John Bunyan: The Strait (or Narrow) Gate Part 1

About the Author

John Bunyan (1628-1688) was one of the greatest preachers of the seventeenth century, and despite his humble beginnings and lack of formal education, has also been called "the most wonderfully gifted spiritual writer since the days of the Apostles." Next to the Bible, his Pilgrims Progress has been translated into more languages, and has passed through more editions (about four hundred), than any other book in the world. That book, along with his Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners and Holy War, are the records of his own deep spiritual experience, in which a profane and sinful man after a number of false conversions was wonderfully tranformed. He was later asked to preach to a small congregation, and after preaching to the brethren five years, and working at his trade (as a "tinker," one who repaired pots and pans) for the support of himself and family, he was arrested and thrown into Bedford jail twelve years (1660-1672) for "teaching men to worship God contrary to the law." During those years he continued to write, his only books being the Bible and Concordance, and Foxe's Book of Martyrs. He would have been released any day if he had promised not to preach; but he felt called of God to the work of the ministry, and he continually replied to his jailors, "If you release me today, I will preach again tomorrow." The renowned John Owen said that he would gladly relinquish all his learning for the tinker's preaching abilities.

THE STRAIT GATE
OR,
GREAT DIFFICULTY OF GOING TO HEAVEN

Plainly proving, by the Scripture, that not only
the Rude and Profane, but many great Professors,
will come short of that Kingdom.

By John Bunyan

Part 10: Concluding Thoughts

"Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." - Matthew 7:13, 14.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: An Explanation of the Text

Part 3: Heaven, Hell, & the Professing Christian

Part 4: This Thing You Lack

Part 5: Called Out From the World

Part 6: Scriptural Illustrations of the Saved

Part 7: Many Are Called But Few Are Chosen

Part 8: Why Many Miss Heaven

Part 9: Words of Warning

Part 10: Concluding Thoughts

PART Ten: Concluding Thoughts

Great, therefore, will be the disappointment that many will meet with at the day of judgment: “For many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” But, if it be so, what a strange disappointment will many professors meet with at the day of judgment! I speak not now to the openly profane; every body, as I have said, that hath but common understanding between good and evil, knows that they are in the broad way to hell and damnation, and they must needs come thither; nothing can hinder it but repentance unto salvation, except God should prove a liar to save them, and it is hard venturing of that.

Miscarried Professions

Scriptural Examples
--Judas perished from among the apostles, Acts 1
--Demas, as I think, perished from among the evangelists, 2 Timothy 4:9.
--Diotrephes from among the ministers, or them in office in the church, John 10
--And as for Christian professors, they have fallen by heaps, and almost by whole churches, 2 Timothy 1:15; Revelation 3:4, 15-17.

Let us add to these, that the things mentioned in the Scripture about these matters, are but brief hints and items of what is afterwards to happen; as the apostle said, “Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after” (1 Timothy 5:24). So that, fellow-professors, let us fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into this rest, any of us should seem to come short of it. O! to come short! nothing kills like it, nothing will burn like it. I intend not discouragements, but awakenings; the churches have need of awakening, and so have all professors. Do not despise me, therefore, but hear me over again.

Their Fearful Disappointment at the Judgment

What a strange disappointment will many professors meet with at the day of God Almighty! — a disappointment, I say, and that as to several things.

--They will look to escape hell, and yet fall just into the mouth of hell: what a disappointment will here be!

--They will look for heaven, but the gate of heaven will be shut against them: what a disappointment is here!

--They will expect that Christ should have compassion for them, but will find that he hath shut up all bowels of compassion from them: what a disappointment is here!

Their Amazement at the Judgment

Again, as this disappointment will be fearful, so certainly it will be very full of amazement.

--Will it not amaze them to be unexpectedly excluded from life and salvation?

--Will it not be amazing to them to see their own madness and folly, while they consider how they have dallied with their own souls, and took lightly for granted, that they had that grace that would save them, but hath left them in a damnable state?

--Will they not also be amazed one at another, while they remember how in their lifetime they counted themselves fellow-heirs of life? To allude to that of the prophet, “They shall be amazed one of another, their faces shall be as flames” (Isaiah 13:8).

--Will it not be amazing to some of the damned themselves, to see some come to hell, that then they shall see come thither? To see preachers of the word, professors of the word, practicers in the word, to come thither. What wondering was there among them at the fall of the king of Babylon, since he thought to have swallowed up all, because he was run down by the Medes and Persians! “How art thou fallen from heaven, Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cast down to the ground that didst weaken the nations!” If such a thing as this will with amazement surprise the damned, what an amazement will it be to them to see such a one as he, whose head reached to the clouds, to see him come down to the pit, and perish for ever like very dross? “Hell from beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth” (Isaiah 14). They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man? Is this he that professed, and disputed, and forsook us; but now he is come to us again? Is this he that separated from us, but now is he fallen with us into the same eternal damnation with us?

When False Professors Meet the Unchurched

Yet again, one word more, if I may awaken professors. 1. Consider, though the poor carnal world shall certainly perish, yet they will want these things to aggravate their sorrow, which thou wilt meet with in every thought that thou wilt have of the condition thou wast in when thou was in the world.

--They will not have a profession, to bite them when they come thither.

--They will not have a taste of a lost heaven, to bite them when they come thither.

--They will not have the thoughts of, I was almost at heaven, to bite them when they come thither.

--They will not have the thoughts of, how they cheated saints, ministers, churches, to bite them when they come thither.

--They will not have the dying thoughts of false faith, false hope, false repentance, and false holiness, to bite them when they come thither. I was at the gates of heaven, I looked into heaven, I thought I should have entered into heaven; O how will these things sting! They will, if I may call them so, be the sting of the sting of death in hell fire.

Final Words of Warning

Give me leave now in a word to give you a little advice.

--Dost thou love thine own soul? then pray to Jesus Christ for an awakened heart, for an heart so awakened with all the things of another world, that thou mayst be allured to Jesus Christ.

--When thou comest there, beg again for more awakenings about sin, hell, grace, and about the righteousness of Christ.

--Cry also for a spirit of discerning, that thou mayst know that which is saving grace indeed.

--Above all studies, apply thyself to the study of those things that shew thee the evil of sin, the shortness of man's life, and which is the way to be saved.

--Keep company with the most godly among professors.

--When thou hearest what the nature of true grace is, defer not to ask thine own heart, if this grace be there. And here take heed, (1) That the preacher himself be sound, and of good life; (2) That thou takest not seeming graces for real ones, nor seeming fruits for real fruits; (3)

--Take heed that a sin in thy life goes not unrepented of; for that will make a flew in thine evidence, a wound in thy conscience,and a breach in thy peace; and a hundred to one, if at last it doth not drive all the grace in thee into so dark a corner of thy heart, that thou shalt not be able, for a time, by all the torches that are burning in the gospel, to find it out to thine own comfort and consolation.



	About the Author John Bunyan (1628-1688) was one of the greatest preachers of the seventeenth century, and despite his humble beginnings and lack of formal education, has also been called "the most wonderfully gifted spiritual writer since the days of the Apostles." Next to the Bible, his Pilgrims Progress has been translated into more languages, and has passed through more editions (about four hundred), than any other book in the world. That book, along with his Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners and Holy War, are the records of his own deep spiritual experience, in which a profane and sinful man after a number of false conversions was wonderfully tranformed. He was later asked to preach to a small congregation, and after preaching to the brethren five years, and working at his trade (as a "tinker," one who repaired pots and pans) for the support of himself and family, he was arrested and thrown into Bedford jail twelve years (1660-1672) for "teaching men to worship God contrary to the law." During those years he continued to write, his only books being the Bible and Concordance, and Foxe's Book of Martyrs. He would have been released any day if he had promised not to preach; but he felt called of God to the work of the ministry, and he continually replied to his jailors, "If you release me today, I will preach again tomorrow." The renowned John Owen said that he would gladly relinquish all his learning for the tinker's preaching abilities. THE STRAIT GATE OR, GREAT DIFFICULTY OF GOING TO HEAVEN Plainly proving, by the Scripture, that not only the Rude and Profane, but many great Professors, will come short of that Kingdom. By John Bunyan Part 10: Concluding Thoughts "Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." - Matthew 7:13, 14. Table of Contents Part 1: Introduction Part 2: An Explanation of the Text Part 3: Heaven, Hell, & the Professing Christian Part 4: This Thing You Lack Part 5: Called Out From the World Part 6: Scriptural Illustrations of the Saved Part 7: Many Are Called But Few Are Chosen Part 8: Why Many Miss Heaven Part 9: Words of Warning Part 10: Concluding Thoughts PART Ten: Concluding Thoughts Great, therefore, will be the disappointment that many will meet with at the day of judgment: “For many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” But, if it be so, what a strange disappointment will many professors meet with at the day of judgment! I speak not now to the openly profane; every body, as I have said, that hath but common understanding between good and evil, knows that they are in the broad way to hell and damnation, and they must needs come thither; nothing can hinder it but repentance unto salvation, except God should prove a liar to save them, and it is hard venturing of that. Miscarried Professions *Scriptural Examples* --Judas perished from among the apostles, Acts 1 --Demas, as I think, perished from among the evangelists, 2 Timothy 4:9. --Diotrephes from among the ministers, or them in office in the church, John 10 --And as for Christian professors, they have fallen by heaps, and almost by whole churches, 2 Timothy 1:15; Revelation 3:4, 15-17. Let us add to these, that the things mentioned in the Scripture about these matters, are but brief hints and items of what is afterwards to happen; as the apostle said, “Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after” (1 Timothy 5:24). So that, fellow-professors, let us fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into this rest, any of us should seem to come short of it. O! to come short! nothing kills like it, nothing will burn like it. I intend not discouragements, but awakenings; the churches have need of awakening, and so have all professors. Do not despise me, therefore, but hear me over again. *Their Fearful Disappointment at the Judgment* What a strange disappointment will many professors meet with at the day of God Almighty! — a disappointment, I say, and that as to several things. --They will look to escape hell, and yet fall just into the mouth of hell: what a disappointment will here be! --They will look for heaven, but the gate of heaven will be shut against them: what a disappointment is here! --They will expect that Christ should have compassion for them, but will find that he hath shut up all bowels of compassion from them: what a disappointment is here! *Their Amazement at the Judgment* Again, as this disappointment will be fearful, so certainly it will be very full of amazement. --Will it not amaze them to be unexpectedly excluded from life and salvation? --Will it not be amazing to them to see their own madness and folly, while they consider how they have dallied with their own souls, and took lightly for granted, that they had that grace that would save them, but hath left them in a damnable state? --Will they not also be amazed one at another, while they remember how in their lifetime they counted themselves fellow-heirs of life? To allude to that of the prophet, “They shall be amazed one of another, their faces shall be as flames” (Isaiah 13:8). --Will it not be amazing to some of the damned themselves, to see some come to hell, that then they shall see come thither? To see preachers of the word, professors of the word, practicers in the word, to come thither. What wondering was there among them at the fall of the king of Babylon, since he thought to have swallowed up all, because he was run down by the Medes and Persians! “How art thou fallen from heaven, Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cast down to the ground that didst weaken the nations!” If such a thing as this will with amazement surprise the damned, what an amazement will it be to them to see such a one as he, whose head reached to the clouds, to see him come down to the pit, and perish for ever like very dross? “Hell from beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth” (Isaiah 14). They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man? Is this he that professed, and disputed, and forsook us; but now he is come to us again? Is this he that separated from us, but now is he fallen with us into the same eternal damnation with us? When False Professors Meet the Unchurched Yet again, one word more, if I may awaken professors. 1. Consider, though the poor carnal world shall certainly perish, yet they will want these things to aggravate their sorrow, which thou wilt meet with in every thought that thou wilt have of the condition thou wast in when thou was in the world. --They will not have a profession, to bite them when they come thither. --They will not have a taste of a lost heaven, to bite them when they come thither. --They will not have the thoughts of, I was almost at heaven, to bite them when they come thither. --They will not have the thoughts of, how they cheated saints, ministers, churches, to bite them when they come thither. --They will not have the dying thoughts of false faith, false hope, false repentance, and false holiness, to bite them when they come thither. I was at the gates of heaven, I looked into heaven, I thought I should have entered into heaven; O how will these things sting! They will, if I may call them so, be the sting of the sting of death in hell fire. Final Words of Warning Give me leave now in a word to give you a little advice. --Dost thou love thine own soul? then pray to Jesus Christ for an awakened heart, for an heart so awakened with all the things of another world, that thou mayst be allured to Jesus Christ. --When thou comest there, beg again for more awakenings about sin, hell, grace, and about the righteousness of Christ. --Cry also for a spirit of discerning, that thou mayst know that which is saving grace indeed. --Above all studies, apply thyself to the study of those things that shew thee the evil of sin, the shortness of man's life, and which is the way to be saved. --Keep company with the most godly among professors. --When thou hearest what the nature of true grace is, defer not to ask thine own heart, if this grace be there. And here take heed, (1) That the preacher himself be sound, and of good life; (2) That thou takest not seeming graces for real ones, nor seeming fruits for real fruits; (3) --Take heed that a sin in thy life goes not unrepented of; for that will make a flew in thine evidence, a wound in thy conscience,and a breach in thy peace; and a hundred to one, if at last it doth not drive all the grace in thee into so dark a corner of thy heart, that thou shalt not be able, for a time, by all the torches that are burning in the gospel, to find it out to thine own comfort and consolation.