2. This is an inseparable property of the way to heaven. So narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, unto life everlasting; so strait the gate, that nothing unclean, nothing unholy can enter. No sinner can pass thro’ that gate, until he is saved from all his sins, not only from his outward sins; from his evil _conversation received by tradition from his Fathers_. It will not suffice, that he hath _ceased to do evil_, and _learned to do well_. He must not only be saved from all sinful actions, and from all evil and useless discourse; but inwardly changed, throughly renewed in the spirit of his mind. Otherwise he cannot pass thro’ the gate of life, he cannot enter into glory.
3. For _narrow is the way that leadeth unto life_: the way of universal holiness. Narrow indeed is the way of poverty of spirit, the way of holy mourning: the way of meekness, and that of hungring and thirsting after righteousness. Narrow is the way of mercifulness, of love unfeigned; the way of purity of heart; of doing good unto all men, and of gladly suffering evil, all manner of evil for righteousness-sake.
4. _And few there be that find it._ Alas! how few find even the way of Heathen honesty? How few are there, that do nothing to another, which they would not another should do unto them? How few, that are clear before God, from acts either of injustice or unkindness? How few, that do not _offend with their tongue_; that speak nothing unkind, nothing untrue? What a small proportion of mankind, are innocent even of outward transgressions? And how much smaller a proportion have their hearts right before God? Clean and holy in his sight? Where are they, whom his all-searching eye, discerns to be truly humble? To abhor themselves in dust and ashes, in the presence of God their Saviour? To be deeply and steadily serious, feeling their wants, and _passing the time of their sojourning with fear_? Truly meek and gentle, never _overcome of evil, but overcoming evil with good_? Throughly athirst for God, and continually panting after a renewal in his likeness? How thinly are they scattered over the earth, whose souls are inlarged in love to all mankind? And who love God with all their strength, who have given him their hearts, and desire nothing else in earth or heaven? How few are those lovers of God and man, that spend their whole strength in doing good unto all men? and are ready to suffer all things, yea, death itself, to save one soul from eternal death?
5. But while so few are found in the way of life, and so many in the way of destruction, there is great danger, lest the torrent of examples, should bear us away with them. Even a single example, if it be always in our sight, is apt to make much impression upon us: especially when it has nature on its side; when it falls in with our own inclinations. How great then must be the force of so numerous examples, continually before our eyes; and all conspiring together with our own hearts, to carry us down the stream of nature? How difficult must it be, to stem the tide, and to keep ourselves _unspotted in the world_?
6. What heightens the difficulty still more is, that they are not the rude and senseless part of mankind, at least not these alone, who set us the example, who throng the downward way: but the polite, the well-bred, the genteel, the wise, the men who understand the world: the men of knowledge, of deep and various learning, the rational, the eloquent! These are all, or nearly all, against us. And how shall we stand against these? Do not their tongues drop manna? And have they not learned all the arts of soft persuasion? And of reasoning too: for these are versed in all controversies and strife of words. It is therefore a small thing with them to prove, that the way is _right_, because it is _broad_: that he who follows a multitude, cannot do evil, but only he who will not follow them: that your way must be _wrong_, because it is _narrow_; and because there are so few that find it. These will make it clear to a demonstration, that evil is good, and good is evil: That the way of holiness is the way of destruction, and the way of the world, the only way to heaven.