fafety. This is not a fecret, but a revealed decree. By this let us govern our conduct. On this let us ground our hopes, or our fears, according as we find our character. God will not depart from it; for he is of one mind; none can turn him. We cannot alter it, for it is founded in the nature of God. The change must be in us. Let us by faith embrace the promife of God, and by repentance renounce the practice of fin, and thus giving all diligence, add to our faith all the virtues and works of the gospel; in this progress we shall make our calling and election fure, and shall never fall, but an entrance will be miniftred to us abundantly into the kingdom of Chrift.

SERMON XI.

The Causes, why many who seek, cannot enter at the ftrait Gate.

LUKE xiii. 24.

Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I fay unto you, will feek to enter in, and fhall not be able.

THE entrance into heaven is here reprefented as a ftrait gate. It is fo called, because the terms of admiffion are ftrict and indifpenfable; and in the way thither much oppofition is to be expected.

Our Lord warns us, that there are many, who will fail of entering in at this gate. Hence he commands us to ftrive for an entrance, left we be found among the unhappy number, which fhall be excluded.

These obfervations have, in a former discourse, been illustrated and applied.

We now proceed to obferve,

Thirdly: Our faviour, for our caution, points out the causes, why many will not enter in at the ftrait gate. These are negligence, dilatoriness and falfe dependence.

1. One cause, why many fail of falvation, is negligence. "Strive," fays our Lord, "for many

will feek to enter, and shall not be able. Seeking is a word often used to exprefs the whole condition of falvation: but here it is used in a lower fenfe, and in distinction from striving.

The latter is a word, which imports the greateft earnestness-the moft vigorous exertion, like that which combatants ufe, when they are contending for the maftery. There is a promise of eternal life to them who seek it; but it is only to them who feek it firft, and in preference to all earthly interests to them who feek it diligently, and by a patient continuance in well-doing-to them who seek it betimes, and while it may be found. This Jeeking is the fame as friving. There is a careless kind of feeking, which will not be fuccessful. Our faviour speaks of fome, who shall seek him, and yet fhall die in their fins-of fome who seek him, not for the fpiritual bleffings which he bestows, but for inferior ends. If they seek the kingdom of heaven, yet they first seek what they shall eat and drink.

Under the light of revelation, it is probable, there are few, but who have an intention to obtain heaven. Depraved as human nature is, few are fo abandoned to ftupidity-fo loft to the fentiments of happiness and mifery, as to feel no impreffion from the terrors of the world to come. To dwell with devouring fire, with everlasting burningsis fo tremendous a thought, that even care. lefs finners are fometimes afraid. They wish to escape the awful scene, which the gospel opens to their view. In their ferious hours they form fome purposes of repentance, they make fome addreffes to the God of mercy, and they think of turning to a virtuous life. But their refolutions, prayers and endeavors are faint, tranfient and ineffectual. If they may be faid to feek heaven; yet they

VOL. V.

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do not strive for it, with that engagedness of heart, that conftancy of refolution, that perfeverance of application, with which combatants contend for victory, or with which men ordinarily purfue their worldly ends. If they feek, yet they feek not first the kingdom of God. If they attend at all to the care of their fouls, yet they attend not to it as the one thing needful. There is no reason to think, that fuch a feeking as this, will avail. The gofpel injoins a different kind of feeking. "Strive to enter in at the ftrait gate." "So run that ye may obtain." "Labour not for the meat which perifhes, but for that which endures to everlasting life." "The kingdom of heaven fuffers violence, and the violent take it by force-they prefs into it." This is the feeking which God requires, and in no other way can we promife ourselves fuccefs.

The object in view is fo great, that our prayers to obtain it cannot be too importunate-our labours to fecure it cannot be too earneft, conftant and perfevering.

We need not fear, that we fhall strive with too much engagednefs. But we must be careful that we place not a wrong kind of dependance on our ftriving. We may hope for fuccefs, when we feek with carneftnefs and diligence, becaufe God has required us thus to feek. But ftill we muft remember that we are unworthy creatures-that our fins have forfeited every bleffing-that whatever good we obtain, it is a gift of grace-that we have no claim on God's juftice in virtue of any thing we have done, nor any claim on his promife, till we have actually complied with the terms of it; and, that as long as we remain impenitent, we are expofed to the condemnation of God's law, whatever pains to escape it we have

taken. We are to ftrive earnestly, but humbly; we are to rely not on the value of what we have done to obtain falvation, but on the grace of God, who has offered falvation to us, awakened our defires to fecure it, and excited our diligence in feeking it.

If we indulge the proud thought, that God would be unjuft and cruel, to deny us falvation after we have done fo much in the business-or that he is unkind to keep us fo long in fear and fufpenfe, when we have been fo importunate for the affurance of hope-or that he is partial in withholding from us those comforts and joys, which others have obtained in a fhorter time and with less pains; we then turn our strivings into a vain and offenfive felf-righteoufnefs; we difhonour God, and defeat the otherwife hopeful fuccefs of our endeavours; we discover the fame haughty and impatient fpirit, which God condemns in fome ancient hypocrites. "Your words have been stout against me-Ye have faid, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it, that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hofts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they who tempt God are even delivered."

2. Another caufe why many will not be able to enter, is dilatorinefs. "Strive," fays our Lord, ftrive now," for many will feek," will feek bereafter, and "fhall not be able to come in."

But why fhall they not be able? Because the door will then be fhut. Thus it is added, "when once the mafter of the house has rifen up and has fhut to the door; and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, faying, Lord, Lord, open to us; then fhall he fay unto you, I know you not whence ye are." You will here observe,