Christ's yoke an easy yoke, and yet the gate to heaven a strait gate in two excellent sermons, well worthy the serious perusal of the strictest professors / by a learned and reverend divine.

I.

We must strive to enter. And this Duty enforc'd by a dou∣ble Argument.

1. From the order of the end, and nature of the thing: the Gate is strait, and therefore we must strive.

2. From the caution and exam∣ple of them, that have fallen short for want of due striving. Many sought, and fain would have entred, but for want of striving they were not able.

1. And first of the duty it self, Contendite intrare: strive to enter in at the strait Gate.

And here I consider, That besides the extension of our Duty, there be∣ing more Duties required of us than of any sort of men before the preach∣ing of the Gospel (the Jews them∣selves, who reckon that Moses gave to them six hundred and thirteen Precepts, having received no precept at all concerning Prayer, Faith, or Repentance) besides this I say, I con∣sider, that not only in respect of the extension, but by reason of the in∣tension of our Duty, and the degrees of Holiness that the holy Laws of

Christianity require of us, it is ne∣cessary that we strive with great ear∣nestness. Qui enim Sanctitatem San∣ctê custodiunt, judicabuntur Sancti, saith the Wisdom of Solomon. cap. 6. v. 10. A Man may do holy things un∣holily. There are some that preach Christ out of envy, there are many that get Proselytes for gain; there are some that are zealous to get Disci∣ples, that they may glory in their Flesh, as some fase Apostles did to the Galatians; there is some zeal in an evil matter; and many times, when a Man hath done good actions, he is the further off from the Gates of Hea∣ven, not because he did the good acti∣ons, but because he wanted those for∣malities & circumstances, those man∣ners and degrees, those principles and ends, which make good actions in them∣selves be good in us, which crown the actions and make us to be accepted.

It was well done in the Pharisees

to Pray often, and to Fast twice in the week, and to give Alms; and yet these very good actions were so far from being commended, that they be∣came the object of his anger, and the matter of reproof, and it was because they did it with a design to be ac∣counted holy. Indeed they blew a Trumpet, but that was to call the poor together, that was the external end. But there was a little Ivy crept up on this goodly Oak, till it suckt its heart out; they themselves would be taken notice of, and that spoil'd all; their actions went no further than the end which they propounded to them∣selves. For that which Men make their principal end, that God will suffer shall be their end. If they seek the praise of Men, that being their purpose, that shall be their reward; but if they aim at the pleasure of God, and the rewards of Heaven, thither will God's Mercy and their

own good deeds bear them.

A little leaven it is that sowrs the whole lump. Who would have thought, that our Blessed Saviour should have found fault with the Pharisees for giving God thanks for his Graces, or not have been satisfi∣ed with the exactness of their Justice and Religion, that they would give Tith, even of Mint and Anise and Cummin seeds; or have reprov'd Judas for having care of the poor, or dis∣countenanc'd the Jews for accusing the Woman taken in Adltery; or have been discontented at the Doctors of the Law for being strict and severe exa∣ctors of the Law of God at the people's hands, or check'd them for observing the innocent customs of their Na∣tion, and Tradition of their fore-Fa∣thers? Since all these acts were Pious, or Just, or Charitable, or Religious, or Prosecutions of some part or other of their Duty. The several reasons

of these reprehensions our Blessed Saviour subjoyns at the end of every of them respectively. They wanted a circumstance, or a good manner; their actions were better than their intentions, and sometimes their ma∣lice was greatest in their very acts of Charity. And when they gave God thanks, they did despite to their Bro∣ther; something or other did enve∣nom the face of these acts of Piety; Their heart was not upright, or their Religion was imperfect; their Piety wanted some integral part, or had an evil Eye. A word, a thought, a se∣cret purpose, a less holy intention, any indirect circumstance, or obliqui∣ty in an accident makes our Piety be∣come impious, and deprives us of our reward. Here therefore we had need to Watch, to Strive, to Pray, to Contend, and to do all diligence that can be express'd by all the Synony∣ma's of care and industry.

2. We had need to Strive, because though Vertues be nice and curious, yet vitia sunt in facili et propinquo, Sin lies at the door, and is thrust up∣on us by the violence of Adversaries, or by the subtilty and insinuation of its own nature, which we are to un∣derstand to the following sence. For when we are born of Christian Pa∣rents, we are born in puris naturalibus, we have at first no more promptness to commit some sort of Sins, than to commit some good acts. We are as apt to learn to love God, as to love our Parents, if we be taught it. For though Original Sin hath lost to us all those supernaural assistances, which were at first put into our Na∣ture per modum gratiae; yet it is but by accident that we are more prone to Sin, than we are to Virtue. For after this it happened that God giving us Laws, made his restraints and prohi∣bitions in materia voluptatis sensualis,

he by his Laws hath enjoyn'd us to de∣ny our natural Appetites in many things. Now this being become the matter of Divine Laws, that we should in many parts and degrees abstain from what pleases our sense, by this supervening accident it happens that we are very hardly wean'd from Sin, but most easily tempted to a Vice; our Nature is not contrary to Virtue, but the instances of some Vertues are made to come cross our Na∣ture.

But in things intellectual and im∣material, we are indeed indifferent to Virtue and Vice; I say, where neither one, nor the other satisfies the sensual part.

In the Old Law, when it was a duty to Swear by the God of Is∣rael in common Causes, Men were indifferent to that, and to swear by the Queen of Heaven; they had no more natural inclination to the one,

than to the other, except where some∣thing sensual became the argument to determine them. And in sensual things, if God had commanded Po∣lygamy or promiscuous concubinate, and indifferent unlimited Lust, Men had been more apt to obey that Com∣mandment, than to disobey it. But then the restraint lying upon our na∣tural appetites, and we being by ill E¦ducation determin'd upon, and almost engag'd to Vitious Actions, we suffer under the inconveniences of idle Education, and in the mean time rail upon Adam and Original Sin. It is indifferent to us to love our Fathers, and to love strangers. And if from our Infancy we be told concerning a stranger that he is our Father; we frame our affections to Nature, and our Nature to Custom and Educati∣on, and are as apt to love him, who is not, and yet is said to be, as him who is said not to be, and yet indeed is our natural Father.

The purpose of this Discourse is this, that we may consider how Sin creeps upon us in our Education so tacitely and undiscernably, that we mistake the cause of it; and yet so effectually and prevalently, that we guess it to be our very Nature, and charge it upon Adam, when every one of us is the Adam, the Man of Sin, and the Parent of our own Iniquities. We are taught to be revengeful even in our Cradles, and taught to strike our neighbours as a means to still our frowardness, and satisfie our wranglings. Our Nurses teach us to know the greatness of our birth, or the riches of our inheritance, or they learn us to be proud, or to be impatient, before we learn to know God, or to say our Prayers.

After we are grown up to more years, we have Tutors of impiety, that are stronger to perswade, and more diligent to insinuate, and we

are more receptive of every vicious impression. And not to reckon all the inconveniencies of evil company, indulgence of Parents, publick and authoriz'd customs of Sin, and all the mischiefs and dangers of publick Society, and private retirements, when we have learn'd to discern good from evil, and when we are prompted to do a good, or engaged to it by some happy circumstance or occasion, our good is so seldom, and so little, and there are so many ways of spoyling it, that there are not more ways to make an Army miscarry in a Battle, than there are to make us perish even in our good actions.

Every Enemy that is without, every weakness and imperfection we have within; every temptation, eve∣ry vitious circumstance, every action of our life mingled with interest and design, is as a particular argument to engage our earnestness and zeal in

this Duty ut contendamus acriter, that we strive and make it our busi∣ness, to enter into the Strait Gate. For since the Writers of Moral In∣stitutions and Cases of Conscience have made no such abbreviatures of the Duty of a Christian, but that I think there are amongst them all without hyperbole five thousand Cases of Conscience, besides the ordinary plain Duty of a Christian, and there may be five thousand times five thou∣sand, and the wit of Man can no more comprize all Cases, which are or may be within their Books, than they can at once describe an infinity, or set down the biggest number that can be; it will follow that it is a nice thing to be a Christian, and all the striving we can use, will be little e∣nough towards the doing of our duty.

And now if you enquire, what is meant by striving in this place? and what is the full intention of this Pre∣cept?

I Answer; it is an infinite or in∣definite term, and signifies no deter∣minate degree of labour and endea∣vour, but even as much as we can, supposing our weaknesses, our hin∣drances and avocations; that is, to make it the business of our Lives, the care of our Thoughts, our study and the greatest imployment of the whole Man to serve God. Holy Scripture gives us general notions and compre∣hensions of the whole Duty of Man, that may be excellent guides to us in this particular, Heb. 12.1. Let us lay aside every weight, and the Sin that doth so easily beset us. For he that contendeth for Mastery is temperate in all things, saith St. Paul. There is first an obligation of all Sin whatso∣ever, every weight, every Sin, every hindrance; abstaining from all things whatsoever that are impediments. And we do not strive to do this, un∣less we use all the means we can to

learn what is our Duty, and what infinite variety of Sins there are that so easily beset us. And let me de∣sire you to observe one thing; make a tryal in any one Sin that is or hath been most pleasing to any of you, and according to your Duty set upon its mortification heartily and throughly, and try whether it will not be a hard strife with flesh and blood, and a great contention to kill that one crime; I mean in the midst of your temptations to it, and opportunities of acting it; and by this you may make a short conjecture, at the great∣ness of this Duty. And this is but the one half; For the extirpation of Vices is not always the introduction of Virtues. For there are some Men that have ceased from an act of Sin, that still retain the affection, and there are others who have quitted their af∣fection to Sin, who yet are not re∣conciled to the difficulty and pains

of acquiring Vertues. I thank God I am no Extortioner, no Adulterer, not as this Publican, saith the Pharisee: So far many go, and then they think themselves fairly assoiled, who are only like misguided Travellers, that upon discovery of their error cease to wander further, but are not yet returned, nor have made any progress in the true way. Some Men cease to oppress their Neighbours, and will do so no more; but they think not of making restitution of what wrongs have been done by them long since. Some Men will leave off from Drunkenness; but they think not of fasting, and enduring Hunger and Thirst and Pains to punish their past Intemperance. There is a further striving, or we shall not enter into the narrow Gate. St. Peter gives an ex∣cellent account of it; 2 Pet. 1.4. Having escaped the corruption that is in the World through Lust; that's one

half: but he adds, And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your Faith, Vertue, and to Vertue Knowledge, to Knowledg Temperance, to Temperance Patience, to Patience Godliness, to God∣liness Brotherly kindness, to Brotherly kindness Charity: these things must be in you and abound, saith St. Peter; and therefore, as himself prefaces, you had need give all diligence, and strive earnestly to all these purpo∣ses.

In the mean time I pray remember, that this is not to strive, when we on∣ly do perform those Offices of Reli∣gion, which Custom or the Laws of a Church enjoyn us to: nor this when our Religion is cheap and easy, when we use arts to satisfie our Consci∣ence, and heap up Teachers of our own to that purpose, that by a strata∣gem they and we may bend the Duty to our Conscience, not measure our Conscience by our Duty; when we call

security a just peace, want of under∣standing a sufficient warrant for qui∣etness, the not-committing of de∣formed and scandalous Sins a pious Life; this is far from striving, here is no striving in this, but how to cozen and abuse our selves. If the affairs of the World (I do not say) take up not only most of our time, but most of our affections; if the returns of Sin be frequent, and of Religion be seldom and unpleasant; If any Vice hath got possession of us, or that we have not got possession of all those Virtues we have use of, we have not striven Lawfully. Shall I tell you, how St. Paul did strive? that thence we a so may have a fair patern and president to imitate, 2 Cor. 6. you have his course of Life largely described: Gi∣ving no offence in any thing, but ap∣proving our selves in much Patience, in Afflictions, in Labours, in Watchings, in fast••ngs, by Pureness, by Knowledge,

by Long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by Love unfeigned, by the Word of Truth, by the Power of God, by the Armour of Righteousness, and by an evenness of Temper in the midst of an uneven, unquiet and contradictory con∣dition: this was his course of Life, thus did he labour Mortifying his Soul, heightening his Devotion, bringing his Body under, and advancing the in∣terests of the Gospel, lest by any means he had run, or should run in vain.

I speak not these things to discou∣rage you, but to provoke you to good Works and a Holy Life. For if you ask, who does all this, or indeed who is able?

I answer; it is no good argument of an affection to God, when we make such scrupulous questions con∣cerning his Injunctions. He that loves God, does all this; Love is the ful∣filling of the Commandments: Love hopeth all things, endureth all things,

thinketh nothing impossible; at∣tempteth those things as most easie, which to natural Reason seem im∣possible.

For consider, that as without God's Grace we can do nothing; so by his Grace strengthening us we can do any thing. Faith works Miracles, and Charity does more. Through Christ that strengthens me I can do all things, saith St. Paul, and Christ's Grace is sufficient for me, sufficient to all God's purposes, and to all mine. For it is not commanded to us to remove Mountains from their places, which we never plac'd there; but to remove our Sins which we our selves have made. We are not commanded to do things, which are not in our Pow∣er; but such things which God en∣ables us to, and to which we disable our selves by cowardice, & intimida∣ting our own Spirits, by despairing of God's Grace, by refusing to labour,

by deferring our endeavours till the weight of our sin grows great, and our strength grows less; till our ini∣quities are many, and our days are few; and then indeed we have some reason to say, we cannot strive in such measure, as the greatness of these Duties does require.

And yet remember 'tis but stri∣ving, that is, doing the utmost of our endeavour; the best Man in the World can do no more than use all his endeavour, and he that is weakest can do so much, that is, he can do his endeavour. And although a Boy cannot strike so great a stroke as a strong Man, yet he can put forth all his strength; and the just and merciful Lawgiver never requires more of us than all we have upon the stock of Nature, and all he hath gi∣ven us in the Banks of Grace. So that the Duty we are here engaged upon, is but an earnest endeavour to

do our best, and all we can; and e∣very Man can do that: But because they will not, because Men have ha∣bitual aversations from the practices of a holy life, because to do actions of severe Religion and strict Piety is troublesom to their affections, be∣cause contrariant to their wills, therefore it is they call it hard and impossible; whereas it is not the im∣possibility of the thing, but their own disaffections, that have height∣ned the difficulty to a seeming impossibility.

And thus I have done with the first Part of the Text, the Duty it self, with its manner of perfor∣mance: We must strive to enter in∣to the narrow Gate of Life, and Blis∣ful Immortality.