If by the death of Christ the vail be rent, that interposed between God and us, hence we may see what is the way to heaven, and what access we have this way; why “we have boldness to come to the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by that new and living way that he hath consecrated through the vail.” We may come boldly to the throne of grace, for the vail is rent: by the blood of Jesus the way is open. How shall the unholiest of sinners venture to come into the holiest of all, or to God’s presence? Yea, says the Holy Ghost, by the blood of Jesus, by the rent vail. There are many mistakes about the way to the holy place; it is a dreadful thing to think, that many who have heard the gospel, it may be ten, twenty, thirty years, if they be asked the way to heaven, they will say, Why if we do justly, live honestly and civilly, and do as we would be done to, we shall surely be saved. But I tell you, you shall surely be damned if no more be done. O sad, that after all the light that hath shined about the way of salvation by the slain Son of God, that civility that is to be found among the heathens is all the title that a great many have to eternal life. Others hope to get to heaven by a better righteousness, but it is a righteousness of their own: they say they will do as well as they can: they must read, and pray, and hear, and the like, and so they find out a way to heaven for themselves. Some cannot endure to hear anything spoken against self-righteousness, as if no person were in danger of being ruined by it; whereas this is a great part of the strong man’s armour, whereby he keeps possession of souls. I tell you, sirs, your false righteousness is so far from being the way to heaven, that true holiness itself is but the business that people have to do who are in the way; there will never be another way to heaven but Christ. Holiness is the walk, Christ is the way in which we walk, Col. 2:6. “As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him.” This is the new and living way, consecrated through the vail, and the way to the holiest lies through the rent vail. Every person thinks that it is very hard to get to heaven, and that it will cost a great deal of time, and pains, and struggling; but, says one, Here is the mischief of it, people do not know that it is hard to know the way to heaven, and flesh and blood cannot reveal it, till God Himself send in a beam of light upon the heart, and give the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of Christ, who is the way, having by His death rent the vail. O this way is little known, and yet we assure you, that there is free access for you all this way; and nothing to hinder your access to God and heaven this way, if it be not your own ignorant and unbelieving heart; nothing to hinder your entering into the holiest, for the vail is rent, the law is fulfilled, justice is satisfied, holiness vindicated, and sin expiated. Will you go to heaven this way, man, woman? For the door is open for you, the vail is rent for you; to you is the word of this salvation sent, to you, man, woman, young or old; whosoever hears me, to you is the way to the holiest made open; and whosoever will, let him come and enter in, and him that cometh, He will in no wise cast out. What in all the world is to hinder you from coming in? The law, however holy, need not hinder you, here is righteousness; justice, however awful, need not hinder you, here is satisfaction; your sins however great, need not hinder you, here is a sacrifice: all these vails are rent, what should hinder? Are there any other vails to be rent? O, say you, the vail of darkness, ignorance, enmity, and unbelief, that is upon my heart. Well, let me tell you, that need not hinder you either, to come to Christ and employ Him to rend these vails on your part; that is but little for Him to do, who could rend such great vails as were on God’s part. O He is mighty in rending vails; but give Him work, and the work is done. Did He not rend a greater vail, when He satisfied infinite justice, and stopped up the floodgates of divine wrath? And if He hath done the greater, O will you not employ Him to do the lesser? Why, say you. If I knew that He rent that great vail for me, I would not fear but He would rend the lesser. Why, man, the vail was rent for sinners, and why not for you? Christ came to save sinners. But, say you, All shall not be saved and brought within the vail, and perhaps not I. I answer, some shall be saved, and why not you? Wherefore are not all who hear the gospel saved, but because they will not give employment unto Christ to save them? — Through unbelief they think He meant no favour towards them, when He rent the vail, and so stand aloof from Him saying, It was not for me; but I declare in His name, it was for you, man, for you, woman; whoever will have the benefit of it. The gospel notifies in general, that the vail is rent for you all, so far as that God calls and commands you all to come into the holiest by this way, and if you do not you shall be damned for your neglect of it. But as for your particular, personal knowledge of your actual interest in the benefits of this rent vail, it is impossible for you to have it, till you come to Christ and sue for it. Therefore, let nothing hinder you to enter, since the vail is rent and the way open. You have nothing to do yourself, for you cannot rend any vail; all that you have to do is to consent that Christ should rend all vails between God and you; for He will be a complete Saviour: He will leave none of the vail for you to rend — with His own hand He will rend it in twain from top to bottom. O say amen to it, that He may have all the work and all the praise.
God loved the world of mankind so,
He sent His only Son
To save them all from sin and woe,
Who trust in Him alone.
Not to condemn the sons of men,
The Son of God was sent;
No weapons in His hands were seen,
No warlike instrument.
But by His word of grace He wins
Their hearts, who hear Him tell
He’s sent to take away their sins,
And save their souls from hell.
His lips have grace into them poured;
His hands the blessing give:
If sinners then embrace His word,
They shall for ever live.
Believers happy are proclaimed,
Whom gospel tidings draw;
But unbelievers are condemned
Already by the law:
Yea, double vengeance on them lies
Who ‘gainst the light rebel;
Who God’s eternal Son despise,
Shall have the hottest hell.
The Apostles had three great desires, and they were all centred upon Christ. One was ‘To be found in Christ’, Phil. 3:9; the other was ‘to magnify Christ’, Phil. 1:20; the third was ‘to be with Christ’, Phil. 1:23.
Thos. Watson