5:12. Nay, dost thou know what original sin means? Is it not
the least in thy thoughts? And dost thou not rejoice in secret that
thou art the same that thou ever wert? If so, then know for certain
that the wrath of God to this very day ahideth on thee, John 3:36;
and if so, then thou art one of those that will fall in the
judgment, except thou art born again and made a new creature. 2 Cor.
5:17
THE STRAIT GATE.
The porch, at which was an ascent to the temple, had a gate
belonging to it. This gate, according to the prophet Ezekiel, was
six cubits wide. The leaves of this gate were double, one folding
this way, the other folding that. Ezek. 40:48.
Now here some may object, and say, "Since the way to God by these
doors was so wide, why doth Christ say the way and gate is narrow?"
ANSWER. The straitness, the narrowness, must not be understood of
the gate simply, but because of that cumber that some men carry with
them that pretend to be going to heaven. Six cubits! What is sixteen
cubits to him who would enter in here with all the world on his
back? The young man in the gospel who made such a noise for heaven,
might have gone in easy enough, for in six cubits breadth there is
room; but, poor man, he was not for going in thither unless he might
carry in his houses upon his shoulders too; and so the gate was
strait.
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