Works of John Bunyan: THE STRAIT GATE. 377

 

[SECOND. THE WORDS BY WAY OF OBSERVATION.]

I come now to give you some observations from the words, which may be three.

FIRST. When men have put in all the claim they can for heaven, few will have it for their inheritance. “For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able.” SECOND. Great, therefore, will be the disappointment that many will meet with on the day of judgment: “For many will seek to enter in and shall not be able.” THIRD. Going to heaven, therefore, will be no trivial business; salvation is not got by a dream; they that would then have that kingdom must now strive lawfully to enter: “For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”

FIRST. I shall speak chiefly, and yet briefly, to the first of these observations; to wit, That when men have put in all the claim they can to the kingdom of heaven, but few will have it for their inheritance. The observation stand of two parts. First. The time is coming when every man will make whatever claim they can to the kingdom of heaven. Second. There will be but a few of them that put in a claim to it and shall enjoy it for their inheritance.

[First. ALL WILL PUT IN WHAT CLAIM THEY CAN TO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.]

I shall speak only a word or two to the first part of the observation because I have prevented my enlargement by explicating the phrase. Still, you find in the 25th of Matthew that all they did on the left hand of the Judge was put in all the claim they could for this blessed kingdom of heaven. If you should take them on the left hand as most do, for all the sinners that shall be damned, then that entirely proved the first part of the observation; for it is expressly said, “Then shall they,” all of them jointly, and everyone apart, “also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thus and thus, and did not minister unto thee?” (Matt 25:44) I could here bring you in the plea of the slothful servant, the cry of the foolish virgins; I could also here enlarge upon that passage, “Lord, Lord, have we not eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets?” But these things are handled already in the handling of which this first part of the observation is proved; wherefore, without more words, I will, God assisting by his grace, descend to the second part thereof, to wit,

[Second. THERE WILL BE BUT FEW OF THEM THAT PUT IN CLAIM TO IT THAT WILL ENJOY IT FOR THEIR INHERITANCE.]

I shall speak distinctly to this part of the observation and confirm it by a Scripture or two. “Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt 7:14). “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) By these two texts, and by many more that will be urged anon, you may see the truth of what I have said.

To enlarge, therefore, upon the truth; and, First, more generally; Second, more particularly. I shall prove that in all ages, but few have been saved. More particularly, I shall prove, but only a few of them have been saved.

[First, Generally—in all ages, but few have been saved.]

1. In the old world, when it was most populous, even in the days of Noah, we read about eight persons who were saved out of it; well, Peter might call them but few, but how few? Why?

1. In the old world, when it was most populous, even in the days of Noah, we read about eight persons who were saved out of it; well, Peter might call them but few, but how few? Why?

There were, therefore, but eight persons that escaped the wrath of God on the day that the flood came upon the earth; the rest were ungodly; there was also a world of them, and they are to this day in the prison of hell. (Heb 11:7, 1 Peter 3:19,20) Nay, I must correct my pen; there were but seven of the eight that were good, for Ham, though he escaped the judgment of the water, yet the curse of God overtook him to his damnation. 2. When the world began again to be replenished, and people began to multiply therein: how few, even in all ages, do we read of that were saved from the damnation of the world!

(1.) One Abraham and his wife, God called out of the land of the Chaldeans; “I called,” said God, “Abraham alone.” (Isa 51:2)

(2.) One Lot out of Sodom and Gomorrah, out of Admah and Zeboim, one Lot out of four cities! Indeed, his wife and two daughters went out of Sodom with him, but they all proved naught, as you may see in the 19th of Genesis. Wherefore Peter observes that Lot only was saved: “He turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemning them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly, and delivered just Lot, that righteous man.” (Read 2 Peter 2:6-8) Jude says that in this condemnation God overthrew not only Sodom and Gomorrah, but the cities about them also; and yet you find none, but Lot could be found that was righteous, either in Sodom or Gomorrah or the cities about them; wherefore they, all of them, suffer the vengeance of eternal fire. (verse 7)

(3.) Come we now to the time of the Judges, how few then were godly, even then when the inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel! “the highways” of God “were” then “unoccupied.” (Judge 5:6,7)

(4.) There were but few in the days of David: “Help, Lord,” says he, “for the godly man ceases, for the faithful fail from among the children of men.” (Psa 12:1)

(5.) In Isaiah’s time, the saved have come to such a few that he positively says that there was a minimal number left: “God had made them like Sodom, and they had been like unto Gomorrah.” (Isa 1:8,9)

(6.) It was cried unto thereof if I can find a man in the time of Jeremiah that they should “run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof if ye can find a man if there be any that executed judgment, that seeks the truth, and I will pardon it.” (Jer 5:1)

(7.) God showed his servant Ezekiel how few there would be saved in his day, by the vision of a few hairs saved out of the midst of a few hairs; for the saved were a few saved out of a few. (Eze 5:5)

(8.) You find in the time of the prophet Micah how the godly complain, that as to number they then were so few, that he compares them to those left behind when they had gathered the summer fruit. (Micah 7:1)

(9.) When Christ came, how did he confirm this truth that few of them who claim for heaven will have it for their inheritance! But the ordinary people could not hear it, and therefore, upon a time when he did but a little hint at this truth, the people, even all in the synagogue where he preached it, “were filled with wrath, rose up, thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill,” whereon their city was built, “that they might cast him down headlong.” (Luke 4:24-29)

(10.) John, who was after Christ, said, “The whole world lieth in wickedness; that all the world wondered after the beast; and that power was given to the beast over all kindreds, tongues, and nations.” Power to do what? Why, to cause all, both great and small, rich branded him and poor, bond and free, to receive his mark and to be branded him. (1 John 5:10, Rev 13:3,7,16)

(11.) Should we come to obese with observation and experience the show of countenance of the bulk of men doth witness against them; “they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not.” (Isa 3:9) Where is the man that makes the Almighty God his delight, and that designed his glory in the world? Do not even almost all pursue this world, their lusts and pleasures? And so, consequently, say unto God, “Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways; or, What is the Almighty that we should serve him? It is in vain to serve God,” &c.

Undoubtedly, it will appear as a truth in the day of God, but a few who claim to heaven will have it for their inheritance.

Before I pass this head, I will show you what the saved are compared to in the Scriptures.