as foon as ever he entered upon his Miniftry, he called to Mankind, faying, Repent, and believe the Gospel, Marc. i. 15. and Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, Matth. xi. 28. And when he was to depart hence he left order with his Apoftles, to go and call all Nations, and teach them what he had commanded, promifing that.himself would be with them to the end of the World, Matth. xxviii. 19, 20. By vertue therefore of this Commiffion not only the Apoftles themselves, but all fucceeding Minifters in all Ages to the end of the World, are fent to call Mankind to embrace the Gospel, and to accept of the Terms propounded in it. So that when we his Minifters preach unto them, or call upon them to repent and turn to God, they must not think that we come in our own Name; for as the Apostle tells the Corinthians, We are Ambaffadors for Chrift, as though God did befeech you by us, we pray you in Chrift's ftead, be ye reconciled to God, 2 Cor. v. 20. Hence in Scripture we are called alfo xipuxes Heralds, and our Office is unpúose to proclaim as Heralds, the Will and Pleasure of Almighty God unto Mankind, to offer Peace and Pardon to all that have rebelled against our Lord and Mafter the King of Heaven, if they will now come in, and fubmit themselves un

to him; if not, in a moft folemn and dreadful manner, to denounce his Wrath and heavy Difpleasure against them. So that as the Angel was fent to call Lot out of Sodom, when the Lord was going to rain Fire and Brimstone from Heaven upon it; fo God being ready every Moment to shower down his Fury and Vengeance upon the impenitent and unbelieving World he fends us to call Men out of it, to open their Eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God, Act. xxvi. 18. and to invite them to his Court, to live with him and be happy for

ever.

AND that this is the proper meaning of • our bleffed Saviour, in this Place, where he faith many are called, is plain from the Parable whereon thefe Words are grounded; where the King is faid to have sent his Servants to call the Guests which were bidden to the Marriage Feaft, and put Words into their Mouths, telling them what to fay, ver. 4. as he hath given us alfo Inftructions how to call and invite Mankind in his holy Word. And when of the many which were called, there would but few come; hence our Saviour uttered this Expreffion, that many are called, but few chofen. From whence it is clear and obvious, that our Saviour means not fuch as

were

were called immediately from God himself, for they were but few; nor yet fuch as are called by the works of Creation and Providence, for fo not many only, but all are called; but he means fuch as are called by his Word, and by his Servants and Minifters reading, preaching, and explaining of it.

AND verily that many have been and still are called in this fenfe, which is the next thing I promised to fhew, I need not stand long to prove. For our Saviour having commanded his Apoftles to go and call all Nations to his Faith, which is the proper meaning. of that place, Mat. xxviii. 19. it cannot be denied but that the Apostles prefently difperfed themselves, and preached the Gofpel to all Nations; which they did fo effectually, that in few Years after, even in St. Paul's time, The mystery of the Gospel was made known to all nations for the obedience. of faith, Rom. xvi. 26. and in St. John's time, fome were redeemed out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, Rev. vii. 9. Yea, fo mightily grew the word of God and prevailed, that the Ancients compared it to Lightning, that immediately dispersed it felf, and was feen all the World over. So that in less than two hundred Years, ab ortu folis ad occafum lex: Chriftiana fufcepta eft, The Chriftian Religion

was received all the world over from Eaft to Weft, as Lactantius who then lived afferts, From which time therefore, how many thoufands of millions of Souls have been called to the Faith of Chrift, by the preaching of his Gofpel. And not to fpeak of other Na tions, how foon did the Sun of Righteoufnefs arise upon these Western parts of the World, and particularly upon this Nation, wherein we dwell; feveral of Chrift's own Difciples and Apoftles, as Simon Peter, Simon Zelotes, James the Son of Zebedee, Jofeph of Arimathea, Ariftobulus, and St. Paul himself, being all recorded by Ecclefiaftical Writers, to have preached the Gofpel to this Nation. Be fure in less than two hundred Years the Chriftian Faith was here received, Tertullian himself saying exprefly, Britannorum inacceffa Romanis, loca, Chrifto fubdita, The Romans could scarcely come at Britany, but Chrift hath conquered it. And foon after him, Arnobius faith, that the Gofpel, Nec ipfos Indos latuit à parte orientis, nec ipfos Britannos à parte occidentis, Was not conceal'd either from the Indians in the Eastern part of the World, nor from the Britons themfelves in the Weft. And fince the Gofpel was firft here planted, how many have been called by it to the Faith of Chrift? Yea through the Merey of the most high God, how many at this

moment

moment are called all the Nation over? And to come ftill clofer to our felves, all that read this have I doubt not been often called heretofore, and now are called again. For in the Name of the most high God, and of his Son Chrift, I pray and befeech you all as ftrangers and pilgrims, to abftain from flefbly lufts which war against the foul, 1 Pet. ii. 11. to repent of your Sins, and believe the Gofpel. I call and invite you also to accept the offers of Grace and Pardon which are made you in Jefus Chrift, to fit down with him at his own Table, and feed by Faith upon his Body and Blood, that fo you may partake of the Merits of his Death and Paffion, and fo live with him for evermore. Thus you are all called, but I fear there are but few chofen.

HAVING thus explained and proved the first part of this Propofition, that many are called, we must now confider the meaning, truth and reafons of the other part of it, but few are chofen. Πολλοί γάρ είσι κλητοί, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί. For many are called, but few chofen; that is, there are but few which are fo approved of by God, as to be elected and chofen from the other part of the World, to inherit eternal Life. That this is the main drift and scope of our bleffed Saviour in these words, is plain from the foregoing Parable, which gave Ꭲ 4 him