they are perhaps drier and fmoother, and more inviting to the Eye, we are much more apt to be loft and bewildered in them. But to explain the Matter without Metaphors; by the ftrait Gate, and the narrow Way, are meant the Difficulties both of the first Entrance upon a serious Course of Life, according to our Saviour's Precepts; and the Difficulties of continuing ftedfastly in it, notwithstanding the many Perfecutions and other Temptations to take the Way of Vice. And by the wide Gate and the broad Way, is meant, this Way of Vice, which offers itself, and allures us both with a more eafy Entrance into it, and with its greater Agreeableness to our corrupt Inclinations, while we continue in it; for these do not brook well to be hemmed in with Hedge and Ditch, but want to have the Liberty of expatiating, and of taking their Diverfion, without any Thought of the Journey's End, or the great Bufinefs we are about by the Way. On the one hand then, here is fet before us the Way of our Saviour's Precepts; this is a Way which is both very difficult to enter upon, confidering the great Corruption of our Natures, and the Strength of our evil Habits, and the strong Torrent of the contrary Cuftoms of the World; and very difficult to hold on in it against all Temptations from the Devil, and the World, and the Flesh: This is the narrow Way, here spoke of. On the other hand is the Way of Licentioufnefs, giving a Loofe to our Appetites and Paffions, and indulging to our evil Customs and vicious Inclinations, making frequent Sallies out of the Road of Duty, into the broad Fields of Sin and Pleasure; forgetting the Business of our Journey,

2

Journey, and not minding in what Ruin and Mifery thefe idle and vicious Courses will end. This is the broad Way, which our Saviour here cautions us against.

By the by, we are to obferve, that it is not all uneafy difficult Ways of living, which we are to take for the fafe narrow Way here defcribed, but only the Way of Duty and Virtue, or, which is the fame Thing, the Way of our Saviour's Precepts, in fo far as they are attended with Troubles and Difficulties, which is to be understood by the fafe narrow Way in my Text. This is the main Point which our Saviour is fecuring by all those excellent Cautions in the End of this Sermon on the Mount. It was that we might comply with this, that he directed us to the right Way of obtaining Grace of our heavenly Father; it was that we might not forget this, that he furnished us with that comprehenfive Breviate of Duty, we heard lately explained, that whatsoever we would that Men fhould do to us, we should do fo to them. It is for this that he guards us here against the broad Way of Sin and evil Example. It is for this, that in the following Words he cautions us both against false Prophets, and againft falfe Hopes of Heaven, from the Example of carelefs Livers, though profeffing Chriftianity, and pretending to a great Interest in Chrift. I think it neceffary to put you in Mind of this, because a great many other Aufterities have been invented and recommended to the World, which, with unwary People, might pass for the narrow Way of Religion and Virtue, but are not. St. Paul tells us of fome of these Aufterities in his Days, Abftinence from Meats,

and forbidding of Marriage; and the Church of Rome has taught us a great many more, in the ftrict Vows of feveral of their Monaftick Orders, and the ftrict Abftinence enjoined in many of them. Every new Sect too among ourselves, commonly affects fome thing or other of this kind, as a Mark of Diftinction, or as an Artifice to recommend themselves as more ftrict and felf-denying than their Neighbours. But we are to remember, that it is only the Way of Chrift's Precepts, and not any human Inventions, which is recommended to us, by this Injunction of entring in at the ftrait Gate, and walking in the narrow Way that leads to Life. We are not to load the Way of Duty with more Difficulties than God has thought fit to burden it with, and should look with a jealous Eye on them that do; their Defign being to divert Mens Zeal and Diligence from the substantial Duties of Religion, to Matters of Superftition and human Invention.

Now, if the narrow Way here described, is the Way of Chrift's Precepts, then it is no hard Matter to understand what is to be meant by the broad Way; namely, the Way of Liberty and Licentiousness, confined by no Bounds, but jumping over Hedge and Ditch into our Neighbour's Enclosures, and venturing on Things prohibited. Now this may well be refembled to a broad Way, because of the much greater Eafinefs of it to Flesh and Blood, and because it is much lefs confined within any ftrict Bounds, but leaves a Liberty to Mens Lufts and Paffions, and covetous and ambitious Inclinations, and will not be reftrained within the Rules of Duty; and because it is much more frequented by great Crowds of Company,

2

Company, than the narrow Way of Duty is. And this leads me to,

II. The Second Thing we are to confider, which is, how little Company there is in the narrow Way of Duty, and how much in the broad Way of Sin; for as to the one, to wit, the broad Way, and the wide Gate, we are told, that many there be which go in thereat; but as to the other, the narrow Way, and the strait Gate, that few there be that find it. This is another great Inducement to Care and Diligence, to walk in the strict Ways of Christian Virtue laid down by Chrift; because not only our own Lufts and Corruptions, but the Examples likewise of the World, will be apt to feduce us into the Way of Liberty and Licentiousness. In fpeaking to this important Obfervation of our Lord's, I fhall do these three Things.

I. I will fhew the Truth of this Affertion, that there are many who fall in with the broad' Way of Vice and Licentioufnefs; and but few in comparison, who take to the strict Way of Duty, and keep in it.

2. I fhall confider the Danger we run, from this Prevalency of evil Example.

3. I shall endeavour to find out the Duty our Saviour defigned to teach these his first Disciples, and all other Chriftians to the End of the World, from this Observation.

I. As to the Truth of the Affertion, that there are many who fall in with the broad Way of Vice and Licentiousness, and but few in comparifon, who take to the ftrict Way of Duty, and keep in it. To fay nothing of those that were without

P 3

[SERM. without the Pale of the Church of God at that Time, of whofe vicious Lives St. Paul gives us a moft terrible Defcription, Rom. i. from the 21ft Verfe to the End of the Chapter; to pafs by them, I fay, because it was not fo much with an Eye to them our Saviour gave this Caution; and to confider only what he had more immediately under his View, the prefent State of the Jewish Church, togetherwith what he forefaw of the future State of the Chriftian Church, it will be no hard Matter to make good this fad Obfervation of them both. As to the Jewish Church, if the Pharifees, the ftrictest Sect among them, had no better Righteoufnefs than that exterior one, which our Saviour has been expofing, confuting and rectifying, all along this excellent Sermon on the Mount; what shall we think of the Righteousness of the Sadducees, who believed no future State? And what of the Righteousness of the great Body of the People, who commonly lived in Ignorance, and went aftray after their worldly Cares and Lufts, like Sheep without a Shepherd? And as to the Chriftian Church, tho' it was a very exemplary Body of People, while they were under the Crofs, and had no fecular Powers to encourage them; no fooner did the Roman Empire receive the Profeffion of Christianity, than prefently there broke in fuch a worldly Spirit into the Church, that for one fincere Chriftian, there were a great many Hypocrites; and in AfterTimes, abundance of deluding Arts have been found out, to reconcile the Duties of Chriftianity with the Ways and Fashions of the World, and to teach Men a broad and eafy Way to Heaven, without the Trouble of mortifying their Lufts, and fubduing their Paffions, and weaning