Ans. 1. They are sluggish. A man would have heaven, but will take no pains. As if one should say, he desires water, but will not let down the bucket into the well, Piov. xxi. 25., " The desire of the slothful killeth him, for his hands refuse to labour." — 2. The sinner desires mercy, but not grace ; he desires Christ as a Saviour, but not as he is the Holy One ; he desires Christ only as a bridge to lead him over to heaven. Such desires as these may be found among the damned.
A. G, A man may forsake his sins, oaths, drunkenness, uncleanness, yet come short of the kingdom.
Quest. Whence is this ?
Ans. 1. He may fi>rsake gross sins, yet he hath no reluctancy against heart-sins, pride, unbelief, and the first risings of ma- lice and concupiscence. Though he dams up the stream, yet he lets alone the foun-
THE SECOND PETITION IN THE LORDS PRAYER.
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tain ; though lie lop and pvunc the branches, yet he doth not strike at the root of it. — 2. Though he leaves sin — for fear of hell, or because it brings shame and penury — yet he still loves sin, — as if a snake sliould cast her coat, yet keep her poison, IIos. iv. 8.,
They set their hcirt on their iniquity," — 3. It is but a partial forsaking of sin ; thono-h he leaves one sin, he lives in some other. Herod reformed very much, Mark vi. 20., " He did many things ;" but he lived in incest. Some leave drunkenness, and live in covetousness ; they forl'-ear swear- ing, and live in slandering. It is but a partial reformation, and so they miss of the kingdom of gl<jiy. Thus you see there are some who have gone many steps in the way to heaven, yet have come short. Some have gone so far in ])rofession, that they liave been confident their estate hath been good, and they should go to the kingdom of heaven, yet have missed it, Luke xiii. 25. " When once the master of the house is ri- sen up, and hath shut the door, and ye be- gin to stand without, and to knock, saying, Lord, Lord, open to ns." How confident were these of salvation ! They did not be- seech, but knock, as if they did not doubt but to be let into heaven ; yet to these Christ saith, ' I know you not whence you are ; depart from me, ye workers of iniqui- ty." Tiierefore fear and tremble, lest any of us miss of this kingdom of heaven.
Secondly, This fear is necessary, if we con- sider what a loss it is to lose the heavenly kingdom. All the tears in hell are not sufficient to lament the loss of heaven. They who lose the heavenly kingdom, lose God's sweet presence, the ravishing views and smiles of God's glorious face. God's pre- sence is the diamond in the ring of glory, Ps. xvi. 11., " In thy presence is fulness of joy." If God be the fountain of all bliss, then, to be separated from him, is the foun- tain of all misery. Tiiey who lose the hea- venly kingdom, lose the society of angels ; and, what sweeter music, than to hear them praise God in concert ? They lose all their treasure, their white robes, their sparkling crowns ; they lose their hopes, Job viii. 11,, "Whose hope shall be cut off." Their hope is not ati anchor, but a spider's web. If hope deferred makes the heart sick, Prov.
xiii. 12., what then is hope disappointed ? They lose the end of their being. Why were they created, but to be enthroned in glory ? Now, to lose this, is to lose the end of their being, as if an angel should be turned to a worm. There are many ag- gravations of the loss of this heavenly king- dom.
1. The eyes of the wicked shall be open- ed to see their loss : now they care not for the loss of God's favour, because they know not the worth of it. A man that loseth a rich diamond, and took it but for an ordi- nary stone, is not much troubled at the loss of it ; but when he comes to know what a jewel he lost, then he laments. He, whose heart would never break at the sight of his sins, shall now break at the sight of his loss. Phinehas his wife, when she heard the ark was lost, cried out, " The glory is departed," 1 Sam. iv. 21. Wlieu the sinner sees what he hath lost, that he hath lost the beatifical vision, he hath lost the kingdom of heaven ; then he will cry out in horror and despair, " The glory, the everlasting glory is departed."