SERMON XII.

LUKE xiii. 23, 24.

Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

IN a former Discourse on this passage of Scripture, it was observed, that the admonition here given by our blessed Saviour, in reply to the question proposed to him, appeared to be intended to discourage unprofitable inquiries into the Divine counsels, respecting the Salvation of particular persons; and to direct the attention of his followers to the momentous practical concern in which every individual has a special interest, that of "working out his own Salvation with fear " and trembling," and "giving all diligence "to make his calling and election sure." Occasion was thence taken to shew, from this and other texts of Scripture, and from the general tenor of the Christian Dispensation, that there is no authority for supposing that

the Redemption through Christ is limited to particular individuals, by any antecedent and absolute Decrees of the Almighty; or that the Way of Life is in effect closed against others, so that to none but them are vouchsafed sufficient means of Grace and Salvation. This point it seemed necessary to consider as a previous matter of inquiry; because, until it can be shewn to every man that the Way to Eternal Happiness is open to him, as well as to others, no effectual inducement can be proposed to him for striving to obtain it.

Admitting, then, the conclusion to which we have already arrived, that, whether the number of the Elect be many or few, the Divine Justice and Goodness will stand free from all exceptions, and upon man only will alight the blame of the forfeiture of the Blessing; we may now proceed to the other main branch of our inquiry, how we are to strive for this Blessing, and whence it comes to pass, that any who seek it, shall ultimately

fail of success.

This question involves the several difficulties respecting man's natural inability to work out his Salvation, and the extent and operation of that Divine Grace, which is necessary to make his efforts effectual; difficulties, rendered almost as perplexing, by the

subtleties of controversialists, as those which relate to the Divine Decrees.

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The Scriptures declare that we were con"ceived and born in sin," and are by nature "children of wrath." This our corrupt state is (as our 9th Article expresses it) “naturally ingendered of the offspring of Adam; whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature in"clined to evil." They who are admitted into the Christian Covenant, as well as they who enjoy not that benefit, have to contend with this natural and hereditary evil.

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Many differences of opinion have been entertained respecting the extent of this corruption, and the possibility of entirely subduing it. Some maintain, that every moral and intellectual faculty in the posterity of Adam is, in consequence of his Fall, so totally depraved, as to be naturally incapable of any act of virtue, or any love of goodness. Others, on the contrary, assert, that there is no taint whatever inherent in our nature, Sin being merely the result of habit, of imitation, and of the wilful neglect or perversion of those faculties which naturally would incline us to what is right and good. The truth may, perhaps, be found betwixt both extremes. For while we admit (as the Scrip

tures manifestly require us to do) that some taint has been received from our first parents, which has so far vitiated our faculties, as to make us generally prone to evil; there seems to be no reason for denying that a natural power still exists within us of discerning between right and wrong, and also some natural inclination to reject the evil, and approve the good. It is sufficient if we acknowledge, that there is within us such a preponderating bias towards evil, that we never could become free from sin, nor, consequently, fit objects of the Divine favour, by our own unassisted efforts. The necessity of God's Grace, and the hopeless state of man without the Redemption provided for him in the Gospel, are thus fully recognized and confirmed: nor are we concerned to give a more explicit answer to the many subtle questions with which adepts in metaphysical science may perplex the subject.

Our Church, with her wonted discretion, steers this middle course. She speaks of man, in his fallen state, as "very far gone from" that “original righteousness" in which he was created, and incapable in himself of doing "works pleasant and acceptable to God." But she affirms nothing more than this, respecting the extent of the corruption. She

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moreover adopts the language of St. Paul, that "the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and "the spirit against the flesh." But these expressions the Apostle himself expounds, by saying, that, while we delight in the "Law of "God after the inward man," we find "an"other law in our members, warring against "the law of our minds, and bringing it into captivity to the law of sin." In which representation of the natural man, it is clearly implied, that his hereditary corruption is not so total, but that there is still a conflict within him between the love of good and the propensity to evil; which, though not sufficient to enable him always to stand upright, yet discovers some remaining tokens of that image of God in which he was at first created.

It can hardly, however, be denied, that our wills and affections, our appetites and passions, are naturally reluctant to submit to discipline, and present continual obstacles to our progress in Christian virtue. And when, to this natural indisposition to what is good, are added the power of evil habits, the influence of bad example, the tendency even of the common occupations of life to withdraw our attention from spiritual concerns, and the numberless snares and temptations to evil with which we are every where surrounded;