The Works of John Bunyan, vol 1 by John Bunyan (books to read to improve english .TXT) 📕

Sinner, couldst thou soberly think of these things, they might help, God blessing them, to awaken thee, and to 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 great way, yet are not saved. At this, therefore, I am even discouraged and weakened; I think I had as 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 an hundred to one if I be saved, should I be ever so earnest for heaven.

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

[USE THIRD.]—My third word is to professors. Sirs, give me leave to set my trumpet to your ears again a little. When every man hath put in all the claim they can for heaven, but few will have it for their inheritance; I mean but few professors, for so the text intendeth, and so I have also proved. “For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Let me, therefore, a little expostulate the matter with you, O ye thousands of professors!

1. I begin with you whose religion lieth only in your tongues; I mean you who are little or nothing known from the rest of the rabble of the world, only you can talk better than they. Hear me a word or two. If “I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity,” that is, love to God, and Christ, and saints, and holiness, “I am nothing”; no child of God, and so have nothing to do with heaven. (1 Cor 13:1,2) A prating tongue will not unlock the gates of haven, nor blind the eyes of the Judge. Look to it.

“The wise in heart will receive commandments; but a prating fool shall fall.” 19 (Prov 10:8)

2. Covetous professor, thou that makest a gain of religion, that usest thy profession to bring grist to thy mill, look to it also.

Gain is not godliness. Judas’ religion lay much in the bag, but his soul is now burning in hell. All covetousness is idolatry; but what is that, or what will you call it, when men are religious for filthy lucre’s sake? (Eze 33:31)

3. Wanton professors, I have a word for you; I mean you that can tell how to misplead Scripture, to maintain your pride, your banqueting, and abominable idolatry. Read what Peter says. You are the snare and damnation of others. You “allure through the lust of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.” (2 Peter 2:18) Besides, the Holy Ghost hath a great deal against you, for your feastings, and eating without fear, not for health, but gluttony. (Jude 12) Further, Peter says, that you that count it pleasure to riot in the day-time are spots and blemishes, sporting yourselves with your own deceivings.

(2 Peter 2:13) And let me ask, Did God give his Word to justify your wickedness? or doth grace teach you to plead for the flesh, or the making provision for the lusts thereof? Of these also are they that feed their bodies to strengthen their lusts, under pretence of strengthening frail nature. But pray, remember the text, “Many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”

4. I come next to the opinionist; I mean, to him whose religion lieth in some circumstantials of religion. With this sort this kingdom swarms at this day. These think all out of the way that are not of their mode, when themselves may be out of the way in the midst of their zeal for their opinions. Pray, do you also observe the text; “Many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”

5. Neither is the formalist exempted from this number. He is a man that hath lost all but the shell of religion. He is hot, indeed, for his form; and no marvel, for that is his all to contend for.

But his form being without the power and spirit of godliness, it will leave him in his sins; nay, he standeth now in them in the sight of God, and is one of the many that “will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” (2 Tim 3:5)

6. The legalist comes next, even him that hath no life but what he makes out of his duties. This man hath chosen to stand or fall by Moses, who is the condemner of the world. “There is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.” (John 5:45) 7. There is, in the next place, the libertine—he that pretendeth to be against forms and duties, as things that gender to bondage, neglecting the order of God. This man pretends to pray always, but, under that pretence, prays not at all; he pretends to keep every day a Sabbath, but this pretence serves him only to cast off all set times for the worship of God. This is also one of the many that “will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” (Titus 1:16) 8. There is the temporizing latitudinarian. He is a man that hath no God but his belly, nor any religion but that by which his belly is worshipped. His religion is always, like the times, turning this way and that way, like the cock on the steeple; neither hath he any conscience but a benumbed and seared one, and is next door to a downright atheist; and also is one of the many that “will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”

9. There is also the willfully ignorant professor, or him that is afraid to know more, for fear of the cross. He is for picking and choosing of truth, and loveth not to hazard his all for that worthy name by which he would be called. When he is at any time overset by arguments, or awakenings of conscience, he uses to heal all by—I was not brought up in this faith; as if it were unlawful for Christians to know more than hath been taught them at first conversion. There are many Scriptures that lie against his man, as the mouths of great guns, and he is one of the many that “will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”

10. We will add to all these, the professor that would prove himself a Christian, by comparing himself with others, instead of comparing himself with the Word of God. This man comforts himself, because he is as holy as such and such; he also knows as such as that old professor, and then concludes he shall go to heaven: as if he certainly knew, that those with whom he compareth himself would be undoubtedly saved; but how if he should be mistaken? nay, may they not both fall short? But to be sure he is in the wrong that hath made the comparison; and a wrong foundation will not stand in the day of judgment. (2 Cor 10:12) This man, therefore, is one of the many that “will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”

11. There is yet another professor; and he is for God and for Baal too; he can be anything for any company; he can throw stones with both hands; his religion alters as fast as his company; he is a frog of Egypt, and can live in the water and out of the water; he can live in religious company, and again as well out. Nothing that is disorderly comes amiss to him; he will hold with the hare, and run with the hound; he carries fire in the one hand, and water in the other; he is a very anything but what he should be. This is also one of the many that “will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” 20

12. There is also that free-willer, who denies to the Holy Ghost the sole work in conversion; and that Socinian, who denieth to Christ that he hath made to God satisfaction for sin; and that Quaker, who takes from Christ the two natures in his person: and I might add as many more, touching whose damnation, they dying as they are, the Scripture is plain: these “will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” But,

[USE FOURTH.]—If it be so, what a strange disappointment will many professors meet with at the day of judgment! I speak not now to the open profane; everybody, as I have said, that hath but common understanding between good and evil, knows that they are in the broad way to hell and damnation, and they must needs come thither; nothing can hinder it but repentance unto salvation, except God should prove a liar to save them, and it is hard venturing of that.

Neither is it amiss, if we take notice of the examples that are briefly mentioned in the Scriptures, concerning professors that have miscarried. 1. Judas perished from among the apostles. (Acts 1) 2. Demas, as I think, perished from among the evangelists. (2

Tim 4:10) 3. Diotrephes from among the ministers, or them in office in the church. (3 John 9) 4. And s for Christian professors, they have fallen by heaps, and almost by whole churches. (2 Tim 1:15, Rev 3:4,15-17) 5. Let us add to these, that the things mentioned in the Scriptures about these matters, are but brief hints and items of what is afterwards to happen; as the apostle said, “Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.” (1 Tim 5:24)

So that, fellow-professors, let us fear, lest a promise being