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The Strait Gateby John Bunyan [Import of the words SHALL NOT BE ABLE.] I come now to the latter part of the words, which closely show us the reason of the rejection of these many that must be damned; 'They will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.' A hypocrite, a false professor, may go a great way; they may pass through the first and second watch, to wit, may be approved of Christians and churches; but what will they do when they come at this iron gate that leadeth into the city? 'There the workers of iniquity are fallen, they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise!' (Psa 36:12) 'And shall not be able.' The time, as I have already hinted, which my text respecteth, it is the day of judgment, a day when all masks and vizards shall be taken off from all faces. It is a day wherein God 'will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsel of the hearts.' (1 Cor 4:5) It is also the day of his wrath, the day in which he will pay vengeance, even a recompence to his adversaries. At this day, those things that now these 'many' count sound and good, will then shake like a quagmire, even all their naked knowledge, their feigned faith, pretended love, glorious shows of gravity in the face, their holiday words and specious carriages, will stand them in little stead. I call them holiday ones, for I perceive that some professors do with religion just as people do with their best apparel--hang it against the wall all the week, and put it on on Sundays. For as some scarce ever put on a suit but when they go to a fair or a market, so little house religion will do with some; they save religion till they go to a meeting, or till they meet with a godly chapman. O poor religion! O poor professor! What wilt thou do at this day, and the day of thy trial and judgment? Cover thyself thou canst not; go for a Christian thou canst not; stand against the Judge thou canst not! What wilt thou do? 'The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.' * * May these searching words make an indelible impression upon the heart of every reader. How striking, and alas! how true, is this delineation of character. Religious when in company with professors--profane when with the world; pretending to be a Christian on a Sunday; striving to climb with Christian the Hill Difficulty--every other day running down the hill with Timorous and Mistrust. Such may get to the bottom of the hill, and hide themselves in the world; but they can never lie concealed from God's anger, either in this world, or in the bottomless pit, whither they are hurrying to destruction. 'And shall not be able.' The ability here intended is not that which standeth in carnal power or fleshly subtlety, but in the truth and simplicity of those things for the sake of which God giveth the kingdom of heaven to his people. There are five things, for the want of which this people will not be able to enter. 1. This kingdom belongs to the elect, to those for whom it was prepared from the foundation of the world. (Matt 25:34) Hence Christ saith, when he comes, he will send forth his angels with a great sound of trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another. (Matt 24:31) And hence he saith again, 'I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains, and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.' 'They shall deceive, if it were possible, the very elect.' 'But the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.' (Rom 11:7) 2. They will not be able to enter, because they will want the birthright. The kingdom of heaven is for the heirs--and if children, then heirs; if born again, then heirs. Wherefore it is said expressly, 'Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' By this one word, down goes all carnal privilege of being born of flesh and blood, and of the will of man. Canst thou produce the birthright? But art thou sure thou canst? For it will little profit thee to think of the blessed kingdom of heaven, if thou wantest a birthright to give thee inheritance there. Esau did despise his birthright, saying, What good will this birthright do me? And there are many in the world of his mind to this day. 'Tush,' say they, 'they talk of being born again; what good shall a man get by that? They say, no going to heaven without being born again. But God is merciful; Christ died for sinners; and we will turn when we can tend it, * and doubt not but all will be well at last.' But I will answer thee, thou child of Esau, that the birthright and blessing go together; miss of one, and thou shalt never have the other! Esau found this true; for, having first despised the birthright, when he would afterwards 'have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.' (Gen 25, Heb 12:16,17) * 'Tend it,' or attend to it. What madness does sin engender and foster! The trifles of time entirely occupy the attention, while the momentous affairs of eternity are put off to a more convenient opportunity.--Ed. 3. They shall not be able to enter in who have not believed with the faith of God's operation; the faith that is most holy, even the faith of God's elect. 'He that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.' (John 3:36) But now this faith is the effect of electing love, and of a new birth. (John 1:11-13) Therefore, all the professors that have not faith which floweth from being born of God, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 4. They shall not be able to enter in that have not gospel-holiness. Holiness that is the effect of faith is that which admits into the presence of God, and into his kingdom too. 'Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, on such the second death,' that is, hell and eternal damnation, 'hath no power.' (Rev 20:6,14) Blessed and holy, with the holiness that flows from faith which is in Christ; for to these the inheritance belongs. 'That they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified, by faith,' saith Christ, 'that is in me.' (Acts 26:18) This holiness, which is the natural effect of faith in the Son of God, Christ Jesus the Lord will, at this day of judgment, distinguish from all other shows of holiness and sanctity, be they what they will, and will admit the soul that hath this holiness into his kingdom, when the rest will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 5. They shall not be able to enter in that do not persevere in this blessed faith and holiness; not that they that have them indeed can finally fall away, and everlastingly perish; but it hath pleased Jesus Christ to bid them that have the right to hold fast that they have: to endure to the end; and then tells them they shall be saved--though it is as true that none is of power to keep himself; but God worketh together with his children, and they are 'kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation,' which is also laid up in heaven for them. (1 Peter 1:3-5) 'The foolish shall not stand in thy sight; thou hatest all workers of iniquity.' (Psa 5:5) The foolish are the unholy ones, that neither have faith, nor holiness, nor perseverance in godliness, and yet lay claim to the kingdom of heaven; but 'better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without right.' (Prov 16:8) What is it for me to claim a house, or a farm, without right? or to say, all this is mine, but have nothing to show for it? This is but like the revenues of the foolish; his estate lieth in his conceit. He hath nothing by birthright and law, and therefore shall not be able to inherit the possession. 'For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.' Thus you see, that the non-elect shall not be able to enter, that he that is not born again shall not be able to enter, that he that hath not saving faith, with holiness and perseverance flowing therefrom, shall not be able to enter; wherefore consider of what I have said.
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