four strait gates

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jambo

Puritan Board Senior
There are four strait gates which everyone must pass through before He can enter into Heaven.

1. There is the strait gate of Humiliation. God saves none, but first He humbles them. Now it is hard to pass through the gates and flames of Hell; hard to mourn not for one sin, but all sins, and not for a season, but for all a man's lifetime...It is easy to drop a tear or two, but to have a heart rent for sin and from sin, this is true humiliation, and this is hard... the Lord if he saves thee, will break thine heart...

2. The strait gate of Faith... It is an easy matter to presume, but hard to believe in Christ. It is easy for a man that was never humbled to believe and say, 'Tis but believing; but it is an hard thing for a man humbled, when he sees all his sins in order before him, and crying out against him, and God frowning upon him, now to call God Father...

3. The strait gate of Repentance. It is an easy matter for a man to confess himself a sinner, and to cry God forgiveness until next time: but to have a bitter sorrow, and to turn from sin, and to return to God, and all the ways of God, which is true repentance; this is hard.

4. The strait gate of Opposition of Devils, the World, and a man's own Self, who knock a man down when he begins to look towards Christ and Heaven.

Hence learn, that every easy way to Heaven is a false way...There are easy ways to Heaven (as men think), which all lead to Hell.
(Thomas Shepherd)
 
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