Enter ye in at the strait gate
By the "strait gate" is meant Christ himself; who elsewhere calls
himself "the door", ( John
10:7-9 ) as he is into the church below, and into all the
ordinances and privileges of it; as also to the Father, by whom
we have access unto him, and are let into communion with him, and
a participation of all the blessings of grace; yea, he is the
gate of heaven, through which we have boldness to enter into the
holiest of all by faith and hope now; as there will be hereafter
an abundant entrance into the kingdom and glory of God, through
his blood and righteousness. This is called "strait"; because
faith in Christ, a profession of it, and a life and conversation
agreeable to it, are attended with many afflictions, temptations,
reproaches, and persecutions. "Entering" in at it is by faith,
and making a profession of it: hence it follows, that faith is
not the gate itself, but the grace, by which men enter in at the
right door, and walk on in Christ, as they begin with him.
For wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth
to
destruction;
so that the one may be easily known from the other. There is no
difficulty in finding out, or entering in at, or walking in the
way of sin, which leads to eternal ruin. The gate of carnal
lusts, and worldly pleasures, stands wide open,
and many there be which go in thereat;
even all men in a state of nature; the way of the ungodly is
"broad", smooth, easy, and every way agreeable to the flesh; it
takes in a large compass of vices, and has in it abundance of
company; but its end is destruction. Our Lord seems to allude to
the private and public roads, whose measures are fixed by the
Jewish canons; which say F16, that
``a private way was four cubits broad, a way from city to city eight cubits, a public way sixteen cubits, and the way to the cities of refuge thirty two cubits.''
F16 T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 100. 1, 2. Vid. Maimon. & R. Sampson in Misn. Peah, c. 2. sect. 1. & Maimon in Sabbat. c. 1. sect. 1.