FEW CHOSEN by Christ. Intel.

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 5, 1857

FEW CHOSEN.

By Christ. Intel.

"MANY are called, but few are chosen." Matt. xxii, 14.

A passage of awfully solemn import, whether the speaker or the consequences are taken into account. The speaker cannot be mistaken, the consequences are the loss of the soul, of God, of heaven.

But how is it, and why is it, that many being called few are chosen? Not a few lay the fault on God, and exonerate the sinner from all blame. But is it so? "To the law and to the testimony." What says our Saviour in the parable? "They would not come." And the one cast out into outer darkness would not put on the wedding garment. All were invited, but things of earth and time engrossed all their attention, and commanded all their hearts—their marriages, their purchases, their wives, their lands, their oxen. Hear Jesus: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! how often would I have gathered thee, but ye would not." Thus he lays the fault on man alone, and exonerates God from all blame.

Dropping the parable, let us put the question. Why are so many of the called not chosen or saved? What more interesting or (to us sinners) important question could be put?

For a solution to the inquiry we must look either to the unwillingness of God to save, or to the inability or unwillingness of man to be saved. Where but in those can the true cause be found? We ask then, Is God unwilling to save or choose those he calls? If so, why does he call them? To mock them? Are any to be found ready to attribute insincerity to God? But if God is not waiting to be gracious, and ready to pardon all that he calls to salvation by the gospel, then there is no alternative left us but to believe God a liar. O awful blasphemy! "Am I a man that I can lie? saith the Lord." No, no, God never mocked a sinner, never trifled with his promises. To mock the sinner, or to trifle with his promises, would be to make war upon his own goodness, benevolence, mercy, love, truth, and justice, through Christ. Hear what he says for himself in this matter: "As I live saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of him who dieth." "Look unto me, all ye ends of the earth, and be saved." "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters," &c. "The Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth, say, Come. And whosoever will, let him come and take of the waters of life freely." "The Lord is longsuffering, not willing that any should perish, but have everlasting life."

Passages more in point need not be sought for, and, what is best, not one can be found in all the book of God to oppose them.

Shall we look for the cause in the insufficiency of the atonement of Christ? Hearken: "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that

whosoever believeth might not perish, but have everlasting life." "The blood of Jesus cleanseth from all sin." "Wherefore he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him." "Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world." And more, has not Christ sent the Holy Spirit to reprove? Whom? How many? "The world of sin?" Of what sin? "Because they believe not on me." Thus scripture shows the all-sufficiency of the atonement of Christ to save all the called.

Shall we seek for the cause in the inability and unwillingness of the called to be saved? We allow it at once. "Sooner may the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots, than he who has been accustomed to do evil learn to do well." "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one." But Jesus can. Hear him: "Behold I make all things new." And for this very end has God laid our help upon him, and treasured it up in him. It is he who hath received "gifts for men, even for the rebellious." "Go to Joseph," was the command given to all who went to buy corn in Egypt. And the gospel command is to all impoverished, ready-to-perish sinners, "Go to Christ and out of his fullness receive grace for grace." Christ calls—he bids us come. "Come unto me all ye who labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth." Did ever any guilty soul look or come to him, and was rejected? Nay. "He hates putting away." Did ever any one seriously try to look or come to him and was not able? Never. Thus our inability is lost in the Saviour, and we are left altogether inexcusable if we perish.

Thus the call to salvation is universal—God is sincere—Christ is able to save—the Holy Spirit is striving with men. Man by nature is unable, but his help is laid upon and in Christ, and he is invited, yea, commanded, to come to him and receive all needful grace and aid. Why, then, are not all men who are invited and called, set down at the gospel feast? The answer is to be found in the third verse—"They would not." And this is the language of Moses, the prophets, and of Christ. "Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life." Man's damnation under the call of the gospel is therefore not of necessity, but of choice. This is their condemnation that, "that light is come into the world, but they choose darkness rather than light, because their hearts and deeds are evil." How truly speaks the Prophet when he says, "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself."