excite and encourage all to a greater care and diligence in the prosecution of eternal happiness, than ordinarily men seem to have. It is my hearty desire and prayer that every soul among us may live and be happy for ever; but that we can never be, unless we be serious, earnest, and constant in looking after it, more than after all things in the world besides. And therefore it is that I have endeavoured to convince men that it is not so easy a thing as they seem to make it to go to heaven, the path being so exceeding narrow that leads unto it: which I hope by this time we are all persuaded of, so as to be resolved within ourselves to play no longer with religion, but to set upon it in good earnest, so as to make it not only our great but our only business and design in this world, to prepare for another, and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, and by consequence to walk in that narrow way of true piety and virtue that leads to heaven, without going aside into the vices on either hand, or howsoever to use the utmost of our endeavour to observe the rules which Christ hath prescribed us, in order to our living with him for ever. And oh that I knew what words to take unto myself, and what arguments to use, whereby to prevail with every soul of us, to make it our business to get to heaven; and by consequence to walk directly in the narrow way, and through the strait gate that leads unto it. What influence or effect they may have upon the readers, I know not; howsoever I shall endeavour to present them with some such considerations, as I hope by the blessing of God, and the assistance of his grace, may be so forcible and prevalent upon them, if seriously weighed, that they should not methinks be able to resist them.

Let us consider therefore in the first place, that though it be never so hard to get to heaven, yet it is possible; and though there be but few that come thither, yet there are some; and why may not you and I be in the number of those few as well as others? There are many perfect and most glorious saints in

heaven at this moment, which once were sinful creatures upon earth as we now are; but it seems the way thither was not so narrow but they could walk in it, nor the gate so strait but they could pass through it; and why may not we as well as they? We have the same natures whereby we are capable of happiness as they had; we have the same Scriptures to direct us to it as they had; we have the same promises of assistance as they had; we have the same Saviour as they had; and why then may not we get to the same place where they are? Is the way more narrow and the gate more strait to us than it was to them? No, surely, it is every way the same; why then should we despair of ever attaining everlasting glory, seeing we are as capable of it as any one who hath yet attained it. It is true, if no mortal men had ever got to heaven, or God had said none should ever come thither, then indeed it would be in vain for us to expect it, or to use any means to attain unto it but seeing many of our brethren are already there, and many more will follow after them, and we are as capable of coming to them as any other, the straitness of the gate, the narrowness of the way, or the difficulty of getting thither, should never discourage us from endeavouring after it, no more than it did them, but rather make us the more diligent in the prosecution of it: especially considering in the next place, that we are not only as yet in a capacity of getting to heaven, but we are all invited thither, and that by God himself; for he would have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth, 1 Tim. ii. 4. Yea, he hath sworn by himself, saying, As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live: and therefore calls upon us all, Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Ezek. xxxiii. 11. Hence it is that he sent his prophets to invite us, Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, Isa. lv. 1. Yea, he came down in his

own person to earth, on purpose to invite us to heaven, and to direct us the way thither : Come to me, saith he, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matt. xi. 29. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life, John iii. 16. Whence we may observe, that there is no exceptions made against any person whatsoever, nor by consequence against any of us. It is the will, yea, and command of God too, that we all turn from our evil ways and live, and that every soul amongst us walk in that narrow way that leads unto eternal bliss ; and therefore if any of us do perish, Our blood will be upon our own heads, our destruction is from ourselves. Hos. xiii. 9. For it is nothing but the perverseness of our own wills, and the hardness, pride, and obstinacy of our own hearts, that can keep any soul of us out of heaven, howsoever difficult it is to come thither. For God hath shewn how desirous he is to have our company there, in that he is still pleased to grant us both the space and means of repentance. If he had no mind to have us saved, he could have shut us up long ago in hell; but he is so far from that, that he doth not only as yet continue our abode on earth, and lengthen our tranquillity here, but he still vouchsafes unto us whatsoever is necessary, yea, whatsoever can any ways conduce to our eternal happiness; we have his Scriptures, we have his sabbaths, we have his ordinances, we have his sacraments, we have his ministers, we have the promise of his Spirit, we have the overtures of Christ, and of all the merits of his death and passion, made unto us, and what can be desired more to make men happy? And yet, as if all this had not been enough, he still continues calling upon us, exhorting, commanding, yea and beseeching us most affectionately to turn, that our souls may live; for we his ministers are ambassadors to mankind for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; We pray you in Christ's stead to be reconciled

to God, 2 Cor. v. 20. And he hath sent me unto you that read this in a particular manner at this time, to call you back out of the broad way that leads to death, into the narrow way that leads to life and happiness; In his name therefore I exhort, yea, and beseech you, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is sonable service. Rom. xii. 1.

your reaStrive to enter in at the strait gate, and never leave until you have got pos session of eternal glory.

Nor let us be discouraged at any difficulties that we meet with in the way, for they will soon be over; howsoever hard and difficult any duty may seem at first, by use and custom it will soon grow easy. The worst is at first setting out; when once we have been used a while to walk in this narrow way, we shall find it to be both easy and pleasant: for, as the wise man tells us, the ways of wisdom or true piety are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace, Prov. iii. 17. Though it be rough at first, by treading it will soon grow plain; we shall soon find the words of Christ to be true, that his yoke is easy, and his burden light, Matt. xi. 39. All is, but to be willing and obedient, and resolved upon it, to press through all duties and difficulties whatsoever to get to heaven, and then by the merits of Christ's passion, and the assistance of his grace, we need not fear but we shall come thither.

And verily, although the way to heaven should prove not only narrow, but hedged in with briars and thorns, so that we should meet with nothing but crosses and troubles in our going to it, yet heaven will make amends for all. For we may well reckon with the apostle, that the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. Rom. viii. 18. So that whatsoever pains we are at, whatsoever trouble we suffer, in order to our attaining everlasting happiness, bears no proportion at all to the happiness we attain by it; which is so great, so ex

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ceeding great, that our tongues can neither express, nor our minds as yet conceive it, consisting not only in the freedom from all evil, but also in the enjoyment of whatsoever is really and truly good; even whatsoever can any way conduce to the making us perfectly and completely happy: so that no duty can be too great to undertake, no trouble too heavy to undergo for it. Wherefore, that I may use the words of the apostle to my readers, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord, 1 Cor. xv. 58.

By this time I hope we are all resolved within ourselves to follow our Saviour's counsel and advice, even to strive to enter in at the strait gate, and to walk in that narrow way that leads to life. If we be not, we have just cause to suspect ourselves to be in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity; but if we be resolved in good earnest, we cannot but be very solicitous to know what we must do in order to it; or how every one of us may enter in at the strait gate, so as to be happy for ever. A question of the highest importance imaginable: so that it is absolutely necessary for every soul amongst us to be thoroughly resolved in it; for it concerns our life, our immortal and eternal life, and therefore I shall endeavour to resolve it in as few and perspicuous terms as possibly I can, that the meanest capacity may understand it. But I must take leave to say beforehand, that our knowing of it will signify nothing, unless we practise it, neither will you be ever the nearer heaven, because you know the way to it, unless you also walk in it.

And therefore the first thing that I shall propound, in order to our eternal salvation, is, that we should resolve immediately in the presence of Almighty God, that we will for the future make it our great care, study, and business in this world, to seek the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof in the first place, accord