shalt be cut off Rom. 11. 20 22. Men as before we have seen are the subjects of Gods election in coming unto and abiding in Christ And in him all the Promises of God are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. And if we be Christs then are we Abrahams Seed and Heirs according to Promise And so an elect Generation Gal. 3. 29. with Deut. 7. 6 9 10. 10. 15. And they who dwell in this secret of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty Psal 91. 1 12. They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever And the Lord will do good unto those that be good and to them that are upright in their hearts But as for such as turn aside out of the path of the just to their crooked paths the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity but peace shall be upon Israel Psal 125. 1 4 5. with Psal 73. 1. Therefore the Apostle Peter writing to them who were elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father and had obtained like precious faith with the Apostle exhorts them to give diligence to make their calling and election sure for saith he If ye do these things ye shall never fall plainly signifying to us that otherwise they might and should fall 1 Pet. 1. 2. with 2 Pet. 1. 1 10. Those that are with Christ on Mount Zion are such as are Called and not only so but Chosen yea and not only Chosen but faithfull also Faithfully following the Lamb wheresoever he goeth Rev. 17. 14. with Chap. 14. 1 4. Oh that we may never say We are the Elect of God and our Mountain is so strong setled that we shall never be moved however we demean our selves But that we may be of the Sheep of Christ and abide such hearing continually the voice of our Shepheard and following him for to such as so do he will give Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of his hand neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come Nor heighth nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to seperate them that love God and keep his commandments from the love of God which is for ever in Christ Jesus John 10. 27 28 29 with Rom. 8. 28 33 39. And so much to the first Particuler in which we have endeavoured from the Scriptures to shew what is not and what is Gods Election and who are not and who are the subjects of it And now we come to shew 2. That few of the many that are called are chosen as our Saviour here plainly affirmeth But few of many as Jer. 42. 2. even of the many which are called by the Servants in the plain Preaching of the Gospel as it is now revealed For that our Saviour speaks of and intends such by the Many here we have before shewn and desire that may be considered and what is contained in the three Cautions foregiven Now of these many who have the Scriptures of Truth amongst them which have been spoken and recorded by the Servants the extraordinary Servants of the great King viz. by the Holy Prophets and Apostles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And amongst whom also are some of his Servants preserved and continued even such as have believed on Christ thorow the Apostles word he here saith Few are chosen few comparatively to those so called Few to the many who say they are Jews and are not There are threescore Queens and fourscore Concubines and Virgins without number But my Love my undefiled is but one saith our Lord Jesus She is the onely one of her Mother she is the choice and chosen one of her that bare her Cant. 6. 8 9. In this sense also it is true and may be thus taken As the Lilly among the Thorns so is Christs love among the Daughters one Lilly among many Thorns one Love amongst many Daughters other Professours Churches and Societies Who swear by the Name of the Lord and make mention of the God of Israel but not in Truth non in Righteousness for they call themselves of the Holy City c. Cant. 2. 2. Isa 48. 1 2. And as was also fore-prophesied In that day seven women Churches or Congregations shall take hold of this one Man Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 2. 5. saying we will eat our own Bread and wear our own Apparell as the Man did that had not on the Wedding Garment Only let us be called by thy name Christians to take away our reproach Isa 4. 1. Many cleave unto him by flatteries Dan 11. 34. And few heartily receive or faithfully and constantly walk and abide in him unto the end So that â—…t may be applied to these chosen ones the Israel of God which was spoken of Israel after the flesh a Type of the Spiritual Seed The Lord did not set his love upon you nor chuse you because ye were more in number than any people for ye were the fewest of all people not counted worthy in respect of the smallness of their number to be reckoned amongst the Nations of Professours Deut. 7. 6 7. Christ's flock of actual believers and upright followers of Him is a little flock Luk. 12. 32. I still mean as compared with the many or multitudes which are called and in some sort also the called And so much our Saviour giveth us to understand in His Parable which He spake in His personal Ministration In one He saith The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Net that was cast into the Sea which gathered of every kind some good and some bad Mat. 13. 47-49 And in another He more plainly and evidently signifieth that of the many to whom the Gospel is preached but few comparatively obey it from the heart or continue so to do One sort of the hearers of the Kingdom He compareth to the Way-side ground and and like to it many abide The word hath little or no entrance into or impression on them in respect of any willing reception of it from them The sower indeed soweth his seed in the hearts of this first sort of ground And did they suffer it to take place in them and enter into and abide in their hearts they should believe and be saved But they understand it not consider it not set not their hearts to it open not to let in this blessed seed which would convert them in so doing but letting it lye above ground it is open unto and fit to be taken away by the Fowls And the wicked one cometh and catcheth away that which was sown in the hearts of such lest they should believe and be saved Of this sort so abiding it may be said It is a People of no understanding therefore He that made them will not have mercy upon them and He that formed them will shew them no favour Matth. 13. 18 19. with
Luke 8. 11 12. Isa 27. 11. Another sort of hearers He likeneth to stony places or to the rock they hear the word of the Kingdom and the glad tidings therein declared And in some measure understand it And so are not like unto the Way-side hearers for anon or immediately with joy they receive and gladly entertain it And do believe for a while what is therein reported That Christ is indeed the Saviour of the World But these have no root in themselves they suffer not the word to sink deep enough to break the stone or rock at the bottom and to effect in them an honest and good heart which it would do were it with the heart believed Is not my word like as a fire saith the Lord and like an bammer that breaketh the rock in peices Jer. 23. 28 29. this is powerful to convert and change the Soul Psal 19. 7. But they suffer it not to take root downward but still retain some stone at the bottom some design or enterprize of theirs unbroken And though possibly in hearing this word gladly they do many things which it is effecting in them part with many things thereby reproved and do many things which are good in themselves yet there is still some one beloved iniquity or other which they will not let this good and powerful word mortifie and root up some lust or idol remains at the bottom of their hearts which hinders the seed from sinking deep enough and and so in conclusion the Word becometh unfruitful Herod knew John the Baptist was a just Man and an holy and observed him or kept him from danger and when he heard him he did many things and heard him gladly But when John reproved him for Herodias his Brother Philip's Wife and said it is not lawful for thee to have her he turned not at this reproof of God's instruction he suffered not the word of God to purge out and root up this iniquity but was angry with this faithful reprover and first put him in Prison and afterwards caused him to be beheaded Mark 6. 17-20 Ezekielis hearers said one to another Come I pray you and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord And they come unto thee saith the Lord as the People cometh and they sit before thee as My People and they hear thy words but they will not do them For with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their Covetousness And â—…e thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument for they hear thy words but they do them not For still from the least to the greatest of them every one was given to Covetousness Ezek. 33. 30-32 Jer. 6. 12. Thus it is with too many now in our days they hear the glad-tidings of good things brought to them in the Gospel of peace and by and by they receive them with gladness And they are perswaded that the word of Christ is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation And they marvel at the gracious words therein contained and wonder that every one doth not give credit thereto But still they believe in vain and though they have some love for what they hear yet they love some thing reproved thereby rather and better they hold fast a lye in their right hand while the truth is but in their left they set and keep up some stumbling block of iniquity in their hearts some intemperance or uncleanness or strife or covetousness or pride c. And by the deceitfulness of that sin which doth so easily beset them they harden their hearts like an Adamant stone so that the word sinks not deep enough into them And this is afterwards made apparent For when tribulation or persecution ariseth for the word by and by they are offended As immediatâ—…y at first they received the word of the kingdom with joy so immediately in time of trial and temptation they are offended and fall away Joh. 3. 19. 2 Thes 2. 10. Isa 44. 20. Matth. 13. 20 21. with Luke 8. 13. A third sort of hearers appear in conclusion to be like the thorny ground they are such as hear the word and receive the seed And it may seem for sometime receive it to purpose and it brings forth fruit in them These understand as the Way-side hearers do not These have some root in themselves as the Stony-ground hearers had not These bring forth fruit but afterward without any good reason or cause they go out and depart from Christ Jesus and from the mindfulness of His Grace and Gospel and abide not faithful unto the death These endure not unto the end though at first they did run well They continue not rooted and grounded in the Faith They abide not in Christ stedfast and unmoveable but forsake the Lord the fountain of living waters and wander out of the way of understanding and turn aside to their crooked pathes after they have escaped the pollutions of the world thorow the Knowledge and Doctrine of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And so are like Birds that wander from their Nests they are removed from him that called them into the Grace in Jesus Christ And after they have clean and indeed escaped from them that live in errour yet they sin willingly and erre from and forsake the right way in which abiding they should be saved But they go forth Luke 8. 14. and then the Thorns enter in Mark 4. 19. They were not there always they were it may seem rooted out and cast forth by the Plow of the Gospel And had they abidden in Christ they had been still preserved from them For Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not He keepeth Himself that the wicked one toucheth him not in whom the seed of God remaineth 1 Joh. 3. 6 9. with Chap 5. 18. But going out the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and lusts of other things enter in and choak the Word and it becometh unfruitful namely in conclusion they bring no fruit unto perfection none to the harvest And so none which will abide and appear on their account in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ These may endure some of them a considerable time and even almost though not altogether unto the harvest And how far soever they go or how long soever they continue yet not enduring unto the end not overcoming and keeping Christ's Works unto the end but going out and departing from Him and so persisting all their righteousness shall not be remembred but for their iniquity that they have committed they shall dye for it there is no reaping if men faint how long soever they have exercised themselves in well doing Matth. 13. 22. with Mark 4. 18 19. 2 Pet. 2. 18-20 Gal. 6. 9. Ezek. 33. 12 13. Rev. 2. 26-29 Now the just shall live by faith but if he at any time draw back Gods Soul will have no pleasure
in him Hebr. 10. 38. with ver 26. Those that died for their unbelief and murmurings when they were almost come to the borders of the Land of Canaan fell short of the typical rest as well as they who were upon the same account cut off presently after they came out of Aegypt though they had continued longer in following the Lord and endured much more hardship then the latter Even so such as have put their hand to the Plow and continued it there a good while and suffered many things will yet-deprive themselves of the reward if they bring not forth fruit unto the end All their former hearing believing professing well doing and suffering will in conclusion be in vain to such as these Gal. 3. 4. Phil. 2. 12-16 Luke 9. 62. Oh that the consideration hereof may admonish and provoke us all To be stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing in thus doing and continuing our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord But Christ will present us in the body of His flesh unblameable and unrebukeable if we continue in the faith rooted and grounded and be not moved from the hope of the Gospel c. 1 Cor. 15. 58. Col. 1. 22 23. Gal. 6. 9. so shall we not be like the thorny-thorny-ground hearers Lastly Some there are who receive the Word into the good ground even such as hear the Gospel and understand And therein they are better then the first sort of hearers compared to the way side And they receive the seed in an honest and good heart and therein they are preferred before the second sort of hearers who are compared to the stony ground Yea and also they keep it and bring forth fruit with patience and perseverance In a patient continuance in well-doing they seek for Glory and Honour and immortality And unto them in due season God will render eternal Life Rom. 2. 6 7. These all bring forth fruit unto perfection though not all alike but some an hundred fold some sixty and some thirty Yet they continue keeping the seed the good Word of God and suffering it to bring forth fruit in them and to make them fruitful even unto the end And herein they are differenced from and do more worthily then the third sort of hearers compared to the thorny ground Though they indeed for some time yea possibly for some considerable space of time some of them however did retain the word of the kingdom but before the harvest came they grew weary fainted in their minds so deprived themselves of that reward of the inheritance of which otherwise they might and should have partaken And so are compared to and in conclusion become like the thorny ground compare Matth. 13. 18-23 with Mark 4. 14-20 Luke 8. 11-15 Now in this Parable our Lord confirms the truth of what He affirms in the Parable we are considering a part of to wit that few of the many who are called are chosen Among the many hearers of the word of the kingdom there were three sorts that in conclusion received the grace of God in vain And one sort only that received and retained the love of the truth to be saved thereby Our Saviour in this Parable of the several grounds speaks not of the heathen who have not the Oracles of God committed to them nor the Gospel of Christ plainly preached among them nor of such as hear such instructions as cause to erre from the words of knowledge and such foolish ones as have not the lip of knowledge For no good fruit can be expected from such foolish persons and such Doctrines And therefore the Holy Ghost hath councelled us to go from the presence of such vain talkers and to cease to hear such instructions which are so hurtful Prov. 14. 7. 19. 27. But He speaks of such persons as were hearers of the good Word of God the word of Truth the Gospel of our Salvation which was spoken unto them and sown in the hearts of them by the good sower the Son of Man And yet amongst these hearers there are but few who are the called according to purpose Oh how few are there that are indeed redeemed from the Earth and from amongst men and who faithfully cleave unto and follow the Lamb that was slain whithersoever he goeth And the Reason why there are so few chosen is not as we have said and may again also shew because the most were reprobated or past by in a personal consideration from Eternity Or because no true and saving Grace was vouchsafed unto them for both these are false But because they strive not or abide not striving to enter in at the strait gate But against all the discoveries convincements reproofs and operations of the Spirit in the Gospel walk on in or return again unto the broad way in which there are such multitudes who hold fast deceit and refuse to come unto Christ in His way So much our Saviour signifieth when He saith unto His Disciples Enter ye in at the strait gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat Why so Because strait is the gate and narrow it the way which leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it Matth. 7. 13 14. And again when one said unto Christ Lord are there few that be saved Though our Saviour gives not a direct Answer yet He signifieth in His Answer That few comparatively are so and intimately declareth That mens not being willing to enter in at the strait gate or not to do it in the present time is the Reason For He said not to him only that propounded the Question but indefinitely unto them that heard Him Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able Luke 13. 22-24 He doth not here signifie that there was no gate for such as in the event go to destruction nor that it was not opened but plainly giveth us to understand that there was a gate and that it was so opened that any man might enter therein Joh. 10. 9. Yea that it was held open all the day of Christ's mediation in that it presently followeth when once the master of the House is risen up and hath shut to the door c. Luke 13. 25. clearly implying That the door was not shut until that time to wit while the day of God's Grace and Patience is continued and men are joyned to all the living But He evidently signifieth that the reason why few are saved is because they strive not or will not strive to enter in at this strait gate Ezek. 33. 31 32. The gate is indeed strait A Man in entring must deny and renounce himself daily his sinful and fleshly lusts that war against the Soul his wisdom righteousness will designs and enterprizes his covetousness and love of the World and the things thereof his