Consider, 4. Many are deceived with False Hopes, until it is too late for them to mend their Error. Their Souls drop into Hell, with a Confident but Groundless Expectation of going to Heaven. Thus it was with the Scribes and Pharisees: They thought they should go to Heaven. They Trusted to themselves that they were Righteous, Luk. 18.9. They knew that Righteous men shall go to Heaven when they dye, and they supposed themselves to be such: yet Christ told them, That they could not escape the Damnation of Hell, Math. 23.33. And he said to his Disciples, Math. 5.20. Except your Righteousness shall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Alas! ⟨p. 265⟩Many build their hopes of Heaven on false Foundations, on sandy Bottoms, and then the house of their hope will fall, and great will be the fall of it. Some, yea many, build their hopes of Heaven on their Morality: they are not to be taxed with any Scandal: No one can say to them black is their Eye. Thus the Pharisee said, I am not as other men are, Extortioners, Unjust, Adulterers. So Paul before his Conversion, was Touching the Righteousness of the Law blameless. There •re who think they must go to Heaven, because they have a Form of Religion, •nd a great Measure of Knowledge in the Scriptures. Many such Formalists there were among the Jews, who deceived themselves with Vain hopes of Heaven and Happiness. Rom. 2.17, — Thou art called a Jew, and restest in the Law, and makest thy boast of God. And art confident, which hast a form of Knowledge, and of the Truth in the Law Many Preachers will •e Excluded Heaven at the last Day, al•ho' their having been such was a ground of their Self-deluding hope: Math. 7.22. ⟨p. 266⟩Have not we Prophesied in thy Name? Such Considerations as these should cause us to make sure work of it, in our Endeavours to obtain the blessedness of Heaven. If ever we were in Earnest in any thing, it should be in a Matter of such Infinite Moment, wherein our Eternity and ou• Immortal Souls are concerned. Oh▪ besiege Heaven with fervent Prayers, before it is too late; Lest with the foolish Virgins afterwards you cry, Lord, Lord▪ Open to us, when the Door of Heaven i• shut for ever. Know you not the Kingdom of Heaven suffers Violence and the Violent take it by force?
Consider, 4. Many are deceived with False Hopes, until it is too late for them to mend their Error. Their Souls drop into Hell, with a Confident but Groundless Expectation of going to Heaven. Thus it was with the Scribes and Pharisees: They thought they should go to Heaven. They Trusted to themselves that they were Righteous, Luk. 18.9. They knew that Righteous men shall go to Heaven when they dye, and they supposed themselves to be such: yet Christ told them, That they could not escape the Damnation of Hell, Math. 23.33. And he said to his Disciples, Math. 5.20. Except your Righteousness shall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Alas! ⟨p. 265⟩Many build their hopes of Heaven on false Foundations, on sandy Bottoms, and then the house of their hope will fall, and great will be the fall of it. Some, yea many, build their hopes of Heaven on their Morality: they are not to be taxed with any Scandal: No one can say to them black is their Eye. Thus the Pharisee said, I am not as other men are, Extortioners, Unjust, Adulterers. So Paul before his Conversion, was Touching the Righteousness of the Law blameless. There •re who think they must go to Heaven, because they have a Form of Religion, •nd a great Measure of Knowledge in the Scriptures. Many such Formalists there were among the Jews, who deceiv'd themselves with Vain hopes of Heaven and Happiness. Rom. 2.17, — Thou art called a Jew, and restest in the Law, and makest thy boast of God. And art confident, which hast a form of Knowledge, and of the Truth in the Law Many Preachers will •e Excluded Heaven at the last Day, al•ho' their having been such was a ground of their Self-deluding hope: Math. 7.22. ⟨p. 266⟩Have not we Prophesied in thy Name? Such Considerations as these should cause us to make sure work of it, in our Endeavours to obtain the blessedness of Heaven. If ever we were in Earnest in any thing, it should be in a Matter of such Infinite Moment, wherein our Eternity and ou• Immortal Souls are concerned. Oh besiege Heaven with fervent Prayers, before it is too late; Lest with the foolish Virgins afterwards you cry, Lord, Lord Open to us, when the Door of Heaven i shut for ever. Know you not the Kingdom of Heaven suffers Violence and the Violent take it by force?
