companied with faith in the Lamb whom he called them. to behold; for he preached no other to them. The people that John baptized, profeffed both repentance for the. remiffion of fins, and alfo faith in the Meffiah; as is evident by Acts xix. 4, 5. "John verily baptized with the baptifin of repentance, faying unto the people, that they fhould believe on him that fhould come after "him" i. e. on CHRIST JESUS: "When they heard. this [John's preaching] they were baptized in the "name of the Lord JESUS."

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If it be objected here, that we are told, Matth. iii. 5, 6. "There went out to him Jerufalem, and all Judea, and "all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized "of him in Jordan, confefling their fins ;" and that it. is not to be imagined, all thefe made any credible profeffion of faving repentance and faith; I anfwer; No more is to be understood by thefe expreffions, according to the phrafeology of the Scripture, than that there was a very great refort of people from thefe places to John. Nor is any more to be underflood by the like term of univerfality in John iii. 26. "They came to John, and "faid unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond. "Jordan, to whom thou beareft witnefs, behold, the

fame baptizeth, and ALL MEN come to him;" that is, there was a great refort to him from all quarters. It is in nowife unreafonable to fuppofe, there was indeed a very great number of people that came to John from the places mentioned, who being exceedingly moved by his preaching, in that time of extraordinary outpouring of the Spirit, made profeflion of the faith and repentance which John preached. Doubtlefs there were many more profeffors than real converts: But ftill in the great refort to John, there were many of the latter character; as we may infer from the prophecy; as appears by Luke. i. 16, 17. " And many of the children

of Ifrael fhall he turn to the Lord their God. And he fhall go before him in the fpirit and power of "Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and of the difobedient to the wifdom of the

"juft, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." And from that account of fact in Matth. xi. 12. "From "the days of John the Baptift until now, the kingdom "of heaven fuffereth violence, and the violent take it "by force." And in Luke xvi. 16. "The law and "the prophets were until John: Since that time the "kingdom of God is preached, and EVERY MAN preff"eth into it." Here the expreffion is no lefs univerfal, than that which is objected in Matth. iii. 5, 6. As to those wicked Pharifees, that so much opposed Christ, fome of them I fuppofe had been baptized by John, and then had a great fhew of repentance and faith; but they afterwards apoftatized, and were much worse than ever before: Therefore Chrift fpeaks of them as being like a houfe from which the unclean fpirit is vifibly turned out for a while, and is left empty, frept, and garnished, but afterward is repoffeffed, and has many devils inftead of one, Luke xi. 24, &c. Yet as to the greater part of these Pharifees, they were not baptized by John; as appears by Luke vii. 29, 30.

If it be further objected, that John in baptizing fuch multitudes could not have time to be fufficiently inform ed of those he baptized, whether their profeffion of godlinefs was 'credible, or no: I anfwer; That we are not particularly informed of the circumftances of his teaching, and of the affistance he was favoured with, and the means he had of information concerning those whom he baptized: But we may be fure of one thing, viz. He had as much opportunity to inquire into the credibility of their profeffion, as he had to inquire into their doctrinal knowledge and moral character; which my opponents suppose to be neceffary, as well as I: And this is enough to filence the prefent objection.

OBJECTION V.

CHRIST fays, Matth. xx. 16. and again, chap. xxii. 14. that many are called, but few are chofen. By which it is evident, that there are many, who belong to the vifible church, and yet but few real and true faints; and that it is ordinarily thus, even under the Nerv Teftament, and in days of gofpel-light: And therefore that vifibility of faintfhip, whereby perfons are visible faints in a Scripturefenfe, cannot imply an apparent probability of their being real faints, or truly gracious perfons.

ANSW. In thefe texts, by thofe that are called, are not meant those who are vifible faints, and have the requifite qualifications for Chriftian facraments; but all fuch as have the external call of the word of God, and have its offers and invitations made to them. And it is undoubtedly true, and has been matter of fact, for the moft part, that of thofe called in this fenfe, many have been but only called, and never truly obedient to the call, few have been true faints. So it was in the Jewish nation, which the parable in the twentieth of Matthew has a fpecial refpect to; they in general had the external call of God's word, and in general attended many religious duties, in hopes of God's favour and reward, which is called labouring in God's vineyard; and yet but few of them eventually obtained falvation; nay, great multitudes of those who were called in this fenfe, were scandalous perfons, and grofs hypocrites. The Pharifees and Sadducees were called, and they laboured in the vineyard, in the fenfe of the parable; for which they expected great rewards, above the Gentile converts or profelytes; wherefore their eye was evil towards them, and they could not bear that they should be made equal to them: But ftill thefe Pharifees and Sadducees had not generally the intellectual and moral qualifications, that my opponents fuppofe requifite for Chriftian facraments; beN

ing generally fcandalous perfons, denying fome fundamental principles of religion, and explaining away fome of its most important precepts. Thus, many in Chriftendom are called, by the outward call of God's word, and yet few of them are in a state of falvation: But not all these that fit under the found of the gospel, and hear its invitations, are fit to come to facraments.

That by those who are called, in this faying of our Saviour, is meant thofe that have the gospel-offer, and not those who belong to the faciety of vifible faints, is evident beyond all difpute, in Matth. xxii. 14. By the many that are called, are plainly intended the many that are invited to the wedding. In the foregoing parable, we have an account of those that from time to time were bidden, or CALLED (for the word is the fame in the original), ver, 3." And fent forth his fervants to CALL "them that were CALLED [ITH EXANμLEVHS], "and they would not come." This has respect to the Jews, who refufed not only favingly to come to Chrift, but refufed fo much as to come into the visible church of Christ. Ver. 4pe Again he fent forth other fervants, faying, Tell them which are bidden [or CALLED], Behold I have prepared my dinner," &c. Ver. 8. "They which were bidden [or CALLED] were not worthy." Ver. 9. "Go ye therefore to the highways, and as many as ye fhall find, bid [or CALL, XXXT] to the marriage," or nuptial banquet; reprefenting the preaching of the gofpel to the Gentiles; who upon it came into the king's houfe, i. e. the vifible church, and among them one that had not a weddinggarment, who was bound hand and foot, and caft out when the king came: And then, at the conclufion, Chriít adds this remark, ver. 14. "For many are CALLED or

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bidden [xanTo], but few are chofen ;" which must have reference, not only to the man laft mentioned, who came into the wedding-houfe, the Chriftian vifible church, avithout a wedding-garment, but to thofe alfo mentioned before, who were called, but would not so much as come into the king's houfe, or join to the visible Christian church.

To fuppofe this faying to have reference only to that one man who came without a wedding-garment (reprefenting one that comes into the visible church, but is not a true faint), would be to make the introduction of this aphorifm, and its connection with what went before, very ftrange and unintelligible, because then it would be as much as to fay thus," Multitudes came into the king's houfe, who were called, and the house was full "of guests; but among them was found one man who was not chofen; for many are called, but few are "chofen."

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OBJECTION VI.

WHEN the fervants of the householder, in the parable of the wheat and tares (Matth. xiii.), unexpectedly found tares among the wheat, they said to their mafter," Wilt "thou that we go and gather them up? But he faid, "Nay, left while ye gather up the tares, ye root up "alfo the wheat with them; let both grow together "until the harveft." Which fhews the mind of Christ, that we ought not to go about to make a diftinction between true faints and others in this world, or aim at any fuch thing as admitting true faints only into the visible church, but ought to let both be together in the church till the day of judgment.

ANSW. I. These things in this parable have no manner of reference to introduction into the field, or admission into the visible church, as though no care nor measures fhould be taken to prevent tares being fown; or as though the fervants who had the charge of the field, would have done well to have taken tares, appearing to be fuch, and planted them in the field amongst the wheat: No, instead of this, the parable plainly implies the contrary. But the words cited have wholly refpect to a CASTING OUT and purging the field, after the tares. had been introduced unawares, and contrary to design,