Lord Jesus Christ himself assures us, that " He is the zvay, the truth, and the life ; and that no man cometh to the Father but by himc."
Bearing this then in mind, that the way to heaven is solely by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ11, we observe respecting it, that it is,
1. A high and holy way —
[As, in forming a highway, the stones are cast up, and the road is made above the level of the adjacent ground, so is this way far above the low and grovelling paths which are trodden by the world around us : and they who walk in it are walking comparatively " in the high places of the earth." Raised above the miry clay of sin, it is a holy path : the faith itself is a " most holy faith e ;" and they who are brought to it, are " called with a holy callingf," and are themselves " a holy nation g," " a pe- culiar people, zealous of good works h." Persons who are ignorant of the Gospel, are ready to suppose that the doctrine of salvation by faith only must be injurious to the interests of morality ; but the very reverse of this is true : for they, and they only, who look to Christ for salvation, have either will or power to fulfil the high demands of the Gospel : they, and they only, desire to be " sanctified throughout, in body, soul, and spirit1:" and that is the holiness, which alone is acceptable in the sight of Godk. No latitude is allowed to any man: there is the same law for all: and every statute, every ordinance, every injunction in the whole Gospel has the same tendency to make us holy : the more the laws and regulations of Christ's family are scrutinized, the more it will appear, that " This is the law of the house; behold, this is the law of the house1."]
2. A strait and narrow way —
[It is " not for the unclean, but for the redeemed alone." Not that there is any prohibition to any man to walk in it ; but the ungodly have no inclination to walk in it: the work of mortification and self-denial is to them distasteful ; nor have they any root in themselves from whence the fruits of the Spirit can proceed. But to the redeemed the whole work of holiness is delightful : it is the very element they delight to move in : so far from wishing to be left at liberty to commit any sin, they would gladly " have every thought of their heart brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ"1." They consider holiness as the very end of their new creation n, yea, the very end also for which they were elected0, and to which
c John xiv. C. d Eph. ii. 8, 9. e Jude, ver. 20.
f 2 Tim. i. 9. si Pet. ii. 9. h Tit. ii. 14.
i 1 Thess. v. 23. k Heb. xii. 14. > Ezek. xliii. 12.
m 2 Cor. x. 5. n Eph. ii. 10. ° Eph. i. 4.