with some sincerity and strength of desire to enter; but the way to heaven is not so entered. Does he say, hope to enter in? No; for Christ never encouraged a hope, for which there was not some reasonable foundation. And besides, he tells us in this very connexion of some, who would most confidently hope and expect to enter in; and yet be totally disappointed. Nevertheless is not this about the whole, that some ever do to enter in? they hope to enter in, to be saved. Ask them the reason of the hope that is in them, and they have none to give, or they give one that is far from justifying their hope. Now a hope without any foundation to rest upon, or with an insufficient foundation is really no more than a wish, and ought not to be called a hope. But again, does Christ say, wait to enter in? This is what, according to the views of many, he ought to have said, for they contend it is all they can do, to wait; which is to do nothing. And they reason with some plausibility; they ask, "What can we do? Can we change our own hearts, raise ourselves from spiritual death, and repent of ourselves? Does not the Saviour himself say, no man can come to me, except the Father draw him? Must we not wait then ?" And these questions are asked with an air of triumph, as if in the opinion of the interrogator the victory must be yielded to him without a struggle. But I ask, does Christ recommend us to wait? If he does, why then certainly we must wait, but if he does not, may we infer from any declaration of his, that we ought to wait? May we infer from a declaration of his, what he himself does not infer from it? If he has

taught any doctrine, which is a reason why we should not attempt any thing, it is equally a reason why he should not command us to attempt any thing. Yet has he not commanded us to attempt something? Has he not said to men unconverted and dead in trespasses and sins, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate?" And shall we say wait, when he says strive, and plead his authority for saying what we do? Did the Saviour contradict himself when on one occasion he said, "No man can come to me," and on another, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate," or did he on the latter occasion forget, what he had said on the former? And is it necessary for us to set him right and to remind him? Suppose the question, which is so confidently put to us, were put to Christ, "what can we do?" would he not reply, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate?" And shall we give out or you adopt a different answer? No; Christ does not say "wait." Yet what multitudes have long been waiting, and are waiting still; wait+ ing, as they say, God's time; as if they on their part were ready, but he not ready. What an insult to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is this! Did they ever inquire what God's time is? Oh! if sinners would only wait God's time, who would not be satisfied? for to wait God's time for duty, is to do it immediately, for his time is now; "Behold now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation." "God now commandeth all men every where to repent."

But to show the insufficiency of the reason that is given for waiting, "we cannot do any thing." This is true in an important sense; but not

in every sense, not in the sense intended by the apologist. The difficulty after all is a disinclination, more than an inability. You have no heart to engage in this work; but as to say you will not engage in it would be not very respectful to God, and not very well received by your own consciences, you adopt a different mode of expressing yourselves. You say, you cannot, just as a child says, "I can't," when he means "I wont." And it is remarkable how early children learn the habit of using cannot, for will not; nor are they very forward, as they grow up to maturity, to put this childish thing away, along with the others. But suppose that you cannot do any thing to promote your salvation, does that excuse you from attempting what Christ commands you to attempt? If a father command a child of his to do what is manifestly impossible, he may well make use of the apology that he cannot do it, for, in that case, he who gives the order, is unable to communicate the power of obeying it. But it is altogether different, when it is a divine being that issues the command, for, in this case, the same who gives the order, can give the power of obedience. If a mere man had said to him, who had the withered hand, "stretch it out," he might have replied, "you mock me, I cannot ;" but when the being who created him, bade him to do that thing, it was obligatory on him, and most reasonable that he should attempt it. And he did attempt it and was successful. Let it be remembered that it is the very same being, who says to you, "Repent; strive to enter in at the strait gate." Will you plead that you cannot, even if you cannot,

when it is he who commands? Cannot you do all things, through Christ strengthening you? Because you cannot climb a certain steep by your own unaided efforts is that any reason why you should not reach up your hand to take hold of his who occupies the eminence, and who extends it down for your help? Is it unnecessary that you should reach it out, because there is a power above, which alone can help you up, when it is only by your taking hold of him, that he will help you? Are your strivings unnecessary, because they by themselves are unavailing? Is it not sometimes important to try to do, what at the same time we know, that unaided we cannot accomplish? Have we any reason to believe that we shall be saved, while we remain inactive? Who has been saved by this waiting? Where are the converts indolence has been instrumental in making? Has God's time come to those who have been so long waiting for it? or does it seem likely to arrive? Verily there is not, there never was, nor can there ever be devised a plan more unscriptural, more absurd, more certainly and more extensively destructive, than this same most common plan of waiting. Waiting to see if God will not save you! Why do you not also wait to see if he will not feed, and clothe, and cure, and enrich you? No; Christ does not say wait, and let the sinner beware how he waits, for time does not wait, nor does death wait, nor does judgment linger, nor retribution. If they would wait for you, you might with more propriety wait.

But what does Christ say? Pray to enter in at the strait gate? No; except as pray ingis included

in striving. It is in prayer that the soul makes some of its mightiest efforts. Prayer is, therefore, necessary to striving; but it is not the whole of it. You may pray; and, if you are concerned for your salvation, you will pray; but you must not rest in that, any more than you may rest in waiting. Some wait and pray; but that union falls far short of what the Saviour commands. "Strive," this is what he says; "strive to enter in at the strait gate." Do something; endeavor; make efforts; exert yourselves; contend; contend earnestly, strenuously, painfully. Strive. Strive. The original Greek word is very expressive. It is that which was employed to denote the painful exertions made by those who engaged in the celebrated Grecian games, the efforts of the prize-fighters. It is the primitive of our word agonize, yet not properly translated by that, because our word agonize expresses the pain attendant on great exertion, rather than the exertion itself. Strive; contend with painfulness of effort, as in a conflict for a prize, as those who entered the lists for a corruptible crown; be in earnest, as they were; cast away every incumbrance, as they did; spare no effort ; forbear no act of self denial. This do to enter in at

the strait gate, to obtain the incorruptible crown. My dear brethren, let me ask you if you are doing any thing like this? Are you making, or have you ever made such exertions to enter in, as this word expresses? And if not, what then? Have you entered, or do you expect to enter without them? Are they not necessary? Would Christ have commanded us to make them, if they were not necessary?