[Why they will seek to enter in.]
1. Now they will see what a kingdom it is, what glory there is in it, and now they shall also know the blessedness they shall have that shall be counted worthy to enter in. The reason why this kingdom is so little regarded is because it is not seen; the glory of it is hidden from the eyes of the world. “Their eye hath not seen, nor their ear heard,” &c. Aye, but then they shall hear and see too, and when this comes to pass, then, even then, he that now most seldom thinks thereof will seek to enter in.
2. They will now see what hell is and what damnation in hell is, more apparent than ever. They will also know how the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it. O, the sight of the burning fiery furnace prepared for the devil and his angels! This will always make work in the souls of the cast on that day of God Almighty, and then they will seek to enter in.
3. Now, they will see the meaning of such words: hell-fire, everlasting fire, devouring fire, fire that never shall be quenched. Now they will see what “forever” means, what eternity means; now they will see what this word means, “the bottomless pit”; now they will hear roaring of sinners in this place, howling in that, some crying to the mountains to fall upon them, and others to the rocks to cover them; now they will see blessedness is nowhere but within!
4. Now they will see what glory the godly are possessed with; how they rest in Abraham’s bosom, enjoy eternal glory, walk in their white robes, and are equal to the angels. O the favor, and blessedness, and unspeakable happiness that now God’s people shall have! and this shall be seen by them that are shut out, by them that God hath rejected forever; and this will make them seek to enter in. (Luke 16:22,23, 13:28)
[How will they seek to enter in.]
“Will seek to enter in.” Quest. But some may say, How will they seek to enter in? [I] answer,
1. They will put on all the confidence they can, trick and trim up their profession, and adorn it with what bravery they can. Thus, the foolish virgins sought to enter in; they trimmed up their lamps and made themselves as acceptable as they could. They shifted briefly to make their lights shine, but the Son of God discovered himself. Their confidence failed, their lamps went out, the door was shut, and they were kept out. (Matt 25:1-12)
2. They will seek to enter by crowding themselves among the godly. Thus, the man without the wedding garment sought to join. He goes to the wedding, gets into the chamber, sits close among the guests, and then, without doubt, concludes he should escape damnation. But, you know, one black sheep is soon seen, though it is among a hundred white ones. Why, even thus, it fared with this poor man. “And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man without a wedding garment.” He spied him presently, and before one word was spoken to any of the others, he had this dreadful salutation, “Friend, how came thou in hither, not having on a wedding garment?”
“And he was speechless”; though he could swagger it out among the guests, the master of the feast, at first coming in, strikes him dumb, and having nothing to say for himself, the king had something to say against him. “Then the king said to the servants,” the angels, “Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt 22:11-13)
3. They will seek to enter by pleading their profession and admittance to the Lord’s ordinances when they were in the world: “Lord, we have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.” We sat at thy table and used to frequent sermons and Christian assemblies. We were well thought of by thy saints and were admitted into thy churches. We professed the same faith as they did. “Lord, Lord, open unto us.”
4. They will seek to enter in by pleading their virtues, how they subjected [themselves] to this ministry, how they wrought for him, what good they did in the world, and the like, but neither will this help them; the same answer that the two former had, the same have these—” Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt 7:22)
5. They will seek to enter by pleading excuses where they cannot evade conviction. The slothful servant worked this way when he was called to account for not improving his Lord’s money. “Lord,” says he, “I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed, and I was afraid,” &c., either that I should not please in laying out thy money, or that I should put it into hands out of which I should not get it again at thy need, “and I went a hid thy talent in the earth; lo, there thou hast that is thine”; as if he had said, True, Lord, I have not improved, I have not got; but consider also I have not embezzled, I have not spent or lost thy money; lo, there thou hast what thine is. (Matt 25:24-28) There are, but few will be able to say these last words on the day of judgment. Most professors are for embezzling, misspending, and slotting away their time, talents, and opportunities to do good. But, I say, if he that can make so good an excuse as to say, Lo, there thou hast that is thine; I say if such a one shall be called a wicked and slothful servant, if such a one shall be put to shame at the day of judgment, yea, if such a one shall, notwithstanding this care to save his Lord’s money, be cast as unprofitable into outer darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, what will they do that have neither taken care to lay out, nor care to keep what was committed to their trust?
6. They will seek to enter by pleading that ignorance was the ground of their miscarrying in the things they offended. Wherefore, when Christ charges them with want of love to him, and with want of those fruits that should prove their love to be true—as that they did not feed him, did not give him drink, did not take him in, did not clothe him, visit him, come unto him, and the like—they readily reply, “Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?” (Matt 25:44) As who should say, Lord, we are not conscious to ourselves that this charge is worthily laid at our door! God forbid that we should have been such sinners. But, Lord, give an instance; when was it, or where? True, there was a company of poor sorry people in the world, very inconsiderable, set by with nobody; but for thyself, we professed thee, we loved thee, and hadst thou been with us in the world, wouldst thou have worn gold, wouldst thou have eaten the sweetest of the world, we would have provided it for thee; and therefore, Lord, Lord, open to us! But will the plea do? No. Then shall he answer them, “Since ye did it not to one of the least of these,” my brethren, “ye did it not to me.” This plea, though grounded upon ignorance, one of the strongest pleas for neglect of duty, would not give them admittance into the kingdom. “These shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.”
I might add other things by which it will appear how they will seek to enter. As,
1. They will make a stop at this gate, this beautiful gate of heaven. They will begin to stand without at the entrance as if loath to go any further. Never did the malefactor so unwillingly turn off the ladder when the rope was about his neck, as these will turn away in that day from the gates of heaven to hell.
2. They will stop at the gate and knock and call there. This also makes them willing to enter. They will begin to stand without and knock at the gate, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. This word, Lord, being doubled, shows the vehemency of their desires, “Lord, Lord, open unto us.” The devils are coming; Lord, the pit opens her mouth upon us; Lord, there is nothing but hell and damnation left us, if, Lord, Lord, thou hast not mercy upon us; “Lord, Lord, Lord, open unto us!”
3. Their last argument for entrance is their tears, when groundless confidence, pleading of virtues, excuses, and ignorance will not do; when standing at the gate, knocking, and calling, “Lord, Lord, open unto us,” will not do, then they betake themselves to their tears. Tears are sometimes the most powerful arguments, but they are nothing worth it. Esau also sought it carefully with tears, but it helped him nothing at all. (Heb 12:17) There shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth; for the gate is shut forever, mercy is gone forever, Christ hath rejected them forever. All their pleas, excuses, and tears will not allow them to enter this kingdom. “For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able.”
