and despise those who walk in it. And besides, those who are in the broad road, meet with no hindrance from the world or from the devil." -Alas, many are they who follow this evil, but too easy, course; and if we follow the multitude, it will be to do evil.-But let us remember that it leadeth to destruction. "Death, eternal death, is at the end of it, everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. Whether it be the high way of open profaneness, or the back way of close hypocrisy, if it be a way of sin, it will be our ruin, if we repent not."

Strait, i.e. narrow, is the gate, and narrow, i.e. hemmed in, close, confined, is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.— That is to say, there are difficulties to be encountered both at the beginning, and throughout the course of a religious life. The way that leads to life, is the way of repentance, faith, and holiness.

It is the way of repentance or conversion; and therefore it is narrow. "Repentance cannot but be painful, for it consists chiefly in a godly sorrow for sin, together with a firm resolution to forsake it, whatever it may cost us." Conversion is a strait gate, "hard to find and hard to get through; like a passage between two rocks (1 Sam. xiv. 4). There must be a new heart, and a new spirit, and old things must pass away. The bent of the soul must be changed; corrupt habits and customs broken off."

Now a man naturally dislikes all this, and he shuns it, "as a man would avoid passing through a very

narrow and low door, when a more spacious one offers itself at the same

time."

"Faith also is intended by the

narrow way. By grace are ye saved through faith;' and without faith it is impossible to please God. True faith consists in so believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as to take him for our only Saviour; utterly renouncing all dependence on our own works and righteousness; submitting to be saved by the mere favour of God in Christ, as a poor beggar is relieved by an alms. Now, this is so contrary to our natural inclinations, and so humbling to a selfrighteous spirit, that it may well be called a narrow way."

Holiness also is this narrow way. "Holiness consists in the conformity of our will to the will of God; it is produced by the power of the Holy Spirit in the regeneration of a sinner. The law of God is written on his heart; whereby he is disposed to resist temptation, to forsake sin, and to practise obedience to the commands of God. In doing this, we must deny ourselves, take up our daily cross, and follow Christ. We must mortify the flesh with its affections and lusts. We must crucify the old man of sin, and walk, not according to the course of the world, nor according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. In this way we cannot but meet with difficulties. We shall meet with continual opposition from our own corruption, the law in our members warring against the law of our minds. We shall also suffer reproach and contempt

from the world; for all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.' And besides all this, God our heavenly Father sees it necessary to chastise us with the rod of affliction, of which all his children are partakers, for spiritual good."

"Considering, therefore, the nature of Repentance, Faith, and Holiness, we clearly see how properly a true Christian may be said to enter upon a religious life by a strait gate, and to proceed in it by a narrow way." Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life.-But is it not said concerning heavenly wisdom, or true religion, that "her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace?" Does not our blessed Lord say, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light?" And does not an Apostle declare "His commandments are not grievous?"

"I answer, the ways of religion are perfectly easy and pleasant in their own nature; the difficulty arises from the depravity and corruption of our nature. Angels do the will of God with entire ease and pleasure; for they have no sin in their nature to oppose it. But, through the power of sin in our hearts, the entrance into religion becomes painful and difficult; and through the remains of it in regenerate persons, more or less of that difficulty is found in the whole journey. Yet grace renders it practicable, and pleasant; so that no believer repents of his choice, or wishes to turn back because of the hardships he endures; but, like Moses of old, chooses rather to suffer affliction

with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt,'-and for the same good reason, having 'respect unto the recompense of reward.'"

Enter ye in at the strait gate.-"Let us, by divine grace, resolve on eternal life at all events. On the one hand, here is a broad road, full of passengers, in which, it is true, the poor, paltry, perishing, but intoxicating, pleasures of sin may be enjoyed for a moment, though not without many a pang: and at the end of this course is DESTRUCTION — misery, pains, torment, without mitigation, without end;—everlasting separation from the presence of God, the fountain of life; and confinement in chains of darkness, with devils and condemned spirits, to all eternity!—On the other hand, God has set before us the way of life. The entrance is strait, the way is narrow. Difficulties indeed there are; but grace lessens them all, and sweetens them all; so that the worst of Christ's way is better than the best of Satan's way; and, what is best of all, the end is eternal life. And oh, what tongue can tell, what heart conceive, what God has laid up for them that love him! Is there a redeemed soul in glory, who now repents of the pains he took in religion? Does he regret that he believed in the Son of God? Is he sorry that he walked in the ways of holiness? No; each glorified saint reviews, with ecstacy of joy, the rich grace of God, that enabled him to discover the danger of that broad

Beware of false prophets, i.e. false teachers. We must be on our guard against teachers of religion who act upon pretended authority (as when men found their arguments upon the authority of the church, instead of the authority of God speaking in his written word, which is the sole rule of faith), and against those who appeal to the true authority, and yet preach false doctrine, inconsistent with the word of inspiration.-Such teachers sometimes come in sheep's clothing, and "wear a rough garment to deceive" (Zech. xiii. 4); endeavouring, for example, by the sobriety and austerity of their manners, and the meekness of their deportment, to induce us to love their church more than the Bible. God grant that we may never be deceived either by their rough garments or by their smooth speeches! The Bible, the Bible alone, is the religion of Protestant catholic Christians. God will not deceive us; man may. Our heavenly Father is true; but those who have been vainly called fathers upon earth, have been the atrons of innumerable errors.

Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.-In giving a warning against evil and seducing teachers, our blessed Saviour mentions a criterion of men's real character and true worth, which applies to persons

Our

of every rank and condition. works- not our words - are the proofs and demonstrations of our character. God looks for fruit in the life, and he is not satisfied with the mere profession of the lips. And, at the last great day, men will be judged according to their works. True "faith worketh by love:" and "faith without works is dead." And how unprofitable is such dead faith! Let us remember that the "axe is laid unto the root of the

trees; therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire;" ch. iii. 10. (See also Ezek. xxxi. 12, 13; Dan. iv. 14; John xv. 6).—May we, by divine grace, be numbered among those to whom it can be truly said, "Being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life!" Rom. vi. 22.

HYMN I.

BROAD is the road that leads to death,
And thousands walk together there;
But wisdom shows a narrower path

With here and there a traveller. "Deny thyself and take thy cross,"

Is the Reedemer's great command; Nature must count her gold but dross, If she would gain the heavenly land. WATTS.

HYMN II.

STRAIT is the way, the door is strait,
That leads to joys on high;
'Tis but a few that find the gate,
While crowds mistake and die.
Beloved self must be denied,

The mind and will renew'd;
Passion suppress'd, and patience tried,
And vain desires subdued.

CHAP. VII. 21-29.

Christ exhorteth not to be hearers, but doers, of the word; like houses builded on a rock, and not on the sand.

21 Not every one that saith unto me, 'Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have "we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: "depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

2

24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock :

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that

house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell and great was the fall of it.

28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, "the people were astonished at his doctrine:

29 'For he taught them as the scribes. one having authority, and not as

t Hos. viii. 2. ch. xxv. 11, 12. Luke vi. 46; & xiii. 25. Acts xix. 13. Rom. ii. 13. James i. 22.-u Num. xxiv. 4. John xi. 51. 1 Cor. xiii. 2.-x Ch. xxv. 12. Luke xiii. 25, 27. 2 Tim. ii. 19. y Ps. v. 5 ; & vi. 8. ch. xxv. 41 -z Luke vi. 47, &c-a Ch. xiii. 54. Mark i. 22; & vi. 2. Luke iv. 32.-b John vii. 46.

READER. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord.—Our Lord plainly declares to us the folly and vanity of religious profession without learn from the first three verses of religious principle and practice. We the passage which has been read, "that a bare name and profession of Christianity, without the practice of it, a profession of faith and purposes of obedience, without actual obedience to the commands of God, will avail no person to salvation; and and miraculous gifts, are not to be also that gifts, yea, extraordinary rested in, or depended upon, as suffi

cient evidence for heaven and salva