I look upon the World as a great Tree, consisting of four large limbs or branches; this branch or division of it on which we grow, hath doubtless a greater number of Gods elect upon it, than the other three; and yet when I look with a serious and considering eye upon this fruitful European branch, and see how much rotten and withered fruit there grows upon it, it makes me say as Chrysostom did of his populous Antioch, Ah, how small a remnant hath Jesus Christ among these vast numbers! Many indeed are called, but, ah, how few are chosen! Mat. 20. 16. Alas! they are but as the gleanings when the vintage is done; here and there one upon its outmost branches. To allude to that, Isa. 17. 6. it was a sad Observation which that searching Scholar (Mr. Brierwood) long since made upon the world, that dividing it into thirty equal parts, he found no less than nineteen of them wholly overspread with Idolatry and Heathenish darkness! and of the eleven remaining parts, no less than six are Mahometans; so that there remain but five of thirty, which profess the Christian Religion at large; and the far greater part of these remaining five, are enveloped and drowned in Popish darkness; so that you see the reformed Protestant Religion is confined to a small spot of ground indeed. Now, if from these we subtract all the grossly ignorant, openly profane, merely civil, and secretly hypocritical; judge then in your selves, how small a scantling of the world falls to Christs share!
I look upon the World as a great Tree, consisting of four large limbs or branches; this branch or division of it on which we grow, hath doubtless a greater number of Gods elect upon it, than the other three; and yet when I look with a serious and considering eye upon this fruitful European branch, and see how much rotten and withered fruit there grows upon it, it makes me say as Chrysostom did of his populous Antioch, Ah, how small a remnant hath Iesus Christ among these vast numbers! Many indeed are called, but, ah, how few are chosen! Mat. 20. 16. Alas! they are but as the gleanings when the vintage is done; here and there one upon its outmost branches. To allude to that, Isa. 17. 6. it was a sad Observation which that searching Scholar (Mr. Brierwood) long since made upon the world, that dividing it into thirty equal parts, he found no less than nineteen of them wholly overspread with Idolatry and Heathenish darkness! and of the eleven remaining parts, no less than six are Mahumetans; so that there remain but five of thirty, which profess the Christian Religion at large; and the far greater part of these remaining five, are invellop'd and drowned in Popish darkness; so that you see the reformed Protestant Religion is confined to a small spot of ground indeed. Now, if from these we substract all the grosly ignorant, openly profane, meerly civil, and secretly hypocritical; judge then in your selves, how small a scantling of the world falls to Christs share!
