manifold more in this present time, but that he will be himself to them in the place of these nearest relatives. Thus did he point to his disciples and say that whosoever shall do the will of his Father, was to him as brother, and sister, and mother: and at another time did he say that he who gave up these things-these relatives and friends-should receive the very same in this life also, shall receive now in this time an hundred-fold, "brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children." How could he receive these but in the eye and ear of Jesus Christ, which will be thus bent upon him with more true encouragement, more affectionate support, than these things could ever bestow?

Let us endeavor thus to attain an abiding sense of God's presence. And indeed the incarnation of Jesus Christ is a wonderful assistance to us in so doing; it is our blessed privilege to read and hear of him: it is ours to see him as it were, and to watch his gracious countenance, and to mark those expressions of love or pity, or awful indignation, which were noticed in his most holy demeanor. These things very much assist us toward realizing his divine presence. It is ours to watch his gracious lips, when he spoke so often, not in reply to words spoken, but to the thoughts of the heart. may observe to those who appeared most eager to follow him, he turned to declare some timely warning: and those who did not dare to approach him, but desired to do so, he ever drew near to him with most gracious but awful encouragement. These things will greatly assist us to reflect on his ever-present eye and ear, with earnest affection but with deep fear,

We

SERMON LXV.

THE STRAIT GATE.

ST. MATT. vii. 13, 14.

"Enter ye in at the strait gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be 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.”

THERE are two things which Holy Scripture sets before us in every possible way, the exceeding desire of the Almighty to save mankind; and the exceeding unwillingness of mankind to turn to him and to be saved; on the account of the extreme corruption of our hearts.

It has been well observed, how easy it is for God to create, is evident from the first chapter of the book of Genesis, for he has only to speak the word and all things are made. But how difficult it is even for Almighty power to redeem, will appear from the sufferings of Jesus Christ-from all the history of the worldand from the fact that, after all that has been done, the way of life is narrow.

And this was very apparent when our Lord was manifest in the flesh, for he went about with Almighty power, exceedingly desirous (if we may so venture to speak of him), to restore and do good to all; to heal every disease, and remove every shape of evil; but still he could not do, it is said, what he wished to do, because of man's unbelief. This it was that grieved very keenly his gracious spirit: from their unbelief and hardness of heart, men would not allow him to do that which he most earnestly desired: for this he sighed and groaned deeply, and was troubled. How easy it was for him to work miracles on their bodies he showed

by healing the diseased by a word, and at a distance; by calling the dead to life, even when a man had been in the grave four days. And how easy it was for him to make all nature to obey was very evident; for the seas and the winds were listening for his voice. But as to getting men to repent and believe, this it would seem that Almighty power itself could not perform, for at last all our merciful Lord could do, was-to weep over that sinful generation. He gave them his own most holy example; he set before them very great promises, and very fearful warnings, and promised very sure assistance, and worked abundant miracles, to show them how much he was willing and able to do for them; but it was for the most part all in vain. He shed tears over that unrepenting city, and soon after his blood; but it was still in vain. Such unbelief is almost, one would think, impossible, and beyond the nature even of fallen man. Consider only the last and closing scene of his life, and all the circumstances attending it; the Jews knew of our Lord's miracles, they were fully assured of them, they knew of his raising Lazarus from the grave. He showed them the numer ous prophecies concerning himself. He expostulated again and again with them; and afterward, when they were plotting together for his death, they endeavored to obtain false witnesses against him, but they could find no fault in his spotless life. Pilate often and repeatedly intreated them to spare him, declaring he was an innocent man: he used every effort to obtain his release, and in the presence of them all washed his hands of the innocent blood: Judas himself, the traitor, went to them saying, that he had betrayed an innocent man, and cast down the money he had received in remorse and despair: Herod himself could find nothing in him worthy of condemnation. Again, at the time of his death for three hours at mid-day there was darkness over the whole land, and the sun withdrew its light; there was an earthquake, and the graves were opened, and dead men arose. One of the thieves who hung with him on the cross repented and believed.

The Roman soldier himself was struck with the miraculous manner in which our Savior died; so that he cried out, "Truly this was the Son of God." The whole of nature, and perhaps other worlds beside our own, were moved in sympathy at the death and sufferings of their Maker. The earth shook at hearing his dying voice, as if ready to give up her dead, as she will at his next voice: the sun hid his face; everything was moved― excepting the heart of the unbelieving Jews; they still continued blind, wilfully hardened, and unrepenting. It was easy for our blessed Lord to walk upon the waves of the sea; it was easy for him to feed thousands with a few loaves; but not so easy was it to get one child of Adam to repent and be forgiven. And therefore perhaps it is that (as he has told us) there is joy among the angels of heaven over one sinner that repenteth; so great and difficult a matter is it to get one sinner to be converted, that it makes a movement, as it were, and a stir among the blessed societies of heaven. And to say nothing of many other instances of this kind in Holy Scripture, there is one other history, no less remarkable than this we have mentioned; the case of the Jews in the wilderness. They were surrounded with miracles and wonders, the sea opening to make a way for them, and standing as a wall on both sides; bread coming down daily from heaven to support them; the presence of God himself, seen in a cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night, to lead them the way; water coming from the rock at the command of Moses; and God himself speaking to them and giving them commands. And yet where shall we find a stronger instance of God's long forbearance and loving-kindness; and of the hard heart of man? They sinned yet more and more, it is said; they murmured, they rebelled against God, and against Moses his servant, they fell into divers lusts, their heart kept continually turning back to Egypt; they despised God's promises, and would give no credence unto his word.

Here again it might be seen how easy it was for God to cause the sea, and the earth, and the heavens to VOL. II.-24.

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obey him; how all the elements were ready at his word to execute his commands; but how exceedingly difficult it was to get any man to believe and obey him. Out of all that vast number, for six hundred thousand left Egypt, only two would believe in him, and were fit to be admitted into the promised land. And yet all this care on the part of Almighty God was for the sake of mankind alone: and if they would have followed him, and believed him, there were no bounds to the greatness of his promises to them; as he said in that gracious remonstrance, Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end; how should one of them chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight!" In like manner, as our Lord afterward promised his disciples, that if they had but faith in him, nothing should be impossible to them, they should be able to remove mountains from their place. And it may be observed, that God's treatment of the Jews in the wilderness, his many expressions of kindness, his threats and warnings to disobedience, and promises to faith and repentance, may be very well compared with our Lord's treatment of the Jews, as recorded in the gospels. The same earnest appeals to them, the same affectionate lamentations over them.

And certainly in both cases, the hardness of heart and wilful rejection of God were so extraordinary, that we should be inclined to think them incredible, and past belief, if the accounts were not written in the word of God itself. But if from these accounts of the generations of old, and God's dealings with them, we turn our attention to what we see around us in the present day; we shall see, I fear, the same thing now going on before our eyes; but which we have become so used to, are so familiar with, that we hardly notice it. Indeed, is it not to be feared that our own case may be even worse. if anything, than that of those Jews to whom our Saviour preached?

For the miracles which our Savior wrought among the Jews, were not so generally known and believed