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Having thus explained the words, I shall take occafion from the first part of them, namely, the duty of exhortation, to handle these three points, very useful for us to consider, and to be well instructed in:

1st, The difficulties of a holy and Christian course. adly, The firm resolution and earnest endeavour that is required on our part for the conquering of these difficulties.

3dly, That these difficulties are not so great and infuperable, as to be a just discouragement to our endeavours; if we will strive, we may master them. First, The difficulties of a holy and Christian course. And these are either from ourselves, or from fomething without us.

1. From ourselves, from the original corruption and depravation of our nature, and the power of evil habits and customs, contracted by vicious practi

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Our natures are vitiated and depraved, inclined to evil, and impotent to good; besides, that being habituated to finandovice, it is a matter of infinite difficulty to break off a custom, and to turn the course of our life another way. Now because this is the difficulty of our first entrance into religion, it is represented by a strait gate, which is hard to get through.

2. There are likewise other difficulties from without; as namely, the opposition and perfecution of the world, which was very raging and violent in the first beginnings of Chriftianity. And this our Saviour represents by the ruggedness and roughness of the way, as St. Matthew expresseth it, chap. vii. 14. Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads το life, Καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἡ ὁδὸς, confragosa est via, (fo Grotius renders it) the way is craggy, full of afflictions and troubles.

So that these are the two great difficulties in a Christian course, indisposition from within, and oppofition from without.

1. Indisposition from within. And this makes religion so much the more difficult, because it checks us at our very first entrance upon our Christian course, and makes us unwilling to set out. The corruption

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of our nature, and those vitious habits, which by a long custom of fin we have contracted, do strongly incline us to the contrary way, so that a man must offer great force and violence to himself, that will conquer this difficulty. It is one of the hardest things in the world to break off a vitious habit, and to get loose from the tyranny of custom. The Prophet Jeremiah speaks of it as next to a natural impoffibility, chap. xiii. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. This requires great striving indeed. Nothing shows the spirit and refolution of a man more, than to contend with an inveterate habit, for in this case a man strives againft the very bent and inclination of his foul; and it is easier to set a man against all the world, than to make him fight with himself: and yet this every man must do, who from any wicked course of life, betakes himself seriously to religion; he must as it were lay violent hands upon himself, and fight with the man he was before; and this in fcripture is emphatically exprest to us, by crucifying the old man, with the affections and lusts thereof. A Christian when he first enters upon a holy and good course of life, is represented as two persons or parties at civil wars one with another, the old, and the new man; fo that whoever will be a Christian, must put off himself, and become another man; and it is no easy matter for a man to quit himself.

2. In our Christian course, we must likewise expect to meet with great opposition from without. Blessed be God, Christianity hath generally been for many ages free from this difficulty, which attended the firít profeffion of it: it was then indeed a very steep and craggy way, very rough and thorny, not to be travelled in without sweat and blood: then the dangers and hazards of that profeffion were such, as were not to be encountered by a mere moral resolution, and the natural strength of flesh and blood; the perfecution that attended it was so hot, and the torments which threatened it so terrible, that the sensual and inconfiderate part of mankind would rather venture hell at VOL. VI. a dia distance, than run themselves upon so present and evident a danger.

But since these ages of persecution, this difficulty hath been in a great measure removed. Not but that the true religion hath still its enemies in the world; but they are not let loose, as they were in those times; it is still perfecuted and exposed to the malice and reproach, but not to the rage and fury of unreasonable men. In the calmest times there is hardly any man can be a strict and sincere Christian, without being liable to hatred and contempt, without denying himself many of those worldly advantages which those who make no confcience of the strict laws of Christianity may make to themselves; so that at all times it requires a good degree of constancy and resolution to persevere in a holy course, and to bear up against the opposition of the world, and to withstand its temptations, to be harmless and blameless in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation; not to be infected with the eminent and frequent examples of vice, and carried down with the stream of a corrupt and degenerate age. So that though our difficulties be not always the fame, and equal to those which the primitive Christians encountered, yet there is enough to exercise our best resolution and care; though the main body of the enemies of Christianity be broken, and the fons of Anak be destroyed out of the land; yet some of the old inhabitants are still left, to be thorns in our fides, and pricks in our eyes, that true religion may always have fomething to exercise its force and vigour upon. I have done with the first point, the difficulties of a Christian course. I proceed to the

Second, The earnest endeavour that is to be used on our part, for the conquering of these difficulties. And to the business of religion, if we will fet upon it in good earnest, these three things are required:

1st, A mighty resolution to engage us in a holy and Christian course.

2dly, Great diligence and industry to carry us on 3dly, An invincible constancy to carry us through it, and make us persevere in it to the end.

in it.

3dly,

1st, A mighty resolution to engage us in a holy and good course. For want of this most men mifcarry and stumble at the very threshold, and never get through the ftrait gate, never master the difficulties of the first entrance. Many are well disposed towards religion, and have fits of good inclination that way, (especially in their young and tender years) but they want firmness of resolution to conquer the difficulties of the first entrance upon a religious and virtuous life: like the young man that came to our Saviour, well inclined to do fome good thing, that he might inherit eternal life; but when it came to the point, he gave back; he was divided betwixt Christ and the world, and had not resolution enough to part with all for him.

Many men (I doubt not) have frequent thoughts and deliberations about a better course of life, and are in a good mind to take up, and break off that lewd and riotous course they are in; but they cannot bring themselves to a fixt purpose and resolution: and yet without this nothing is to be done, the double minded man is unstable in all his ways. There must be no indifferency and irresoluteness in our minds, if we will be Christians; we must not stop at the gate, but resolve to press in. We see that men can take up peremptory refolutions in other matters, to be rich and great in the world, and they can be true and stedfast to these resolutions; and why should not men refolve to be wife and happy, and stand to these refolutions, and make them good? God is more ready to assist and strengthen these kind of resolutions than any other; and I am fure no man hath so much reafon to refolve upon any thing, as to live a holy and virtuous life; no other resolution can do a man that good, and bring him that comfort and happiness that this will.

2dly, The business of religion, as it requires a mighty resolution to engage us in a holy and good course, so likewise a great diligence to carry us on in it. When we are got through the strait gate, we muft

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must account to meet with many difficulties in our way; there are in the course of a Christian life many duties to be performed, which require great pains and care; many temptations to be resisted, which will keep us continually upon our guard; a great part of the way is up hill, and not to be climbed without labour; and the scripture frequently calls upon us, to work out our falvation with fear and trembling; that is, with great care and industry; to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure; to follow holiness; διώκειν, to pursue it with great earnestness. Nothing in this world that is of value, is to be had on other terms; and we have low thoughts of heaven, if we think any pains too much to get thither.

3dly, The business of religion requires an invin cible constancy to carry us through it, and to make us perfevere in it to the end. Resolution may make a good entrance; but it requires great constancy and firmness of mind to hold out in a good course. A good resolution may be taken up upon a present heat, and may cool again; but nothing but a constant and steady temper of mind will make a man perfevere; and yet without this, no man shall ever reach heaven. He that continueth to the end shall be saved; but if any man draw back, God's soul will have no plea Sure in him. God puts this case by the Prophet, and determines it, Ezek. xviii. 24. When the righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, shall he live? all his righteousness that he hath done, shall not be mentioned; in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his fin that he hath finned, in them he shall dy; nay, fo far will his righteousness be from availing him, if he do not persevere in it, that it will render his condition much worse, to have gone fo far towards heaven, and at last to turn his back upon it. So St. Peter tells us, 2 Pet. ii. 20, 21. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again intangled therein, and overcome; the latter end is worse with them than the beginning; for it had been better for them not to have known the way

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