The Hypocrites Ladder, Treatise · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Of the Paucity of ſuch as ſhall bee ſaved.
THe ſecond uſe is of Information, to ſhew us firſt, That all are not ſaved. Rom. 9. 27, 29A remnant onelyonly (a ſmall ſeed) ſhall bee ſaved, ſaith the Apoſtle out of Iſrael, whoſe number is as the ſand of the Sea. There is no univerſal ſalvation, becauſe Rom. 11. 7no univerſal election (the election ſhall attain this, and all other promiſes) no univerſal redemption neither (the redeemed Tit. 2. 14are a peculiar and ſeparated people from all others) nor univerſal beleeving (for all have not faith) but a remnant ſhall bee ſaved, one of a City, two of a 2 Theſſ. 3. 2 Jer. 3. 14Family, one near, another far off, as many as the Lord our God ſhall call. The whole world taken largely is ſaid to lye in wickedneſs, 1 Joh. 5. 19. The whole world wondred after the Beaſt, Rev. 13. 3. And the whole world is condemned, 1 Cor. 11. 32. The world of the ſaved (though their number bee great when gathered together of all Kindreds, and Tongues, ſuch as cannot bee numbred) compared with theſe is but a Microcoſme, but a little world in compariſon, a world in the world, taken out of the world in groſs, it is but a ſmall world, God wot, that went out after Christ, a Rev. 79 Mundus parvua in mundo pravo, mundus mundus, inmundo immundo Joh. 12. 19 Io. 16. 8ſmall world, or parcel of it, that the Spirit is ſent to convince of ſin, Righteouſneſs, and Judgement.
2 There is but a few ſhall bee ſaved. Which I ſpeak not as intruding into what is ſecret, or ſetting my ſelf in Gods Tribunal to judge any thing before the time (for I know it a great preſumption to judge but one of my fellow-ſervants) but I pronounce it out of the open Records and expreſs words of Gods revealed will. To let paſs thoſe expreſſions, that the flock of Chriſt is but a little flock (like a little flock of Kids, when the other fills the world) our Saviour Luke 12. 32 1 King. 20. 27tells us, Strait is the gate, narrow the way that leads to life, and few finde it, when bread is the gate, and wide the way that leads to death, and many go in thereat, Mat 7. 13, 14. Rom 9. 27. Of the four grounds, not three taken, and one left, or two taken, two left, but one of the four taken, three left; of four ſitting in the ſame pew or ſeat, hearing the ſame word of life, it were well if one of two were taken, yea ſometimes if one of four; of many that run in a race, not all, not few, but one receiveth the prize. If the righteous 1 Cor. 9. 24 1 Pet. 4. 18bee ſcarcely ſaved, &c. which I ſpeak not to daſh any mans hopes, but the fools, (who rageth, and is confident) as to deaden any mans endeavours, but to excite to all endeavours, and to get that hope which may not bee aſhamed; That wee may ſo run that wee may obtain, and fight not as thoſe who beat the Rom. 55 1 Cor. 9. 16air, but work out our ſalvation with more fear and trembling. Nor do I ſpeak Phil. 2. 12this to take away the key, and ſhut up the Kingdome of heaven (woe bee to them that ſo do, and make ſad the hearts of the godly whom God would not make ſad) but that you may not truſt to a falſe key, and bee deceived.
Lay but down this Maxime firſt, That as out of the Ark, ſo out of the Church is no ſalvation, out of Paradiſe no tree of life, which is a clear, and undoubted truth, and within how narrow a compaſs do wee at firſt clap incloſe ſalvation? Salvation is appropriated to the Church. Salvation is of the Jews, ſaid our Saviour then, when the Gentiles were yet Lo-Ammi, and Lo-…uhamah. The day goes along with the Sun, and the day of Grace, and ſalvation with the Son of Righteouſneſs; for there is no ſalvation by any other means, nor any Act. 4. 12.name under heaven wherein ſalvation is to bee had, but by the Name of Chriſt.
2 Then take away all unſound Chriſtians, Epicures, worldlings, Atheiſtical, ſenſual, ungodly, prophane perſons, all ignorant, unbeleeving, misbeleeving, erronious profeſſors, all hypocritical, looſe, and unſincere profeſſors, how ſmall a remnant is left, wee may ſay with the Apoſtles, Who then can be ſaved? And how Matth. 19. 25ſhall wee eſcape if, &c. If wee ſhould ſee Ezekiels Viſion, All the hairs of a mans Ez. 5. 2, 3head (which are numberleſs) ſhaven off, then weighed and divided into three parts, whereof one third is caſt into the fire, and burnt preſently, a ſecond third cut in peeces with a knife, the third ſcattered in the wind, and a ſword ſent after them too, and a few of them in number gathered in ones skirt, and of them again ſome caſt into the fire. And all this a type of Gods dealing with Iſrael, ſhould not wee be ready to ſay with Balaam, Who ſhall live when God doth theſe things? But ſo it is Num. 24: 23much after this manner.
If that Computation of learned Brerewood bee true, as there is great probability for it, that divides the world into Thirty parts, the Chriſtians part comes but to five, Mahumetans have ſix, and the Br. Enqu. cap. 14.Idolatrous Pagans nineteen. Suppoſe then if you ſhould ſee thirty men ſhut up in a room together to bee examined, arraigned, and tried for their lives, and firſt one ten caſt and condemned at a clap, and but twenty left, then another ten called out, and they alſo found guilty and condemned, and but ten more left, and of thoſe ten, five more caſt out, and of the laſt five, but two or three to bee ſaved by caſting of Lots for their lives, were they not all in great danger ſhall wee think? So here one third part of the world is Pagan, and almoſt another third part Pagan too, then of the remaining third part, the greater half is Mahumetan, and Jewiſh, of that half third yet remaining, the bigger part is Popiſh and Antichriſtian; And in that ſmall remainder a many Atheiſts, and vitious Proteſtants, as far off from the Kingdome of God, as any other. Is not the number at laſt ſo few that a childe may write them, as Iſa. 10. 19.
What a taking was Achan in, may wee ſuppoſe, when it came to fifting, and ſearching? Firſt, the Tribe was taken, than the Family, then the Houſhold, then the perſon. Have not all the ſinners in Sion, like cauſe to bee afraid, and may not like fears ſurprize the Hypocrite, who among us ſhall eſcape, or who among us ſhall dwell with everlaſting burnings, and with the devouring fire? Iſa. 33. 14.
When Iſrael went up from Shiloh as one man, fleſht with confidence againſt the Benjamites, and there fell in one day two and twenty thouſand, and next day eighteen thouſand, might they not well Iudg. 20. 21. 25bee ſtartled to think what ſhould become of them? So when wee ſee ten Thouſands of Civill heathen fall on the left ſide, and ten Thouſand ſeeming Profeſſors at the right; and as Achan, when firſt the Tribe was taken, then the Family, then the houſhold, then it comes nearer and nearer, and takes the perſon, take heed thou bee not the man; or when the Benjamites, in the fore-ſaid Chapter, after all their lifting up in ſecurity and ſucceſs, are cut off by eighteen Thouſand at once, and then there was gleaned of them five thouſand more up Iudg. 20. 44. 45and down, and a few are left in a Cave, that then was one whole Tribe extinguiſhed almoſt; what a ſad ſight was there! What ſad doings was here!
Again on the other ſide, had you ſeen when one of Jeſſes ſons was to bee taken for a King, firſt it is not Eliab the firſt born, nor Abinadab the ſecond, nor Shammah the third, nor when ſeven of 1 Sam. 16. 8, 9, 10them were called together, Samuel ſaid it was none of theſe, but one that was not yet ſeen; where were all their hopes? Matth: 8. 12So when wee ſhall ſee many of the children of the Eaſt and Weſt called, and the children of the Kingdome caſt into utter Matth. 8. 12.darkneſs, who can bee ſecure?
If wee ſhould ſee Ezekiels ſword furbuſhed Ezek. 21. 3. 8. 10.to make ſlaughter, and cutting off righteous and wicked ones both alike, and making no more of the Rod of the Son than of another, is it not time to ſigh with breaking of the Loynes as the Lord V. 6. ibid.commanded, ſhould any then make merry, as if there was no danger? So when wee ſee ſix Cities in this Chapter, Matth. 11. 21. 22, 23, 24.three Pagan and wicked, that knew not God, and other three Chriſtian, ſuch as knew God, but glorified him not as God, all deſtroyed, and the Chriſtians faring worſe of the two, begin to fear and ſay, Who then ſhall bee ſaved? or with the Jaylor, What muſt I do to bee ſaved? Act. 16. 30.What manner of perſons ſhould wee all bee in all holineſs of converſation, and righteouſneſs? Sodome, Tyre, and Sidon, they are not, they are in hell, Chorazin, Bethſaida, and Capernaum, they are in hell too. Oh, what a ſad day will it bee, when the Lord, whoſe eyes are as a flame of fire, ſhall come with his fan in his hand to purge his floor! Surely if it were not for a ſmall remnant no fleſh ſhould Eſ. 1. 9.bee ſaved.
As for the Pagan firſt, who is without the True God in the world, and without a Eph. 2. 12.teaching Prieſt, and all the Ordinances, hee is without hope, and Covenant, and Promiſes. His caſe ſad.
Then the Pſeudo-Iſraelite, who hath rejected Chriſt, hee is broken off: Hee is without hope, becauſe without Chriſt, the Kingdome of heaven is taken from them too.Matth. 21. 43.
Then the Papiſt, the Idolatrous Pſeudo-Chriſtian, who is not without God and Chriſt acknowledged, but without the Goſpel, which they read not, regard not, obſerve not, They who Rev. 14. 10.receive the mark of the Beast, and the number of his name, theſe ſhall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation, and ſhall bee tormented with fire and brimſtone in the preſence of the holy Angels, and of the Lamb, and the ſmoak of their torment aſcendeth continually.
Then comes the Capernatiſh Proteſtant, and the Bethſaida Profeſſor, who hath God, and Christ, and Goſpel, and Faith, and every thing but fruit, he is as far off as any.
When Gideons Army of two and thirty thouſand were tried, they were all caſhiered but three hundred, not one of a hundred left, above a hundred to one refuſed. So when the Lord ſhall finiſh his work (or his account) as the Apoſtle ſaith, and cut it ſhort in righteouſneſs, it foreign. Rom. 10. 28. Eſ. 17. 6.will bee but a ſhort reckoning that God will make in the earth, like a Berry in the top of a tree.
And here give mee leave to tell you there bee ten ſorts of men in the true Church, with whom it will go hard.
1 No prophane perſons ſhall inherit the Kingdome of God. Bee not deceived, 1 Col. 6. 9, 10.there is no Fornicator, or Idolater, or Adulterer, Eph. 5. 5.or Effeminate, or abuſer of himſelf with mankinde, or thief, or covetous man, Gal. 5. 21.drunkard, railer, reviler, extortioner, ſhall inherit the Kingdome of Chriſt, and of God.
2 None in their natural ſtate, I do not ſay becauſe guilty of ſuch and ſuch ſins, but becauſe of their ſtate, ſhall enter the Kingdome of God, Joh. 3. 3. Except a man bee born again, hee ſhall not ſee the Kingdome of heaven. Let him bee free from whatſoever ſinful enormities, and qualified with whatſoever moral endowments. There is one decree for all, the Angel Jeſus Chriſt with his fiery flaming ſword keeps theſe out of Paradiſe. A baſtard by the Law cannot inherit; ſo if wee have the Church for our Mother, if not God for our Father by Regeneration, as well as Adoption, wee are ſhut out. The Moabites, and Ammonites, and a baſtard Iſraelite, were not to enter into Deut. 23. 2, 3.the Tabernacle, or Temple, to their tenth generation for ever. None but the true begotten Chriſtian, begotten by the incorruptible ſeed of the word, ſhall enter the New Jeruſalem. They who could not ſhew their pedigree in Ezraes time, though they joyned with them in the Ezr. 2. 62.exerciſe of their Religion, were not admitted to partake of holy priviledges. See if you can ſay the Lord hath not given mee the ſpirit of bondage, as to a ſon of Rom. 8. 15.the Bond-woman, but to ſhew that I am a ſon, hee hath given mee the Spirit of his Son, crying, Abba Father; and I have Gal. 4. 6.beſides the bare title of a Chriſtian, ſomewhat of Chriſt in mee, as the ſure hope of glory.
3 A bare Civil honeſt perſon is nothing nearer, Luke 16. 15. Mar. 10 21.
4 Nor any Hypocrite, Matth. 24. 51.
5 The lazy and ſlothful Chriſtian neither, Matth. 25. 24.
6 Nor hee that hath much of the form of godlineſs, but not the power, 2 Tim. 3. 3.
7 Nor the Apoſtatizing Profeſſor, Heb. 6. 4, 5. & 10. ult.
8 No man in his own righteouſneſs, Phil. 3. 9.
9 None that ſeek when it is too late, Luke 13. 24, 25.
10 None whatſoever, out of Chriſt, Eph. 2. 12. 1 Joh. 5. 11.