our Saviour tells us, that way is narrow, and that gate is strait : for so we find his words; Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life; and few there be that find it: Matth. vii. 14. The commandments of God are this gate to the heavenly city; and the two Tables of the Law are the two leaves of this gate, through which every one must pass, who hopes to be admitted into the New Jerusalem. And, although David seems to make this gate very large, when he tells us, Thy commandment is exceeding broad; Psal. cxix. 96. yet that is only to be understood concerning the authority of its injunctions, not of the liberty of its indulgence. It is exceeding broad, in the extent of its preceptive power; for it prescribes rules to all our thoughts, words, and actions, and to every circumstance of each but it is exceeding narrow and strait in the scope and allowance that it gives us; so that, as soon may a camel go through the eye of a needle, as we pass through this gate with the burden of one unmortified lust or of one unrepented sin. Quest." But why is it said, that those, that do God's commandments may enter through the gates into the city? Can any enter in as a thief, or a robber, over the wall? Or can any, as an enemy, scale those eternal ramparts, and take it by invasion?" I answer: This is so expressed, to denote the free access and admission of those into heaven, who are careful to obey the commandments of God upon earth. Such as these are freeborn citizens of heaven: their whole estate, their whole traffic, all their treasure and livelihood is laid up there: they are free denizens, by the charter of the New Covenant: they may challenge ingress as their right and due: and he, who hath the key of David, who openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, Rev. iii. 7. opens the door to these; and lets them into those eternal mansions, which he hath purchased and prepared for them. iv. The fourth and last query concerns that RIGHT, WHICH OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S COMMANDS GIVES US UNTO THIS TREE OF LIFF, AND TO THIS HEAVENLY CITY; that is, to eternal life and glory. Now, here, I shall branch out this query into Two: and so I shall shew you, What that Obedience is, which gives us a right to heaven. What that Right is, which this obedience doth confirm. ven. 1. What that Obedience is, which gives us a right to hea (1) I answer: It is not a Legal Obedience, or a perfect personal righteousness, which now gives us this right to heaven. This is very plain: because, to constitute this, it is necessary that there be both original purity in our nature, which since the Fall is miserably vitiated and corrupted; and also a sinless perfection in our lives, in the constant observation of every iota of the Law, both as to its extension and intention, that we obey it in every part and tittle of it, and that our obedience unto every part be raised to the highest degree of love, zeal, and charity. This title was once good, but it is.now lost, by the Fall, in the common ruin and rubbish of mankind; and he, who hath not another title, upon better and easier terms, will find cherubims and the flaming sword of divine justice set to guard the Tree of Life from his approaches, as once they did from guilty Adam. (2) There is, therefore, another obedience which gives a right unto the Tree of Life: and that is an Evangelical Obedience; which, according to the grace, condescension, and equity of the Gospel, shall be accepted unto and rewarded with everlasting happiness. Now this evangelical obedience consists, not indeed in innocency and perfection, but in sincere desires, and proportionable endeavours after it; when we strive to the utmost to live holily, and to walk more strictly with God, according to the rules which he hath prescribed us in his Holy Word. And it consists of Two parts: mortification of our corrupt and sinful affections, whereby we die daily unto sin; and the spiritual renovation and quickening of our graces, whereby we increase daily in spiritual strength, and make farther progresses in holiness and true piety, And, as it consists of these two parts, so hath it also these Two adjuncts. The one is, true Repentance for our past sins; reflecting upon them with shame and hatred; confessing and bewailing them with sorrow and contrition; and endeavouring, with all earnestness and sincerity, to abstain from the commission of the like for the future. The other is, a true and lively Faith, whereby we rely on the blood and satisfaction of Jesus Christ, for the remission of our sins; and upon his perfect righteousness and prevalent intercession, for the acceptation and reward of our imperfect obedience. Whosoever doth thus sincerely do the commandments of God, universally and constantly, with his whole strength and mind, as though he expected to be saved by the merits of his own works; and yet, after all, doth so entirely rely on the merits of Jesus Christ for salvation, as though he had never done any thing: he it is, and he alone, who hath this right unto the Tree of Life, and shall enter through the gates into the hea venly city: for he doth his commandments out of a sincere love; and God, who is love, will own his sincerity. 2. I come now to consider what that Right is, which this evangelical obedience, or doing the commands of the Law according to the favour and mercy of the Gospel, doth confer upon us, by virtue of which we may assuredly expect eternal life. And here, (1) It cannot be a Right of Purchase or Merit. It is a foolish presumption and intolerable arrogance, to think we can deserve any thing at the hands of God, unless it be his wrath by our sins, For, [1] In all proper merit there must be an equivalence, or at least a proportion of worth, between the work and the reward. Which to imagine between our obedience and the heavenly glory, is, to exalt the one infinitely too high, and to abase the other infinitely too low. What proportion is there between cup of cold water given to a disciple of Christ; and that ocean of everlasting joy and pleasure, which shall be the reward of it? A man might more reasonably expect to buy stars with counters, or to purchase a kingdom with two mites, than think to purchase the heavenly kingdom by paying down his duties and good works, which are no way profitable unto God, (For Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it any gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect? Job xxii. 3) and bear no more proportion to the infinite glory of heaven, than a single cypher doth to the numberless sands of the sea. [2] The very grace, which enables us to do the commandments of God, is freely bestowed upon us by himself: and therefore the obedience, which we perform unto him, merely by his own assistance, cannot be said, without a grand impropriety, to merit any reward from him. Such kind of merit is but an idle and frivolous pretence: for, certainly, he, who gives me money to buy an estate of him, doth as freely give me that estate, as if I had never bought it of him, but he had immediately bestowed the land upon me, and not the sum of money. [3] All our obedience is imperfect; and, therefore, if it deserve any thing, it is only punishment for the defects and failures of it. This coin is not current: this metal is base and adulterated; the king's stamp defaced and obliterated; the edges clipped; and the superscription, which should be on both sides Holiness unto the Lord, is on the reverse, at least," a sacrifice to hypocrisy, formality, and vain-glory:" and therefore this counterfeit and base alloy will not pass for purchase-money; and had it what it deserves, it would be melted down in the furnace of hell. [4] Suppose it were perfect, which it is not, yet it is no more than our bounden duty; and duty can never be meritorious. We are bound, by the law of nature, and as we are creatures who have received our beings and the continuance and preservation of them from God, to employ ourselves faithfully and assiduously in his service: and if, for our greater encouragement therein, he hath promised and will bestow upon us a vast and unconceivable reward, we must attribute it wholly to the supererogation of his free bounty; for, without this, all our services were due to him before. Thus our Saviour tells us, Luke xvii. 9, 10. Doth the master thank the servant, because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say (not in a complimental way, but with truth and sincerity), We are unprofitable servants; we have but done that, which was our duty to do. And therefore, certainly, if we cannot deserve thanks, much less can we deserve so ample a reward as eternal life and therefore those, who think to purchase heaven and eternal life by doing that, which is not commanded nor their duty, will find a fearful disappointment of their presumptuous hopes, when they shall hear that sad greeting, Who hath required these things at your hands? This right then of merit and purchase is excluded; and no man can have a right to heaven, upon the account of the worth and value of his works. (2) There is, therefore, a Threefold Right, which they, that do the commandments of God, have to heaven, and eternal happiness. They have a Right of Evidence. [1] Obedience to God's commandments gives us a Right of Evidence to Eternal Life. He is judged to have the best right to an estate, who can produce the best evidence for it. Now the best evidence, that can be shewn for heaven, is our unfeigned obedience: all other things, which men may rely upon to justify their title, will prove but forged deeds, to which only the spirit of presumption or enthusiasm hath set his seal, and not the Spirit of God; and therefore we find how miserably the confidence of those wretches was dismounted, and their hopes frustrated, who came with Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name have done many wonderful works? Matt. vii. 22. All this may be, and yet be no good title, no good evidence for heaven: for if those, who cast out devils, have not cast out their lusts; if those, who prophesy in his name, by their sins dishonour and blaspheme that name; if those, who are workers of miracles, are yet workers of iniquity; he professeth against them that he knows them not, and commands them to depart from him for ever as workers of iniquity; Matth. vii. 22, 23: whereas, on the contrary, we find a joyful and blessed sentence pronounced upon others, according to the evidence brought in for them by their good works. So our Lord himself tells us, Matt. xxv. 34, 35, 36. Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you..... for I was hungry, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me.....sick.....and in prison, and ye visited me. This particle for is not a note of causalty or merit, but only of evidence: for, as evidences prove our right to our possessions, so likewise our obedience and good works do effectually prove the right which we have to eternal life, through Christ's purchase and God's free donation; and, therefore, the evidence being clear, the sentence must in equity proceed accordingly. God, as a just and righteous Judge, instates them in the possession of the kingdom of heaven, because they visited, and relieved, and |