Calvin got many things wrong but the Bible is clear - only a few will find eternal life and there are no 'second chances' after one departs this world...death and then comes the judgment.
"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
(Mat 7:13-14)
That text didn't prove your point at all. For example, what is the broad way precisely...
What is the narrow gate? It can't be Christ, because Christ is the way the truth and the life, He doesn't lead someone to life, He brings them into life.
AND how many are "many?" Many can be a few thousand, or tens of thousands. But you cannot prove from the context, where Christ's audience is in the hundreds, and Israel as a nation has only a few million in it...that it means billions.
That would be "unhistorical."
The broad road is identified in the context, its obeying the natural meaning of God's Word, against the word of the false prophets:
12 "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
14 "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16 "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17 "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 "Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21 "Not everyone who says to Me,`Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 "Many will say to Me in that day,`Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
23 "And then I will declare to them,`I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
(Mat 7:12-24 NKJ)
AND only by accepting its testimony Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and obediently believing in Him, does one find life.
So the narrow road is the literal meaning of scripture, doing what it says...which is hard.
Yes, many are on the broad road into Hell, nothing I said denied that. But many is a relative term, many in ancient Israel would not be "billions." We must interpret as Christ meant it, and many would then be many of His generation, evil and wicked that asked for a sign:
23 Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" And He said to them,
24 "Strive to
enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
25 "When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and
you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying,`Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you,`I do not know you, where you are from,'
26
"then you will begin to say,`We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.'
27 "But He will say,`I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.'
28 "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.
29 "They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. (Luk 13:23-29 NKJ)
So its many of Christ's evil and wicked generation, not from the rest of the world for they will come from the east and the west, and the north and the south, and sit down in the Kingdom.
So the text doesn't support your allegation God will save only a few of all mankind. Indeed, in context it says the precise opposite, apart from many of Christ's generation of Jews in Palestine in the first century, many more will come from the four corners of the earth...
