[To what the saved are compared in Scripture.]

THE STRAIT GATE by JOHN BUYAN

[To what the saved are compared in Scripture.]

1. They are compared to a handful: “There
shall be a handful of corn in the earth upon the
top of the mountains,” &c. (Psa 72:16) This
corn is nothing else but them that shall be
saved. (Matt 3:12, 13:30) But mark, “There
shall be a handful”: What is a handful, when
compared with the whole heap? or, what is a
handful out of the rest of the world?

2. As they are compared to a handful, so they
are compared to a lily among the thorns, which
is rare, and not so commonly seen: “As the lily
among thorns,” saith Christ, “so is my love
among the daughters.” (Cant 2:2) By thorns,
we understand the worst and best of men, even
all that are destitute of the grace of God, for
“the best of them is a brier, the most upright”
of them “as a thorn- hedge.” (Micah 7:4, 2 Sam
23:6) I know that she may be called a lily
amongst thorns also, because she meets with
the pricks of persecution. (Eze 2:6, 28:24) She
may also be thus termed, to show the disparity
that is betwixt hypocrites and the church. (Luke
8:14, Heb 8) But this is not all; the saved are
compared to a lily among thorns, to show you
that they are but few in the world; to show you
that they are but few and rare; for as Christ
compares her to a lily among thorns, so she
compares him to an apple-tree among the trees
of the wood, which is rare and scarce; not
common.

3. They that are saved are called but one of
many; for though there be “threescore queens,
and fourscore concubines, and virgins without
number,” yet my love, saith Christ, is but one,
my undefiled is but one. (Cant 6:8,9) According
to that of Jeremiah, “I will take you one of a
city.” (Jer 3:14) That saying of Paul is much
like this, “Know ye not that they which run in a
race run all, but one receiveth the prize?” (1
Cor 9:24) But one, that is, few of many, few of
them that run; for he is not here comparing
them that run with them that sit still, but with
them that run, some run and lose, some run and
win; they that run and win are few in
comparison with them that run and lose: “They
that run in a race run all, but one receives the
prize”; let there then be “threescore queens, and
fourscore concubines, and virgins without
number,” yet the saved are but few.

4. They that are saved are compared to the
gleaning after the vintage is in: “Woe is me,”
said the church, “for I am as when they have
gathered the summer-fruits, as the grapegleanings”
after the vintage is in. (Micah 7:1)
The gleanings! What are the gleanings to the
whole crop? and yet you here see, to the
gleanings are the saved compared. It is the devil
and sin that carry away the cartloads, while
Christ and his ministers come after a gleaning.
But the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim are
better than the vintage of Abiezer. (Judg 8:2)
Them that Christ and his ministers glean up
and bind up in the bundle of life, are better
than the loads that go the other way. You know
it is often the cry of the poor in harvest, Poor
gleaning, poor gleaning. And the ministers of
the gospel they also cry, Lord, “who hath
believed our report? and to whom is the arm of
the Lord revealed?” (Isa 53:1) When the
prophet speaks of the saved under this
metaphor of gleaning, how doth he amplify the
matter? “Gleaning-grapes shall be left,” says he,
“two or three berries in the top of the
uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost
fruitful branches thereof, saith the Lord.” (Isa17:6)
Thus you see what gleaning is left in the
vineyard, after the vintage is in; two or three
here, four or five there. Alas! they that shall be
saved when the devil and hell have had their
due, they will be but as the gleaning, they will
be but few; they that go to hell, go thither in
clusters, but the saved go not so to heaven.
(Matt 13:30, Micah 7) Wherefore when the
prophet speaketh of the saved, he saith there is
no cluster; but when he speaketh of the
damned, he saith they are gathered by clusters.
(Rev 14:18,19) O sinners! but few will be
saved! O professors! but few will be saved!

5. They that shall be saved are compared to
jewels: “and they shall be mine, saith the Lord
of hosts, in that day when I make up my
jewels.” (Mal 3:17) Jewels, you know, are rare
things, things that are not found in every house.
Jewels will lie in little room, being few and
small, though lumber takes up much. In almost
every house, you may find brass, and iron, and
lead; and in every place you may find
hypocritical professors, but the saved are not
these common things; they are God’s peculiar
treasure. (Psa 135:4) Wherefore Paul
distinguisheth betwixt the lumber and the
treasure in the house. There is, saith he, in a
great house, not only vessels of gold and silver,
but also of wood and of earth, and some to
honour, and some to dishonour. (2 Tim 2:20)
Here is a word for wooden and earthy
professors; the jewels and treasures are vessels
to honour, they of wood and earth are vessels
of dishonour, that is, vessels for destruction.
(Rom 9:21)

6. They that shall be saved are
compared to a remnant: “Except the Lord of
hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we
should have been as Sodom, and we should
have been like unto Gomorrah.” (Isa 1:9) A
remnant, a small remnant, a very small
remnant! O how doth the Holy Ghost word it!
and all to show you how few shall be saved.
Every one knows what a remnant is, but this is
a small remnant, a very small remnant. So
again, “Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout
among the chief of the nations: publish ye,
praise ye, and say, O Lord, save thy people, the
remnant of Israel.” (Jer 31:7) What shall I say?
the saved are often in Scripture called a
remnant. (Eze 9:4,8, Isa 10:20-22, 11:11,16, Jer
23:3, Joel 2:32) But what is a remnant to the
whole piece? What is a remnant of people to
the whole kingdom? or what is a remnant of
wheat to the whole harvest?

7. The saved are compared to the tithe or
tenth part; wherefore when God sendeth the
prophet to make the hearts of the people fat,
their ears dull, and to shut their eyes, the
prophet asketh, “How long?” to which God
answereth, “Until the cities be wasted without
inhabitant, and the houses without man, and
the land be utterly desolate, and the Lord have
removed men far away, and there be a great
forsaking in the midst of the land. But yet,” as
God saith in another place, “I will not make a
full end,” “in it shall be a tenth, - so the holy
seed shall be the substance thereof.” (Isa 6:10-
13) But what is a tenth? What is one in ten?
And yet so speaks the Holy Ghost, when he
speaks of the holy seed, of those that were to be
reserved from the judgment. And observe it, the
fattening and blinding of the rest, it was to their
everlasting destruction; and so both Christ and
Paul expounds it often in the New Testament.
(Matt 13:14,15, Mark 4:12, Luke 8:10, John
12:40, Acts 28:26, Rom 11:8) So that those
that are reserved from them that perish will be
very few, one in ten: “A tenth shall return, so
the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.”14
I shall not add more generals at this time. I
pray God that the world be not offended at
these. But without doubt, but few of them that
shall put in their claim for heaven will have it
for their inheritance; which will yet further
appear in the reading of that which follows.