the truth, the morality, which we preach, is Christian morality; if it is eftablished upon Chriftian principles, and enforced by Christian motives, and clothed withal in Chriftian humility; if we derive, not our texts alone, but our fubject matter, from the revealed word of God, calling upon men, and perfuading them by the terrors and mercies of the Lord, to believe in God and to keep his commandments, to do unto all men, as they would men fhould do unto them, and to keep themselves unspotted from the world; at the fame time never forgetting, that we are addreffing the “un*profitable fervants" of a crucified Redeemer, "God manifeft in the flesh," whofe Holy Spirit is always neceffary to enlighten, and ftrengthen, and fupport us; and whofe meritorious blood is always neceffary to make atonement for our numerous deficiencies, and to reconcile us to the Father:wherein confifts our guilt or our error, that we are accused of not preaching the Gospel? or why are we charged with apoftafy from our profeffion, because we do that, which the example of the Apostles of Chrift, nay, of Chrift himself, warrants us, and calls upon us, and makes it our bounden duty to do? When the Apostles went forth by the commandment of their Lord, to "preach the Gospel to every crea"ture;" when Paul was commiffioned by a

fpecial revelation to "turn men from darkness "unto light, and from the power of Satan "unto God, that they might receive forgive"nefs of fins, and inheritance among them "which are fanctified by faith that is in "Chrift';" how did they discharge their diftinguished office? Anxious that it might ever be in their power to take their hearers "to re

cord, that they were pare from the blood of "all men, and had not fhunned to declare “ unto them all the counsel of God," whether in their fpeeches or their epiftles; whether to the felf-righteous Jew, or the idolatrous Heathen; whether to the Roman magiftrate, or the Athenian philofopher; whether to individual converts, or to affemblies of the faithful, or to the whole univerfal Church of Chrift, they were indefatigable in urging the practice of Christian holiness blended with the profeffion of the Chriftian faith. Or, to place ourfelves, if poffible, on ftill higher ground, what are the points, on which our bleffed Lord hath fet us the example of infifting in his discourfes in general, and, in particular, what are the topics of his parables and of his fermon in the mount? Is not the latter exclufively occupied in the recommendation of practical righteoufnefs? Are not the former, with the exception

* A&ts. xxvi. 18.

• Acts xx. 26, 27.

of thofe, which illuftrate the dealings of Al mighty God towards the Jews, one and all di rected to the fame end?We need not then be alarmed at the charge, that we are not preachers of the Gospel, in a particular where in our practice has the fanction of fuch autho rity nor need we be deterred by an injurious afperfion from treading steadfastly in the path, wherein Chrift and his Apostles have gone be fore; or from repeating again and again, as the effence of his preaching, and of that of his Apostles, "Not "Not every one that faith unto me, "Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of "heaven; but HE THAT DOETH THE WILL 66 OF MY FATHER, WHICH IS IN HEAVEN'

Now "unto Him that loved us, and wash"ed us from our fins in his own blood, and "hath made us kings and priefts unto God " and his Father; to Him," in the unity of the Father and the eternal Spirit, "be glory " and dominion for ever and ever.

Amen."

Matt. vii. 21.

DISCOURSE III.

LUKE Xiii. 23, 24.

Then faid one unto him, Lord, are there few that be faved? And he said unto them,

Strive to enter in at the ftrait gate; for many, I fay unto you, will feek to enter in, and fhall not be able.

IT would be well for the caufe of genuine Christianity, if its profeffors would contentedly fubmit to that reftraint, which its divine Author has impofed upon a prefumptuous curiofity. Such a fpirit appears to have actuated the perfon, whofe queftion is recorded in the text; and to have prompted him to feek for discoveries concerning the future condition of the human race. And the correction of fuch a spirit appears to have been the object of our Saviour's anfwer, when, instead of replying directly and explicitly to the enquiry, he diverted the attention of his difciples from an unneceffary and fruitlefs concern about the welfare of others, to the neceffity of ftrenuous exertions for their own falvation. "The question is,”

fays Bishop Sherlock, "Are there few that be "faved? The anfwer is in effect, What is that "to you? Mind your own bufinefs, and strive "to enter in at the ftrait gate."

Man however is eager to be wife above that which is written; and is not fatisfied, unless he be permitted to know the fecret things of God. Not contented to be informed in general terms, that they, who ftrive to enter in at the ftrait gate, fhall be admitted, and that they, who feek, without ftriving, shall be excluded, he would fain infer a more myfterious doctrine from the admonition of our Lord. And because there are many, who fhall not be able to enter in, notwithstanding their inability be fpecifically attributed to their own want of exertion, he concludes, that they are repelled from falvation by an abfolute decree of the Almighty.

Now the more prudent, and the more reverent courfe for a minifter of the Gofpel to adopt in general, is to conform to the restraint, virtually impofed by our Saviour's answer on this occafion; and to abstain from a difcuffion of those subjects, which it has been the good pleasure of God to leave in obfcurity. "It is "our judgment," I adopt the fentiments, and exprefs them in the language, of Epifcopius

Sherlock's Difc. vol. ii. p. 96