PART t. SERMON VII. 103 Aman may set himself to work awhile for the good of his soul, and yet may missof salvation : Strait is the gate, and nar- row is the war, that leads to life, and few therebe that find it; Mat. vii. 14. Andmany which seek toenter in,shallnot be able; Luke xiii. 24, They seek, but not with all their might they are not willing to forsake all for heaven, and thereforethey 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 nowonder if their labour bevain ; for he that striveth is not crowned, eircept he strive larcfklly; 2 Tim. ii. 5. And this was the caseof the rich young man; he sought eternal life, but not with all his soul, for he could not take up his cross and followChrist; he sought the kingdom of God for a season ; but when he mime to the hardwork of self-denial, he would not venture into that thorny path, but turned back, and went away sorrowful. He sought justification and peace with God, but not in a right way ; for being ignorant of God's righteousness, andgoing about to establish his own, he fellshort of the righteousness of God, and attained it not; Rom. x. 3. He loved heaven well, but lie loved this earth better : he chose his portion and happiness in this world, and lost his soul. The eye of God, our Judge, is sharp and severe; he sees the hidden vices of the mind, through all , the fairest Veils of na- ture, and the brightest dress of outward virtue. We maycheat others with the disguises of religion, and allure the love of the best of christians : we may cheat ourselves by these fairappear- ances, and entertain a fondopinion of our own saintship ; but the great God can never be imposed uponat this rate. Heknows well what is lovely and excellent in his creatures ; but when he seats himself upon his throne of judgment, all their shining ornaments of body and mind are blemished, are darkened, are lost in his eyes, if he discovers a secret love to sin in the heart. Where thelove of this world prevails, it over-balances all other good qualities,though ever so valuable inthemselves, and though they may create love in every beholder, yet the love of God is not to be purchased, nor persuaded, contrary to his own settled and eternal rules of judgment. If any man love ticis world, the loveof the Father is not in him; 1 John ii. 15. nor does the Fa- ttier love him: 'I-'he prince of devils has many noble endow- ments, and intellectual glories ; the natural powers of an angel remained still with him but his inward enmity to God, confines him for ever to hell: and in the sense of the apostle James, Wh,o- soever will be a friend to the world, is the enemy of God; James iv. 4. though in many other excellencies he might be a fellow for angels.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=