But in another sense, or rather in another application, those only are "chosen" who do take advantage of this their call. And it is of them our Lord is speaking in this discourse, as "chosen ". or elected not merely to receive the call to salvation through the Gospel, (for many," He says, "are called,") but, as fit objects of God's eternal favour, in consequence of their obeying that call.

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When, again, He says to his Apostles, "Have I not chosen you twelve? and one of you is a devil," it is plain He is speaking of those chosen to high privileges only; not to final reward consequent on the use made of those privileges.

These passages, then, compared together, will serve to shew the mistake those fall into who imagine that the word " chosen," or "elect," must everywhere be understood of the same persons, and that these are to be regarded as sure of salvation. In the parable before us the term is so applied; viz. to those chosen out of the whole number that have received Christ's

* John vi. 70.

call, as fit objects of his eternal favour, on account of their having obeyed that call. In other places, the "called," and the "chosen," mean the same; viz. those elected, not to obtain salvation absolutely, but to receive the "call" to it; which it rests with them to listen to, or to disregard.

And even when the most positive and seemingly unconditional promises are made, it will always be found, not only that there is a condition understood, as limiting the promise, viz. the condition (which every one is free to fulfil or to neglect) of obedience to God's call, but also, that those promises are not made merely to those of whom God foresaw that they would be thus obedient, but to many others also because their failure of attaining what was thus placed within their reach, was a failure not on his part, but on theirs. Thus, when the Israelites, on their deliverance out of Egypt, were promised that they should be brought into the land flowing with milk and honey," this promise was not given on the ground of their foreseen faith and obedience; for they were a perverse generation, and forfeited, as God must

have foreknown, the promise held out to them; so that all the grown men, except two out of six hundred thousand, perished in the wilderness, and "entered not into his rest."

And an instance of the same kind, still more remarkable, if possible, than that of the promise to the Israelites, occurs in the very discourse of which the parable of the Labourers forms a part. Jesus promises to his twelve Apostles,* "When the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." He mentions here no condition ;-nothing of what was hereafter to be expected of them in order to their obtaining this glory, only, what had already taken place; -" ye, which have followed me." And yet one of the Apostles He was thus addressing, was, we know, Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him; in reference to whom He says in another place, "Have I not chosen you twelve? and one of you is a devil;" thus foretelling, as well as foreseeing, that one of those to whom this blessing was promised

*Matt. xix. 28.

Yet He pro

would convert it into a curse. nounces the blessing on all of them, without limitation; because they could not but know what was the condition on which the promise was made, and that a traitor could inherit no share of it.

The reason, then, as far as Scripture teaches us-why, when "many are called," there are "few chosen," is, that unhappily there have, in general, been but few of those many that heartily obey the call. Whether each of you that now hear me shall be one of those few, it rests with you to determine; for every one of you is of the number of the called, and "him that cometh to Christ, that he may have life," He has declared He "will in no wise cast out." All of you have not indeed had equal advantages; some may have been entrusted with five talents; others, with two, or with one; but all have had sufficient advantages to put you in the condition of the labourers summoned to work in the vineyard. All of you have known, or had opportunities of knowing, from your childhood, that you have a soul to be saved, and that it is through the knowledge

and practice of Gospel-truth that alone you can inherit the Gospel-promises. If you have learnt little or nothing beyond this, even this was enough to shew you the necessity of endeavouring to learn more. And though all have not equal opportunities of doing this, most I fear have had more opportunities than they have made full use of.

Those, then, who have long walked in the path of Christian faith and holiness, have no reason, from this parable, or from any thing else in Scripture, to doubt that they shall obtain, through God's mercy in Christ, a higher reward, if they persevere in that course, than those who have never thought seriously of another world till they were near departing from this. But let those, again, who have hitherto been deaf to their Master's call, and have but little time left, not lose one more opportunity of setting themselves to make the most of that little. The humblest degree of heavenly happiness (supposing that no more is now placed within their reach) is far—very far-beyond the greatest amount of worldly goods, even could they retain these, on earth,