The strait gate, or, Great difficulty of going to Heaven plainly proving

4. They will seek to enter in, by pleading their virtues, ho• they subjected to his ministry, how they wrought for him, what good they did in the world, and the like, Matt. 7. 22. but neither will this help them; the same answer that the two former had, the same have these; depart from me ye workers of iniquity.

5. They will seek to enter in by pleading excuses, where they cannot evade conviction. The slothful servant ⟨p. 69⟩went this way to work, when he was called to account for not improving his Lords money. Lord, says he, I knew thou wast an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sowed, and gathering where thou hast not strewed, and I was a fraid, &c. (either that I should not please in laying out thy money, or that I should put it into hands, out of which I should not get it again at thy need) and I went and hid thy talent in the earth, lo, there thou hast that is thine; as if he had said, true Lord, I have not improved, I have not got, but consider also, I have not embezzled I have not spent, nor lost thy money, lo there thou hast that is thine, Matt. 25. 24, 25, 26, 27. There are but few will be able to say these last words at the day of judgment; the most of professors are for embezzling, mis pending and slothing away their time, their talents, their opportunities to do good in; but, I say, if he that can make so good an excuse as to say, lo, there thou hast what is thine: I say if ⟨p. 70⟩such an one shall be called a wicked and slothful servant, if such an one shall be put to shame at the day of judgment, yea if such an one, shall, notwithstanding this care to save his Lords money, be cast as unprofitable into utter darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, what will they do that have neither took care to lay out, nor care to keep what was committed to their trust?