The saints dignity and duty· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardness. /…The saints dignitie and dutie· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardnesse. /…

Especially considering that which our Saviour Christ hath laid down for a certain truth, That there are many called, but few chosen. There were four sorts of grounds upon which the seed of Gods word was cast, and but one of those four proved good. There were six hundred thousand of the people of Israel that came out of Egypt, and went toward Canaan, and yet but two of them that went into Canaan. There were twelve Tribes which the Lord had caused to make them cleave to himself, as a girdle to a mans loins, and yet there were ten of those Tribes at one clap that were all cast off from being the people of God, and but two of twelve that did remain. You know how that the Apostle Paul telleth us in Rom 9.27. Though the number of the Children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved. The Lord will put up righteousness in a short sum, I say, considering these things, that there are so many of those, that do profess and hope to be saved, shall miscarry, how much doth it concern us all to try our selves? When as our Saviour Christ had told his twelve Disciples, that one of the twelve should betray him, every one began to put himself upon the examination, and asked their master ⟨p. 69⟩whether it were he? Were they so careful every one to try himself, when Christ told them that one of the twelve should betray him, and shall not we be careful to try our selves when as the Scripture telleth us, that scarce one of twelve shall be saved, and that eleven of twelve Professors are like to perish and miscarry? Oh the heart of man is exceeding deceitful; hypocrisy is very strong, and exceeding cunning, hardly is a man able to find out the state of his own spirit when he trieth it with all his diligence.

Especially considering that which our Saviour Christ hath laid down for a certain truth, That there are many called, but few chosen. There were four sorts of grounds upon which the seed of Gods word was cast, and but one of those four proved good. There were six hundred thousand of the people of Israel that came out of Egypt, and went toward Canaan, and yet but two of them that went into Canaan. There were twelve Tribes which the Lord had caused to make them cleave to himself, as a girdle to a mans loins, and yet there were ten of those Tribes at one clap that were all cast off from being the people of God, and but two of twelve that did remain. You know how that the Apostle Paul telleth us in Rom 9.27. Though the number of the Children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved. The Lord will put up righteousness in a short sum, I say, considering these things, that there are so many of those, that doe profess and hope to be saved, shall miscarry, how much doth it concern us all to try our selves? When as our Saviour Christ had told his twelve Discriples, that one of the twelve should betray him, every one began to put himself upon the examination, and asked their master