Part 167

5. “Son of man,” said God to the prophet, “the house of Israel is to me become dross, all they are brass and tin, and iron and lead, in the midst of the furnace they even are the dross of silver.” (Eze 22:18) God had silver there, some silver, but it was but little; the bulk of that people was but the dross of the church, though they were the members of it. But what doth he mean by the dross? why, he looked upon them as no better, notwithstanding their church-membership, than the rabble of the world, that is, with respect to their latter end; for to be called dross, it is to be put amongst the rest of the sinners of the world, in the judgment of God, though at present they abide in his house: “Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross; therefore I love thy testimonies.” (Psa 119:119)

God saith of his saved ones, “He hath chosen them in the furnace of affliction.” The refiner, when he putteth his silver into his furnace, he puts lead in also among it; now this lead being ordered as he knows how, works up the dross from the silver, which dross, still as it riseth, he putteth by, or taketh away with an instrument. And thus deals God with his church; there is silver in his church, aye, and there is also dross: now the dross are the hypocrites and graceless ones that are got into the church, and these will God discover, and afterwards put away as dross. So that it will without doubt prove a truth of God, that many of their professors that shall put in claim for heaven, will not have it for their inheritance.

6. It is said of Christ, his “fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather his wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matt 3:12) The floor is the church of God: “O my threshing, and the corn of my floor!” said God by the prophet, to his people. (Isa 21:10) The wheat are these good ones in his church that shall be undoubtedly saved; therefore he saith, “Gather my wheat into my garner.” The chaff groweth upon the same stalk and ear, and so is in the same visible body with the wheat, but there is not substance in it: wherefore in time they must be severed one from the other; the wheat must be gathered into the garner, which is heaven; and the chaff, or professors that want true grace, must be gathered into hell, that they may be burned up with unquenchable fire. Therefore let professors look to it! 15

7. Christ Jesus casts away two of the three grounds that are said to receive the word. (Luke 8)

The stony ground received it with joy, and the thorny ground brought forth fruit almost to perfection. Indeed the highway ground was to show us that the carnal, whilst such, receive not the word at all; but here is the pinch, two of the three that received it, fell short of the kingdom of heaven; for but one of the three received it so as to bring forth fruit to perfection. Look to it, professors!

8. The parable of the unprofitable servant, the parable of the man without a wedding garment, and the parable of the unsavoury salt, do each of them justify this for truth. (Matt 25:24,29, 22:11-13, 5:13) That of the unprofitable servant is to show us the sloth and idleness of some professors; that of the man without a wedding garment is to show us how some professors have the shame of their wickedness seen by God, even when they are among the children of the bridegroom; and that parable of the unsavoury salt is to show, that as the salt that hath lost its savour is fit for nothing, no, not for the dunghill, but to be trodden under foot of men; so some professors, yea, and great ones too, for this parable reached one of the apostles, will in God’s day be counted fit for nothing but to be trodden down as the mire in the streets. O the slothful, the naked, and unsavoury professors, how will they be rejected of God and his Christ in the judgment! Look to it, professors!

9. The parable of the tares also giveth countenance to this truth: for though it be said the field is the world, yet it is said, the tares were sown even in the church. “And while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.” (Matt 13:24,25) Object. But some may object, The tares might be sown in the world among the wheat, though not in the churches. Answ. But Christ, by expounding this parable, tells us the tares were sown in his kingdom; the tares, that is, the children of the devil. “As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (verse 30,39-43) Look to it, professors!

10. The parable of the ten virgins also suiteth our purpose; these ten are called the kingdom of heaven, that is, the church of Christ, the visible rightly-constituted church of Christ; for they went all out of the world, had all lamps, and all went forth to meet the bridegroom; yet behold what an overthrow the one-half of them met with at the gate of heaven; they were shut out, bid to depart, and Christ told them he did not know them. (Matt 25:1-13) Tremble, professors! Pray, professors!

11. The parable of the net that was cast into the sea, that also countenanceth this truth. The substance of that parable is to show that souls may be gathered by the gospel—there compared to a net—may be kept in that net, drawn to shore, to the world’s end, by that net, and yet may then prove bad fishes, and be cast away. The parable runs thus:—“The kingdom of heaven,” the gospel, “is like unto a net which was cast into the sea,” the world, “and gathered of every kind,” good and bad, “which when it was full, they drew to shore,” to the end of the world, “and sat down,” in judgment, “and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.” Some bad fishes, nay, I doubt a great many, will be found in the net of the gospel, at the day of judgment. (Matt 13:47,49) Watch and be sober, professors!

12. “And—many shall come from the east and from the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out.” (Matt 8:11,12) The children of the kingdom, whose privileges were said to be these, “to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises.” (Rom 9:4) I take liberty to harp the more upon the first church, because that that happened to them, happened as types and examples, intimating, there is ground to think, that things of as dreadful a nature are to happen among the church of the Gentiles. (1 Cor 10:11,12) Neither, indeed, have the Gentile churches security from God that there shall not as dreadful things happen to them. And concerning this very thing, sufficient caution is given to us also. (1 Cor 6:9,10, Gal 5:19-21, Eph 5:3-6, Phil 3:17,19, 2 Thess 2:11,12, 2 Tim 2:20,21, Heb 6:4-8, 10:26-28, 2 Peter 2, 3, 1 John 5:10, Rev 2:20-22)

13. The parable of the true vine and its branches confirm what I have said. By the vine there I understand Christ, Christ as head; by the branches, I understand this church. Some of these branches proved fruitless cast-aways, were in time cast out of the church, were gathered by men, and burned. (John 15:1-6)

14. Lastly, I will come to particular instances.

(1.) The twelve had a devil among them. (John 6:70) (2.) Ananias and Sapphira were in the church of Jerusalem. (Acts 5) (3.) Simon Magus was among them at Samaria. (Acts 8) (4.) Among the church of Corinth were them that had not the knowledge of God. (1 Cor 15:34) (5.) Paul tells the Galatians that false brethren crept in unawares; and so does the apostle Jude, and yet they were as quick-sighted to see as any now-a-days. (Gal 2:4, Jude 4) (6.) The church in Sardis had but a few names in her, to whom the kingdom of heaven belonged. “Thou hast a few names, even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy.” (Rev 3:4) (7.) As for the church of the Laodiceans, it is called “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” (Rev 3:17) So that put all things together, and I may boldly say, as I also have said already, that among the multitude of them that shall be damned, professors will make a considerable party; or, to speak in the words of the observation, “when men have put in all the claim they can for heaven, but few will have it for their inheritance.”

I will show you some reasons of the point, besides those five that I showed you before. And, First, I will show you why the poor, carnal, ignorant world miss of heaven; and then, Second, why the knowing professors miss of it also.

1. The poor, carnal, ignorant world miss of 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 miss of 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 nought 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 miss of 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 see the beauty of Jesus Christ, nor how willing he is to save poor sinners. (2 Cor 4:2,3)

3. The poor ignorant world miss of 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, saith the Lord. (Zech 7:11-13)

4. The poor ignorant world miss of heaven, because they have false apprehensions of 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 that are 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 miss of heaven, because they make light of the gospel that offereth mercy to them freely, and because they lean upon their own good meanings, and thinkings, and doings. (Matt 22:1-5, Rom 9:30,31)

6. The poor carnal world miss of heaven because by unbelief, which reigns in them, they are kept for ever 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.

First. In the 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 that never go to heaven may see much of sin, and of the wrath of God due thereto. This had Cain and Judas, and yet they came short of the kingdom. (Gen 4, Matt 27:4) The saved have convictions, in order to their eternal life; but the others’ convictions are not so. 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 so great a similitude and likeness there is betwixt the one and the other, that most times the wrong is 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.) In saving repentance there is a crying out under sin; but one that hath the other repentance may cry out under sin also. (Gen 4:13) (3.) In saving repentance there will be 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 loathing of sin too; a loathing of sin, because it is 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 troubleth his stomach because it is there, but because it troubleth him; when it has done troubling of 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 be also 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, then, how far a man may go in repentance, and yet be short of that which 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.

Second. Have they that shall be saved, faith? Why, they that shall not be saved may have faith also; yea, a faith in many things so like the faith that saveth, that they can hardly be distinguished, though they differ both in root and branch. To come to particulars.

1. Saving faith hath Christ for its object, and so may the faith have that is not saving. Those very Jews of whom it is said they believed on Christ, Christ tells them, and that after their believing, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.” (John 8:30-44) 2. Saving faith is wrought by the Word of God, and so may the faith be that is not saving. (Luke 8:13) 3. Saving faith looks for justification without works, and so may a faith do that is not saving. (James 2:18) 4. Saving faith will sanctify and purify the heart, and the faith that is not saving may work a man off from the pollutions of the world, as it did Judas, Demas, and others. (2 Peter 2) 5. Saving faith will give a man tastes of the world to come, and also joy by those tastes, and so will the faith do that is not saving. (Heb 6:4,5, Luke 8:13) 6. Saving faith will help a man, if called thereto, to give his body to be burned for his religion, and so will the faith do that is not saving. (1 Cor 13:1-5) 7. Saving faith will help a man to look for an inheritance in the world to come, and that may the faith do that is not saving. All those virgins “took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.” (Matt 25:1) 8. Saving faith will not only make a man look for, but prepare to meet the bridegroom, and so may the faith do that is not saving. “Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.” (Matt 25:7) 9. Saving faith will make a man look for an interest in the kingdom of heaven with confidence, and the faith that is not saving will even demand entrance of the Lord. “Lord, Lord, open to us.” (Matt 25:11) 10. Saving faith will have good works follow it into heaven, and the faith that is not saving may have great works follow it, as far as to heaven gates. “Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” (Matt 7:22)

Now, then, if the faith that is not saving may have Christ for its object, be wrought by the Word, look for justification without works, work men off from the pollutions of the world, and give men tastes of, and joy in the things of another world—I say again, if it will help a man to burn for his judgment, and to look for an inheritance in another world; yea, if it will help a man to prepare for it, claim interest in it; and if it can carry great works, many great and glorious works, as far as heaven gates, then no marvel if abundance of people take this faith for the saving faith, and so fall short of heaven thereby. Alas, friends! There are but few that can produce such [works] for repentance; and such faith, as yet you see I have proved even reprobates have had in several ages of the church. 17

But,