fo many great scholars as their rabbies were, fhould be mistaken, and none of them understand the depth and meaning of the law as well as he; and that fo many devout and holy men, their Affideans, Pharifees, and Effenes, fhould be unacceptable to God, and in the wrong way to happiness. Others probably, who were convinced of the juftness of his doctrine, might be frighted with the profpect of fo many difficult duties, defpair of ever living up to fo nice a fcheme, and reflecting how fingular and unfashionable their endeavours towards it must make them look, would rather chufe to go on in that eafier way wherein others went, and run the venture with the reft. To both thefe forts of men our Saviour feems to apply himself in this paragraph, which, if I may be allowed to give you the fenfe, of it in other words, is as follows.

"ARE ye alarmed at the fingularity of my "doctrine, and the feverity of the morals I "have laid before you? Be not offended at ei "ther. "Tis God that prefcribes your duty, 66 your part is to do it. Whatever others teach, "whatever others practife, affure your felves that "fuch a religion as will bring you fafe to hea66 ven, is a fevere and awful thing, and requires

σε

a greater induftry and application, than your "doctors have fuggefted to you. 'Tis hard, but "not impracticable; it may be attain'd to, but it "must be with labour: A ftrait and difficult path, "and few will go along with you in it; but it "leads to happiness, and 'tis infinitely worth your while, whatever pains ye take in it. It's true, the wife, the learned, the great, the many of "this world, that love to take up with an eafy "fcheme, which may indulge their fenfes and their paffions, will beckon you another way, and count you fingular and morofe, if you comply "not with them: But truth is not to be deter

"mined by the number of thofe that hold an opi"nion, nor the way to heaven diftinguished by a "multitude of examples. Beware therefore, that CC an implicit confidence in these mislead you not: "For the road they take is broad indeed and "fmooth, and much frequented, but it leads to e"verlasting mifery.

THE gate and way that leads to life, being reprefented here as fo ftrait and narrow, that few will care to pafs through it, or to travel in it; in what fense must we understand that declaration of our Saviour, that his yoke is easy, and his burden light? As also that of St. John, that his commandments are not grievous? Here is no contradiction, because an affair that has many difficulties and much perplexity in it, may yet be eafy, in comparison with another ftill more laborious; that which is really toilfom in it felf, may yet upon fome confiderations be not only well fupported, but delightful; as that which is really eafy and agreeable in its own nature, may by circumstances be render'd grievous. To apply this to the prefent queftion; Chriftianity. is a scheme of rational and noble precepts, eafy in themselves to be performed; but through the corruption of our nature, the force of that original fin which has bent all our faculties to what is evil, and the power of custom, which has strengthen'd it by inveterate habits of fin, religion (being defign'd to rectify these distortions) must needs become a painful and fevere tafk to us. Yet difficult as it is, in fuch unhappy circumstances, a fervent love of God will make it eafy and delightful, which is what the Apoftle means, when he fays, that thofe commandments are not grievous. Tis eafy, when we confider the ftrength of divine grace affifting our weakness; 'tis eafy, when we are well

*Matth. xi. 30.

† 1 John v. 3.

accuftom

i

Of the Difficulties of CHAP. XXII. accustomed to it, however difficult in the first attempts; or at leaft, whatever difficulties we have to ftruggle with in our whole chriftian course, the exceeding and eternal weight of glory, which is the prize we labour for, will fmooth the ruggednefs of the way, and make us eafy in the expectation of that blessed hope; and take the matter how we will, the fyftem of Chriftianity is, upon the comparison, a far more eafy yoke, and a much lighter burden, than the dark, and tedious, and numberlefs ceremonies of the Jewish law, or of the heathen fuperftition.

BUT in what refpects the chriftian way to heaven, is a difficult and uneafy path, will more fully appear, if we confider,

I. WHAT the way to happiness is.

II. THE many impediments that are apt to divert men out of it, or hinder their making any great progress in it.

I. FIRST, we muft enquire what the way to happiness is, which may be refolved moft fuitably to our prefent purpofe in these particulars.

(1.) IT is a way of obedience. (2.) An obedience that must be univerfal. (3.) That must be conftant. And (4.) That must be cordial, or from the heart.

(1.) THE way to heaven lies in obedience, viz. to the laws and precepts of the Gofpel; and this is the first of thofe inftances which makes the paffage ftrait and troublesome to us. When Chrift invites the weary finner, him who is laden with the weight and burden of his fins, to come to him; and when he invites him to do this in order to his ease and reft; yet even then he tells him, that he must lay a yoke upon him: Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft.. Take

my

my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for my yoke is eafy, and my burden is light. How eafy foever it is made to us by his affiftance, yet obferve that it is a yoke ftill; and though it be light, by virtue of the strength and help that he gives to us, yet ftill it is, and is filed a burden, not in refpect of the intrinfic nature of his precepts; for he has put no hardships upon us, commanded nothing that is in it felf impracticable or burdenfome; but merely in regard of the obedience that must be paid to them. For all obedience is grievous to human nature; it fuppofes a law, and a law infers a reftraint, and all reftraint is troublesome to them that understand themselves no better than the generality of mankind do, according to the old and common obfervation, Nitimur in vetitum; We defire to do that which is forbidden, and that because it is forbidden. Altho' it be very true, that the holy precepts of our Lord, where they reftrain us from doing of any thing, reftrain us from our own inconveniences; and where they determine to our duty, determine to our advantage, to do that which is good for us; yet fuch is our natural defire of liberty, of doing or omitting as we please, that all reftraint of this liberty is matter of trouble to us.

(2.) BUT then, fecondly, this will yet farther appear, if we confider, that the way to happiness is univerfal or general obedience to all Chrift's precepts, not only to those that offer lefs contradiction to our appetites and defires, but even to thofe, and thofe efpecially, which are levelled against the ftrongest and moft prevailing finful inclinations in us. And thus St. Paul writes to Timothy, * Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches. This charge was to be given to them rather than any

other, because they were most expofed here, and likelieft to yield to that temptation. The Prophet Jeremy fuggefts the fame, † Let not the wife man glory in his wifdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might; let not the rich man glory in his riches. The wife man is not fo likely to value himself upon his power or riches; nor the man of power upon his wealth or wifdom; nor yet the rich man upon his fagacity or might: He applies the precept therefore to fuch inftances, as it is moft natural for a man fo qualified to place his confidence in; against this he must especially keep upon his guard, as the vanity or fin that does moft eafily befet him. And this is one thing that much ftraitens the gate to. heaven; for men would willingly in fome refpects, and in fome inftances, deny themselves for a future reward; but they would not do it in those instances wherein they are most of all concerned. + Good Mafter, fays the young man in the Gospel, what fball I do that I may have eternal life? Our Saviour anfwers, Keep the Commandments; and having repeated several of them to him, he tells our Saviour, All thofe have I kept from my youth up, what lack I yet? To this it is anfwered, If thou wilt be perfect, go and fell that thou haft, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come and follow me. And what did he anfwer to, this command? That follows in the next words, When he heard that faying, he went away forrowful, for he had great poffeffions. See here how far a man may go in obedience to those precepts of Chrift, where his own particular inclinations are not peculiarly contradicted, and yet make a full ftand, when he finds any contradiction in these. Here then lies the ftraitnefs or narrowness of the gate which leads to life, that it requires univerfal

† Jer. ix. 23.

Mat. xix.

obedience

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