;

their Hearts from the World, and in short, without quitting their Sins, and becoming new Creatures. To fay nothing of the vaft Number of Inventions to this Purpose in the Church of Rome, by Difpenfations, Pardons, Indulgences, Penances, Abfolutions, their Doctrine of probable Opinions, loose Interpretations of Chriftian Duties; and where these are any thing fevere, making them pass not for Duties, but Counfels of Perfection but, I fay, to pafs by all these, and to look at Home among ourselves, how few are there among us, who seem to think themselves obliged to live up to the ftrict Rules of Christianity, and are not more governed by the Maxims and Cuftoms of the World? And wherever these two interfere, do not prefer the Cuftoms of the World to the Precepts of Chrift? I cannot pretend to tell how these loose Opinions and Practices have prevailed; no Author will own them in all their Confequences; but our own wicked Inclinations prepare us for fucking in all fuch Principles as tend to the favouring and justifying licentious Practices. So if any Authors have spoke of the Decrees of God, though the fame Authors endeavour to reconcile that Doctrine with the Sincerity of his Exhortations to a good Life, we are apt to fuck in the dangerous Part of the Doctrine, and to make use of it to justify our own evil Courses. If there be in Scripture any one Inftance of a late Faith and Repentance that were accepted, (as I think there is but one, namely, that of the Thief upon the Crofs;) we are apt presently to apply it to ourselves, to a Purpose for which I dare fay it was never intended; not to encourage us to Repentance, as soon as we come

to be acquainted with Chrift; (which one would think fhould be the natural Confequence of that Example,) but to delay our Repentance as long as we can; which makes a Cafe very different from that which is there put; for that in all Probability was the first Time that Malefactor was acquainted with the Doctrine of Chrift, and therefore, though late, it was as soon as he could exercife the Faith and Repentance of a Chriftian; fo that to apply this Cafe to a Man who has all his Life long been acquainted with the Chriftian Religion, without exercifing Repentance and Amendment of Life, is, as I faid, at least a Mifapplication of the Cafe; and would not readily occur to our Thoughts, but that we are so apt to catch at every Thing that may encourage us in the broad Way of Sin. So as to the Nature of Repentance; because we would indulge ourselves in our evil Courses, we are willing to believe that there is no more requifite towards it, but a certain Sorrow for Sin, without confidering, that without Amendment of Life it is not a Repentance of the right Stamp. So because we have been taught that no Man lives without Sin; the Meaning of which is, that even the best of Men are fubject to Error, and Ignorance, and Forgetfulness, and feveral other Sins of Weakness and Infirmity; we, to encourage ourselves in our loose Morals, are apt to apply this Doctrine to our great wilful Sins, deliberately continued in without Repentance. And fo in all other Things there is a ftrong Biafs upon our Spirits, inftead of the strict Ways of Duty, to flee to the loofe Ways of Sin, contenting ourselves with any Colour of Probability, fuch as in other Cafes would not fatisfy a Min

of

of any Skill in the Way of common Reafoning. Not to speak now of the vaft Multitudes of nominal Christians, who neither make Conscience to live up to the Precepts of Chrift, nor seek out any Reafons, or fo much as Pretences, to excufe it.

2. In the next Place, let us confider the Danger we run from this Prevalency of evil Example.

The greatest Part of Men are either not capable of examining the intrinfick Goodness or Badness of the Way, that is, of the Course of Life which they ought to follow, being blinded by Ignorance, or ftrongly biaffed by the Prejudices of Education; or at leaft, if they are capable to do it with Pains and Application, are much more apt lazily to take Things as they find them, than to trouble themfelves to dispute the common Practices of the World: when Men are in a well beaten, much frequented Road, where their Fellow-Travellers feem not to have the leaft Doubt of the Way, they march on with Confidence, though they should happen to be wrong, and fo miflead and deceive one another. Men in this Respect are like Sheep; they love to herd together; and where one or two has the Hardiness or Rafhness to lead the Way, the· reft will certainly follow. Efpecially there is a Contagion in bad Example, our own Corrupt Inclinations giving us a strong Biass to the Thing, and then Example giving Courage and Countenance to it. So that it is a very hard Matter to refift both these, bad Inclination joined with bad Example. More particularly when the Example is fo general, as to obtain the Authority of an esta

blished

1

[SERM. blished Custom or Fashion. Then it goes on with Boldness, and, like an impetuous Torrent, carries all down before it. It requires then not a feeble Light, and a weak Inclination, but a full Affurance, and a very firm Refolution to withstand it, and to row against the Stream: Efpecially where bad Cuftoms and Fafhions are armed with Power, fo as to raise Perfecution against thofe of a contrary Way. There are but few who have the Courage, and Patience, and Steadinefs of Mind to hold out against Perfecution. For many of those who abftain from vicious Courfes, do not abftain out of any Firmness of Principle, but. either from a Goodnefs of natural Temper and Difpofition, or from a Tincture of Education, or out of Refpect to Parents, Tutors, Mafters, Benefactors, or Governors.Some with an Eye to Profit or Preferment, and fome from the flender Impreffions of Shame or Fear: now all thefe, tho' in good Times they will make a Shift to hold on tolerably well in the Way of Duty, yet fo foon as the Storm of Perfecution arifes, they are quickly beaten from their Conftancy, and follow the Multitude to the doing of Evil; fo that it is no Wonder, as our Saviour obferves in my Text, that many frequent this broad Way, and go in at this wide Gate; and that the Way of Duty being deep and rocky, and full of Difficulties, efpecially in the Beginning, there are but few who find it out, and continue in it. It is like an old deferted Way, grown up with Bufhes, or deep in Mud, ill cleared, and little trod or frequented; and therefore none will be apt to take it, but they who are very well affured that it is the only rightWay, and that all the reft are wrong.

3. In the laft Place, we are to 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 Obfervation of the great Numbers that frequent the broad Way that leads to Deftruction, and the Smalnefs of the Number of those who frequent the narrow Way that leads to Life. Not to infift now on other good Ufes which might be made of this Doctrine, the main Design of our Saviour here feems to be, to caution us against a finful Course of Life, though it should come recommended to us by Numbers, Cuftom, Authority, and Example, and with all the Invitations of Eafe and Pleafure; for all this is reprefented by the broad Way, much frequented by Company. And to give a greater Force to his Exhortation, he not only fuppofes, that often it may be fo, but acquaints us, that generally it will be fo; that the Way of Vice and Licentioufnefs will have the Advantage of Numbers and Fashion; and the Way of strict Virtue will be exploded, and looked out of Countenance; two Duties are naturally confequent upon this Obfervation Caution and Courage: First, Caution; as when . an experienced Pilot lays down to a Skipper the feveral Rocks and Shelves, or Eddies and Currents he fhall meet with in the feveral Parts of his. Voyage, it is with a Design, no Doubt, that he should either avoid them, or fteer fo much the more cautiously, if he must be obliged to go among them. This is our Cafe in the Voyage of Life; We are in very great Danger from the prevailing Customs and Examples of the World.

;

All