I will give you some reasons besides the five I have shown you. First, I will show you why the poor, carnal, ignorant world misses heaven, and second, why the knowing professors also miss it.
[First, Why the poor, carnal, ignorant world miss heaven.]
1. The poor, carnal, ignorant world misses heaven even because they love their sins and cannot part with them. “Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19). The poor ignorant world miss of heaven because they are enemies in their minds to God, his Word, and holiness; they must be all damned who take pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thess 2:10-12) The poor ignorant world misses heaven because they stop their ears against convictions and refuse to come when God calls. “Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded, but ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof; I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh—as desolation, and your destruction—as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish cometh upon you; then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me.” (Prov 1:24-29)
2. The poor ignorant world misses heaven because the god of this world hath blinded their eyes, that they can neither see the evil and damnable state they are in at present nor the way to get out of it; neither do they know the beauty of Jesus Christ, nor how willing he is to save poor sinners. (2 Cor 4:2,3)
3. The poor ignorant world misses heaven because they put off and defer coming to Christ until the time of God’s patience and grace is over. Some, indeed, are resolved never to come; but some, again, say, We will come hereafter; and so it comes to pass, that because God called, and they did not hear; so they shall cry, and I will not hear, said the Lord. (Zech 7:11-13)
4. The poor, ignorant world misses heaven because they have false apprehensions about God’s mercy. They say in their hearts, We shall have peace, though we walk in the imagination of our heart, to add drunkenness to thirst. But what saith the Word? “The Lord will not spare him; but then the anger of the Lord, and his jealousy, shall smoke against that man, and all the curses written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven.” (Deu 29:19-21)
5. The poor, ignorant world misses heaven because they make light of the gospel that offers mercy to them freely and because they lean upon their own good meanings, thinking, and doings. (Matt 22:1-5, Rom 9:30,31)
6. The poor carnal world misses heaven because, by unbelief, which reigns in them, they are kept forever from being clothed with Christ’s righteousness and from washing in his blood, without which there is neither remission of sin nor justification. But to pass these till anon.
[Second.] In the next place, I will show you why the professor falls short of heaven.
First, in general, they rest in things below special grace, as in awakenings that are not special, in faith16 that is not special, &c.; and, a little to run a parallel betwixt the one and the other, that, if God will, you may see and escape.
1. Have they that shall be saved, awakenings about their state by nature? So have they, that shall be damned. They who never go to heaven may see much of sin and God’s wrath due to that. This had Cain and Judas, yet they came short of the kingdom. (Gen 4, Matt 27:4) The saved have convictions to have eternal life, but the others’ convictions are not. The convictions of the one doth drive them sincerely to Christ; the convictions of the other doth drive them to the law, and the law to desperation at last.
2. There is a repentance that will not save, a repentance to be repented of, and a repentance to salvation, not to be repented of. (2 Cor 7:10) Yet, there is so great a similitude and likeness between the one and the other that the wrong is often taken for the right, and through this mistake, professors perish. As, (1.) In saving repentance, there will be an acknowledgment of sin, and one that hath the other repentance may acknowledge his sins also. (Matt 27:4) (2.) There is a crying out under sin in saving repentance, but one that hath the other repentance may also cry out under sin. (Gen 4:13) (3.) In saving repentance, there will be a humiliation for sin, and one that hath the other repentance may humble himself also. (1 Kings 21:29) (4.) Saving repentance is attended with self-loathing, but he that hath the other repentance may have a loathing of sin too; a loathing of sin, because it is a sin, that he cannot have; but a loathing of sin, because it is offensive to him, that he may have.
The dog doth not loath that which troubles his stomach because it is there, but because it troubles him; when it has troubled him, he can turn to it again and lick it up as before it troubled him. (2 Peter 2:22) (5.) Saving repentance is attended with prayers and tears, but he that hath none, but the other repentance may have prayers and tears also. (Gen 27:34,35, Heb 12:16,17) (6.) In saving repentance, there is fear and reverence of the Word and ministers that bring it, but this may also be where there is none, but the repentance that is not saving, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and holy, and observed him; when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. (Mark 6:20) (7.) Saving repentance makes a man’s heart very tender of doing anything against the Word of God. But Balaam could say, “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord.” (Num 24:13)
Behold how far a man may go in repentance and yet be short of what is called “Repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of.” (a.) He may be awakened; (b.) He may acknowledge his sin; (c.) He may cry out under the burden of sin; (d.) He may have humility for it; (e.) He may loath it; (f.) May have prayers and tears against it; (g.) may delight to do many things of God; (h.) May be afraid of sinning against him—and, after all this, may perish, for want of saving repentance.
