ification for heaven, for without it we are incapable of the fpiritual felicity there to be enjoyed.

Our works of righteoufnefs are neceffary fruits of that repentance and faith by which we become interested in the purchafed and promised falvation. Whatever pretenfions we may make to forrow for fin, and reliance on the Saviour, if ftill we are workers of iniquity, we never have forrowed after a godly fort, nor believed to the faving of the foul.

Besides; as the publick procefs of the laft day is defigned to be a revelation of the righteous judgment of God; therefore our works will be the matter of the final enquiry, and on these the judgment will proceed, for thefe only are visible to others. Hence it is faid, that " God will judge the world in righteoufnefs, and render to every man according to his works; and according to the deeds done in the body; and every man fhall receive according to that he hath done, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."

We fee, then, what is neceffary to our finding admiffion into heaven through the ftrait gate. We must renounce fin with godly forrow, repair to the faviour with humble faith in his righteoufnefs, yield ourselves to God to ferve him in new obedience, refolve, in reliance on his grace, to depart from all iniquity, and conform to the whole will of God, and in hope of eternal life which God has promifed, patiently continue in well-doing, and be faithful to the death. Thus we shall receive the crown of life.

SERMON XII.

The awful Condition of those who fhall be excluded from the kingdom of Heaven.

LUKE xiii. 24.

Strive to enter in at the ftrait gate; for many, I fay unto you, will feek to enter in, and fhall not be able.

FROM these words we have obferved,

That our entrance into heaven is by a strait gate -that there are many, who will fail of entering in at this gate-that the caufes of their mifcarriage will be negligence, delay, and falfe dependence -That the character of fuch as will be excluded is workers of iniquity.

These observations have already been illustrated.
We will now,

Fifthly; attend to the reprefentation, which our Lord makes of the awful condition of those who fhall be excluded from his heavenly kingdom.

When we attend to this representation, it would be well, that we should confider it as a serious reality, not a fanciful fiction. As it is made by the fon of God himself, who came to be our teacher, and who is appointed to be our judge, we may be affured, that it was intended, not for our amufement, but for our warning.

1. He warns us, that impenitent finners at the laft day, will be forely difappointed-will meet with a doom, which they little expected, and which they did not really believe, though it had been declared to them.

When the door is fhut," they will stand without, and knock at the door, faying, Lord, Lord, open to us but he fhall fay, I know you not, whence ye are. Then fhall they begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy prefence, and thou haft taught in our streets; but he shall anfwer them, I tell you, I know you not; depart from me, all workers of iniquity." Such a bold confidence will many carry with them, that they will dare to repeat their application and urge their claim for admittance, even after denial. they receive the repulfe, they will hardly believe it is given in earneft.

When

It is probable, that there are few in this world, who seriously think, they are in much danger of mifery in another. Can it be imagined, that, under fuch an apprehenfion, men would poffefs that cafe and tranquillity, and purfue the pleasures and interefts of the world with that avidity and conftancy, which are generally to be feen? The unconcernedness with refpect to things of futurity, and the engagedness with refpect to things of time, every where fo apparent, are ftrong indications, either that men in general do not believe a future ftate of rewards and punishments, or that they feldom think of it with any degree of attention, or that they flatter themselves with the idea of a present title to, or with the hope of a future preparation for happiness in the world to come. When therefore they arrive to that world, and find the reality of thofe things which once they difbelieved, and the importance of those things

which they never laid to heart; or perceive that the hopes on which they lived were all delufive, and the prefumptions which they entertained were rafh and unfounded; what astonishment and confufion will overwhelm them? Even in the present life, nothing is more painful, than the difappointment of high wrought hopes. The lofs of any temporal good is more feverely felt in proportion to the confidence which we placed in it. A calamity, which we could have borne with patience, if we had forefeen its approach, is infupportable when it comes by furprize. What amazement, then, will feize-what anguish will wring the hearts of prefumptuous, deluded and unthinking finners, when they find themselves, contrary to all their expectations, fhut out of heaven, and configned to eternal darknefs.

Sinners of every description will meet with an unexpected fate. Infidels, who faid in their hearts, there is no God-no judgment-no future punishment, will now fee, that there is a righteous and a holy God able to judge and condemn them, and a place of awful punishment prepared to receive them-they will now fee, that the gospel, which they defpifed as a fiction, is the revelation of God; and that the folemn doctrines, which they treated as idle tales, are words of truth and foberness. They now can be infidels no longer : they believe and tremble.

They who prefuming on the mercy of God, emboldened themfelves to commit iniquity, will fee, that he is juft and holy, as well as kind and gracious; that as he is abundant in goodness, fo he will by no means clear the guilty.

The negligent and dilatory, who grounded their hopes on future opportunities of repentance; and, because sentence against their evil works.

was not executed fpeedily, encouraged their hearts to continue in impenitence, thefe will fee, that God is not to be mocked--that he will not always bear the infolence and ingratitude of those who dare to trifle with his forbearance.

The fecure and thoughtless will now be awakened from their stupidity by that wrath which comes upon them fuddenly, while they promised themselves peace and fafety.

Confident hypocrites will now hear their claims rejected and their reafonings confounded; and while they are but beginning to urge their vain pleas, their mouths will be stopped.

How cautious fhould we be, that we create not to ourselves a false peace by indulging self flattery, vain pride, rafh prefumption, or thoughtless ftu. pidity? We thus not only lay an obftruction in the way of our repentance, but render our condemnation more intolerable.

2. The misery of impenitent finners will be greatly aggravated by the remembrance of paft opportunities to obtain falvation.

When our Lord fays, "The master of the house will fhut to the door," he fignifies, that there is a time, when the door is open. The cries, which he puts into the mouths of the excluded, "Lord, Lord, open to us", import, how defirous they will be of admiffion, after it is too late.

My friends, the great king has prepared a banquet; his fatlings are killed his wine is mingled

his table is furnished-all things are ready. You are among those who are invited. You have been, and ftill are called to be his guefts. The door of his houfe is now open, and to you he repeats his calls; "Whofo is fimple, let him turn in hither; and whofo wanteth understanding, let him come, and eat of my bread, and drink of the