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SERM.
VII.J
FALLING
SHORT
OF
HEAVEN.
12S
But
I
would dwell
upon
this
last thought
a little,
and
therefore
I
shall
propose
my
fourth remark
in
this
man-
ner.
4th
Remark.
Many
lovely
accomplishments,
joined to-
gether,
will
not carry
a
natural
man to heaven.
The
finest
composition
of
beauty and youth, strength and riches,
and
all this
embellished with many forms
of
godliness
and
some
shining
outward
virtues,
will
not
obtain
eternal
life.
The
man
that
is
thus qualified and adorned,
if
he
pre-
fers
earth
to
heaven,
and
loves the possessions
of
this
world,
above
spiritual
treasures, abides
in
a
state
of
condemnation and death.
Grace
is
not a
flower
that
grows in
the
field
of
nature, nor
is
it
made
by
the
art of
man; it
is
a divine
seed
;
it
is
planted
in
our hearts
by
the
Spirit of God,
John
i.
13.
The
saints
are
born
not
of
blood
;
that
is,
by
natural generation
:
nor of
the
will
of
the
flesh,
that
is,
by
our
own
powers
of
nature:
nor
of the
will
of man; that
is,
by
the influence
that others
have over
us
:
but of God.
A
man may
set
himself to
work awhile for
the good
of
his
soul,
and yet
may
miss
of
salvation
:
Strait
is
the
gate, and narrow
is
the
way
that
leads to life,
and fera
there
be
that,
find it, Mat.
vii.
14.
And many which
seek
to
enter
in,
shall
not
be able,
Lukexiii.
24.
They
seek,
but not
tvith all
their might:
they
are
not
willing
to forsake all for heaven,
and therefore
they
obtain
it
not
:
they
seek,
perhaps, with diligence
for
a season,
and
give
out
before they have
attained
;
they tire,
and
grow weary,
and
lose the prize
:
they
seek,
but
not in
God's appointed
way,
and according
to the
rules
of
the
gospel
;
and
no
wonder if
their
labour
be
vain
;
for
he
that
striveth
is
not
crowned
except
he
strive lawfully
Tim.
ii.
5.
And
this
was
the
case
of
the rich young
man;
he
sought
eternal
life,
but
not
with all his
soul,
for he could
not take up
his cross
and
follow
Christ:.
he
sought the kingdom
of
God
for
a season;
but
when
he-
came
to
the hard
work
of
self
-
denial, he
would
nót
vén-
ture
into
that
thorny path,
but turned
back,
and went
away
sorrowful.
He soughtjustification and
peace with
God,
but not
in
a
right way;
for being
ignorant
of
God's
righteousness,
and
going
about
to
establish his
own,
he
fell
short
of
the
righteousness
of
God, and at-