The Chief Interest of Man, Section 10
SECT. X. The neceſſity of holineſs to ſalvation, proved by many plain Scriptures. Objections anſwered. The imprudence of being but formal half Chriſtians, and the advantages that ſtict ſerious Chriſtians have above ſuch.
THere is yet another conſideration which will much enhance the glory of Heaven; but before I come to ſpeak of that, I muſt ſhew how neceſſary an holy converſation is to the enjoyment of it. Many have entertained a ſuſpition, that ſome moroſe Men peeviſhly envious againſt the happineſſe and contentment of Mankind, and too ſuperſtitiouſly preciſe, would lay upon them a yoke which neither they, nor their Fathers were able to bear, confining their liberty to too narrow bounds, and frighting them from Religion by exacting ſo much ſtrictneſſe and ſeverity. Now that I may not ſeem to any to make the way to Heaven more narrow than God hath made it, I will but ſet down the plain words of God himſelf, not to ſpeak of what thoſe have attained to, who yet are plainly declared to be under the ſentence of condemnation, and in a ſtate of wrath. I ſhall only inſtance in ſome places where the Scripture ſets down what is indiſpenſibly neceſſary to ſalvation, or what doth plainly argue, a Man to be in the ſtate of damnation. Math. 5.20. I ſay unto you, that except your righteouſneſſe exceed the righteouſneſſe of the Scribes and Phariſees, (who yet went a great way in the Profeſſion of Religion, and in both Moral and Ceremonial righteouſneſſe) you ſhall in no wiſe enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Cap. 6.20. Where your Treaſure is, there will your heart be alſo. Cap. 7.13. Enter ye in at the ſtrait Gate, for wide is the Gate, and broad is the way that leads to deſtruction, and there be many which go in thereat; but ſtrait is the Gate, and narrow is the Way that leads to life, and few there be that find it. Verſe 21. Not every one that ſaith unto me, Lord, Lord, ſhall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven. cap. 12.36. Every idle word that a man ſhall ſpeak he ſhall give an account thereof in the Day of Judgment. Cap. 16.24. If any Man will come after me, let him deny himſelf, and take up his Croſs and follow me. Mark. 8.38. Whoſoever ſhall be aſhamed of me, and of my words in this adulterous and ſinful Generation, of him alſo ſhall the Son of Man be aſhamed when he comes in the Glory of the Father with his holy Angels. Luk. 13.24. Strive to enter in at the ſtrait Gate, for many I ſay, unto you ſhall ſeek to enter, and ſhall not be able. John. 3.5. Except a Man be born of water, and of the ſpirit, be cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. Rom. 8.9. If any Man have not the ſpirit of Chriſt, he is none of his. Verſe. 13. If ye live after the fleſh ye ſhall dye, 2 Cor. 5.17. If any M…n … Chriſt, he is a new Creature. Gal. 5.6. For in Chriſt Jeſus neither circumciſion avails any thing, nor uncircumciſion, but Faith that worketh by love. Cap. 6.7, 8. Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatſoever a Man ſoweth, that ſhall he alſo reap; for he that ſoweth to the fleſh, ſhall of his fleſh alſo reap corruption, but he that ſoweth to the ſpirit, ſhall of the ſpirit reap life everlaſting. Heb. 12.14. Follow peace with all men and holineſs, without which no man ſhall ſee the Lord. Jam. 2.19, 20. Thou believeſt there is one God, thou doſt well: the Devils alſo believe and tremble. But wil… thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 1 Pet. 4.18. If the righteous ſcarcely be ſaved, where ſhall the ſinner and the ungodly appear? 1 John 1.6. If we ſay we have fellowſhip with him, and walk in darkneſſe, we lye and do not the truth. Cap. 2.4. He that ſaith I know him and keepeth not his commandments, is a lyar, and the truth is not in him. I might add many like words out of the Scripture of truth, but it may be theſe are enough to make many ſay, Who then can be ſaved? But let God be true whatever becomes of Man, and it is that which hath been told us, that few find the narrow way that leads to life. If any object the failings of ſuch as David and Peter, the ſame Scriptures that tell of them, tell us of their repentance and bitter tears. If any wonder how this ſhould be conſiſtent with the mercy of God, I anſwer there are other objects whereon he ſheweth the Riches of his mercy, even the ſmall remnant that ſhall be ſaved. And when we come to ſee (at the laſt day) the evil of ſin, the holineſſe of God, the preparations which God hath made for ſinners, we ſhall rather admire that he ſhould ſave any, than that he ſhould ſave no more. And if the pardon of ſin were ſuch a light matter that God ſhould be charged with ſeverity, if he hearken not to the cries of ſinners, which neceſſity doth at laſt force them to, he might have ſpared the trouble (as I may take liberty to ſpeak) of …ending his ſon; yea, (as I may further ſay) ſpared his glorying of his unconceivable love in giving Chriſt to dye for ſinners, and it is an ignorant conceit to think that ſuch a ſtrict exaction of holyneſſe ſtraitens the grace of the Goſpel when it is much of the Grace we receive by Chriſt to be turned from our iniquities, Acts 3.26. Rom. 7.1. &c. The end of our redemption is to be a peculiar people zealous of good works. Tit. 2.14. The chief article of the Covenant of Grace is to have the Law of God written in our hearts, Heb. 8.9. our chief glory to be like our heavenly Father in holyneſſe. 1 Pet. 1.15. The great advantage we have by the promiſes to be made Partakers of the Divine Nature, 2 Per. 1.4. So that let men flatter themſelves with vain preſumptions, and delude their own ſouls by drawing their deſires into opinion, and from wiſhing, they might have peace, though they go on in the wayes of their own hearts, proceed to believe that it will be ſo. Theſe words will certainly take hold of them, Zach. 1.6. and judge them at the laſt day. I may further add, that it is the greateſt imprudence for men to be but half Chriſtians, or to make ſome profeſſion of Religion, and not to ſtrive to attain to ſome perfection in it, both as the reflection on ſuch an indifferency, or lukewarmneſs, will be an aggravation of Mens miſery, while they ſhall think with themſelves they were near to the Kingdom of Heaven, and were ſhut out becauſe they went not a little further, they were fair for ſtriking a bargain for the Rich Pearl, and yet parted for a ſmall matter. As if a Merchant ſhould go near to Peru, or ſome other place where there is Gold in abundance, and through a ſluggiſh lazy ſtupidity, come back empty; or as if Columbus, when he was near to the Coaſts of America, ſhould have been forced, through the mutiny of his Soldiers, to return and loſe the honour and advantage of his enterprize. It is pity to run a race, and loſe the prize through negligence, when we come within a few ſteps of the Goal. If we will do any thing in Religion, let us go through with it, and not loſe the future reward of it, which is moſt conſiderable through ſloathfulneſs. And it is further to be conſidered, that thoſe who are but half Chriſtians and ſmatterers in Religion, know nothing of thoſe ſpiritual comforts, that delight in communion with God in his ordinances, joy in the Holy Ghoſt, which thoſe who are truly Godly have experience of: thoſe who are but ſmatterers or bunglers in any Art, Science, Trade, find them difficult, when they are eaſie and delightful to thoſe who are Maſters of them, and throughly underſtand them; as the wiſe Man ſaith, knowledge is eaſie to him that underſtands. As there is great difference in the reading of a Claſſick, Author by the Maſter and the Schollar, the Schollar looks upon it as a great task to conſtrue it, and is glad when it is over, not minding the things themſelves expreſſed by the words, while the Maſter who minds the matter, and underſtands it well, is tranſported with pleaſure to obſerve the elegancy of ſtile, height of fancy, depth of judgment, ſtrength of reaſon, ſubtilty of Wit, candor of mind which is in the Author. So, while a Man is but a Chriſtian in name, and hath but a form of Godlineſſe, the exerciſes of Religion are a burthen to him, and he doth them only as a task to eſcape Hell fire, as a School-boy gets his Leſſon to eſcape the Rod, but he that is a Chriſtian indeed, finds that ſweetneſſe in the word of God, that it is to him as honey and the honey comb, the joy and rejoycing of his Soul. He is glad when he can ſteal an opportunity to pray; he finds ſo much comfort in communion with God therein, and can ſay with Chriſt; it is his meat to do the will of his Heavenly Father, and the teſtimony of his Conſcience is to him as a continual feaſt, and makes the practice of holineſſe more pleaſant to him, than all the delights of ſin are to a wicked man. And as it is in trading, he that doth not throughly underſtand his Trade, cannot make his beſt advantage of it to thrive by it, and ſo grows weary of it, or turns bankrupt; when he that is well ſeen in the myſtery of it, and knows how to improve every opportunity of gain, and ſo finds the benefit of it, makes a pleaſure of his buſineſſe, and will not be perſwaded to leave it off. So he that is but a Chriſtian in ſhew, and finds not that real advantage which others do of a ſtrict walking with God, nor any return of their formal heartleſſe prayers, grow weary of Religion, and at length it may be caſt it off, while the real ſerious Chriſtian by the Rich returns of his ſincere and fervent prayers, and the benefit which he finds by a cloſe walking with God, is ſo confirmed in his holy profeſſion, that nothing ſhall make him caſt it off, or think it a burden.