Works of John Bunyan: REASONS WHY FEW ARE SAVED. 385

 

[USE AND APPLICATION OF THE WHOLE.]

[USE SECOND.]—My second word is to those upon the potter’s wheel, concerning whom we know not yet whether their convictions and awakenings will end in conversion. I shall say several things to you 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 mercy would that be!

2. Be thankful for convictions; conversion begins at conviction, though all convictions do not end in conversion. It is a great mercy to be convinced that we are sinners and need a Saviour; count it, therefore, 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 the wanton boy who stands at the maid’s elbow to blow out her candle as fast as she lights it at the fire. Convinced sinner, God lighted thy candle, and thou put it out; God lights it again, and thou put it out. Yea, “how oft is the candle of the wicked put out?” (Job 21:17) At last, God resolved he will light thy candle no more; and then, like the Egyptians, you dwell all your days in darkness, and never see the 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 causes darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and he turns” 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, corrupting 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 at 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 cleaved to the best of thy performances and know that all is nothing if thou be not found in Jesus Christ. (8.) Remember that God’s eye is upon thy heart and 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.) We often think about what a dreadful end sinners who have neglected Christ will make on 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; they are in hell, and the pit hath shut her mouth upon them!

Thou may also doubt 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; if they had a day of grace, as I have, would they neglect it as they did before?

Sinner, coldest thou soberly think of these things; they might help God, bless them, awaken thee, and 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 significant way, yet are not saved. Therefore, I am discouraged and weakened; I think I had a 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 a hundred to one if I am saved, should I be ever so earnest for heaven.

Answ. That few will be saved must 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 contradicts the text that bids us to strive; strive to enter in because the gate is straight, and many will seek to join in and shall not be able to. But why return, seeing that is the following way to hell? Never go over the hedge and ditch to hell. If I must go thither, I will go the furthest way. But who can tell, though there should not be saved so many as there shall, but thou mayest be one of that few? They who miss life perish because they will not let go of their sins or because they take up a profession short of the saving faith of the gospel. I say they perish because they are content with things that will not prove graces of a saving nature when they come to be tried in the fire. Otherwise, the promise is free, complete, 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.