O my foul, let me argue at quite another rate; and thus put the cafe to myself, is the broad way to deftruction, the common way of this world? and nothing more ufual, than for men to be naught, and undo themselves? Let who will then hang all their eternal concerns upon fuch dangerous terms, as the imitation of the world, and the way of the multitude: it makes me afraid in my heart, when I perceive myself to ftand upon a level with common men. And I cannot hug myfelf in this, as worth the mentioning, that I am not as bad as the worlt; but much about one, with the ordinary fort. When Holy Scripture does affure me, that fafety does not lie on their fide: but they are ruíhing on to the place, where I would be loth to be their companion. And well may I fufpect, that all is not right; when I am but as they are.

For I

muft leave that gang; and take another course, and fet my face a new way: if I would hope, upon good grounds, and glory in that grace which makes me to differ. When amids all the gulphs, and rocks, and pirates, in the fea of this tumul, tuous world, fo flender is the number of fouls, that do escape shipwreck: when of the four forts of ground, Matth. xiii. three were naught, and brought no fruit to perfection: when, if I take away the profane, that are no feekers at all: nor fo much as pretend to take the way heaven-ward; but carry the open prog noftics of damnation upon them: and take away the hypocrites, that have only a name to live; and do but make a fhew and flufter; when they effect nothing, to please God, and fave the foul; and take away the fair honeft men, (as they are called,) whofe highest attainment is fair dealing between man and man; and their religion and piety even none at all: ah Lord! how poor a company fhall I leave behind, of the generation of them that feek the face of God; and in earneft attend the bufi

nefs,

hefs, to work out their falvation? too plain do I fee, that godliness is not the prevailing fashion of this world: but much out of request, and more out of use. The most being afhamed, but fo much as to profefs it and yet a much more poorer company, that make confcience, and take delight, to practise it.

What is to be done then here, my foul? must I, in compliment to my neighbours, yield up myself to be undone? or fhall I be jeered, and hooted out of my heavenly hopes, and my holy progrefs; be-. caufe I ftand fo much alone, that none, to fpeak of, will be with me? fhall I keep off from going, where my Lord and my confcience call me; left I fhould hear of it to my reproach, and be twitted with it as a fcandalous precifenefs; and afked, am I wifer than all the world? If my needful obedience be thus made the objection against me; and I am called to account, why I will take upon mé to exceed my neighbours; though my Lord afks me, what do I more than others? O how little fhould I regard their cenfures? and how much more does it concern me, to hearken to him, that will judge me, and that alone can fave me? I would be fociable here, as far as I can: but I dread to stand, with the mighty throngs, at his left-hand. And that fo few do find the way to life, must be none of my prejudice against it: but rather an awakening confideration, and continual remembrance, the more critically to examine myself, and the more narrowly to look to my ways: becaufe for one that takes the right way, fo many do mifs it, and perifh. Though the Lord's redeemed, that fhall be faved, are faid to be 66 a great multitude, which no man can number, of all nations, and kindred, and t people, and tongues," Rev. vii. 9. And what inhabitants may be in other parts of the univerfe, befides our globe of earth; and what numbers may

66

be

*

be faved from thence, even to exceed all that are loft, I cannot take upon me to determine; yet t know, that our Lord himself, who makes the comparison between those that are saved, and those that perith, out of this world, Matth. vii. 13, 14. calls these many; and the other but a few. And this, I think, is apology enough for fingularity from the worldly company; yea, and a loud alarm, to look to myself, and not reft fatisfied, in being and doing as the moft. Yet be not dejected, my foul, that the odds may feem ftill, many to one, against me: but remember how our Lord answered the curious queftion, Luke xiii. 23. "Lord, are there few that "be faved?" He faid, "ftrive to enter in at the "ftrait gate." As who fhould fay, trouble not thy head, about the number; but strive thou to enter, and fo fhalt thou make thyfelf fure to be one of them. Let me then watch and pray, and beftir me diligently in the way of my duty: and thus fhall I remove the doubt and the dread; and find all fure on my fide, that my labour fhall not be in vain in the Lord.

“L°

ORD, thou wouldeft have all men to be faved: and every one in the world defires "to be happy. But thy terms of falvation do not "please the moft: and O how few do like the

holy way that leads to thy heavenly kingdom? "how few but will run on after their own foolish " and hurtful lufts, though it be to the final lofs of "their dear immortal fouls? and in this cafe fhall "I be afraid to break company, left I fhould be reproached with my fingularity? O rather let me dread to be with the moft: and fufpect, that "I am wrong, when but like the reft. O my Sa. "viour! help me to follow thee, though it be not

"with the multitude. Conduct me in the right "courfe heaven-ward: and how few partners fo"ever I have here; I fhall there be filled with all "the best company, as well as with all the biggest joy. Yea, when thou haft fecured me from the deftruction, into which fo many do fall; then "fhall I the more rejoice in fuch peculiar mercy; "and glorify thy name for evermore. Amen."

I

MEDITATION XLIX.

Of the difficulty to get to heaven.

the Lord's commands be not grievous, but his yoke easy, and his burden light; how comes the gate then to be fo ftrait, and the way fo narrow, that few can get through it? my foul, thou mayeft tell the reafon for whatever our Lord does enjoin us, is very congruous to all that's uncorrupt and rational in us; and nothing more fweet and defirable to the willing and fpiritual, who are bound for eternal life, and helped on with power from on high. But to flesh and blood, and nature unregenerate, all is crofs and irksome, and the yoke rough and painful to the carnal and vicious, that are unaccustomed to it, and all set upon a contrary course. They that are used to filthy ways, and love to trudge through the mire, are prejudiced against the holy way, even because it is clean and undefiled. And be it never fo much the better, yet does it not fo well agree with them, because they muft combat themselves, and thwart their own vile propensions, and get and keep in it. Their brutish lufts, and VOL. I.

G g

wild

wild paffions, and finful corruptions hanging fo cumbersome about them, do clog and hinder their entrance; and their running the race fet before them. And hence comes all the trouble, to row against the tide of depraved nature, and to break our vitiated appetites, and overcome the ill principle in us, which is indeed against us; yea, after that we have with hard ftruggle, brought ourselves into the narrow way: though the grand obftacle be then removed, yet is not all the difficulty quite over; but new temptations, and fresh eruptions of the old corruptions, will make us ftill more work, to hold what we have attained, and to recover what we have loft. Still our life here is a warfare, and a tough conflict, with one interruption and impediment after another: that though we do fee our way before us, and like of it, and refolve upon it; yet, O how oft are we put befide it, and fain to bewail ourselves, and repent our mifdoings; and with much ado, get again into a state of fafety and comfort? there muft then diligence be given, to make our calling and election fure; and there must be labouring for the meat that endures to everlasting life and not only fome lazy and tardy feeking, but earnest and timely friving, to enter into God's reft. There must be doing, to be saved; yea, patient continuance in well-doing, to obtain eternal life: and a working out of our own falvation, to make fure of it. The flothful fervant therefore is excluded, because he only cheapens, and offers fomewhat; but he will not come up to the price, to take the glorious objects of his hopes, upon God's terms; when the terms are irreverfibly fettled, and not to be altered.

Here then, my foul, I am not to expect a way ftrowed with nothing but flowers, and a land flowing only with milk and honey; when godlinefs is a rofe growing on the briers, and through much

tribulation