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SERMON II.

MATT. VII. 13, 14.

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be which find it.

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T is with great propriety that human life is compared to a journey, and every man to a traveller; for life is very short: the present state is not our final rest, but only preparatory to it: and every man has some particular point at which he aims, and is daily travelling either towards heaven or hell.

These words must have great weight with all who reverence the name and authority of Jesus Christ; for they are his words, and they contain matter of eternal importance to us all. They consist of a short exhortation: "Enter ye in at the strait gate;" and a very important reason for preferring that to the wide gate; for the wide gate leads to destruction, but the narrow one to eternal life. In discoursing on the text, let us consider,

I. The wide gate, and the broad way, with the end of it.

II. The strait gate, and the narrow way, with what it leads to. And,

III. Enforce the exhortation: "Enter ye in at the strait gate."

And now, O thou that beholdest the evil and the

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good! Thou who knowest every heart and seest which of these ways we are in, make the word useful to us all, and incline poor sinners to choose the narrow way, that so they may find everlasting life!

I. We are to consider the wide gate and the broad way;-and what is this but sin? If there be a way to hell, sin is certainly that way, for "the wages of sin is death :" and let sinners remember, that "what a man soweth, that shall he also reap." " If we

live after the flesh we shall die." Rom. viii. 13. The way of sin is undoubtedly the way of destruction; but it may be necessary to be more particular in describing this broad way. We shall therefore show that all those persons are walking in it who have a thoughtless mind—a carnal heart, or who are living a wicked life.

1. A thoughtless mind. And, O how common this is! How many live as thoughtless about their souls, as if they had none! They think no more of God, and Christ, and salvation, than if they were incapable of thinking; they are like the beasts that perish. Although the great end of our being is to know, serve, and glorify God, yet this is wholly lost sight of and forgotten. Although the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and the care of the soul is the one thing needful,-yet thousands, even in this Christian country, live like Atheists; and God is not in all their thoughts. Oh, prodigious and lamentable stupidity! Awake, O sleeper, arise, and call upon thy God, lest thou perish! Where is thy conscience? What says death? Is it not approaching? Oh, rouse yourselves from this dangerous lethargy, and think what you are, and where you are going! Some of your character may, perhaps, be free from the grosser vices; not chargeable with profaneness, uncleanness, or drunkenness; yet know, that if living in ease and security, without any care

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about your soul and eternity, you are, equally with the vilest characters, in the broad road to destruction.

2. Again: The carnal or fleshly heart is included; so the Holy Ghost describes the heart of man in its natural and depraved state. The immortal mind of man, originally created in the image of God, and formed for spiritual exercises, is now, by the fall of Adam, become carnal. So St. Paul speaks in the Sth of Romans, verse 5th: "They that are after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit." The carnal man is all for the world: his cares, his hopes, his fears, his desires, his pleasures, his pains, his conversation, are all about the world. His fleshly mind is crowded with worldly thoughts; and, as it was at Bethlehem, there is no room for Christ in the inn. But let it be observed, that whoever is in this case, is in the broad road; for the Scripture declares, that "they that are in the flesh cannot please God," and that the "carnal mind is enmity against God." This is the miserable condition of many who pass for moral, industrious, good sort of people; but they are far from God; they are sensual, not having the Spirit ;" and, minding only earthly things, their end is destruction. Phil. iii. 19.

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3. Once more observe, that the broad way cludes a wicked life-a life of sin. Whoever lives in wilful disobedience to the commands of God is assuredly in the road to destruction. Let none deceive himself with vain words and idle excuses. "He that committeth sin is of the devil." 1 John iii. 8. "Know ye not," saith the apostle Paul, "that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, shall inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. God will not hold him guiltless who taketh his name in vain; nor will the Sabbath-breaker escape un

punished. How is it, then, that wretched sinners flatter themselves with hopes of salvation? "For these things' sake, the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience." Eph. v. 6.

4. To these destructive sins another may be added, which is more destructive than them all-namely, the sin of unbelief. Though a person should be free from many of the sins just mentioned, yet unbelief would be like a mill-stone about his neck, and sink him for ever in the gulf of perdition. God having, in his rich mercy to mankind, sent his Son to be a Saviour, and sent his gospel to publish this in our ears, nothing can be more displeasing to him, than to "neglect this his great salvation," or "refuse him that speaketh from heaven." Our blessed Saviour, while he mercifully promises that "he that believeth shall be saved," solemnly declares that " he that believeth not shall be damned." Mark xvi. 16.

This, then, is the wide gate and the broad way,namely, a thoughtless mind,-a carnal heart, and a wicked life; all which, together with unbelief, which refuses the only method of salvation, lead to certain and everlasting ruin.

But you will ask, Why are these things so described? Why are they compared to a wide gate and a broad way? The reason is plain; for as it is easy to go through a wide gate and walk in a broad road, so the sinner finds no hinderance to his entering on a life of sin, and little or no difficulty in pursuing it.

Our corrupt nature strongly inclines us to sin. David says, "We are conceived in sin, and shapen in iniquity," Psalm li. 5.; and that "the wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.' You know that children need no teacher to make them wicked. Sin is in our very nature, and we walk in this road of

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our own accord; it is natural and pleasant to us; while we as naturally dislike the narrow road, and despise those who walk in it.

Besides, those who are in the broad road meet with no hinderances from the world, or from the devil. The broad way is the way of the world; for, as the apostle John saith, "the whole world lieth in wickedness," except the happy few who are delivered from it by the grace of God. In this broad way all ranks of men may be seen, from kings and princes down to slaves and beggars. Now it is easy to walk in a broad road with a multitude, provided they are all going one way, which is the case here; for the world will love its own. In this road, persons feel the great force of example, and plead, you know, for what they do, by the commonness of it, or its being the way of the world. They are afraid of appearing singular, even though conscience sometimes remonstrates against their evil courses. The pleasures of sin entice them to go forward, notwithstanding every warning of their danger; and the hopes of gain and the favour of mankind seduce them; for these they are afraid of losing, if they become religious.

This road is wide and easy, because the devil gives no disturbance to them that walk in it. While “the strong man armed keeps the house, the goods are in peace." He strongly opposes the people of God who are in the narrow way; he disputes every inch of ground with them; but he is in league with these: he endeavours to keep them from all fear of consequences; he blinds their minds lest the light of the gospel should shine into them; and he fills their hearts with prejudices against faithful preachers, who would point out their sin and danger. Yea, he takes the same course with them as he did with our first mother, when he tempted her to eat the forbidden fruit. God had said, "If ye eat it, ye

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