reason of the rejection of these many that must be damned; “They will
seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”
A hypocrite, a false professor, may go a great way; they may pass
through the first and second watch, to wit, may be approved of
Christians and churches; but what will they do when they come at this
iron gate that leadeth into the city? “There the workers of iniquity
are fallen, they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise!” (Psa
36:12)
“And shall not be able.” The time, as I have already hinted, which my
text respecteth, it is the day of judgment, a day when all masks and
vizards shall be taken off from all faces. It is a day wherein God
“will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make
manifest the counsel of the hearts.” (1 Cor 4:5) It is also the day of
his wrath, the day in which he will pay vengeance, even a recompence to
his adversaries.
At this day, those things that now these “many” count sound and good,
will then shake like a quagmire, even all their naked knowledge, their
feigned faith, pretended love, glorious shows of gravity in the face,
their holiday words and specious carriages, will stand them in little
stead. I call them holiday ones, for I perceive that some professors do
with religion just as people do with their best apparel—hang it against
the wall all the week, and put it on on Sundays. For as some scarce
ever put on a suit but when they go to a fair or a market, so little
house religion will do with some; they save religion till they go to a
meeting, or till they meet with a godly chapman. O poor religion! O
poor professor! What wilt thou do at this day, and the day of thy trial
and judgment? Cover thyself thou canst not; go for a Christian thou
canst not; stand against the Judge thou canst not! What wilt thou do?
“The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the
congregation of the righteous.” 12 “And shall not be able.” The ability
here intended is not that which standeth in carnal power or fleshly
subtlety, but in the truth and simplicity of those things for the sake
of which God giveth the kingdom of heaven to his people.
There are five things, for the want of which this people will not be
able to enter.
1. This kingdom belongs to the elect, to those for whom it was prepared
from the foundation of the world. (Matt 25:34) Hence Christ saith, when
he comes, he will send forth his angels with a great sound of trumpet,
and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one
end of heaven to another. (Matt 24:31) And hence he saith again, “I
will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of
my mountains, and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall
dwell there.” “They shall deceive, if it were possible, the very
elect.” “But the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.”
(Rom 11:7)
2. They will not be able to enter, because they will want the
birthright. The kingdom of heaven is for the heirs—and if children,
then heirs; if born again, then heirs. Wherefore it is said expressly,
“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” By this
one word, down goes all carnal privilege of being born of flesh and
blood, and of the will of man. Canst thou produce the birthright? But
art thou sure thou canst? For it will little profit thee to think of
the blessed kingdom of heaven, if thou wantest a birthright to give
thee inheritance there. Esau did despise his birthright, saying, What
good will this birthright do me? And there are many in the world of his
mind to this day. “Tush,” say they, “they talk of being born again;
what good shall a man get by that? They say, no going to heaven without
being born again. But God is merciful; Christ died for sinners; and we
will turn when we can tend it, 13 and doubt not but all will be well at
last.” But I will answer thee, thou child of Esau, that the birthright
and blessing go together; miss of one, and thou shalt never have the
other! Esau found this true; for, having first despised the birthright,
when he would afterwards “have inherited the blessing, he was rejected;
for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with
tears.” (Gen 25, Heb 12:16,17)
3. They shall not be able to enter in who have not believed with the
faith of God’s operation; the faith that is most holy, even the faith
of God’s elect. “He that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting
life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the
wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36) But now this faith is the
effect of electing love, and of a new birth. (John 1:11-13) Therefore,
all the professors that have not faith which floweth from being born of
God, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
4. They shall not be able to enter in that have not gospel-holiness.
Holiness that is the effect of faith is that which admits into the
presence of God, and into his kingdom too. “Blessed and holy is he that
hath part in the first resurrection, on such the second death,” that
is, hell and eternal damnation, “hath no power.” (Rev 20:6,14) Blessed
and holy, with the holiness that flows from faith which is in Christ;
for to these the inheritance belongs. “That they may receive
forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified,
by faith,” saith Christ, “that is in me.” (Acts 26:18) This holiness,
which is the natural effect of faith in the Son of God, Christ Jesus
the Lord will, at this day of judgment, distinguish from all other
shows of holiness and sanctity, be they what they will, and will admit
the soul that hath this holiness into his kingdom, when the rest will
seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
5. They shall not be able to enter in that do not persevere in this
blessed faith and holiness; not that they that have them indeed can
finally fall away, and everlastingly perish; but it hath pleased Jesus
Christ to bid them that have the right to hold fast that they have: to
endure to the end; and then tells them they shall be saved—though it is
as true that none is of power to keep himself; but God worketh together
with his children, and they are “kept by the power of God, through
faith unto salvation,” which is also laid up in heaven for them. (1
Peter 1:3-5)
“The foolish shall not stand in thy sight; thou hatest all workers of
iniquity.” (Psa 5:5) The foolish are the unholy ones, that neither have
faith, nor holiness, nor perseverance in godliness, and yet lay claim
to the kingdom of heaven; but “better is a little with righteousness,
than great revenues without right.” (Prov 16:8) What is it for me to
claim a house, or a farm, without right? or to say, all this is mine,
but have nothing to show for it? This is but like the revenues of the
foolish; his estate lieth in his conceit. He hath nothing by birthright
and law, and therefore shall not be able to inherit the possession.
“For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be
able.”
Thus you see, that the non-elect shall not be able to enter, that he
that is not born again shall not be able to enter, that he that hath
not saving faith, with holiness and perseverance flowing therefrom,
shall not be able to enter; wherefore consider of what I have said.
[SECOND. THE WORDS BY WAY OF OBSERVATION.]
I come now to give you some observations from the words, and they may
be three.
FIRST. When men have put in all the claim they can for heaven, but few
will have it for their inheritance. “For many, I say unto you, will
seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” SECOND. Great, therefore,
will be the disappointment that many will meet with at the day of
judgment: “For many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”
THIRD. Going to heaven, therefore, will be no trivial business;
salvation is not got by a dream; they that would then have that kingdom
must now strive lawfully to enter: “For many, I say unto you, will seek
to enter in, and shall not be able.”
FIRST. I shall speak chiefly, and yet but briefly, to the first of
these observations; to wit, That when men have put in all the claim
they can to the kingdom of heaven, but few will have it for their
inheritance. The observation standeth of two parts. First. That the
time is coming, when every man will put in whatever claim they can to
the kingdom of heaven. Second. There will be but few of them that put
in claim thereto, that shall enjoy it for their inheritance.
[First. ALL WILL PUT IN WHAT CLAIM THEY CAN TO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.]
I shall speak but a word or two to the first part of the observation,
because I have prevented my enlargement thereon by my explication upon
the words; but you find in the 25th of Matthew, that all they on the
left hand of the Judge did put in all the claim they could for this
blessed kingdom of heaven. If you should take them on the left hand as
most do, for all the sinners that shall be damned, then that completely
proveth the first part of the observation; for it is expressly said,
“Then shall they,” all of them jointly, and every one apart, “also
answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thus and thus, and did not
minister unto thee?” (Matt 25:44) I could here bring you in the plea of
the slothful servant, the cry of the foolish virgins; I could also here
enlarge upon that passage, “Lord, Lord, have we not eaten and drunk in
thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets?” But these things
are handled already in the handling of which this first part of the
observation is proved; wherefore, without more words, I will, God
assisting by his grace, descend to the second part thereof, to wit,
[Second. THERE WILL BE BUT FEW OF THEM THAT PUT IN CLAIM THERETO THAT
WILL ENJOY IT FOR THEIR INHERITANCE.]
I shall speak distinctly to this part of the observation, and shall
first confirm it by a Scripture or two. “Strait is the gate, and narrow
is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
(Matt 7:14) “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good
pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) By these two texts, and
by many more that will be urged anon, you may see the truth of what I
have said.
To enlarge, therefore, upon the truth; and, First, more generally;
Second, more particularly. More generally, I shall prove that in all
ages but few have been saved. More particularly, I shall prove but few
of them that profess have been saved.
[First, Generally—in all ages but few have been saved.]
1. In the old world, when it was most populous, even in the days of
Noah, we read but of eight persons that were saved out of it; well,
therefore, might Peter call them but few; but how few? why, but eight
souls; “wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water.” (1
Peter 3:20) He touches a second time upon this truth, saying, He
“spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher
of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.”
(2 Peter 2:5) Mark, all the rest are called the ungodly, and there were
also a world of them. These are also taken notice of in Job, and go
there also by the name of wicked men: “Hast thou marked the old way
which wicked men have trodden? which were cut down out of time, whose
foundation was overflown with a flood, which said unto God, Depart from
us, and what can the Almighty do for them?” (Job 22:15-17)
There were therefore but eight persons that escaped the wrath of God,
in the day that the flood came upon the earth; the rest were ungodly;
there was also a world of them, and they are to this day in the prison
of hell. (Heb 11:7, 1 Peter 3:19,20) Nay, I must correct my pen, there
were but seven of the eight that were good; for Ham, though he escaped
the judgment of the water, yet the curse of God overtook him to his
damnation. 2. When the world began again to be replenished, and people
began to multiply therein: how few, even in all ages, do we read of
that were saved from the damnation of the world!
(1.) One Abraham and his wife, God called out of the land of the
Chaldeans; “I called,” said God, “Abraham alone.” (Isa 51:2)
(2.) One Lot out of Sodom and Gomorrah, out of Admah and Zeboim; one
Lot out of four cities! Indeed his wife and two daughters went out of
Sodom with him; but they all three proved naught, as you may see in the
19th of Genesis. Wherefore Peter observes, that Lot only was saved: “He
turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemning them
with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should
live ungodly, and delivered just Lot, that righteous man.” (Read 2
Peter 2:6-8) Jude says, that in this condemnation God overthrew not
only Sodom and Gomorrah, but the cities about them also; and yet you
find none but Lot could be found that was righteous, either in Sodom or
Gomorrah, or the cities about them; wherefore they, all of them, suffer
the vengeance of eternal fire. (verse 7)
(3.) Come we now to the time of the Judges, how few then were godly,
even then when the inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in
Israel! “the highways” of God “were” then “unoccupied.” (Judg 5:6,7)
(4.) There were but few in the days of David: “Help, Lord,” says he,
“for the godly man ceaseth, for the faithful fail from among the
children of men.” (Psa 12:1)
(5.) In Isaiah’s time the saved were come to such a few, that he
positively says that there were a very small number left: “God had made
them like Sodom, and they had been like unto Gomorrah.” (Isa 1:8,9)
(6.) It was cried unto them in the time of Jeremiah, that they should
“run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and
know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if
there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth, and I
will pardon it.” (Jer 5:1)
(7.) God showed his servant Ezekiel how few there would be saved in his
day, by the vision of a few hairs saved out of the midst of a few
hairs; for the saved were a few saved out of a few. (Eze 5:5)
(8.) You find in the time of the prophet Micah, how the godly complain,
that as to number they then were so few, that he compares them to those
that are left behind when they had gathered the summer-fruit. (Micah
7:1)
(9.) When Christ was come, how did he confirm this truth, that but few
of them that put in claim for heaven will have it for their
inheritance! But the common people could not hear it, and therefore,
upon a time when he did but a little hint at this truth, the people,
even all in the synagogue where he preached it, “were filled with
wrath, rose up, thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow
of the hill,” whereon their city was built, “that they might cast him
down headlong.” (Luke 4:24-29)
(10.) John, who was after Christ, saith, “The whole world lieth in
wickedness; that all the world wondered after the beast; and that power
was given to the beast over all kindreds, tongues, and nations.” Power
to do what? Why, to cause all, both great and small, rich and poor,
bond and free, to receive his mark, and to be branded for him. (1 John
5:10, Rev 13:3,7,16)
(11.) Should we come to observation and experience, the show of the
countenance of the bulk of men doth witness against them; “they declare
their sin as Sodom, they hide it not.” (Isa 3:9) Where is the man that
maketh the Almighty God his delight, and that designeth his glory in
the world? Do not even almost all pursue this world, their lusts and
pleasures? and so, consequently, say unto God, “Depart from us, for we
desire not the knowledge of thy ways; or, What is the Almighty that we
should serve him? It is in vain to serve God,” &c.
So that without doubt it will appear a truth in the day of God, that
but few of them that shall put in their claim to heaven will have it
for their inheritance.
Before I pass this head, I will show you to what the saved are compared
in the Scriptures.
[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 grape-gleanings” 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.” (Isa 17:6)
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.
[Second. Particularly—but few of them that profess have been saved.]
Therefore I come more particularly to show you that but few shall be
saved. I say, but few of professors themselves will be saved; for that
is the truth that the text doth more directly look at and defend. Give
me, therefore, thy hand, good reader, and let us soberly walk through
the rest of what shall be said; and let us compare as we go each
particular with the holy Scripture.
1. It is said, “The daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a
vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.”
(Isa 1:8) The vineyard was the church of Israel, the cottage in that
vineyard was the daughter of Zion, or the truly gracious amongst, or in
that church. (Isa 5:1) A cottage; God had but a cottage there, but a
little habitation in the church, a very few that were truly gracious
amongst that great multitude that professed; and had it not been for
these, for this cottage, the rest had been ruined as Sodom: “Except the
Lord of hosts had left unto us,” in the church, a very few, they had
been as Sodom. (Isa 1:9) Wherefore, among the multitude of them that
shall be damned, professors will make a considerable party.