For if this be so bad, because it might be avoided, if we did but sincerely intend it, must not all other erroneous ways of life be very guilty, if we live in them, not through weakness and inability, but because we never sincerely intended to avoid them?
For instance, you perhaps have made no progress in the most important Christian virtues, in humility and charity. Now, if your failure is owing to your want of intention of performing them in any true degree, have you not as little to plead for yourself? And are you not as much without all excuse as the common swearer?
3. Why therefore don’t you press these things home upon your conscience? Why do you not think it as dangerous for you to live in such defects as are in your power to amend, as ’tis dangerous for a common swearer to live in the breach of that duty, which it is in his power to observe? Is not the want of a sincere intention, as blameable in one case as another?
You, it may be, are as far from Christian perfection as the common swearer is from keeping the third commandment. Are you not therefore as much condemned by the doctrine of the gospel, as the swearer is by the third commandment?
You perhaps will say, that all people fall short of the perfection of the gospel. But this is nothing to the purpose: for the question is not, whether gospel perfection can be fully attained; but whether you come as near it as a sincere intention, and careful diligence can carry you? Whether you are not in a much lower state than you might be, if you sincerely intended to advance yourself in all Christian virtues?
If your defects in piety, humility, and charity are owing to your want of sincere intention to be as eminent as you can in these virtues, then you leave yourself as much without excuse, as he that lives in the sin of swearing, through the want of a sincere intention to depart from it.
4. The salvation of our souls is set forth in scripture as a thing of difficulty, that requires all our diligence, that is to be worked out with fear and trembling.
We are told, straight is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it: that many are called, but few are chosen: and that many will miss of their salvation who seem to have taken some pains to obtain it. Strive to enter in at the straight gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
*Here our blessed Lord commands us to strive to enter in, because many will fail, who only seek to enter: by which we are plainly taught, that religion is a state of labour and striving, and that many will fail of their salvation; not because they took no pains or care about it, but because they did not take care and pains enough; they only sought, but did not strive to enter in.
Every Christian therefore should as well examine his life by these doctrines, as by the commandments: for these doctrines are as plain marks of our condition as the commandments are.