[MOTIVE TO STRIVE TO ENTER INTO THIS KINGDOM.]
“Strive to enter at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able.”
Fourth. We now come to the motive our Lord urges to enforce his exhortation.
He told us before that the gate was straight; he also exhorted us to strive to enter thereat, to get those things now that will further our entrance then, and to set ourselves against those things that will hinder our entering.
With this motive, there are five things to be minded about.
1. That there will be a disappointment to some on the day of judgment; they will seek to enter in and shall not be able.
2. That not a few, but many, will meet with this disappointment; “For many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”
3. This doctrine of the miscarriage of many then stands upon the validity of Christ’s word: “For many, I say, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”
4. Professors shall make a great heap among the many that fall short of heaven; “For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”
5. Where grace and striving are wanting now, seeking and contending to enter in will be unprofitable then; “For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”
But I will proceed in my former method, to wit, to open the words unto you.
“For many,” &c. If he had said, For some will fall short, it had been a sentence to be minded; if he had said, For some that seek will fall short, it had been very awakening; but when he saith, Many, many will fall short, yea, many among professors will fall short, this is not only awakening but dreadful!
[Various applications of the word MANY.]—” For many,” &c. I find this word is applied in many various ways in the Scripture.
1. Sometimes it intended the open profane, the wicked and ungodly world, as where Christ saith, “Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.” (Matt 7:13) I say, by the many here, he intends those chiefly that go on in the broad way of sin and profaneness, bearing the “tokens” of their damnation in their foreheads, those whose daily practice proclaims that their “feet go down to death, and their steps take hold on hell.” (Job 21:29,30, Isa 3:9, Prov 4)
2. Sometimes the word many intended for those that cleave to the people of God deceitfully and in hypocrisy, or, as Daniel says, “Many shall cleave to them with flatteries.” (Dan 11:34). The word many in this text includes all those who feign themselves better than they are in religion; it included, I say, those that have religion only for a holiday suit to set them out at certain times, and when they come among suitable company.
3. Sometimes this word many intended them that apostatize from Christ; such as for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away; as John saith of some of Christ’s disciples: “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” (John 6:66)
4. Sometimes this word many intended them that make a great noise, and do many great things in the church, and yet want saving grace: “Many,” saith Christ, “will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” (Matt 7:22) Mark, there will be many of these.
5. Sometimes this word is intended for those poor, ignorant, deluded souls that are led away with every wind of doctrine; those who are caught with the cunning and crafty deceiver, who lieth in wait to beguile unstable souls: “And many shall follow their pernicious ways, because of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” (2 Peter 2:2)
6. Sometimes this word many included all the world, good and evil: “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Dan 12:2). Compare with John 5:28,29.
7. Lastly. Sometimes, this word may be intended for the good only, even those that shall be saved. (Luke 1:16, 2:34)
[How MANY is applied in the text.] Since then, the word has been so variously applied that it must be taken in the text. And,
1. It must not be applied to the sincerely godly, for they shall never perish. (John 10:27,28) 2. It cannot be applied worldwide, for no flesh should be saved. 3. It should not be applied to the open profane only, for the hypocrite is excluded. 4. But by the many in the text, our Lord intended, in particular, the professor; I say, how high soever he seems to be now, that shall be found without saving grace in the day of judgment.
Now that the professor is in remarkable intended in this text, consider, so soon as the Lord had said, “Many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able,” he pointed, as with his finger, at the many that then he in particular intended; to wit, them among whom he had taught; them that had eat and drunken in his presence; them that had prophesied, and cast out devils in his name, and in his name had done many wonderful works. (Luke 13:26, Matt 7:22) These are the many intended by the Lord in this text, though others are included under the sentence of damnation by his word in other places. “For many,” &c. Matthew saith, concerning this strait gate, that there are but few that find it. But it seems the cast-always in my text did find it; for you read, they knocked at it and cried, “Lord, open unto us.” So then, the meaning may seem to be this—many of the few who find it will seek to enter and shall not be able to. I see, on the day of judgment, some will cry to the rocks to cover them, and some will cry at the gates of heaven for entrance.
Suppose that those who cry to the rocks to cover them are those whose conscience will not suffer them once to look God in the face because they have fallen under present guilt and the dreadful fears of the wrath of the Lamb. (Rev 6:16) And that those that stand crying at the gate of heaven, are those whose confidence holds out to the last,—even those whose boldness will enable them to contend even with Jesus Christ for entrance; them, I say, that will have profession, casting out of devils, and many beautiful works, to plead; of this sort are the many in my text: “For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Could we compare the professors of the times with the everlasting word of God? This doctrine would more easily appear in the children of men. Few among the many, among the swarms of professors, have the heart to make the conscience of walking before God in this world and to study his glory among the children of men! How few, I say, have his name lie nearer their hearts than their own carnal concerns! Nay, do not many make his Word, his name, and his ways a stalking horse to their own worldly advantages?
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