us to depend upon him for the pardon and salvation of our souls, and for the aids of his grace and spirit, whereby we may be enabled to obey his Gospel. For whatever faith we pretend to, unless it put us upon universal obedience to all the commands of God, it will do us no good: for the faith which Christ requires always works by love, conquers the world, subdues sin, purifies the heart, and sanctifies the whole soul. In short, no man can have any ground at all to believe or hope that he is chosen to eternal salvation, who is not holy in all manner of conversation. Heb. xii. 14. The word of God authorizes us to say, that no man can, upon any just ground, think himself chosen, who doth not in all things, to the utmost of his power, conform himself, and adjust his actions to the laws and commands of God.

How few come under the above description we have more cause to bewail than to prove. For let us view the state, not only of Christendom in general, but even of this country; let us weigh the lives and actions of such as profess to believe in Christ, and examine them by the Gospel rules, and we shall soon conclude that but few are chosen. For take out from amongst us the following description of persons, and how few will then be left?

1. All atheistical persons, who say in their heart there is no God, and of whom scarce any will affirm that they are cho

3. All vicious, profane, debauched, and impenitent persons, who make a inock of sin, jeer at holiness, live as if they had no God to serve, nor soul to save, nor hell to avoid, nor heaven to enjoy; who make sensual pleasure their business; who stick not to fly in the face of heaven, and dare God himself to damn them; who make lying their usual dialect, and swearing their pleasing rhetoric; who take pleasure and delight in sin, and make it their pride and glory. That all such persons, with

out timely repentance, are most certainly excluded from the number of the chosen, the word of God expressly affirms. 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. Rev. xxii. 14,

15.

4. All hypocritical and false hearted persons, who seem indeed to men to be honest and good, but still retain some secret sin or other, which will as certainly keep them out of heaven as the most notorious crime: such, whose outward conversation may be unblameable, but who are malicious, uncharitable, censorious, proud, self-conceited, disobedient or disrespectful to parents or magistrates, covetous, ambitious, and the like; such also as make a great shew of piety, and are zealous for the little circumstances of religion, but neglect justice, mercy, and the love of God. And where are the men among us, who do not harbour some secret lust or other in their bosoms? We have many professors of religion, it is true, who would fain be accounted more strict and holy than their neighbours; but are they to be esteemed the chosen of God, because they fancy themselves so ? or is not their pride and self-conceit an argument that they are not so? Blessed be God, I have no spleen or rancour against any of them, but wish they were as truly holy as they would seem to be. But what? Are not pride, self-conceit, irreverence in God's worship, disobedience and disrespect to magistrates, uncharitableness, and censoriousness, sins? Certainly these will be found to be sins another day, and all who allow themselves to indulge any one of them, is as far from being chosen as the most dissolute persons in the world.

5. All who, though morally honest and faithful, yet believe not in our Lord Jesus Christ, and trust more in their own works than in his merit and mediation. It is a rare thing for a man to do all that is required of him, and yet count himself an unprofitable servant; to do all he can, and yet rest upon nothing that he hath done, and to depend wholly upon Jesus Christ for life and happiness. Here and there one may be found, but surely few in comparison of the many who are called.

III. Now let us put these things together, and we shall easily admit, that

though many be called few are chosen. And what is the reason of this? Are not all men rational creatures? Are they not able to distinguish between good and evil? Do not they understand their own interest? Shall we ascribe it to the will and pleasure of Almighty God, as if he delighted in the ruin of his creatures, or, though he calls them, would not have them come? No. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that he should turn from his way and live. He would have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Indeed, if he had no mind we should come, why should he call us to come? Far from us be such unworthy thoughts of God, especially as he hath himself plainly told us to the contrary. I do not deny that, known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. But it is not for us to pry into the secrets of God, or to search into his eternal and incomprehensible decrees. Deut. xxix. 29. Whatsoever is necessary for us to believe and do, is clearly revealed to us in the Bible, and we ought to look no further. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. This he himself plainly tells us, and it ought, therefore, to satisfy us.

Let us then inquire elsewhere for the REASONS Why many are called, but few

chosen.

The first reason is, because those who are called to Christ, will not come to him. The great fault is in the wills of men, which are so depraved, that even though they see it their interest to come, yet they are so averse from the purity of the Gospel, that they will not come to it, merely because they will not. We tell them of their sins, and the dangerous consequences of them; that they must not love the world, but seek first the kingdom of God; that except they repent and forsake their sins, they must perish but in vain. They can give no reason why they will not; but yet they will not. If they perish, therefore, it is their own choice. They prefer their sins, with all the miseries attendant on them, to the Gospel of Christ, and the happiness it offers. And is not this the case with the greatest part of mankind? Christ. Observ. No. 7.

They are called and invited to partake of all the benefits of Christ's death and passion, yet they will not come unto him.

The second reason is because men do not really believe the things which are told them. Who hath believed our report? We tell men, that unless they repent and turn to God, iniquity will be their ruin; that if they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, they shall be saved; that if they be holy here, they shall be happy hereafter. But they believe us not. Hence it comes to pass, that so many are called, and so few chosen. For we may be sure that God chooses_none but such as believe his word. James ii. 5.

A third reason why so many are called and so few chosen, is because they have no real value for the blessings of the Gospel. They make light of God's call: they see no such beauty in Christ as to desire him; no such excellency in God as to love him: and as for heaven, they care not for it.

Another reason is, because they who are called are so much taken up with worldly business that they can find no time to come to Christ. If he called them to great estates or good bargains, they would strive who should first come. But he calls us to repent of our sins, to believe in him, to contemn the world, to have our conversation in heaven; things which men do not love to hear of. How often, for instance, have we all been invited to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and yet how few, not one in twenty, stay to have a share in it? What can be the reason of this, but that our minds are taken up with other things?

In the next place, many who are called have so strange a hatred to God and goodness, that they not only slight their heavenly calling, but they hate and abuse such as are sent to them. Thus it hath been in all ages. Christ himself was put to death for calling men to life and happiness. And so it is now. We tell them of their sins; we acquaint them with their danger; we invite them to Christ, to heaven and happiness; but they are incensed against us. They may forgive us this wrong. We intend them no evil.

3 H

The last reason which I shall mention is, because many who profess to believe in Christ, and to expect happiness and salvation only from him, yet walk not worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called. And indeed this is the great reason of all. How violent are some about the circumstances of religion, who neglect its substance? How demure are some in their behaviour to men, but irreverent in the worship of God? How devout do others seem towards God, who are negligent of their duty to men? Some are all for the duties of the first table: others for the second only. Some are for obedience without faith others for faith without obedience. Some would do all themselves, as if Christ had done nothing: others fancy that Christ has so done all, as to leave them nothing to do. But is this the way to be saved? No, surely. The Gospel requires of us, repentance and faith in Christ; it requires that we obey his laws, and that we trust in him, and him alone, for pardon, acceptance, and salvation: and whosoever comes short of this, though he be called, we may be sure he is not chosen. What ground have we then, on a view of the whole case, to acknowledge that our Saviour had too much cause to say, Many are called but few chosen?

I say not this to discourage any one, No. My hearty prayer to God is, that every one of us may be chosen and sav ed. But my fear is, that many think it so easy a matter to get to heaven, that if they say their prayers, and hear sermons, and attend the Sacrament, they cannot miss it. But this will not do. Let us, however, not be discouraged by this, but rather excited to greater diligence. For why may not you and I be in the number of the chosen? Are we not all called to Christ? Are we not all invited, nay commanded to believe in his name, and obey his Gospel, that so we may partake of everlasting glory? Let us then set about that work in earnest to which we are called. Let us fear God and keep his commandments, and believe in his Son for acceptance and salvation, and then we need not fear, though of the many called, few are chosen, but that we shall be chosen

chosen to live with God himself, and Jesus Christ, and to sing his praises for ever more.

PART II.

THOUGHTS ON THE SABBATH,

During the Jewish Dispensation. THE sanctification of the seventh day, which was appointed in the time of man's primeval innocence, must have continued to be an institution of constant obligation through the succeeding ages, which intervened between the fall of man and the publication of the moral law at Mount Sinai; since we find no repeal of the original command in the books of Moses.

When a summary of the moral law was promulgated to the Israelites at the Holy Mount, and inscribed by the finger of God on tables of stone, we find this original command of a Sabbath bearing, a conspicuous part in the sacred code. The fourth commandment explains and enforces this first institution of God to

man.

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy or, as it is expressed by Moses, when recapitulating the commands in the book of Deuteronomy, Keep the Sabbath day, to SANCTIFY it. Deut. v. 12. Let us then inquire, what are the duties of the day, and what the limitations of those duties, as they are to be found in Scripture during the Jewish Dispensation.

The fourth commandment shews that

we are to abstain from our ordinary worldly calling and employments, which it is our duty to pursue, on the other six days, with diligence. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work. Exod. xx. 9, 10.

We are commanded also to use our endeavours, that this day be sanctified by all over whom we have authority or influence: Thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates, ib. 10. We are not, therefore, to permit the

this pronoun, on this occasion, is begging the *If any reader should think that the use of question, he may confine it to those who were immediately addressed at that period.

works of our ordinary worldly occupation to be carried on by others on our behalf; but we ought to put the same restraints upon those who are under our controul, which our duty requires us to put upon ourselves.

The supreme legislator has given us, by the prophet Isaiah, a still more ample account of the duties implied in the sanctification of the Sabbath. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, &c. lviii. 13.

This passage of Scripture deserves to be studied with peculiar attention, as it not only describes the duties of the day, but also the temper of mind with which they are to be performed.

The Prophet arranges the command under three heads. The first is, that we are not to do our own ways, which relates chiefly, I apprehend, to our worldly business, as is largely set forth in the fourth commandment.

The second, that we are not to find our own pleasure on the Sabbath. It is not to be a day of merriment, of sports, and pastimes, or of mere amusement. All those ways of spending the Sabbath, which are contrived for the purpose of sensual pleasure, are to be avoided; though the temperate refreshment of the body is not forbidden. It is to be a day of rest from bodily labour; but not a season of mere animal recreation. It is unnecessary, and indeed impossible, to enumerate the various species of pleasure which are forbidden on this day; but as every one knows what is meant by a day of sensual pleasure, so every one may judge what is forbidden under this head.

Thirdly, We are forbidden to speak our own words. The conversation ought to be suited to the sacred offices of the day. For as we are prohibited from pursuing our ordinary labours on the Sabbath, so are we also prohibited from making them the subjects of our discourse. We cease from our own words, when we confine our conversation to subjects of a religious or moral nature;

when we employ our time in instructing our dependents, our children and servants, or in edifying communication with our equals.

Though these three injunctions are expressed in the negative form, yet (according to a well-known rule of interpreting Scripture, a rule derived from the Scriptures themselves) we must understand them as enjoining the opposite conduct.

This beautiful passage of the Prophet teaches us also, what ought to be the temper of our minds in these holy exercises. Far from being weary of the spiritual employments of the Sabbath, we ought to account them our pleasure, and call the Sabbath a DELIGHT, as well as holy of the Lord. This day we are to esteem honourable, above all others. We are then peculiarly to honour HIM, whose bounty created us, whose long-suffering hath preserved us, and whose unsearchable goodness has provided a way for our eternal redemption. Thus is the nature of the duty of sanctifying the Sabbath pointed out with the utmost clearness.

A limitation, however, is sometimes put, by the infirmities of our fallen nature, to some of the exercises which ought, when we are unrestrained, to occupy us on this sacred day. Sickness may confine us to our beds, when we should otherwise be engaged in public worship; and, in such occasional interruptions, we may require the attention and assistance of others. The Lord, by declaring that he prefers mercy to sacrifice, has pointed out our duty on these occasions. Whatever the necessities of our nature, as the relief of hunger, or aid in sickness, may require, must be considered as consistent with the sanctification of the Sabbath. Our Saviour, by his precepts and example, has completely illustrated this part of the subject.

Here it is proper to observe, that God sent forth his Son, MADE UNDER THE LAW. Christ lived and died under the Jewish dispensation. By his expositions of the moral law, he pointed out its real nature and extent; but made no alterations in it. When he declared that acts of necessity and charity were suitable to the Sabbath, he introduced no new