* ' Heaven upon earth' is the title of one of Tliomas Brooks's most Sibbes-Iike works.— G. t That is, ' a mark.'— G.
898 THE DIFFICULTY OF SALVATION.
5. Besides this, scandal makes it a hard matter to be saved; to see evil courses and evil persons flourish and countenanced in the world. Oh, it goes to the heart of God's people, and makes them stagger at God's pro- vidence. It is a bitter temptation, and shakes the faith of holy men, as we see, Ps. Ixxiii., Jer. xii. 1, 2. Again, it makes the heart of a good Christian bleed within him, to see scandals arise from professors of the gospel, when they are not so watchful as they should be, but bring a reproach upon re- ligion by their licentious lives.
Yea, God's children suffer much for their friends, whose wicked courses are laid to their charge, and sometimes even by their friends ; for whilst they live here, the best of all are subject to some weakness or other, which causeth even those that are our encouragers, through jealousy or corruption, one way or another, to dishearten and trouble us in the way to heaven.
6. This, likewise, makes the way difficult ; we ai'e too apt to offend God daily, giving him just cause to withdraw his Spirit of comfort from us, which makes us go mourning all the day long ; wanting those sweet refreshments of spiritual joy and peace we had before. The more comfort God's child hath in communion with God, the more he is grieved when he wants it. When Christ wanted the sweet solace of his Father upon the cross, how did it trouble him ! ' My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ? ' Mat. xxvii. 46. How did he sweat water and blood in the garden, Luke xxii. 44, when he felt but a little while his Father's displeasure for sin! Thus is it with all God's children; they are of Christ's mind in their spiritual desertions.
And when they have gotten a little grace, how difficult is it to keep it ! to keep ourselves in the sense of God's love ! to manage our Christian state aright ! to walk worthy of the gospel, that God may still do us good, and delight to be present with us ! What a great difficulty is it to be always striving against the stream, and when we are cast back to get forward still, and not be dis- coui'aged till we come to the haven ! None comes to heaven but they know how they come there.
Why God will have the righteous with such difficulty saved. Now, God will have it thus to sweeten heaven unto us. After a conflicting life peace is wel- come ; heaven is heaven indeed after trouble. We can relish it then. Be- cause God will discard hypocrites in this life, who take up so much of religion as stands with their ease and credit in the world, avoiding every difficulty which accompanies godliness, but, so they may swim two ways at once, go on in their lusts still and be religious withal. This they approve of. Therefore, God will have it a hard matter to be saved, to frustrate the vain hopes of such wretches. Alas ! it is an easy matter to be an hypocrite, but not to live godly.
Use. If the righteous be saved with much ado, then never enter upon the profession of religion with vain hopes of ease and pleasure, that it shall be thus and thus with thee, &c. Herein thou dost but delude thy own soul, for it will prove otherwise. Forecast, therefore, what will fall, and get pro- vision of grace beforehand to sustain thee. As, if a man were to go a dangerous journey, he provides himself of weapons and cordials, and all the encouragements he can, lest ho should famt in the way; whereas he that ■walks for his pleasure provides nothing. He cai'es not for his weapon or his cloak, because if a storm comes he can ran under shelter or into a house, &c. He that makes religion a recreation can walk a turn or two for his pleasure, and when any difficulty arises can retire and draw in his horns again. An hypocrite hath his reservations and politic ends, and therefore what needs he any great provision to support him, when he knows how to wind out of trouble well enough, rather than to stand courageously to any-
THE DIFFICULTY OF SAI.VATIOX. 899
thing. But a tnie Cliristian, that makes it the main work of his life to please God, arms himself for the worst that can hefall him, and will he saved through thick or thin, smooth or rough, whatsoever comes on it. So God will save his soul, he cares not, hut rejoiceth, with Paul, if by any means he can attain the resurrection of the dead, Phil. iii. 11, by any means, it is no matter what. Let fire and fagot meet with him, yet he is resolved not to retire for any trouble or persecution whatsoever that stands between him and happiness. He is purposely armed to break through every opposition to the best things, and whatever may separate his soul from the favour of God. I beseech you, beloved, think of these things, and let it be your Avis- dom to make the way to heaven as easy as you can. To this end,