They made shift to make
their lamps to shine a while; but the Son of God discovering
himself, their confidence failed, their lamps went out, the door was
shut upon them, and they were kept out.
They will make a stop at this gate, this beautiful gate of heaven;
they will begin to stand without at the gate, as being loath to go
any further. Never did malefactor so unwillingly turn off the ladder
when the rope was about his neck, as these will turn away in that
day from the gates of heaven to hell.
It may be that when thou hearest that the dust of the street, that
cleaveth to a minister of the gospel while thou rejectest his word
of salvation, shall be a witness against thee at the day of
judgment, thou wilt be apt to laugh, and say, The dust a witness!
witnesses will be scarce when dust is forced to come in to plead
against a man.
Well, sinner, mock not; God doth use to confound the great and
mighty by things that are not, and that are despised.
When once the master of the house is risen up, that is, when Christ
hath laid aside his mediation for sinners, and hath taken upon him
only to judge and condemn, then will the wicked begin to stand
without, and to knock and contend for a portion among them that are
blessed. Ah, how will their hearts twitter while they look upon the
kingdom of glory! And how will they ache and throb at every view of
hell, their proper place; still crying, O that we might inherit
life, and O that we might escape eternal death!
Thus you see how loath the sinner is now to take a hay of life
everlasting.
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