4. Sometimes this word many intendeth them that make a great noise, and do many great things in the church, and yet want saving grace: "Many," saith Christ, "will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?" (Matt 7:22) Mark, there will be many of these.
5. Sometimes this word many intendeth those poor, ignorant, deluded souls that are led away with every wind of doctrine; those who are caught with the cunning and crafty deceiver, who lieth in wait to beguile unstable souls: "And many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of." (2 Peter 2:2)
6. Sometimes this word many includeth all the world, good and bad: "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." (Dan 12:2) Compare with John 5:28,29.
7. Lastly. Sometimes this word many intendeth the good only, even them that shall be saved. (Luke 1:16, 2:34)
[How MANY is applied in the text.] Since then that the word is so variously applied, let us inquire how it must be taken in the text. And,
1. It must not be applied to the sincerely godly, for they shall never perish. (John 10:27,28) 2. It cannot be applied to all the world, for then no flesh should be saved. 3. Neither is it to be applied to the open profane only, for then the hypocrite is by it excluded. 4. But by the many in the text our Lord intendeth in special the professor; the professor, I say, how high soever he seems to be now, that shall be found without saving grace in the day of judgment.
Now that the professor is in special intended in this text, consider, so soon as the Lord had said, "Many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able," he pointeth, as with his finger, at the many that then he in special intendeth; to wit, them among whom he had taught; them that had eat and drunken in his presence; them that had prophesied, and cast out devils in his name, and in his name had done many wonderful works. (Luke 13:26, Matt 7:22) These are the many intended by the Lord in this text, though others also are included under the sentence of damnation by his word in other places. "For many," &c. Matthew saith, concerning this strait gate, that there are but few that find it. But it seems the cast-always in my text did find it; for you read, that they knocked at it, and cried, "Lord, open unto us." So then, the meaning may seem to be this—many of the few that find it will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. I find, at the day of judgment, some will be crying to the rocks to cover them, and some at the gates of heaven for entrance. Suppose that those that cry to the rocks to cover them, are they whose conscience will not suffer them once to look God in the face, because they are fallen under present guilt, and the dreadful fears of the wrath of the Lamb. (Rev 6:16) And that those that stand crying at the gate of heaven, are those whose confidence holds out to the last,—even those whose boldness will enable them to contend even with Jesus Christ for entrance; them, I say, that will have profession, casting out of devils, and many wonderful works, to plead; of this sort are the many in my text: "For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." Could we compare the professors of the times with the everlasting word of God, this doctrine would more easily appear to the children of men. How few among the many, yea, among the swarms of professors, have heart to make conscience of walking before God in this world, and to study his glory among the children of men! How few, I say, have his name lie nearer their hearts than their own carnal concerns! Nay, do not many make his Word, and his name, and his ways, a stalking-horse to their own worldly advantages? 7
God calls for faith, good conscience, moderation, self-denial, humility, heavenly-mindedness, love to saints, to enemies, and for conformity in heart, in word, and life, to his will: but where is it? (Mark 11:22, 1 Peter 3:16, Heb 13:5, Phil 4:5, Matt 10:37-39, Col 3:1-4, Micah 6:8, Rev 2:10, John 15:17, 1 John 4:21, Matt 5:44, Prov 23:26, Col 4:6)
[Import of the words I SAY UNTO YOU.]
"For many, I say unto you." These latter words carry in them a double argument to prove the truth asserted before: First, in that he directly pointeth at his followers: "I say unto you": Many, I say unto you, even to you that are my disciples, to you that have eat and drunk in my presence. I know that sometimes Christ hath directed his speech to his disciples, not so much upon their accounts, as upon the accounts of others; but here it is not so; the "I say unto you," in this place, it immediately concerned some of themselves: I say unto you, ye shall begin to stand without, and to knock, "saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us, and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are; then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity"; it is you, you, YOU, that I mean! "I say unto you." It is common with a professing people, when they hear a smart and a thundering sermon, to say, Now has the preacher paid off the drunkard, the swearer, the liar, the covetous, and adulterer; forgetting that these sins may be committed in a spiritual and mystical way. There is spiritual drunkenness, spiritual adultery, and a man may be a liar that calls God his Father when he is not, or that calls himself a Christian, and is not. 8