4. Possibly this astonishment might arise from fear of the success of the gospel, wherein they were to be employed as instruments, when they heard that rich men were not likely to prove friends, but rather enemies to the kingdom of God. Alas ! what should they do that had parted with all, and were like to be left destitute to the mercy of an unkind world ! If the great and mighty men of the world, who should be their props and supports, should so hardly be gained, alas ! then how should they go abroad and preach with any efficacy for the saving of souls ! Now, whether this or that or all caused the wonder, I will not now determine ; all these have an influence upon it, and for these reasons they were astonished out of measure. This is the first effect, their wonder.
The second effect is a doubt moved among themselves privately, ' Who then can be saved ? ' This question may be looked upon either —
1. As a question of anxious solicitude. Alas ! how is it that any can be saved ! Or —
2. Of murmuring and secret dislike. Why, if it be so, who is able to receive this severe doctrine, or to enter upon this strict course? Now which of these shall we take it to be ? Either for a question of anxious solicitude, or a question of murmuring and secret repining ? I answer —
[1.] I suppose this question expresseth their anxious solicitude, and so for the main it is a good question. When we hear strict doctrine, it is good to be moved with it, and fall a-questioning. Many hear it over and over again, yet are slight, no wonder, no astonishment in their hearts ; therefore it is good when it is weighed and laid to heart. This question of the apostles brings to mind a saying of one, when he heard Christ's sermon on the mount read to him, he cried out, Aut hoc non est evangelium, aut nos non sumus christiani — Either this is not true gospel, or we are not true christians.
YkR. 26.] SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. 63
[2.] There might be something of weakness, mixtures of infirmity. I cannot say there was nothing of murmuring and dislike ; the mutter- ing or saying this among themselves seems to infer it ; they durst not make Christ conscious to the question, for it is in the text, • They said among themselves ; ' that is, they muttered privately, and so it argues there was something of dislike.
[3.] This weakness was not to a prevalent degree, so as to make them take ofience, and depart from Christ, as we find others did upon the like occasion, when Christ had preached something strict and con- trary to their humour : John vi. 60, 61, 'Many of the disciples when they heard this, said. This is a hard saying, who can hear it ? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you ? What and if you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before, &c. And from that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with, him,' ver. 66. Now these, though they were astonished at the strangeness of tbe doc- trine of Christ, yet they did not reject or refuse the belief of it. There, was more of anxious solicitude, but somewhat of muttering, ' Who then can be saved.'
Doct When tbe difficulties of salvation are sufficiently understood and laid fortli, we shall wonder that any are or can be saved ?
I shall prove — (1.) That it is a difficult thing to be saved; (2.) Wherein the difficulty of salvation doth lie ; (3.) Show how this ought to be seriously minded and regarded by us, that it is such a difficult thing to go to heaven.
I. That it is a difficult thing to be saved. Christ showeth that, Mat. vii. 14, 'Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.' The way to heaven is some- what like that which is described, 1 Sam. xiv. 4, ' And between the passages by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side and a sharp rock on the other side.' So is our way to heaven a strait way, between rock and rock ; here is the rock of vain presumption, and there the rock of despairing fears. Indeed, the text tells us of two things, the gate strait, the way narrow. The gate is strait, the entrance into religion hard ; there must be repentance and bewailing our former sins, the working up the heart to a fixed resolution against sin, and a serious dedicating ourselves to God. Oh ! how hard is it to pass through this gate ! And then there is a narrow way, full of difficulties to corrupt nature ; our lusts are impatient of any restraint, and we are loath entirely to give up ourselves to do and sufier God's will. So Mat. xi. 12, ' The king- dom of heaven sufi'ereth violence, and the violent take it by force.' It is no wonder that earthly kingdoms are surprised by violence, but it is strange that the kingdom of heaven should suffer violence ; how shall we understand this ? Violence doth not signify unlawful attempts, but earnest diligence. It is not an injurious violence, such as snatches at earthly crowns, but the industrious violence, a resolution to break through all impediments, and take no nay ; no discouragements can much abate our edge, and take us off from our pursuit of the heavenly kingdom. So 1 Peter iv. 18, a righteous man is ' scarcely saved,' yuoXt? acodTJaeTuc ; with much ado he gets to shore, he makes a hard shift to