DISCOURSE XI.
MATT. vii. 13, 14.
_Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad
is the way which leadeth to destruction, and many there be
which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth
unto life, and few there be that find it._
1. OUR Lord having warned us of the dangers, which easily beset us at
our first entrance upon real religion, the hindrances which naturally
arise from within, from the wickedness of our own hearts: now proceeds
to apprize us of the hindrances from without, particularly ill example
and ill advice. By one or the other of these, thousands who once ran
well, have drawn back unto perdition: yea, many of those who were not
novices in religion, who had made some progress in righteousness. His
caution therefore against these, he presses upon us, with all possible
earnestness, and repeats again and again, in variety of expressions,
lest by any means we should let it slip. Thus, effectually to guard
us against the former, _Enter ye in_, saith he, _at the strait gate:
for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate
and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that
find it_. To secure us from the latter, _beware_, saith he, _of false
prophets_. We shall at present consider the former only.
2. _Enter ye in_, saith our blessed Lord, _at the strait gate; for wide
is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many
there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is
the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it_.
3. In these words we may observe, first, The inseparable properties
of the way to hell: _Wide is the gate, broad the way that leadeth
to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat_: secondly, the
inseparable properties of the way to heaven: _Strait is that gate, and
few there be that find it_: thirdly, a serious exhortation grounded
thereon, _Enter ye in at the strait gate_.
I. 1. We may observe, first, The inseparable properties of the way
to hell: _Wide is the gate and broad is the way, that leadeth to
destruction, and many there be that go in thereat_.
Wide indeed is the gate, and broad the way that leadeth to destruction.
For sin is the gate of hell, and wickedness the way to destruction. And
how wide a gate is that of sin? How broad is the way of wickedness! The
_commandment_ of God _is exceeding broad_, as extending not only to all
our actions, but to every word which goeth out of our lips, yea, every
thought that rises in our heart. And sin is equally broad with the
commandment, seeing any breach of the commandment is sin. Yea, rather
it is a thousand times broader: since there is only one way of keeping
the commandment: for we do not properly keep it, unless both the thing
done, the manner of doing it, and all the other circumstances are right.
But there are a thousand ways of breaking every commandment: so that
this gate is wide indeed.
♦3. To consider this a little more particularly. How wide do those
parent sins extend, from which all the rest derive their being? _That
carnal mind, which is enmity against_ God, pride of heart, self-will
and love of the world? Can we fix any bounds to them? Do they not
diffuse themselves thro’ all our thoughts, and mingle with all our
tempers? Are they not the leaven which leavens, more or less, the whole
mass of our affections? May we not, on a close and faithful examination
of ourselves, perceive these roots of bitterness, continually springing
up, infecting all our words, and tainting all our actions? And
how innumerable an offspring do they bring forth, in every age and
nation? Even enough to cover the whole earth with _darkness and cruel
habitations_.
4. O! who is able to reckon up their accursed fruits? To count all
the sins, whether against God or our neighbour, not which imagination
might paint, but which may be matter of daily, melancholy experience?
Nor need we range over all the earth to find them. Survey any one
kingdom, any single country, or city or town, and how plenteous is this
harvest? And let it not be one of those, which are still overspread
with Mahometan or Pagan darkness: but of those which name the name of
Christ, which profess to see the light of his glorious gospel. Go no
farther than the kingdom to which we belong, the city wherein we are
now. We call ourselves Christians: yea, and that of the purest sort; we
are Protestants; reformed Christians! But alas! who shall carry on the
reformation of our opinions into our hearts and lives? Is there not a
cause? For how innumerable are our sins? And those of the deepest dye?
Do not the grossest abominations of every kind, abound among us from
day to day? Do not sins of every sort cover the land, as the waters
cover the sea? Who can count them? Rather go and count the drops of
rain, or the sands on the sea-shore. So _wide is the gate_, so _broad
is the way that leadeth to destruction_.
5. _And many there be who go in at_ that gate: many who walk in that
way. Almost as many as go in at the gate of death, as sink into the
chambers of the grave. For it cannot be denied, (tho’ neither can we
acknowledge it but with shame and sorrow of heart) that even in this,
which is called a Christian country, the generality of every age and
sex, of every profession and employment, of every rank and degree, high
and low, rich and poor, are walking in the way of destruction. The far
greater part of the inhabitants of this city, to this day live in sin;
in some palpable, habitual, known transgression of the law they profess
to observe: yea, in some outward transgression, some gross, visible
kind of ungodliness or unrighteousness; some open violation of their
duty, either to God or man. These then, none can deny, are all in the
way that leadeth to destruction. Add to these those who _have a name_
indeed _that they live_, but were never yet alive to God: those that
outwardly appear fair to men, but are inwardly full of all uncleanness:
full of pride, or vanity; of anger, or revenge; of ambition, or
covetousness: lovers of themselves, lovers of the world, lovers of
pleasure more than lovers of God. These indeed may be highly esteemed
of men; but they are an abomination to the Lord. And how greatly will
these saints of the world, swell the number of the children of hell?
Yea, add all, whatever they be in other respects, whether they have
more or less of the form of godliness, who _being ignorant of_ God’s
_righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness_, as
the ground of their reconciliation to God and acceptance with him, of
consequence have _not submitted themselves unto the righteousness which
is of_ God _by faith_. Now all these things being joined together in
one, how terribly true is our Lord’s assertion, _Wide is the gate, and
broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be who go
in thereat_.
6. Nor does this only concern the vulgar herd, the poor, base, stupid
part of mankind. Men of eminence in the world, men who have many
fields and yoke of oxen, do not desire to be excused from this. On
the contrary, _many wise men after the flesh_, according to the human
methods of judging, _many mighty_, in power, in courage, in riches,
many _noble are called_: called into the broad way, by the world, the
flesh and the devil; and they are not disobedient to that calling. Yea,
the higher they are raised in fortune and power, the deeper do they
sink into wickedness. The more blessings they have received from God,
the more sins do they commit: using their honour or riches, their
learning or wisdom, not as means of working out their salvation, but
rather of excelling in vice, and so insuring their own destruction.
II. 1. And the very reason why many of these go on so securely in the
_broad way_, is because it is broad: not considering that this is the
inseparable property of the way to destruction. _Many there be_, saith
our Lord, _who go in thereat_: for the very reason why they should
flee from it; Even _because strait is the gate, and narrow the way that
leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it_.
2. This is an inseparable property of the way to heaven. So narrow
is the way that leadeth unto life, unto life everlasting; so strait
the gate, that nothing unclean, nothing unholy can enter. No sinner
can pass thro’ that gate, until he is saved from all his sins, not
only from his outward sins; from his evil _conversation received by
tradition from his Fathers_. It will not suffice, that he hath _ceased
to do evil_, and _learned to do well_. He must not only be saved
from all sinful actions, and from all evil and useless discourse;
but inwardly changed, throughly renewed in the spirit of his mind.
Otherwise he cannot pass thro’ the gate of life, he cannot enter into
glory.
3. For _narrow is the way that leadeth unto life_: the way of universal
holiness. Narrow indeed is the way of poverty of spirit, the way of
holy mourning: the way of meekness, and that of hungring and thirsting
after righteousness. Narrow is the way of mercifulness, of love
unfeigned; the way of purity of heart; of doing good unto all men, and
of gladly suffering evil, all manner of evil for righteousness-sake.
4. _And few there be that find it._ Alas! how few find even the way of
Heathen honesty? How few are there, that do nothing to another, which
they would not another should do unto them? How few, that are clear
before God, from acts either of injustice or unkindness? How few, that
do not _offend with their tongue_; that speak nothing unkind, nothing
untrue? What a small proportion of mankind, are innocent even of
outward transgressions? And how much smaller a proportion have their
hearts right before God? Clean and holy in his sight? Where are they,
whom his all-searching eye, discerns to be truly humble? To abhor
themselves in dust and ashes, in the presence of God their Saviour?
To be deeply and steadily serious, feeling their wants, and _passing
the time of their sojourning with fear_? Truly meek and gentle, never
_overcome of evil, but overcoming evil with good_? Throughly athirst
for God, and continually panting after a renewal in his likeness? How
thinly are they scattered over the earth, whose souls are inlarged in
love to all mankind? And who love God with all their strength, who have
given him their hearts, and desire nothing else in earth or heaven? How
few are those lovers of God and man, that spend their whole strength in
doing good unto all men? and are ready to suffer all things, yea, death
itself, to save one soul from eternal death?
5. But while so few are found in the way of life, and so many in
the way of destruction, there is great danger, lest the torrent
of examples, should bear us away with them. Even a single example,
if it be always in our sight, is apt to make much impression upon
us: especially when it has nature on its side; when it falls in with
our own inclinations. How great then must be the force of so numerous
examples, continually before our eyes; and all conspiring together with
our own hearts, to carry us down the stream of nature? How difficult
must it be, to stem the tide, and to keep ourselves _unspotted in the
world_?
6. What heightens the difficulty still more is, that they are not
the rude and senseless part of mankind, at least not these alone, who
set us the example, who throng the downward way: but the polite, the
well-bred, the genteel, the wise, the men who understand the world:
the men of knowledge, of deep and various learning, the rational, the
eloquent! These are all, or nearly all, against us. And how shall we
stand against these? Do not their tongues drop manna? And have they
not learned all the arts of soft persuasion? And of reasoning too:
for these are versed in all controversies and strife of words. It is
therefore a small thing with them to prove, that the way is _right_,
because it is _broad_: that he who follows a multitude, cannot do evil,
but only he who will not follow them: that your way must be _wrong_,
because it is _narrow_; and because there are so few that find it.
These will make it clear to a demonstration, that evil is good, and
good is evil: That the way of holiness is the way of destruction, and
the way of the world, the only way to heaven.
7. O how can unlearned and ignorant men, maintain their cause against
such opponents! And yet these are not all with whom they must contend,
however unequal to the task. For there are many mighty, and noble, and
powerful men, as well as wise, in the road that leadeth to destruction.
And these have a shorter way of confuting, than that of reason and
argument. They usually apply, not to the understanding, but to the
fears of any that oppose them. A method that seldom fails of success,
even where argument profits nothing: as lying level to the capacities
of all men: for all can fear, whether they can reason or no. And all
who have not a firm trust in God, a sure reliance both on his power and
love, cannot but fear to give any disgust to those, who have the power
of the world in their hands. What wonder therefore if the example of
these is a law, to all who know not God?
8. Many rich are likewise in the broad way. And these apply to the
hopes of men, and to all their foolish desires, as strongly and
effectually, as the mighty and noble to their fears. So that hardly
can you hold on in the way of the kingdom, unless you are dead to all
below, unless you are crucified to the world and the world crucified to
you, unless you desire nothing more but God.
9. For how dark, how uncomfortable, how forbidding is the prospect on
the opposite side? A strait gate! A narrow way! And few finding that
gate! Few walking in the way. Besides, even those few, are not wise men,
not men of learning or eloquence. They are not able to reason either
strongly or clearly; they cannot propose an argument to any advantage,
they know not how to prove what they profess to believe; or to explain
even what they say they experience. Surely such advocates as these,
will never recommend, but rather discredit the cause they have espoused.
10. Add to this, that they are not noble, not honourable men: (if they
were, you might bear with their folly.) They are men of no interest,
no authority, of no account in the world. They are mean and base, low
in life; and such as have no power, if they had the will to hurt you.
Therefore there is nothing at all to be feared from them: and there is
nothing at all to hope. For the greater part of them may say, _silver
and gold have I none_: at least a very moderate share. Nay, some of
them have scarce food to eat or raiment to put on. For this reason,
as well as because their ways are not like those of other men, they
are every where spoken against, are despised, have their names cast
out as evil, are variously persecuted, and treated as the filth and
offscouring of the world. So that both your fears, your hopes, and all
your desires, (except those which you have immediately from God) yea,
all your natural passions continually incline you to return into the
broad way.
III. 1. Therefore it is, that our Lord so earnestly exhorts, _Enter
ye in at the strait gate_. Or (as the same exhortation is elsewhere
expressed) _Strive to enter in_. ♦Ἀγωνίζεσθε εἰσελθεῖν. Strive as in an
agony. _For many_, saith our Lord, _shall seek to enter in_, indolently
strive, _and shall not be able_.
2. ’Tis true, he intimates what may seem another reason for this, for
their _not being able to enter in_, in the words which immediately
follow these. For after he had said, _Many, I say unto you, will seek
to enter in, and shall not be able_, he subjoins, _When once the master
of the house is risen up and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to
stand without_ (♦ἄρξησθε ἔχω ἐστάναι. Rather, _Ye stand without_; for
ἄρξησθε seems to be only an elegant expletive) _and to knock at the
door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us: he shall answer, and say unto
you, I know you not. Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity._ Luke
xiii. 26, &c.
3. It may appear, upon a transient view of these words, that their
delaying to seek at all, rather than their manner of seeking, was the
reason why they were not able to enter in. But it comes, in effect, to
the same thing. They were therefore commanded to depart, because they
had been _workers of iniquity_, because they had walked in the broad
road: in other words, because they had not agonized to enter in at the
strait gate. Probably they did _seek_, before the door was shut: but
that did not suffice. And they did _strive_, after the door was shut.
But then it was too late.
4. Therefore, _strive_ ye now, in this your day, _to enter in at the
strait gate_. And in order hereto, settle it in your heart, and let
it be ever uppermost in your thoughts, that if you are in a broad
way, you are in the way that leadeth to destruction. If many go with
you, as sure as God is true, both they and you are going to hell.
If you are walking as the generality of men walk, you are walking to
the bottomless pit. Are many wise, many rich, many mighty or noble
travelling with you in the same way? By this token, without going any
farther, you know, it does not lead to life. Here is a short, a plain,
an infallible rule, before you enter into particulars. In whatever
profession you are engaged, you must be singular or be damned. The
way to hell has nothing singular in it; but the way to heaven is
singularity all over: if you move but one step towards God, you are not
as other men are. But regard not this. ’Tis far better to stand alone,
than to fall into the pit. Run then with patience the race which is
set before thee, tho’ thy companions therein are but few. They will not
always be so. Yet a little while and thou wilt _come to an innumerable
company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first born,
and to the spirits of just men made perfect_.
5. Now then, _strive to enter in at the strait gate_, being penetrated
with the deepest sense, of the inexpressible danger your soul is in,
so long as you are in a broad way: so long as you are void of poverty
of spirit, and all that inward religion, which the many, the rich, the
wise account madness. _Strive to enter in_, being pierced with sorrow
and shame, for having so long run on with the unthinking crowd, utterly
neglecting if not despising that _holiness, without which no man can
see the Lord. Strive_ as in an agony of holy fear, lest, _a promise
being made you of entering into his rest_, even that _rest which
remaineth for the people of God_, you should nevertheless _come short
of it_. Strive in all the fervor of desire, with _groanings which
cannot be uttered_. Strive by prayer without ceasing, at all times, in
all places lifting up your heart to God, and giving him no rest, till
you _awake up after his likeness_ and are _satisfied with it_.
6. To conclude. _Strive to enter in at the strait gate_, not only by
this agony of soul, of conviction, of sorrow, of shame, of desire, of
fear, of unceasing prayer, but likewise by _ordering_ thy _conversation
right_, by walking with all thy strength, in all the ways of God, the
way of innocence, of piety and of mercy. Abstain from all appearance
of evil: do all possible good to all men: deny thyself, thy own will,
in all things, and take up thy cross daily. Be ready to cut off thy
right hand, to pluck out thy right eye and cast it from thee: to suffer
the loss of goods, friends, health, all things on earth, so thou mayst
enter into the kingdom of heaven.