the hardness, pride, and obstinacy of our own hearts, that can keep any soul of us out of Heaven, howsoever difficult it is to come thither. For God hath shewn how desirous He is to have our company there, in that He is still pleased to grant us both the space and means of repentance. If He had no mind to have us saved, He could have shut us up long ago in Hell; but He is so far from that, that He doth not only as yet continue our abode on earth, and lengthen our tranquillity here, but He still vouchsafes unto us whatsoever is necessary, yea, whatsoever can any ways conduce to our eternal happiness; we have His Scriptures, we have His Sabbaths, we have His Ordinances; we have His Sacraments, we have His Ministers, we have the promise of His Spirit, we have the overtures of Christ, and of all the merits of His death and passion made unto us; and what can be desired more to make men happy? and yet, as if all this had not been enough, He still continues calling upon us, exhorting, commanding, yea, and beseeching us most affectionately to turn that our souls may live; for we His ministers are ambassadors to mankind for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: "We pray you in Christ's 2 Cor. 5. 20. stead to be reconciled to God." And He hath sent me unto you that read this, in a particular manner at this time, to call you back out of the broad way that leads to death into the narrow way that leads to life and happiness: in His Name, therefore, I exhort, yea, and " beseech you, by the mercies Rom. 12. 1. of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." "Strive to enter in at the strait gate," and never leave until you have got possession of eternal glory.

Nor let us be discouraged at any difficulties that we meet with in the way, for they will soon be over; howsoever hard and difficult any duty may seem at first, by use and custom it will soon grow easy. The worst is at first setting out; when once we have been used awhile to walk in this narrow way, we shall find it to be both easy and pleasant: for, as the wise man tells us, the ways of wisdom, or true piety, ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." Though it be rough at first, by treading it will soon grow plain; we shall soon find the words of Christ to be true, that His

"are Prov. 3. 17.

Matt.11.30. "yoke is easy, and His burden light." All is but to be willing and obedient, and resolved upon it, to press through all duties and difficulties whatsoever to get to Heaven, and then, by the merits of Christ's passion and the assistance of His grace, we need not fear but we shall come thither.

And verily, although the way to Heaven should prove not only narrow, but hedged in with briers and thorns, so that we should meet with nothing but crosses and troubles in our going to it, yet Heaven will make amends for all. Rom. 8. 18. For we may well reckon with the Apostle," that the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us." So that whatsoever pains we are at, whatsoever trouble we suffer in order to our attaining everlasting happiness, bears no proportion at all to the happiness we attain by it; which is so great, so exceeding great, that our tongues can neither express, nor our minds as yet conceive it: consisting not only in the freedom from all evil, but also in the enjoyment of whatsoever is really and truly good; even whatsoever can any way conduce to the making us perfectly and completely happy so that no duty can be too great to undertake, no trouble too heavy to undergo for it. Wherefore, that I 1 Cor.15.58. may use the words of the Apostle to my readers, "My beloved brethren, be ye steadfast and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord."

[Acts 8. 23.]

By this time I hope we are all resolved within ourselves to follow our Saviour's counsel and advice, even to "strive to enter in at the strait gate," and "to walk in that narrow way that leads to life." If we be not, we have just cause to suspect ourselves to be in the "gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity;" but if we be resolved in good earnest, we cannot but be very solicitous to know what we must do in order to it, or how every one of us may "enter in at the strait gate," so as to be happy for ever? A question of the highest importance imaginable; so that it is absolutely necessary for every soul amongst us to be thoroughly resolved in it, for it concerns our life, our immortal and eternal life; and therefore I shall endeavour to resolve it in as few and perspicuous terms as possibly I can, that the meanest capa

city may understand it. But I must take leave to say beforehand, that our knowing of it will signify nothing unless we practise it, neither will you be ever the nearer Heaven, because you know the way to it unless you also

walk in it.

1. And therefore the first thing that I shall propound, in order to our eternal Salvation, is, that we should resolve immediately in the presence of Almighty God, that we will for the future make it our great care, study, and business in this world, to "seek the Kingdom of God and the righteous- Matt. 6.33. ness thereof," in the first place, according to our Saviour's advice and command, that we would not halt any longer between two opinions, and think to seek Heaven and earth together, things diametrically opposite to one another. If we really think earth to be better than Heaven, what need we trouble ourselves any further, than to heap up the riches, and to enjoy the pleasures of this world? But if we really think Heaven to be better than earth, as all wise men must needs do, then let us mind that, and concern not ourselves about this. We know what our Saviour told us long ago, "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the ver. 24. one, and love the other; or else he will hold with the one, and despise the other: ye cannot serve God and Mammon," that is, in plain English, we cannot mind Heaven and earth both together; for we can have but one grand and principal design in the world; and therefore, if our principal design be to get wealth or any earthly enjoyment, we deceive ourselves, if we think that we mind Heaven at all. For that we can never properly be said to do, until we mind it before all things whatsoever in the world besides; and let us not say, or think within ourselves, that "this is a hard saying," [John 6. for we may assure ourselves it is no more than what we shall all find to be really true; and that never a soul of us shall ever know what Heaven is, that doth not first prefer it before all things here below, and, by consequence, make it his principal, if not only design to get thither.

2. Supposing us, therefore, to be thus resolved within ourselves, my next advice is, that we break off our former sins by repentance, and shewing mercy to the poor; and that for the future we live not in the wilful commission of any

60.]

known sin, nor yet in the wilful neglect of any known duty. Where it is evident I advise to no more than what all men know themselves to be obliged to do; for I dare say, there is none of us know so little, but what if he would but live up to what he knows, he could not but be both holy and happy. Let us but avoid what we ourselves know to be sin, and do what we know to be our duty, and though our knowledge may not be so great as others', yet our piety may be greater and our condition better. But we must still remember, that one sin will keep us out of Heaven as well as twenty; and therefore, if we ever desire to come thither, we must not only do some or many things, but all things, whatsoever is required of us, to the best of our knowledge. I speak not this of myself, but Christ Himself hath told us the same Matt.19.16, before, even that we must keep the Commandments, all the Commandments, if we desire to enter into eternal life. Not as if it was indispensably necessary to observe every punctilio and circumstance of the Moral Law, for then no man could be saved; but that it must be both our steadfast resolution and our chief study and endeavour to avoid whatsoever we know to be forbidden, and to perform whatsoever we know to be commanded by God.

17.

ver. 21.

And though by this we shall make a fair progress in the narrow way to life, yet there is still another step behind, before we can enter in at the strait gate, and that is, to believe in Jesus Christ, as our Saviour Himself hath taught us. The sum of which duty in brief is this, that when we have done all we can in obedience to the Moral Law, yet we must still look upon ourselves as unprofitable servants, and not expect to be justified or saved by virtue of that obedience, but only by the merits of Christ's death and passion; humbly confiding that, in and through Him, the defects of our obedience shall be remitted, our persons accepted, our natures cleansed, and our souls eternally saved. This is not Acts 16. 31. only the principal, but the only thing which Paul and Silas directed the keeper of the prison to, in order to his Salvation, as comprehending all the rest under it, or at least supposing them.

Thus, therefore, though obedience be the way, faith is the gate through which we must enter into life. But seeing the

gate is strait as well as the way narrow, and it is as hard to believe in Christ as to observe the Law, we must not think to do either by our own strength, but still implore the aid and assistance of Almighty God, and depend upon Him for it. For Christ Himself saith, "No man can come to Me, except John 6. 44. the Father Which hath sent Me draw him." But we can never expect that He should draw us unless we desire it of Him; and therefore it must be our daily prayer and petition at the Throne of Grace, that God would vouchsafe us His especial grace and assistance, without which I cannot see how any one that knows his own heart can expect to be saved. But our comfort is, if we do what we can, God will hear our prayers, and enable us to do what otherwise we cannot; for He never yet did, nor ever will fail any man that sincerely endeavours to serve and honour Him.

3. Lastly, Although we are to trust in God for the answer of our prayers in this particular, yet we must not expect that He should do it immediately from Himself, but we must use those means which Himself hath appointed whereby to work faith, and by consequence all other graces in us. Now the Scriptures tell us that faith comes by hearing. Rom. 10.17. Wherefore, if we desire to believe so as to be saved, we must wait upon God in His public Ordinances, and there expect such influences of His grace and Spirit whereby we may be enabled to walk in the narrow way, and enter in at the strait gate that leads to life.

Thus I have shewn you in few terms how to do the great work which you came into the world about, even how to get to Heaven. For howsoever hard it is to come thither, let us but resolve, as we have seen, to mind it before all things else, fear God and keep His Commandments to the utmost of our power, believe in Christ for the pardon of our sins, and the acceptance both of our persons and performances; pray sincerely unto God, and wait diligently upon Him for the assistance of His grace, to do what He requires from us; - let us do this, and we need not fear but our souls shall live. If we leave this undone, we ourselves shall be undone for ever. And, therefore, let me advise all to dally no longer in a matter of such consequence as this is, but now we know the way to Heaven, to turn immediately into it, and walk