that they being covetous, when they heard the words of Christ, they derided them. And thus it is to this day; though men be called to Christ, they are so much taken up with worldly businesses that they can find no time to come unto him; but away they go again, one to his trade, another to his merchandise. These are the things that most men's minds are wholly bent upon, and therefore they will not be persuaded to leave them to go to Christ.

It is true, if he called them to great estates, if he called them to a good bargain, if he called them to crowns and sceptres in this world, then they would all strive which should be chosen first: but the things that he calls us to are quite of another nature; he calls us to repent of our sins, to believe in him, to contemn the world, to have our conversations in heaven. But these are things which men do not love to hear of, as being contrary to their earthly temper and inclinations; and therefore, we who are God's ministers may call our hearts out before they will set themselves in good earnest to mind them. Or to bring it home still closer to us, how often have we all been invited to that spiritual feast, the sacrament of the Lord's supper, but how few are there that come unto it, when the

Matthew, xxii. 5.

2 Luke, xvi. 14.

whole congregation is called to partake of it? scarce one in twenty think it worth their while to stay to have their share in it. What can be the reason of this, but that our minds are taken up with other things, which we fancy to be of far greater concernment to us than all the merits of Christ's death and passion? and therefore, it is no wonder that so many of us are called, and so few chosen, seeing we ourselves choose the toys and trifles of this transient world, before all those real joys which in the gospel we are called and invited

to.

V. In the next place, many of them which are called, have so strange an antipathy to God and goodness, that they do not only slight their heavenly, in comparison of their earthly calling; but they hate and abuse such as are sent to call them, as our Saviour himself intimates. 1 O barbarous cruelty; what hurt, what injury is done unto them? They are invited to a feast, and for this they are angry, and kill the messengers which are sent to invite them. Thus it hath been in all ages. This was the entertainment, this the requital that most of the prophets received for the divine message they brought to mankind. Yea, Christ himself, the Son and heir of God, was put to death for inviting men to life and happiness, and so were his apostles too and so it is to this day. There is still a secret malice and hatred in men's hearts against such as endeavour to preach the gospel clearly and fully to them. We tell them of their sins, we acquaint them of the danger they are in, we call upon them to forsake and avoid them, we

1 Luke, xx. 9.

? Matt. xxiii. 35.