thou readest here that but a few will be saved; that many that expect
heaven will go without heaven. What sayest thou to this, poor sinner?
Let me say it over again. There are but few to be saved, but very few.
Let me add, but few professors—but few eminent professors. What sayest
thou now, sinner? If judgment begins at the house of God, what will the
end of them be that obey not the gospel of God? This is Peter’s
question. Canst thou answer it, sinner? Yea, I say again, if judgment
must begin at them, will it not make thee think, What shall become of
me? And I add, when thou shalt see the stars of heaven to tumble down
to hell, canst thou think that such a muck-heap of sin as thou art
shall be lifted up to heaven? Peter asks thee another question, to wit,
“If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the
sinner appear?” (1 Peter 4:18) Canst thou answer this question, sinner?
Stand among the righteous thou mayest not: “The ungodly shall not stand
in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.”
(Psa 1:5) Stand among the wicked thou then wilt not dare to do. Where
wilt thou appear, sinner? To stand among the hypocrites will avail thee
nothing. The hypocrite “shall not come before him,” that is, with
acceptance, but shall perish. (Job 13:16) Because it concerns thee
much, let me over with it again! When thou shalt see less sinners than
thou art, bound up by angels in bundles, to burn them, where wilt thou
appear, sinner? Thou mayest wish thyself another man, but that will not
help thee, sinner. Thou mayest wish, Would I had been converted in
time; but that will not help thee either. And if, like the wife of
Jeroboam, thou shouldst feign thyself to be another woman, the Prophet,
the Lord Jesus, would soon find thee out! What wilt thou do, poor
sinner? Heavy tidings, heavy tidings, will attend thee, except thou
repent, poor sinner! (1 Kings 14:2,5,6, Luke 13:3,5) O the dreadful
state of a poor sinner, of an open profane sinner! Everybody that hath
but common sense knows that this man is in the broad way to death, yet
he laughs at his own damnation.
Shall I come to particulars with thee?
1. Poor unclean sinner, the “harlot’s house is the way to hell, going
down to the chambers of death.” (Prov 2:18, 5:5, 7:27)
2. Poor swearing and thievish sinner, God hath prepared the curse, that
“every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to
it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side,
according to it.” (Zech 5:3)
3. Poor drunken sinner, what shall I say to thee? “Woe to the drunkards
of Ephraim,” “woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men
of—strong drink; they shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven.” (Isa
28:1, 5:22, 1 Cor 6:9,10)
4. Poor covetous worldly man, God’s Word says, that “the covetous the
Lord abhorreth”; that the “covetous man is an idolater”; and that the
covetous “shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Psa 10:3, Eph 5:5,
John 2:15, 1 Cor 6:9,10)
5. And thou liar, what wilt thou do? “All liars shall have their part
in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.” (Rev 21:8,27)
I shall not enlarge, poor sinner, let no man deceive thee; “for because
of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of
disobedience.” (Eph 5:6) I will therefore give thee a short call, and
so leave thee.
Sinner, awake: yea, I say unto thee, awake! Sin lieth at thy door, and
God’s axe lieth at thy root, and hell-fire is right underneath thee.
(Gen 4:7) I say again, Awake! “Therefore every tree which bringeth not
forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” (Matt 3:10)
Poor sinner, awake; eternity is coming, and HIS SON, they are both
coming to judge the world; awake, art yet asleep, poor sinner? let me
set the trumpet to thine ear once again! The heavens will be shortly on
a burning flame; the earth, and the works thereof, shall be burned up,
and then wicked men shall go into perdition; dost thou hear this,
sinner? (2 Peter 3) Hark again, the sweet morsels of sin will then be
fled and gone, and the bitter burning fruits of them only left. What
sayest thou now, sinner? Canst thou drink hell-fire? Will the wrath of
God be a pleasant dish to thy taste? This must be thine every day’s
meat and drink in hell, sinner!
I will yet propound to thee God’s ponderous question, and then for this
time leave thee: “Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong,
in the days that I shall deal with thee?” saith the Lord. (Eze 22:14)
What sayest thou? Wilt thou answer this question now, or wilt thou take
time to do it? or wilt thou be desperate, and venture all? And let me
put this text in thine ear to keep it open; and so the Lord have mercy
upon thee: “Upon the wicked shall the Lord rain snares, fire and
brimstone, and an horrible tempest; this shall be the portion of their
cup.” (Psa 11:6) Repent, sinners!
[USE SECOND.]—My second word is to them that are upon the potter’s
wheel; concerning whom we know not as yet whether their convictions and
awakenings will end in conversion or not. Several things I shall say to
you, both to further your convictions, and to caution you from staying
anywhere below or short of saving grace.
1. Remember that but few shall be saved; and if God should count thee
worthy to be one of that few, what a mercy would that be!
2. Be thankful, therefore, for convictions; conversion begins at
conviction, though all conviction doth not end in conversion. It is a
great mercy to be convinced that we are sinners, and that we need a
Saviour; count it therefore a mercy, and that thy convictions may end
in conversion, do thou take heed of stifling of them. It is the way of
poor sinners to look upon convictions as things that are hurtful; and
therefore they use to shun the awakening ministry, and to check a
convincing conscience. Such poor sinners are much like to the wanton
boy that stands at the maid’s elbow, to blow out her candle as fast as
she lights it at the fire. Convinced sinner, God lighteth thy candle,
and thou puttest it out; God lights it again, and thou puttest it out.
Yea, “how oft is the candle of the wicked put out?” (Job 21:17) At
last, God resolveth he will light thy candle no more; and then, like
the Egyptians, you dwell all your days in darkness, and never see light
more, but by the light of hell-fire; wherefore give glory to God, and
if he awakens thy conscience, quench not thy convictions. Do it, saith
the prophet, “before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble
upon the dark mountains, and he turn” your convictions “into the shadow
of death, and make them gross darkness.” (Jer 13:16)
(1.) Be willing to see the worst of thy condition. It is better to see
it here than in hell; for thou must see thy misery here or there. (2.)
Beware of little sins; they will make way for great ones, and they
again will make way for bigger, upon which God’s wrath will follow; and
then may thy latter end be worse than thy beginning. (2 Peter 2:20)
(3.) Take heed of bad company, and evil communication, for that will
corrupt good manners. God saith, evil company will turn thee away from
following him, and will tempt thee to serve other gods, devils. “So the
anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and destroy thee
suddenly.” (Deu 7:4) (4.) Beware of such a thought as bids thee delay
repentance, for that is damnable. (Prov 1:24, Zech 7:12,13) (5.) Beware
of taking example by some poor, carnal professor, whose religion lies
in the tip of his tongue. Beware, I say, of the man whose head swims
with notions, but “his life is among the unclean.” (Job 36:14) “He that
walketh with wise men shall be wise; but a companion of fools shall be
destroyed.” (Prov 13:20) (6.) Give thyself much to the Word, and
prayer, and good conference. (7.) Labour to see the sin that cleaveth
to the best of thy performances, and know that all is nothing if thou
be not found in Jesus Christ. (8.) Keep in remembrance that God’s eye
is upon thy heart, and upon all thy ways. “Can any hide himself in
secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill
heaven and earth? saith the Lord.” (Jer 23:24) (9.) Be often meditating
upon death and judgment. (Eccl 11:9, 12:14) (10.) Be often thinking
what a dreadful end sinners that have neglected Christ will make at
that day of death and judgment. (Heb 10:31) (11.) Put thyself often, in
thy thoughts, before Christ’s judgment-seat, in thy sins, and consider
with thyself, Were I now before my Judge, how should I look, how should
I shake and tremble? (12.) Be often thinking of them that are now in
hell, past all mercy; I say, be often thinking of them, thus: They were
once in the world, as I now am; they once took delight in sin, as I
have done; they once neglected repentance, as Satan would have me do.
But now they are gone; now they are in hell, now the pit hath shut her
mouth upon them!
Thou mayest also doubt18 thy thoughts of the damned thus: If these poor
creatures were in the world again, would they sin as they did before?
would they neglect salvation as they did before? If they had sermons,
as I have; if they had the Bible, as I have; if they had good company,
as I have; yea, if they had a day of grace, as I have, would they
neglect it as they did before?
Sinner, couldst thou soberly think of these things, they might help,
God blessing them, to awaken thee, and to keep thee awake to
repentance, to the repentance that is to salvation, never to be
repented of.
Object. But you have said few shall be saved; and some that go a great
way, yet are not saved. At this, therefore, I am even discouraged and
weakened; I think I had as good go no further. I am, indeed, under
conviction, but I may perish; and if I go on in my sins, I can but
perish; and it is ten, twenty, and an hundred to one if I be saved,
should I be ever so earnest for heaven.
Answ. That few will be saved must needs be a truth, for Christ hath
said it; that many go far, and come short of heaven, is as true, being
testified by the same hand. But what then? “Why, then had I as good
never seek.” Who told thee so? Must nobody seek because few are saved?
This is just contrary to the text, that bids us therefore strive;
strive to enter in, because the gate is strait, and because many will
seek to enter in, and shall not be able. But why go back again, seeing
that is the next way to hell? Never go over hedge and ditch to hell. If
I must needs go thither, I will go the furthest way about. But who can
tell, though there should not be saved so many as there shall, but thou
mayest be one of that few? They that miss of life perish, because they
will not let go their sins, or because they take up a profession short
of the saving faith of the gospel. They perish, I say, because they are
content with such things as will not prove graces of a saving nature
when they come to be tried in the fire. Otherwise, the promise is free,
and full, and everlasting—“Him that cometh to me,” saith Christ, “I
will in no wise cast out”; “for God so loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 6:37, 3:16) Wherefore let not
this thought, Few shall be saved, weaken thy heart; but let it cause
thee to mend thy pace, to mend thy cries, to look well to thy grounds
for heaven; let it make thee fly faster from sin to Christ; let it keep
thee awake, and out of carnal security, and thou mayest be saved.
[USE THIRD.]—My third word is to professors. Sirs, give me leave to set
my trumpet to your ears again a little. When every man hath put in all
the claim they can for heaven, but few will have it for their
inheritance; I mean but few professors, for so the text intendeth, and
so I have also proved. “For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter
in, and shall not be able.” Let me, therefore, a little expostulate the
matter with you, O ye thousands of professors!
1. I begin with you whose religion lieth only in your tongues; I mean
you who are little or nothing known from the rest of the rabble of the
world, only you can talk better than they. Hear me a word or two. If “I
speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity,”
that is, love to God, and Christ, and saints, and holiness, “I am
nothing”; no child of God, and so have nothing to do with heaven. (1
Cor 13:1,2) A prating tongue will not unlock the gates of haven, nor
blind the eyes of the Judge. Look to it. “The wise in heart will
receive commandments; but a prating fool shall fall.” 19 (Prov 10:8)
2. Covetous professor, thou that makest a gain of religion, that usest
thy profession to bring grist to thy mill, look to it also. Gain is not
godliness. Judas’ religion lay much in the bag, but his soul is now
burning in hell. All covetousness is idolatry; but what is that, or
what will you call it, when men are religious for filthy lucre’s sake?
(Eze 33:31)
3. Wanton professors, I have a word for you; I mean you that can tell
how to misplead Scripture, to maintain your pride, your banqueting, and
abominable idolatry. Read what Peter says. You are the snare and
damnation of others. You “allure through the lust of the flesh, through
much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in
error.” (2 Peter 2:18) Besides, the Holy Ghost hath a great deal
against you, for your feastings, and eating without fear, not for
health, but gluttony. (Jude 12) Further, Peter says, that you that
count it pleasure to riot in the day-time are spots and blemishes,
sporting yourselves with your own deceivings. (2 Peter 2:13) And let me
ask, Did God give his Word to justify your wickedness? or doth grace
teach you to plead for the flesh, or the making provision for the lusts
thereof? Of these also are they that feed their bodies to strengthen
their lusts, under pretence of strengthening frail nature. But pray,
remember the text, “Many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and
shall not be able.”
4. I come next to the opinionist; I mean, to him whose religion lieth
in some circumstantials of religion. With this sort this kingdom swarms
at this day. These think all out of the way that are not of their mode,
when themselves may be out of the way in the midst of their zeal for
their opinions. Pray, do you also observe the text; “Many, I say unto
you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”
5. Neither is the formalist exempted from this number. He is a man that
hath lost all but the shell of religion. He is hot, indeed, for his
form; and no marvel, for that is his all to contend for. But his form
being without the power and spirit of godliness, it will leave him in
his sins; nay, he standeth now in them in the sight of God, and is one
of the many that “will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” (2 Tim
3:5)
6. The legalist comes next, even him that hath no life but what he
makes out of his duties. This man hath chosen to stand or fall by
Moses, who is the condemner of the world. “There is one that accuseth
you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.” (John 5:45)
7. There is, in the next place, the libertine—he that pretendeth to be
against forms and duties, as things that gender to bondage, neglecting
the order of God. This man pretends to pray always, but, under that
pretence, prays not at all; he pretends to keep every day a Sabbath,
but this pretence serves him only to cast off all set times for the
worship of God. This is also one of the many that “will seek to enter
in, and shall not be able.” (Titus 1:16)
8. There is the temporizing latitudinarian. He is a man that hath no
God but his belly, nor any religion but that by which his belly is
worshipped. His religion is always, like the times, turning this way
and that way, like the cock on the steeple; neither hath he any
conscience but a benumbed and seared one, and is next door to a
downright atheist; and also is one of the many that “will seek to enter
in, and shall not be able.”
9. There is also the willfully ignorant professor, or him that is
afraid to know more, for fear of the cross. He is for picking and
choosing of truth, and loveth not to hazard his all for that worthy
name by which he would be called. When he is at any time overset by
arguments, or awakenings of conscience, he uses to heal all by—I was
not brought up in this faith; as if it were unlawful for Christians to
know more than hath been taught them at first conversion. There are
many Scriptures that lie against his man, as the mouths of great guns,
and he is one of the many that “will seek to enter in, and shall not be
able.”
10. We will add to all these, the professor that would prove himself a
Christian, by comparing himself with others, instead of comparing
himself with the Word of God. This man comforts himself, because he is
as holy as such and such; he also knows as much as that old professor,
and then concludes he shall go to heaven: as if he certainly knew, that
those with whom he compareth himself would be undoubtedly saved; but
how if he should be mistaken? nay, may they not both fall short? But to
be sure he is in the wrong that hath made the comparison; and a wrong
foundation will not stand in the day of judgment. (2 Cor 10:12) This
man, therefore, is one of the many that “will seek to enter in, and
shall not be able.”
11. There is yet another professor; and he is for God and for Baal too;
he can be anything for any company; he can throw stones with both
hands; his religion alters as fast as his company; he is a frog of
Egypt, and can live in the water and out of the water; he can live in
religious company, and again as well out. Nothing that is disorderly
comes amiss to him; he will hold with the hare, and run with the hound;
he carries fire in the one hand, and water in the other; he is a very
anything but what he should be. This is also one of the many that “will
seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” 20
12. There is also that free-willer, who denies to the Holy Ghost the
sole work in conversion; and that Socinian, who denieth to Christ that
he hath made to God satisfaction for sin; and that Quaker, who takes
from Christ the two natures in his person: and I might add as many
more, touching whose damnation, they dying as they are, the Scripture
is plain: these “will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” But,
[USE FOURTH.]—If it be so, what a strange disappointment will many
professors meet with at the day of judgment! I speak not now to the
open profane; everybody, as I have said, that hath but common
understanding between good and evil, knows that they are in the broad
way to hell and damnation, and they must needs come thither; nothing
can hinder it but repentance unto salvation, except God should prove a
liar to save them, and it is hard venturing of that.
Neither is it amiss, if we take notice of the examples that are briefly
mentioned in the Scriptures, concerning professors that have
miscarried. 1. Judas perished from among the apostles. (Acts 1) 2.
Demas, as I think, perished from among the evangelists. (2 Tim 4:10) 3.
Diotrephes from among the ministers, or them in office in the church.
(3 John 9) 4. And as for Christian professors, they have fallen by
heaps, and almost by whole churches. (2 Tim 1:15, Rev 3:4,15-17) 5. Let
us add to these, that the things mentioned in the Scriptures about
these matters, are but brief hints and items of what is afterwards to
happen; as the apostle said, “Some men’s sins are open beforehand,
going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.” (1 Tim 5:24)
So that, fellow-professors, let us fear, lest a promise being left us
of entering into this rest, any of us should seem to come short of it.
O! to come short! nothing kills like it, nothing will burn like it. I
intend not discouragements, but awakenings; the churches have need of
awakening, and so have all professors. Do not despise me, therefore,
but hear me over again. What a strange disappointment will many
professors meet with at the day of God Almighty!—a disappointment, I
say, and that as to several things.
(1.) They will look to escape hell, and yet fall just into the mouth of
hell: what a disappointment will be here! (2.) They will look for
heaven, but the gate of heaven will be shut against them: what a
disappointment is here! (3.) They will expect that Christ should have
compassion for them, but will find that he hath shut up all bowels of
compassion from them: what a disappointment is here! Again,
[USE FIFTH.]—As this disappointment will be fearful, so certainly it
will be very full of amazement.
1. Will it not amaze them to be unexpectedly excluded from life and
salvation? 2. Will it not be amazing to them to see their own madness
and folly, while they consider how they have dallied with their own
souls, and took lightly for granted that they had that grace that would
save them, but hath left them in a damnable state? 3. Will they not
also be amazed one at another, while they remember how in their
lifetime they counted themselves fellow-heirs of life? To allude to
that of the prophet, “They shall be amazed one at another, their faces
shall be as flames.” (Isa 13:8) 4. Will it not be amazing to some of
the damned themselves, to see some come to hell that then they shall
see come thither? to see preachers of the Word, professors of the Word,
practisers in the Word, to come thither. What wondering was there among
them at the fall of the king of Babylon, since he thought to have
swallowed up all, because he was run down by the Medes and Persians!
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How
art thou cut down to the ground which didst weaken the nations!” If
such a thing as this will with amazement surprise the damned, what an
amazement will it be to them to see such a one as he whose head reached
to the clouds, to see him come down to the pit, and perish for ever
like his own dung. “Hell from beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee
at thy coming; it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief
ones of the earth.” (Isa 14) They that see thee shall narrowly look
upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man? Is this he that
professed, and disputed, and forsook us; but now he is come to us
again? Is this he that separated from us, but now he is fallen with us
into the same eternal damnation with us?
[USE SIXTH.]—Yet again, one word more, if I may awaken professors.
Consider, though the poor carnal world shall certainly perish, yet they
will want these things to aggravate their sorrow, which thou wilt meet
with in every thought that thou wilt have of the condition thou wast in
when thou wast in the world.
1. They will not have a profession, to bite them when they come
thither. 2. They will not have a taste of a lost heaven, to bite them
when they come thither. 3. They will not have the thoughts of, “I was
almost at heaven,” to bite them when they come thither. 4. They will
not have the thoughts of, how they cheated saints, ministers, churches,
to bite them when they come thither. 5. They will not have the dying
thoughts of false faith, false hope, false repentance, and false
holiness, to bite them when they come thither. I was at the gates of
heaven, I looked into heaven, I thought I should have entered into
heaven; O how will these things sting! They will, if I may call them
so, be the sting of the sting of death in hell-fire.
[USE SEVENTH.]—Give me leave now in a word to give you a little advice.
1. Dost thou love thine own soul? then pray to Jesus Christ for an
awakened heart, for a heart so awakened with all the things of another
world, that thou mayest be allured to Jesus Christ. 2. When thou comest
there, beg again for more awakenings about sin, hell, grace, and about
the righteousness of Christ. 3. Cry also for a spirit of discerning,
that thou mayest know that which is saving grace indeed. 4. Above all
studies apply thyself to the study of those things that show thee the
evil of sin, the shortness of man’s life, and which is the way to be
saved. 5. Keep company with the most godly among professors. 6. When
thou hearest what the nature of true grace is, defer not to ask thine
own heart if this grace be there. And here take heed—
(1.) That the preacher himself be sound, and of good life. (2.) That
thou takest not seeming graces for real ones, nor seeming fruits for
real fruits. (3.) Take heed that a sin in thy life goes not unrepented
of; for that will make a flaw in thine evidence, a wound in thy
conscience, and a breach in thy peace; and a hundred to one, if at last
it doth not drive all the grace in thee into so dark a corner of thy
heart, that thou shalt not be able, for a time, by all the torches that
are burning in the gospel, to find it out to thine own comfort and
consolation. 21
FOOTNOTES:
1 However homely this illustration, yet how striking. No family has
been many years without that uneasy anxiety—earnest seeking the doctor
to alleviate their sufferings, or those of a beloved relative, and then
the trembling hope that “his excellent things” may produce the desired
effect. Reader, have you had, at any time, equal anxiety for your
soul’s health and salvation? What has been the result?—Ed.
2 How delightfully but solemnly is this illustrated in the “Pilgrim’s
Progress.” The wicket-gate, at the head of the way, at which the poor
burdened sinner must knock and obtain an entrance by Christ the door.
It may be like Mercy, with a trembling but sure hope. And then the
glorious entrance into the Celestial City itself, after crossing the
river which has no bridge. This was opened to Christian, but shut
against Ignorance and against Turnaway of the Town of Apostasy.—Ed.