to rejoice ! And, if that principle were universally prevalent, what happiness would pervade the world ! Such then is the effect, and such the benefit of true religion. It only remains that we urge you all to cultivate this principle. Let it not be said of any of you, ' He talks of faith in Christ, but he is covet- ous, dishonest, passionate, vindictive.' Let love reign in your hearts; and whilst you profess yourselves to be " trees of righteousness, of the Lord's planting," let the " tree be known by its fruit."]
Matt. vii. 13, 14. Enter ye in at the strait gate : for wide is the gate, and broad is the tvay that leadeth to destruction, and many there he which go in thereat : because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
AN idea of candour and philanthropy leads many to adopt sentiments directly repugnant to the Scrip- tures. They imagine that few, if any, perish ; and that, though the bulk of mankind live in a total neglect of God, they find mercy at the last. But no pretence of candour should induce us so to contradict the plainest declarations of God. If there be any truth in the Scriptures, there are comparatively few who go to heaven. And we need to be awakened to a sense of our danger by the exhortation before us. We shall consider,
I. The duty enjoined —
The path of the ungodly is broad, and the entrance upon it wide —
[There is no difficulty at all in entering upon an ungodly life; we need only follow our natural bent and inclination. Nor will they who frequent the broad road at all interfere with each other. The gross sensualist, the proud Pharisee, and the specious hypocrite, may have ample scope for their re- spective pursuits. Sin may be indulged in ten thousand shapes; and " all may go astray, every one inhis own way^"]
^ Tsai. liii. 6.