comfort vnto him Contendenti et vincenti that striueth ouercommeth saying though in the world ye haue no peace but tribulations afflictions yet be of good chéere Ego vici mundum et omnia in hoc mundo I haue ouercome the world all things in this world therefore in me you shall haue peace eternally In the second head our Lord Iesus Christ affirmeth that the gate is very straight noting that none can enter in without vehement crowding and almost breaking their shoulder bones that is none can enter into eternall life without vehement suit earnest prayer and supplication vnto God for the forgiuenes of their sinnes wrought by the spirit of all Christians with an inward and true repentance and God shal derect all thy wayes and appoynt thée how to goe either hither or thither as the Prophet Esaias saith Though the Lord giue thee bread of trouble the water of affliction aduersity thy raine shall be no more scant but thine eyes see the raine yea and thine eare shall heare the talking of him that speaks behind thee This is the way walke therein turne not aside neither to the right hand nor to the left Wherfore hoc opus hic labor endeauour we and let our chiefest care yea our greatest endeauor be for the vertue of his grace the antecedent to glory both which are his free guift The Lord will giue grace and glory and no good thing will he withheld from them that walke vprightly As I haue shewed you of sundry lets both within vs and without vs which doe keepe vs backe from God and hold vs fast in our sinnes so now vnto all that hath beene saide before I will lay forth vnto your view seauen especiall lets and hinderances vnto eternall life which may not vnfitly be termed seauen barres out of Heauen and seauen gates into Hell and thereby you shall perceiue that the gate is very straight that leadeth vnto life and few there be that find it The first which is infidelity is proued out of the fourth Chapter to the Hebrewes where it is thus written Vnto vs was the Gospell preached as vnto them but the word which they heard profited them not because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it And againe they could not enter in because of vnbeleefe Héere we sée that vnbeliefe did barre out the old people frō entring into the land of promise which was a figure of Gods eternall Kingdome And sure it is that the same vnbeliefe doth barre out thousands of vs. For many will beléeue nothing but their owne fantasies they will not beléeue the word of God especially when it is contrary to their lust likings profits and pleasures Though things be manifestly proued to their faces and the Chapter and verse shewed them yet will they not beléeue or though they say they will belieue yet will they neuer goe about the practise of any thing but reply against God in all their actions And for the most part when God saith one thing they will either say or doe another when God saith yea they will say no and so giue God the lye Some againe will say if all be true that the Preachers say then God helpe vs. Thus you sée how infidelitie doth bar men out of Heauen and cast them into hell The second gate which is the presumption of Gods mercy for if men be sharply reproued for their sinnes and exhorted vnto repentance by and by they take couert saying God is mercifull as though God were made all of mercy and that there were no iustice in him at all and thus the wicked make Gods mercy an occasion which though the Prophet Nahum in the first Chapter of his prophesie doth sharpely reproue The Lord saith he is slow to anger but he is great in power and will not surely cleare the wicked Here we see that God will not surely spare such as goe on in their sinnes presuming of his mercy and saying in their hearts If I may but haue a Lord of mercy vpon me thrée howres before my death I care not But it is iust with God when those three howers come to shut them vp in blindnes and hardnes of heart as a iust plague for their presumption Therfore the Prophet Dauid seeing the greeuousnes of this sinne prayeth to be deliuered from it Keep me O Lord from presuptuous sinnes let them not raigne ouer mee Let all men therefore take héed of presumptious sinnes which is the onely cause that sinne doth so mightily abound in our age and let vs not continue in sin presume of Gods mercy but let vs come vnto God for mercy while the gates of mercy are opened vnto vs For though God be full of mercy yet will hée shew no mercy to them that presume of his mercy but they shal once know to their cost that Iustice goeth frō him as well as mercy And therfore it may wel be called the strait gate to heauen and the wide gate to Hell Let vs come to the third gate which is the example of the multitude for that doth harden imbolden men vnto sin As when many birds do flicker flock together they fall vpon the net without any feare but one or two alone wil be affraid Euen so the example of many sin companions do imbolden men to run through the snares of Sathan without any mistrust This is proued in the 23. of Ex. where the Lord saith flatly Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe euill This is a thing that hindreth a great number from God for they neuer looke vp vnto God or to his word but stare vpon the common multitude and doings of most men and examples of the world thinking that if they do as the most men doe as their forefathers haue done before them they are cockesure and of an euen ground And herevpon riseth their diuellish Prouerbe Doe as the most men doe and the fewest will speake of you which is a very wicked spéech But they haue forgotten S. Pauls rule Ne configuremini seculo isto c. Fashion not your selues like vnto this world These fellowes that stand vpon the multitude will reason thus we sée none of these great ones of the world none of the noble none of the rich none of the wise and prudent receiue this doctrine but onely a few Shackragges and beggerly rascalls and therefore it is a token that it is nothing worth and that it is doubtfull and not for vs to meddle withall Loe what thoughts may créepe into our hearts and how slily Sathan may trumpe in our way and blindfold vs and lead vs away in the dark by doting and dorring vs with the example of the multitude Let vs therfore take heed of these pitfalls which Satan layeth in the way and not be caried away with these thoughts reasons The wicked beare themselues in hand that they shall win the game and that the goale goeth on
their side and there is nothing but crowing long before it be day and great triumphing among them before any stroke be stricken and that because we bee but a handfull of people and they a great multitude and that in a manner the whole world agréeeth with them to practise our death Thus the Diuell doth cast a mist before their eyes and leades them away from the straight Gate to heauen and brings them into the broad way which leadeth them to the bottomlesse pit of hell Therefore my deare Bretheren let vs stand fast in the word of the Lord and take héed of bending with the way that we be not carried away or bowed quite downe with the raging streame of the multitude for the sway of the world doth way downe all thinges that can be spoken out of the word of God and openeth a very wide passage into Hell Now let vs procéed to the fourth Gate into hell which is the long custome of sinne for that taketh away all sence and féeling of sinne and making it as it were an other nature vnto vs so that wee may as well alter nature as shake it off when it is thus soldered vnto vs through long custome this is noted by the Prophet Ieremy to be a very dangerous thing For hee saith Can the blacke Moore change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also doe good which are accustomed to doe euill Héere the Prophet affirmeth that it is as hard to cure an old disease that is bred in the bone or to remedie a sin that hath béene hatched and brought vp with vs as to wash a blacke Moore white or to change the spots of a Leopard which cannot be without the destroying of nature And surely trye it who will hee shall finde it as hard a matter to leaue an old custome whether it be of swearing gaming lying whoring euill company or any other sinne as to wash an Aethiopian Therefore it is written Pro. 27. Though thou shouldest bray a foole in a morter among wheate brayed with a pestle yet will not his foolishnes depart from him So that as long as we are in custome with sinne the doore of Heauen is barred vp against vs. Now let vs heare of the fift gate which is the long escaping of punishment this is auouched by the wise man in these wordes Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therfore the hearts of the children of men haue set them to do euil Where he sheweth that one cause why men are so hardened in their sins is because God wincketh at them and letteth them alone not punishing them immediately after they haue sinned For if God should forthwith strike downe one and raigne downe fire and brimstone vpon another cause the earth to swallow vp the third then men would feare indéed But God taketh not that course for though he méeteth with som in this life yet he lets thousands escape and that makes them more bold thinking they shall neuer come to their answer Euen as an old Theefe which hath a long time escaped both prison and gallowes thinkes he shall alwayes escape and therfore goeth bouldly on in his thefts But let men take héed for as the prouerbe saith though the pitcher goeth long to the well yet at last it commeth broken home so though men escape long vnpunished for sin yet shall they not alwayes be freed for there will come a day of reuenge a day that will pay thē home for all Thus you sée that impunity leadeth numbers to destruction that is when men are let alone not smitten by the hand of God nor punisht by law of the Magistrate The sixt Gate is the beholding of other mens déeds for when some men that haue a wicked and vngratious life haue béene notorious sinners euen to the world ward so that euery man could poynt at them if vpon their death-bed they say a few good wordes and cry God mercy and say their prayers and forgiue all the world and so dye quietly it is maruellous to heare how the foolish people of the world will exalt them and iustifie them saying He made a very good end as any man could make and dyed as quietly as a lambe set all things in good order before he dyed Héerevpon an other wicked monstrous varlet is encouraged to sin for thinketh he such a man liued as wickedly and loosely as I or any man else and yet he made a very good end and why may not I doe so too But alasse these mens eyes are bleared for to dye quietly is not to dye godly to crye God mercy for fashion sake is not to haue God mercifull to say a few praiers with téeth outward is not to dye in the faith of Christ for many do this and yet dye miserably The last gate is hope of long life this is affirmed by our Lord concerning the rich worldling who whē he felt the world come in vppon him with full streame said hee would pull downe his Barnes and build greater and say to his soule Soule habes multa bona reposita in annos multos requiesce comede bibe oblectare Thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeares liue at ease eat drinke and take thy pastime But our Sauiour calleth him foole for flattering himselfe in security and promising vnto himselfe long life moreouer he plainly telleth him that the same night he should make a hellish and miserable end Note I pray you how Iesus Christ the fountaine of all wisedome calleth this man a foole and yéeldeth a reason thereof to wit because he gathered ritches to himselfe and was not rich in God hee had great care for this life and none at all for that which is to come So then it followeth that all such are méere fooles indéede and may bee Chronicled for fooles howsoeuer they be taken and reputed in the world which haue much care for their bodies and none for their soules great care for this life and none at all for that which is to come Wel let all such prophane worldlings as dreame and dote of long life and therefore defer the day of their repentance vnto God take héed by this mans example that they reckon not without their host and bee suddenly snatcht away in the midst of all their pleasures and iollities as Iob saith Some dye in their full strength being in all ease and prosperity their brests are full of marrow Wée see therefore how dangerous a thing it is for men to flatter soothvp themselues with hope of a long life Via arctissima the way is very straight my little flock speake thus one to another Come let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob Et docebit nos vias suas and hee will teach vs his wayes and we will walke in his paths for we will no longer follow the multitude nor walke in the wayes of
despaire with Caine Iudas we may be stricken with sudden death with Annanias and Saphira his wife we may be eaten of wormes with Herod we may be smitten that we cannot heare Gods word with Foelix wee may voyd our guts at the stoole with Arrius we may cry at our death that we are damned with Latomus wee may be left vnto our selues to mock blaspheme and renownce Christ with Iulian the Apostata we may suffer many more fearfull iudgements whereof the Lord hath great store tend to the confounding of them that wil not be humbled vnder his hand Contrariwise the true Christian is so far out of the reach of Gods iudgements that they cannot hurt him Christ is a couering and a cloud vnto thee against the heat tempest of Gods iudgement when a mans heart is sprinckled with the blood of this immaculate lambe all the plagues of God passe ouer him In the destruction of Ierusalem the righteous beare a marke in their forehead are saued Therfore let him that regards his owne safety become a Christian. Now because you see that there be many strong barres and stops out of heauen a very wide passage into hel the best counsel therefore I can giue you if it were for my life is to be much exercised in the word of God both in the hearing reading meditation thereof and also to purchase vnto your selues the sincere ministry of the Gospell to make conscience to liue vnder it estéeming your selues happy if you haue it though you want all other things vnhappy if you haue it not though you haue all other things For it is a péerelesse pearle an incomparable Iewell for the purchasing whereof we are aduised by our Lord Iesus to sell all that wee haue rather then to goe without it Againe our Sauiour Christ giueth the same counsell to the Church of Laodicea in these words I counsell thée to buy of me gold tryed by the fire that thou maist be ritch and white rayment that thou maist be clothed and that thy filthy nakednesse doe not appeare anoynt thine eyes with eye-salue that thou maist sée where you see the word of God is compared to most pretious gold whereby wee are made spiritually ritch and to glittering attire wherewith our naked soules are cloathed and to an eye-salue wherewith our spirituall blindnes is cured Wée are aduertised also by Iesus Christ whose counsell is euer the best that wee should buy these thinges whatsoeuer they cost vs. The same counsel also giueth wise Solomon saying buy the truth but sell it not So theÌ„ we sée the counsell which héerein I giue thée is not mine owne but the counsell of Iesus Christ himselfe and Salomon the wise Ego fidenter dico I speake boldly and who can or who dare speake against their counsell Now as I haue aduised you to be much exercised in the hearing reading meditation of the word of God which is indéed good profitable necessary yet you must of necessity frequent preaching of the word the sound preaching of the Gospell which is the cheefest and most principall meanes which God hath ordained and sanctified and for the sauing of mens soules as it is plainly set down When the world by wisedome knew not God in the wisedome of God it pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleeue For the word preached is the ordinary meanes to work faith which indeed is confirmed by hearinng reading meditation in the word prayer c. As it is written How shall they call on him on whom they haue not beléeued and how shall they beleeue in him whom they haue not heard how shall they heare without a Preacher For that Niniuie repented at the preaching of Ionas It was therefore the word of the Lord preached by the ministry of Nathan that was the instrumentall cause of King Dauids hearty repentance as Samuel recorded it he confesseth it in the 51. Psal. Héere then you sée that the chiefest and most principall meanes which God hath ordained sanctified for the sauing of soules is the word of God preached faith is therby increased and wrought in the hearts of the hearers As Saint Paul saith Faith is wrought by the word of God preached Faith doth not onely heare the word receiue the word vnderstaÌ„d the word reioyce in the word for thus far many hipocrites haue gone in the profession of faith as appeareth by the seede sowne in the stony grownd he heareth the word incontinently with ioy receiueth it yet hath he no root in himselfe dureth but for a season for as soone as tribulation or persecution coÌ„meth because of the word by by hee is offended But faith also openeth the most secret part of the hart therin hideth the word of God as a most precious Iewell in a treasure house for the good vses which God hath appointed And of this kéeping of the word in the secret of the hart these places do testifie Pro 4.20 My sonne hearken vnto my words incline thine eare vnto my sayings let them not depart from thine eyes but keep them in the midst of thine heart Psal. 119.11 I haue hid thy promises in mine heart that I might not sin against thee Psal. 51. Behold thou louest truth in the inward affections therfore hast thou taught mee wisedome in the secret of my heart Luke 2.19 But Mary kept all these sayings and pondered them in her heart Againe verse 51. His mother kept all these sayings in hir heart For if the word of God be not wel wrapped in the heart it shal be soone vncouered discryed deuoured of some aduersary or some euill wéed will growe therewithall choake it as appeareth in the euill hearers who are compared to the séede which was sowed among thornes He heareth the word but the care of this world the deceiptfulnes of riches choake the word he is made vnfrutefull But the immortal euerlasting séed which was sowed in the good grownd was so déepely rooted in the heart of S. Ieremie that he cryed out against such euill hearers saying His word was in my heart as a burning fier shut vp in my bones and I was weary with forbearing I could not stay for I had heard the rayling of many and feare on euery side Cap. 23.9 Mine heart breaketh within me because of the Prophets all my bones shake I am like a drunken man like a man whom wine hath ouercome for the presence of the Lord and for his holy words ver 29. Is not my word like fier saith the Lord like a hammer that breaketh the heard stone Now dearly beloued this doctrine which I teach you is not mine owne it is the doctrine of Iesus Christ which conuerteth the soule which teacheth the word of God truely guideth the hearts of euery true Christian the plaine mans pathway in at the strait gate leading to euerlasting saluation A wake thou therefore that sléepest in the bed of sinne make thy flinty heart to bléed and shed riuers of teares betimes in beewailng of thy sinnes be heartily sory for them and stand vp from the dead Christ shall giue thee light open thine heart without any further delay to receiue Christ and then he will come bind the strong man sathan cast him out dwell in thee himselfe Then the gates of hel shal neuer preuaile against thée then shalt thou enter with Christ in at the straight gate and narrow way which leadeth vnto eternall life and there dwell with him for euer Open therefore vnto vs O Lord the gates of righteousnes that we may goe into them and praise thy holy name This is the gate of the Lord the righteous shall enter into it and praise him for euermore The God of peace which brought again from the dead the Lord Iesus the great Shepheard of the shéepe through the blood of the euerlasting couenant make vs perfect in all good workes cut of all lets and hinderances both within vs without vs sanctifie vs throughout amend all our imperfections kéepe vs blamelesse vntill the day of his most glorious appearing that we may enter with him into his heauenly kingdome to whome with the Father and holy Spirit one God in Trinity trinity in vnity be all blessing glory world with out end Soli Deo gloria Via lata et spaciosa Luk 3.23 Via arcta quae ducit ad vitam Ier. 1.17 Tit. 1.7 1 Cor. 4.1 Ma. 16.19 20. Apo. 3.7 24. 2. Cor. 8.23 Act. 7. Mat. 10. Mat. 13. Mat 4. Luk. 8. Ioh. 6. Fox in the Booke of Mart. Luk. 4. Ciprian cont Dem. Tract 1. pag. Luk. 13.23 1. Cap. Luk. 18.8 Genesis 1. Kin. 17. Esa. 53.1 Luk. 13.24 Mat. 14. Bernard sermone 7 de aduent domini 1. Pet. 5.8.6 12. 1. Ioh. 5.16 1. Ioh. 2.16 Gal. 5. 1. Pet. 2 11 The waies and means of striuing Luk. 4. 2. Tim. 4. Gal. 6.14 He. 13.14 2. Tim. 4 2. Tim. 2 Mat. 10. 1 Cor. 13. Lactant. Acephali c. 11 Gaudetius Merula de merorabilibus l 20.9 Lactant de error ca. 10. Ro. 8.19 Gal. 5.22 Gal. 5.20.21 Iohn 16.33 2. Cap. Esa. 30.20.21 penis arcta breuis Psal. 84.11 Heb. 4. Ier. 13.23 Prou. 27. Eccl. 8.11 Luk. 12.19 Iob. â—1 24. Esa. 2.3 Mich 4 2. Alâ—uding to mount Sion wher the visible Church then was Oseas vlt. Cap. vlt ver Psal. 118. Orig Ex Hom 9. Fulgent in sermo de confessoribus Chrisost. in 2. Thess. Hom. 3. Greg. in Epist ad Leandrum Psal. 24. Eleuatae porta aeternales TertiuÌ„ cap. Esay 1.9 Es. 10.22 Ro. 9.28 Am. 5.14 Vers. 44. Luk. 9.42 9. thinges required 1. Pet. 1.16 1. Tim. 2.5 1. Pet. 18.19 Iohn 17.3 Ioh. 14 15 Ioh. 14. Rom. 13.15 psa 32 25 psal 57. Io Rom. 8.16 Rom. 8.11 Gal. 5.22 pro. 25.15 ps 51.12 Mat. 3.8 Iam· 1 15· Tit. 2.10 Rom. 8.10 Ephe. 5.2 Eph. 2.3 Deut. 34. Esay 4. Eâ— 12.22 Zach. 9.4 Mat. 13.44 Apo. 3.18 pro. 23.23 1. Cor. 1.21 Ro. 10.14 2 Sam. 12 Rom. 10.14 Ma. 13.20 21. Ma. 13.22 Ier. 20.9.10 psal 19.7 psal 118.19.20