time or other before they dy, and fo to repent and make their peace with God once for all.

Thefe pretences contradict one another, and therefore cannot be both true; but they may both be false, as indeed they are, and truth lies between them; religion being neither fo flight and eafy a work as fome would have it, nor fo extremely difficult and intolerable, as others would reprefent it. To confute the falfe apprehenfions which fome have of the eafinefs of it, our Saviour tells us, there must be fome ftriving; and to fatisfy us, that the difficulties of religion are not fo great and infuperable, as fome would make them, our Saviour tells us, that thofe who ftrive fhall fucceed and enter in; but those who only feek, that is, do not vigorously fet about the bufinefs of religion, but only make fome faint attempts to get to heaven, fhall not be able to enter in. Strive to enter in at the ftrait gate; for many, I say unto you, will feek to enter in, but shall not be able.

The occafion of which words of our bleffed Saviour, was a question that was put to him by one of his difciples, concerning the number of thofe that fhould be faved, ver. 23. One faid unto him, Lord, are there few that be faved? To which curious question, our Saviour (according to his manner, when fuch kind of questions were put to him) does not give a direct anfwer, because it was neither neceffary, nor useful for his hearers to be refolved in: it did not concern them to know what number of perfons fhould be faved, but what course they should take, that they might be of that number; and therefore, inftead of fatisfying their curiofities, he puts them upon their duty; admonishing them, instead of concerning themfelves what fhould become of others, to take care of themselves. And he faid unto them. ftrive to enter in at the ftrait gate; for many, I say unto you, fhall feek to enter in, and fhall not be able. He does not fay, that but few shall be saved; (as fome have prefumptuously ventured to determine) but only few in comparison of those many that shall seek to enter in, and fhall not be able.

In these words we may confider these two things: First, The duty enjoined, Strive to enter in at the ftrait gate.

Secondly, The reafon or argument to enforce it, For many fhall feek to enter in, and shall not be able. First, The duty enjoined, Strive to enter in at the frait gate. Which words being metaphorical, I fhall ftrip them of the metaphor, that fo we may fee the plain meaning of them. Now by this metaphor, or rather allegory, thefe three things are plainly intended:

ift, The courfe of a holy and christian life, in order to the obtaining of eternal happiness, is here reprefented to us by a way, which every man that would come to heaven, muft walk in. For fo St. Matth. (who expreffeth this more fully) makes menti on of a way as well as a gate, by which we must enter into it; ftrait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth to life. And this though it be not expreffed by St. Luke, is neceffarily understood, Strive to enter in at the ftrait gate, that is, into the way that leads to life.

adly,The first difficulties of a holy and religious courfe of life, are here reprefented to us by a trait gate. For the gate at which we enter, and the way in which we walk, can fignify nothing elfe, but the beginning and progrefs of a holy and religious courfe.

3dly, Our diligence and conftancy in this course, are reprefented by friving, a word which hath a great force and emphafis in it, aywvilede, a metaphor taken from the earneft contention which was ufed in the Olympic games, by those who ftrove for mattery in running or wrestling, or any of the other exercifes which were there used.

Secondly, Here is a reafon added to enforce the exhortation or duty; for many shall feek to enter in, and fhall not be able: that is, there are a great many that will do fomething in Christianity, and make fome faint attempts to get to heaven, who yet fhall fall fhort of it, for want of fuch a firm resolution and earneftness of endeavour, as is neceffary to the attaining of it.

Having thus explained the words, I fhall take occafion from the firft part of them, namely, the du ty of exhortation, to handle these three points, very ufeful for us to confider, and to be well instructed in: ift, The difficulties of a holy and Christian course. 2dly, The firm refolution and earnest endeavour that is required on our part for the conquering of thefe difficulties.

3dly, That thefe difficulties are not fo great and infuperable, as to be a juft difcouragement to our endeavours; if we will ftrive, we may mafter them. First, The difficulties of a holy and Christian course. And these are either from ourfelves, or from fomething without us.

ces.

1. From ourselves, from the original corruption and depravation of our nature, and the power of evil habits and customs, contracted by vicious practiOur natures are vitiated and depraved, inclined to evil, and impotent to good; befides, that being habituated to fin andevice, it is a matter of infinite difficulty to break off a cuftom, and to turn the courfe of our life another way. Now becaufe this is the difficulty of our first entrance into religion, it is reprefented by a ftrait gate, which is hard to get through.

2. There are likewife other difficulties from without; as namely, the oppofition and perfecution of the world, which was very raging and violent in the first beginnings of Chriftianity. And this our Saviour reprefents by the ruggedness and roughness of the way, as St. Matthew expreffeth it, chap. vii. 14. Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to life, Kai Teluμévn ǹ ó♪òs, confragofa eft via, (lo Grotius renders it) the way is craggy, full of afflictions and troubles.

So that thefe are the two great difficulties in a Chriftian courfe, indifpofition from within, and oppofition from without,

1. Indifpofition from within. religion fo much the more difficult, us at our very first entrance upon our and makes us unwilling to fet out,

And this makes because it checks Chriftian course, The corruption of

157 of our nature, and thofe vitious habits, which by a long cuftom of fin we have contracted, do ftrongly incline us to the contrary way, fo that a man must offer great force and violence to himself, that will conquer this difficulty. It is one of the hardest things in the world to break off a vitious habit, and to get loofe from the tyranny of cuftom. The Prophet Jeremiah fpeaks of it as next to a natural impoffibility, chap. xiii. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his fpots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. This requires great striving indeed. Nothing fhows the fpirit and refolution of a man more, than to contend with an inveterate habit, for in this cafe a man ftrives against the very bent and inclination of his foul; and it is eafier to fet a man against all the world, than to make him fight with himself: and yet this every man muft do, who from any wicked courfe of life, betakes himself seriously to religion; he mult as it were lay violent hands upon himfelf, and fight with the man he was before; and this in fcripture is emphatically expreft to us, by crucifying the old man, with the affections and lufts thereof. A Chriftian when he first enters upon a holy and good courfe of life, is represented as two perfons or parties at civil wars one with another, the old, and the new man; fo that whoever will be a Chriftian, muft put off himself, and become another man; and it is no eafy matter for a man to quit himself.

2. In our Chriftian course, we must likewife expect to meet with great oppofition from without. Bleffed be God, Christianity hath generally been for many ages free from this difficulty, which attended the firít profeffion of it: it was then indeed a very steep and craggy way, very rough and thorny, not to be travelled in without fweat and blood: then the dangers and hazards of that profeffion were fuch, as were not to be encountered by a mere moral refolution, and the natural ftrength of flesh and blood; the perfecution that attended it was fo hot, and the torments which threatened it fo terrible, that the fenfual and inconfiderate part of mankind would rather venture hell at VOL. VI.

a di

a distance, than run themselves upon fo present and evident a danger.

men.

But fince these ages of perfecution, this difficulty hath been in a great measure removed. Not but that the true religion hath ftill its enemies in the world; but they are not let loofe, as they were in those times; it is ftill perfecuted and expofed to the malice and reproach, but not to the rage and fury of unreasonable In the calmeft times there is hardly any man can be a strict and fincere Chriftian, without being liable to hatred and contempt, without denying himfelf many of those worldly advantages which thofe who make no confcience of the ftrict laws of Chriftianity may make to themselves; fo that at all times it requires a good degree of conftancy and refolution to perfevere in a holy courfe, and to bear up against the oppofition of the world, and to withstand its temptations, to be harmless and blameless in the midst of a crooked and perverfe nation; not to be infected with the eminent and frequent examples of vice, and carried down with the ftream of a corrupt and degenerate age. So that though our difficulties be not always the fame, and equal to thofe which the primitive Chriftians encountered, yet there is enough to exercife our best refolution and care; though the main body of the enemies of Chriftianity be broken, and the fons of Anak be destroyed out of the land; yet fome of the old inhabitants are still left, to be thorns in our fides, and pricks in our eyes, that true religion may always have fomething to exercife its force and vigour upon. I have done with the first point, the difficulties of a Chriftian course. I proceed

to the

Second, The earneft endeavour that is to be used on our part, for the conquering of thefe difficulties. And to the bufinefs of religion, if we will fet upon it in good earnest, thefe three things are required:

ft, A mighty refolution to engage us in a holy and Christian courfe.

2dly, Great diligence and industry to carry us on in it.