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on than ever. And fhould he now rife and make his appearance in this affembly in the folemn and dread attire of an inhabitant of the world of fpirits, and again direct me to a more proper fubject, methinks he would ftill ftand to his choice, and propose it to your ferious thoughts, that if the righteous scarcely be faved, where fhall the ungodly and the finner appear?

The apoftle's principal design in the context seems to be to prepare the Chriftians for those fufferings which he faw coming upon them, on account of their religion. Beloved, fays he, think it not ftrange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though fome Strange thing happened unto you, verfe 12. but rejoice inafmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's fufferings: it is no ftrange thing that you fhould fuffer on account of your religion in fuch a wicked world as this, for Chrift the founder of your religion met with the fame treatment; and it is enough that the fervant be as his master, ver. 13. only he advises them, that if they must suffer, that they did not fuffer as malefactors, but only for the name of Chrift, ver. 14, 15. But, fays he, if any man fuffer as a Chriftian, let him not be afbamed, ver. 16. for the time is come that judgment must begin at the houfe of God. He feems to have a particular view to the cruel perfecution that a little after this was raised against the chriftians by the tyrant Nero, and more directly to that which was raised against them every where by the feditious Jews, who were the most inveterate enemies of christianity. The dreadful deftruction of Jerufalem, which was plainly foretold by Chrift in the hearing of St. Peter, was now at hand. And from the sufferings which chriftians, the favourites of heaven, endured, he infers how much more dreadful the vengeance would be which should fall upon their enemies the infidel Jews. If judgment begin at the house of God, his church, what shall be the doom of the camp of rebels? If it begin at us christians who obey the gospel, what fhall be the end of them that obey it not? Alas! what VOL. II.

I

fhall

fhall become of them? Them that obey not the gospel of God, is a defcription of the unbelieving Jews, to whom it was peculiarly applicable; and the apoftle may have a primary reference to the dreadful deftruction of their city and nation which was much more fevere than all the fufferings the perfecuted chriftians had then endured. But I fee no reafon for confining the apoftle's view entirely to this temporal deftruction of the Jews: he seems to refer farther to that ftill more terrible deftruction that awaits all that obey not the gospel in the eternal world; that is to fay, if the children are fo feverely chaftifed in this world, what fhall become of rebels in the world to come, the proper ftate of retribution? How much more tremendous must be their fate!

In the text he carries on the fame reflection. If the righteous fcarcely be faved, where shall the ungodly and the finner appear? The righteous is the common character of all good men or true christians; and the ungodly and the finner are characters which may include the wicked of all nations and ages. Now, fays he, "if the righteous be but fcarcely faved, faved with great difficulty, juft faved, and no more, where fhall idolaters and vicious finners appear, whofe character is fo oppofite?"

The abrupt and pungent form of expreffion is very emphatical. Where fhall the ungodly and the finner appear! I need not tell you, your own reafon will inform you I appeal to yourfelves for an anfwer, for you are all capable of determining upon fo plain a cafe. Where fhall the ungodly and the finner appear? Alas! it ftrikes me dumb with horror to think of it: it is fo fhocking and terrible that I cannot bear to defcribe it. Now they are gay, merry, and rich; but when I look a little forward I fee them appear in very different circumftances, and the horror of the profpect is hardly fupportable."

St. Peter here fuppofes that there is fomething in the condition and character of a righteous man that

renders

renders his falvation comparatively eafy; fomething from whence we might expect that he will certainly be faved, and that without much difficulty: and, on the other hand, that there is fomething in the oppofite character and condition of the ungodly and the finner that gives us reafon to conclude that there is no probability at all of their falvation while they continue fuch. But he afferts that even the righteous, whofe falvation feems fo likely and comparatively eafy, is not faved without great difficulty; he is just faved, and that is all what then fhall we conclude of the ungodly and the finner, whofe character gives no ground for favourable expectations at all? If our hopes are but just accomplished, with regard to the moft promifing, what fhall become of thofe whofe cafe is evidently hopeless? Alas! where fhall they appear? The method in which I intend to profecute our fubject is this:

I. I fhall point out the principal difficulties, whicheven the righteous meet with in the way to falvation.

II. I fhall mention thofe things in the condition and character of the righteous which render his falvation fo promifing and feemingly eafy, and then fhow you that, if with all these favourable and hopeful circumstances he is not faved but with great difficulty and danger, those who are of an oppofite character, and whofe condition is fo evidently and apparently defperate, cannot be faved at all.

I. I am to point out the principal difficulties which even the righteous meet with in the way to falvation. Here I would premife, that fuch who have become truly religious and perfevered in the way of holiness and virtue to the laft, will meet with no difficulty at all to be admitted into the kingdom of heaven. The difficulty does not lie here, for the fame apoftle Peter affures us, that if we give all diligence to make our calling and election fure we fhall never fall; but fo an entrance fhall be adminiftered unto us abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift.

2 Peter,

2 Peter, i. 10, 11. But the difficulty lies in this, that, all things confidered, it is a very difficult thing to obtain, and perfevere in real religion in the prefent corrupt state of things, where we meet with so many temptations and fuch powerful oppofition. Or, in other words, it is difficult in fuch a world as this to prepare for falvation; and this renders it difficult to be faved, because we cannot be faved without preparation.

It must also be observed that a religious life is attended with the moft pure and folid pleasures even in this world; and they who choose it act the wisest part with respect to the present state: they are really the happiest people upon our globe. Yet, were it otherwife, the bleffed confequences of a religious life in the eternal world would make amends for all, and recommend fuch a courfe, notwithstanding the greateft difficulties and the fevereft fufferings that might

attend it.

But notwithstanding this conceffion, the chriftian course is full of hardships, oppositions, trials, and discouragements. This we may learn from the metaphorical reprefentations of it in the facred writings, which ftrongly imply that it is attended with difficulties which require the utmoft exertion of all our power to furmount. It is called a warfare, 1 Tim. i. 18. fighting, 2 Tim. iv. 7. The graces of the chriftian, and the means of begetting and cherishing them, are called weapons of war: there is the fhield of faith; the hope of falvation, which is the helmet; the fword of the fpirit, which is the word of God. 2 Cor. x. 4. Eph. vi. 13-17. The end of the Chriftian's course is victory after conflict. Rev. ii. 7. And chriftians are foldiers; and as fuch muft endure hardships. 2 Tim. ii. 3. Now a military life you know is a fcene of labour, hardships, and dangers; and therefore fo is the christian life, which is compared to it in these respects. It is compared to a race, Heb. xii. 1, 2. to wrestling and the other vigorous exercises of the Olympic games,

games, Eph. vi. 12. Luke xiii. 24. to walking in a narrow way, Matt. vii. 14. and entering at the ftrait gate. Luke xiii. 24. This, my brethren, and this only, is the way to falvation. And is this the way in which you are walking? Or is it the smooth, easy, downward road to deftruction? You may flide along that without exertion or difficulty, like a dead fish fwimming with the ftream; but, O! look before you, and fee whither it leads!

The enemies that oppofe our religious progress are the devil, the world, and the flesh. Thefe form a powerful alliance against our falvation, and leave no artifice untried to obftruct it.

The things of the world, though good in themfelves, are temptations to fuch depraved hearts as ours. Riches, honours, and pleasure spread their charms, and tempt us to the pursuit of flying fhadows, to the neglect of the one thing needful. Thefe engrofs the thoughts and concern, the affections and labours of multitudes. They engage with fuch eagernefs in an exceffive hurry of business and anxious care, or fo debauch and ftupify themselves with fenfual pleasures, that the voice of God is not heard, the clamours of confcience are drowned, the state of their fouls is not enquired into, the intereft of eternity are forgotten, the eternal God, the joys of heaven, and the pains of hell are caft out of mind, and difregarded; and they care not for any or all of these important realities, if they can but gratify the luft of avarice, ambition, and fenfuality. And are fuch likely to perform the arduous work of falvation? No; they do not fo much as feriously attempt it. Now these things which are fatal to multitudes throw great difficulties in the way even of the righteous man. He finds it hard to keep his mind intent upon his great concern in the midft of fuch labours and cares as he is obliged to engage in; and frequently he feels his heart eftranged from God and enfnared into the ways of fin, his devotion cooled, and his whole foul difordered

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