_Of the great danger and folly of not |intending| to be as eminent as we can, in the practice of all Christian virtues._
1. ALTHOUGH the goodness of God, and his rich mercy in Christ Jesus, are a sufficient assurance to us, that he will be merciful to our unavoidable weaknesses, that is, to such failings as are the effects of _ignorance_ or _surprize_; yet we have no reason to expect the same mercy towards those sins which we live in, through a want of _intention_ to avoid them.
For instance, a _common swearer_, who dies in that guilt, seems to have no title to the divine mercy; because he can no more plead any weakness in his excuse, than the man that hid his _talent_ in the earth, could plead his want of strength to keep it out of the earth.
2. But, if this be right reasoning in the case of a _common swearer_, that his sin is not to be reckoned a _pardonable frailty_, because he has no weakness to plead in its excuse: why don’t we as much condemn every other error of life, that has no more weakness to plead in its excuse than common swearing?
For if this be so bad, because it might be avoided, if we did but sincerely intend it, must not all other erroneous ways of life be very guilty, if we live in them, not through weakness and inability, but because we never sincerely intended to avoid them?
For instance, you perhaps have made no progress in the most important Christian virtues, in _humility_ and _charity_. Now, if your failure is owing to your want of _intention_ of performing them in any true degree, have you not as little to plead for yourself? And are you not as much without all excuse as the _common swearer_?
3. Why therefore don’t you press these things home upon your conscience? Why do you not think it as dangerous for you to live in such defects as are in your power to amend, as ’tis dangerous for a common swearer to live in the breach of that duty, which it is in his power to observe? Is not the want of a sincere intention, as blameable in one case as another?
You, it may be, are as far from _Christian perfection_ as the common swearer is from keeping the _third commandment_. Are you not therefore as much condemned by the doctrine of the gospel, as the swearer is by the third commandment?
You perhaps will say, that all people fall short of the perfection of the gospel. But this is nothing to the purpose: for the question is not, whether gospel perfection can be fully attained; but whether you come as near it as a sincere intention, and careful diligence can carry you? Whether you are not in a much lower state than you might be, if you sincerely intended to advance yourself in all Christian virtues?
If your defects in _piety_, _humility_, and _charity_ are owing to your want of _sincere intention_ to be as eminent as you can in these virtues, then you leave yourself as much without excuse, as he that lives in the sin of swearing, through the want of a sincere intention to depart from it.
4. The salvation of our souls is set forth in scripture as a thing of difficulty, that requires _all our diligence_, that is to be _worked out with fear and trembling_.
We are told, _straight is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it_: that _many are called, but few are chosen_: and that many will miss of their salvation who seem to have taken _some pains_ to obtain it. _Strive to enter in at the straight gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able._
*Here our blessed Lord commands us to _strive_ to enter in, because many will fail, who only _seek_ to enter: by which we are plainly taught, that religion is a state of _labour_ and _striving_, and that many will fail of their salvation; not because they took no pains or care about it, but because they did not take care and pains enough; they only _sought_, but did not _strive_ to enter in.
Every Christian therefore should as well examine his life by these _doctrines_, as by the commandments: for these doctrines are as plain marks of our condition as the commandments are.
For if salvation is only given to those who _strive_ for it, then it is as reasonable for me to consider, whether my course of life be a course of striving to obtain it, as to consider whether I am keeping any of the commandments.
5. If my religion is only a formal compliance with those modes of worship that are in fashion where I live, if it costs me no pains or trouble, if it lays me under no rules and restraints, if I have no careful thoughts about it, is it not great weakness to think that I am _striving to enter in at the straight gate_?
If I am seeking every thing that can delight my senses, spending my time and fortune in pleasures, in diversions, and worldly enjoyments; a stranger to watchings, fastings, prayers, and mortifications, how can it be said, that I am _working out my salvation with fear and trembling_?