is a profession that will stand with an unsanctified heart and life.
The sin of such will overpoise the salvation of their souls, the sin
end being the heaviest end of the scale; I say, that being the heaviest
end which hath sin in it, they tilt over, and so are, notwithstanding
their glorious profession, drowned in perdition and destruction; for
none such hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God;
therefore “let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these
things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience”;
neither will a profession be able to excuse them. (Eph 5:3-6) The gate
will be too strait for such as these to enter in thereat. A man may
partake of salvation in part, but not of salvation in whole. God saved
the children of Israel out of Egypt, but overthrew them in the
wilderness:—“I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once
knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land
of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.” (Jude 5) So we
see that, notwithstanding their beginning, “they could not enter in,
because of unbelief.” (Heb 3:19)
2. There is the word of the law, and that will make the gate strait
also. None must go in thereat but those that can go in by the leave of
the law; for though no man be, or can be, justified by the works of the
law, yet unless the righteousness and holiness by which they attempt to
enter into this kingdom be justified by the law, it is in vain once to
think of entering in at this strait gate. Now the law justifieth not,
but upon the account of Christ’s righteousness; if therefore thou be
not indeed found in that righteousness, thou wilt find the law lie just
in the passage into heaven to keep thee out. Every man’s work must be
tried by fire, that it may be manifest of what sort it is. There are
two errors in the world about the law; one is, when men think to enter
in at the strait gate by the righteousness of the law; the other is,
when men think they may enter into heaven without the leave of the law.
Both these, I say, are errors; for as by the works of the law no flesh
shall be justified; so without the consent of the law, no flesh shall
be saved. “Heaven and earth shall pass away, before one jot or tittle
of the law shall fail, till all be fulfilled.” He therefore must be
damned that cannot be saved by the consent of the law. And, indeed,
this law is the flaming sword that turneth every way; yea, that lieth
to this day in the way to heaven, for a bar to all unbelievers and
unsanctified professors; for it is taken out of the way for the truly
gracious only. It will be found as a roaring lion to devour all others.
Because of the law, therefore, the gate will be found too strait for
the unsanctified to enter in. When the apostle had told the Corinthians
that “the unrighteous should not inherit the kingdom of God,” and that
such were some of them, he adds, “But ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by
the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor 6:9-11) Closely concluding, that had
they not been washed, and sanctified, and justified, in the name of the
Lord Jesus, the law, for their transgressions, would have kept them
out; it would have made the gate too strait for them to enter in.
3. There are also the angels of God, and by reason of them the gate is
strait. The Lord Jesus calleth the end of the world his harvest; and
saith, moreover, that the angels are his reapers. These angels are
therefore to gather his wheat into his barn, but to gather the ungodly
into bundles to burn them. (Matt 13:39,41,49) Unless, therefore, the
man that is unsanctified can master the law, and conquer angels; unless
he can, as I may say, pull them out of the gateway of heaven, himself
is not to come thither for ever. No man goeth to heaven but by the help
of the angels—I mean at the day of judgment. For the Son of man “shall
send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather
together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the
other.” (Matt 24:31) If those that shall enter in at the strait gate
shall enter in thither by the conduct of the holy angels, pray when do
you think those men will enter in thither, concerning whom the angels
are commanded to gather them, to “bind them in bundles to burn them?”
This, therefore, is a third difficulty. The angels will make this
entrance strait; yea, too strait for the unjustified and unsanctified
to enter in thither.
[AN EXHORTATION TO STRIVE TO ENTER INTO THIS KINGDOM.]
Third. I come now to the exhortation, which is, to strive to enter in.
“Strive to enter in at the strait gate.” These words are fitly added;
for since the gate is strait, it follows that they that will enter in
must strive.
“Strive.” This word strive supposeth that great idleness is natural to
professors; they think to get to heaven by lying, as it were, on their
elbows. It also suggesteth that many will be the difficulties that
professors will meet with, before they get to heaven. It also
concludeth that only the labouring Christian, man or woman, will get in
thither. “Strive,” &c.
Three questions I will propound upon the word, an answer to which may
give us light into the meaning of it: I. What doth this word strive
import? 4
II. How should we strive? III. Why should we strive?
[Import of the word STRIVE.]
I. What doth this word strive import? Answer,
1. When he saith, Strive, it is as much as to say, Bend yourselves to
the work with all your might. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it
with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor
wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest.” (Eccl 9:10) Thus Samson did
when he set himself to destroy the Philistines; “He bowed himself with
all his might.” (Judg 16:30) Thus David did also, when he made
provision for the building and beautifying of the temple of God. (1
Chron 29:2) And thus must thou do, if ever thou enterest into heaven.
2. When he saith, Strive, he calleth for the mind and will, that they
should be on his side, and on the side of the things of his kingdom;
for none strive indeed, but such as have given the Son of God their
heart; of which the mind and will are a principal part; for saving
conversion lieth more in the turning of the mind and will to Christ,
and to the love of his heavenly things, than in all knowledge and
judgment. And this the apostle confirmeth, when he saith, “Stand fast
in one spirit, with one mind striving,” &c. (Phil 1:27)
3. And, more particularly, this word strive is expressed by several
other terms; as, (1.) It is expressed by that word, “So run that ye may
obtain.” (1 Cor 9:24,25) (2.) It is expressed by that word, “Fight the
good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.” (1 Tim 6:12) (3.) It is
expressed by that word, “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but
for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life.” (John 6:27) (4.)
It is expressed by that word, “We wrestle—with principalities and
powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world.” (Eph 6:12)
Therefore, when he saith, Strive, it is as much as to say, Run for
heaven, Fight for heaven, Labour for heaven, Wrestle for heaven, or you
are like to go without it.
[How should we strive?]
II. The second question is, How should we strive?
Answ. The answer in general is, Thou must strive lawfully. “and if a
man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive
lawfully.” (2 Tim 2:5) But you will say, What is it to strive lawfully?
[I] answer—
1. To strive against the things which are abhorred by the Lord Jesus;
yea, to resist to the spilling of your blood, striving against sin.
(Heb 12:4) To have all those things that are condemned by the Word;
yea, though they be thine own right hand, right eye, or right foot, in
abomination; and to seek by all godly means the utter suppressing of
them. (Mark 9:43,45,47)
2. To strive lawfully, is to strive for those things that are commanded
in the Word.—“But thou, O man of God, flee the world, and follow
after,” that is, strive for, “righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
patience, meekness; fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal
life,” &c. (1 Tim 6:11,12)
3. He that striveth lawfully, must be therefore very temperate in all
the good and lawful things of this life. “And every man that striveth
for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a
corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” (1 Cor 9:25) Most
professors give leave to the world and the vanity of their hearts, to
close with them, and to hang about their necks, and make their striving
to stand rather in an outcry of words, than a hearty labour against the
lusts and love of the world, and their own corruptions; but this kind
of striving is but a beating of the air, and will come to just nothing
at last. (1 Cor 9:26)
4. He that striveth lawfully, must take God and Christ along with him
to the work, otherwise he will certainly be undone. “Whereunto,” said
Paul, “I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh
in me mightily.” (Col 1:29) And for the right performing of this, he
must observe these following particulars:—
(1.) He must take heed that he doth not strive about things, or words,
to no profit; for God will not then be with him. “Of these things,”
saith the apostle, “put them in remembrance; charging them before the
Lord, that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the
subverting of the hearers.” (2 Tim 2:14) But, alas! how many professors
in our days are guilty of this transgression, whose religion stands
chiefly, if not only, in a few unprofitable questions and vain
wranglings about words and things to no profit, but to the destruction
of the hearers!
(2.) He must take heed that whilst he strives against one sin, he does
not harbour and shelter another; or that whilst he cries out against
other men’s sin, he does not countenance his own.
(3.) In the striving, strive to believe, strive for the faith of the
gospel; for the more we believe the gospel, and the reality of the
things of the world to come, with the more stomach and courage shall we
labour to possess the blessedness. (Phil 1:27) “Let us labour therefore
to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of
unbelief.” (Heb 4:11)
(4.) As we should strive for, and by faith, so we should strive by
prayer, by fervent and effectual prayer. (Romans 15:30) O the swarms of
our prayerless professors! What do they think of themselves? Surely the
gate of heaven was heretofore as wide as in these our days; but what
striving by prayer was there then among Christians for the thing that
gives admittance into this kingdom, over [what] there is in these
latter days!
(5.) We should also strive by mortifying our members that are upon the
earth. “I therefore so run,” said Paul, “not as uncertainly; so fight
I, not as one that beateth the air; but I keep under my body, and bring
it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached the
gospel to others, I myself should be a cast-away.” (1 Cor 9:26,27) But
all this is spoken principally to professors; so I would be understood.
[Why should we strive?]
III. I come now to the third question, namely, But why should we
strive? Answer—
1. Because the thing for which you are here exhorted to strive, it is
worth the striving for; it is for not less than for a whole heaven, and
an eternity of felicity there. How will men that have before them a
little honour, a little profit, a little pleasure, strive? I say again,
how will they strive for this? Now they do it for a corruptible crown,
but we an incorruptible. Methinks this word heaven, and this eternal
life, ought verily to make us strive, for what is there again either in
heaven or earth like them to provoke a man to strive?
2. Strive, because otherwise the devil and hell will assuredly have
thee. He goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1
Peter 5:8) These fallen angels, they are always watchful, diligent,
unwearied; they are also mighty, subtle, and malicious, seeking nothing
more than the damnation of thy soul. O thou that art like the artless
dove, strive!
3. Strive, because every lust strives and wars against thy soul. “The
flesh lusteth against the Spirit.” (Gal 5:17) “Dearly beloved, I
beseech you,” said Peter, “as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from
fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11) It is a rare
thing to see or find out a Christian that indeed can bridle his lusts;
but no strange thing to see such professors that are “not only bridled,
but saddled too,” yea, and ridden from lust to sin, from one vanity to
another, by the very devil himself, and the corruptions of their
hearts.
4. Strive, because thou hast a whole world against thee. The world
hateth thee if thou be a Christian; the men of the world hate thee; the
things of the world are snares for thee, even thy bed and table, thy
wife and husband, yea, thy most lawful enjoyments have that in them
that will certainly sink thy soul to hell, if thou dost not strive
against the snares that are in them. (Rom 11:9)
The world will seek to keep thee out of heaven with mocks, flouts,
taunts, threatenings, jails, gibbets, halters, burnings, and a thousand
deaths; therefore strive! Again, if it cannot overcome thee with these,
it will flatter, promise, allure, entice, entreat, and use a thousand
tricks on this hand to destroy thee; and observe, many that have been
stout against the threats of the world, have yet been overcome with the
bewitching flatteries of the same. 5
There ever was enmity betwixt the devil and the church, and betwixt his
seed and her seed too; Michael and his angels, and the dragon and his
angels, these make war continually. (Gen 3, Rev 12) There hath been
great desires and endeavours among men to reconcile these two in one,
to wit, the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman, but it could
never yet be accomplished. The world says, they will never come over to
us; and we again say, by God’s grace, we will never come over to them.
But the business hath not ended in words; both they and we have also
added our endeavours to make each other submit, but endeavours have
proved ineffectual too. They, for their part, have devised all manner
of cruel torments to make us submit, as slaying with the sword,
stoning, sawing asunder, flames, wild beasts, banishments, hunger, and
a thousand miseries. We again, on the other side, have laboured by
prayers and tears, by patience and long-suffering, by gentleness and
love, by sound doctrine and faithful witness-bearing against their
enormities, to bring them over to us; but yet the enmity remains; so
that they must conquer us, or we must conquer them. One side must be
overcome; but the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty
through God.
5. Strive, because there is nothing of Christianity got by idleness.
Idleness clothes a man with rags, and the vineyard of the slothful is
grown over with nettles. (Prov 23:21, 24:30-32) Profession that is not
attended with spiritual labour cannot bring the soul to heaven. The
fathers before us were “not slothful in business,” but “fervent in
spirit, serving the Lord.” Therefore “be not slothful, but followers of
them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Rom 12:11,
Heb 6:12)
“Strive to enter in.” Methinks the words, at the first reading, do
intimate to us, that the Christian, in all that ever he does in this
world, should carefully heed and regard his soul—I say, in all that
ever he does. Many are for their souls by fits and starts; but a
Christian indeed, in all his doing and designs which he contriveth and
manageth in this world, should have a special eye to his own future and
everlasting good; in all his labours he should strive to enter in:
“Wisdom [Christ] is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with
all thy getting get understanding.” (Prov 4:7) Get nothing, if thou
canst not get Christ and grace, and further hopes of heaven in that
getting; get nothing with a bad conscience, with the hazard of thy
peace with God, and that in getting it thou weakenest thy graces which
God hath given thee; for this is not to strive to enter in. Add grace
to grace, both by religious and worldly duties; “For so an entrance
shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:8-11) Religious duties
are not the only striving times; he that thinks so is out. Thou mayest
help thy faith and thy hope in the godly management of thy calling, and
mayest get further footing in eternal life, by studying the glory of
God in all thy worldly employment. I am speaking now to Christians that
are justified freely by grace, and am encouraging, or rather
counselling of them to strive to enter in; for there is an entering in
by faith and good conscience now, as well as our entering in body and
soul hereafter; and I must add, that the more common it is to thy soul
to enter in now by faith, the more steadfast hope shalt thou have of
entering in hereafter in body and soul.
“Strive to enter in.” By these words also the Lord Jesus giveth sharp
rebuke to those professors that have not eternal glory, but other
temporal things in their eye, by all the bustle that they make in the
world about religion. Some there be, what a stir they make, what a
noise and clamour, with their notions and forms, and yet perhaps all is
for the loaves; because they have eaten of the loaves, and are filled.
(John 6:26) These strive indeed to enter, but it is not into heaven;
they find religion hath a good trade at the end of it, or they find
that it is the way to credit, repute, preferment, and the like, and
therefore they strive to enter into these. But these have not the
strait gate in their eye, nor yet in themselves have they love to their
poor and perishing souls; wherefore this exhortation nippeth such, by
predicting of their damnation.
“Strive to enter in.” These words also sharply rebuke them who content
themselves as the angel of the church of Sardis, did, to wit, “to have
a name to live, and be dead” (Rev 3:1), or as they of the Laodiceans,
who took their religion upon trust, and were content with a poor,
wretched, lukewarm profession; for such as these do altogether unlike
to the exhortation in the text, that says, Strive, and they sit and
sleep; that says, Strive to enter in, and they content themselves with
a profession that is never like to bring them thither.
“Strive to enter in.” Further, these words put us upon proving the
truth of our graces now; I say, they put us upon the proof of the truth
of them now; for if the strait gate be the gate of heaven, and yet we
are to strive to enter into it now, even while we live, and before we
come thither, then doubtless Christ means by this exhortation, that we
should use all lawful means to prove our graces in this world, whether
they will stand in the judgment or no. Strive to enter in; get those
graces now that will prove true graces then, and therefore try those
you have; and if, upon trial, they prove not right, cast them away, and
cry for better, lest they cast thee away, when better are not to be
had. “Buy of me gold tried in the fire”; mark that. (Rev 3:18) Buy of
me faith and grace that will stand in the judgment; strive for that
faith; buy of me that grace, and also white raiment, that thou mayest
be clothed, that the shame of thy wickedness doth not appear, and
anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see. Mind you this
advice; this is right striving to enter in.
But you will say, How should we try our graces? Would you have us run
into temptation, to try if they be sound or rotten? Answ. You need not
run into trials; God hath ordained that enough of them shall overtake
thee to prove thy graces either rotten or sound before the day of thy
death; sufficient to the day is the evil thereof, if thou hast but a
sufficiency of grace to withstand. I say, thou shalt have trials enough
overtake thee, to prove thy grace sound or rotten. Thou mayest,
therefore, if God shall help thee, see how it is like to go with thee
before thou goest out of this world, to wit, whether thy graces be such
as will carry thee in at the gates of heaven or no.
But how should we try our graces now? Answ. (a.) How dost thou find
them in outward trials? See Hebrews 11:15,16. (b.) How dost thou find
thyself in the inward workings of sin? (Rom 7:24) (c.) How dost thou
find thyself under the most high enjoyment of grace in this world?
(Phil 3:14)
But what do you mean by these three questions? I mean graces show
themselves at these their seasons, whether they be rotten or sound.
(a.) How do they show themselves to be true under the first of these?
Answ. By mistrusting our own sufficiency, by crying to God for help, by
desiring rather to die than to bring any dishonour to the name of God,
and by counting that, if God be honoured in the trial, thou hast gained
more than all the world could give thee. (2 Chron 20:12, 14:11, Acts 4,
20:22, 2 Cor 4:17,18, Heb 11:24,25)
(b.) How do they show themselves to be true under the second? Answ. By
mourning, and confessing, and striving, and praying, against them; by
not being content, shouldst thou have heaven, if they live, and defile
thee; and by counting of holiness the greatest beauty in the world; and
by flying to Jesus Christ for life. (Zech 12:10, John 19, Heb 12:14,
Psa 19:12)
(c.) How do they show themselves to be true under the third? Answ. By
prizing the true graces above all the world, by praying heartily that
God will give thee more; by not being content with all the grace thou
canst be capable of enjoying on this side heaven and glory. (Psa 84:10,
Luke 17:5, Phil 3)
“Strive to enter in.” The reason why Christ addeth these words, “to
enter in,” is obvious, to wit, because there is no true and lasting
happiness on this side heaven; I say, none that is both true and
lasting, I mean, as to our sense and feeling as there shall [be]; “For
here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” (Heb 13:14)
The heaven is within, strive therefore to enter in; the glory is
within, strive therefore to enter in; the Mount Zion is within, strive
therefore to enter in; the heavenly Jerusalem is within, strive
therefore to enter in; angels and saints are within, strive therefore
to enter in; and, to make up all, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and that glorious Redeemer, is within, strive therefore to
enter in.
“Strive to enter in.” “For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and
whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and
maketh a lie.” Without are also the devils, and hell, and death, and
all damned souls; without is howling, weeping, wailing, and gnashing of
teeth; yea, without are all the miseries, sorrows, and plagues that an
infinite God can in justice and power inflict upon an evil and wicked
generation; “Strive therefore to enter in at the strait gate.” (Rev
22:15, Matt 25:41, Rev 12:9, Is 65:13,14, Matt 22:13, Deu 29:18-20)
“Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will
seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”
[MOTIVE TO STRIVE TO ENTER INTO THIS KINGDOM.]
Fourth. We are come now to the motive which our Lord urges to enforce
his exhortation.
He told us before that the gate was strait; he also exhorted us to
strive to enter in thereat, or to get those things now that will
further our entrance then, and to set ourselves against those things
that will hinder our entering in.
In this motive there are five things to be minded.
1. That there will be a disappointment to some at the day of judgment;
they will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
2. That not a few, but many, will meet with this disappointment; “For
many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”
3. This doctrine of the miscarriage of many then, it standeth upon the
validity of the word of Christ; “For many, I say, will seek to enter
in, and shall not be able.”
4. Professors shall make a great heap among the many that shall fall
short of heaven; “For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and
shall not be able.”
5. Where grace and striving are wanting now, seeking and contending to
enter in will be unprofitable then; “For many, I say unto you, will
seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”
But I will proceed in my former method, to wit, to open the words unto
you.
[Import of the words FOR MANY.]
“For many,” &c. If he had said, For some will fall short, it had been a
sentence to be minded; if he had said, For some that seek will fall
short, it had been very awakening; but when he saith, Many, many will
fall short, yea, many among professors will fall short, this is not
only awakening, but dreadful!