(3.) There are also the oppositions of sense and reason hard at work for the devil, against the soul; the men of his own house are risen up against him. One's sense and reason, one would think, should not fall in with the devil against ourselves, and yet nothing more common, nothing more natural, than for our own sense and reason to turn unnatural, and are both against our God and us. And now it is hard to come to God. Better can a man hear and deal with any objections against himself than with those that he does make against himself? They lie close, stick fast, speak aloud, and will be heard; yes, they will haunt and hunt him, as the devil doth some, in every hole and corner. But come, man, come, for he can save to the uttermost!
(4.) Now guilt is the consequence and fruit of all this, and what an intolerable burden as guilt! They talk of the stones and of the sands of the sea, but it is guilt that breaks the heart with its burden. And Satan has the art of making the uttermost of every sin; he can blow it up, make it swell, and make every hair of its head as big as a cedar. He can tell how to make it a heinous and unpardonable offense, an offense of that continuance, and committed against so much light that, says he, it is impossible it should ever be forgiven. But, soul, Christ can save to the uttermost; he can 'do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.' (Eph 3:20)
(5.) Join to all this the rage and terror of men, which thing of itself is sufficient to quash and break to pieces all desires to come to God by Christ; yea, and it doth do so to thousands that are not willing to go to hell. Yet thou art kept and made to go panting on; a whole world of men, devils, and sin is not able to keep you from coming. But how comes it to pass that thou art so hearty, that thou settest thy face against so much wind and weather? I dare say it arises not from yourself nor from any of your enemies. This comes from God, though thou art not aware thereof, and is obtained for thee by the intercession of the blessed Son of God, who can also save thee to the uttermost, that comes to God by him.
(6.) And for a conclusion as to this, I will add that there is much of the honor of the Lord Jesus engaged as to the saving of the coming man to the uttermost: 'I am glorified in them,' saith he. (John 17:10) He is exalted to be a Savior. (Acts 5:31) And if the blessed one does count it an exaltation to be a savior, surely it is an exaltation to be a savior and a great one. 'They shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a Savior, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.' (Isa 19:20) If it is a glory to be a Saviour, a great Saviour, then it is a glory for a Saviour, a great one, to save, and save, and save to the uttermost—to the uttermost man, to the uttermost sin, to the uttermost temptation. And hence it is that he saith again, speaking of the transgressions, sins, and iniquities that he would pardon, that it should turn to him for a name of joy, praise, and an honor before all nations.' (Jer 33:9) He, therefore, counts it an honor to be a great savior and to save men to the uttermost.
When Moses said, 'I beseech thee, show me thy glory,' the answer was, 'I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee.' (Exo 33:18,19) And when he came indeed to make proclamation, then he proclaimed, 'The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.' (Exo 34:6,7) That will by no means clear them, and it will not come to me that they may be saved.
See here, if it is not by himself his glory to make his goodness, all his goodness, pass before us. And how can that be if he saveth not to the uttermost those that come unto God by him? For goodness is by us but by those acts by which it expresses itself to be so. And, I am sure, to save, to save to the uttermost, is one of the most eminent expressions by which we understand it is great goodness. I know goodness has many ways to express itself to be what it is to the world, but then it expresses its greatness when it pardons and saves the uttermost. My goodness, says Christ, extends not to my Father but to my saints. (Psa 16:2,3) My Father has no need of my goodness, but my saints have, and therefore it shall reach forth itself for their help, in whom is all my delight. And, 'Oh, how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men'! (Psa 31:19) It is, therefore, that which tends to get Christ a name, fame, and glory, to be able to save to the uttermost those that come to God by him.
