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DISC.
MI
SIMPRIZE
IN
DEATH.
3SP
-
let
them look upward to the crown
that
is
not
far
off,
to
the
prize
that
is
almost within reach
:
"
Whatsoever
your
hand or
heart
find
to do for God, do
it with
all
your
zeal
and
might;"
.Eccles.
ix.
10.
Let
your loins
be
girded
about, and your
natural
powers
active in
his
service,
let your lamp
of
profession
be
bright and
burn-
ing,
that, when
Jesus
comes, ye
may receive him with
joy;
Luke
xii. 35, 36.
5..
And
are there
any
of
you,
'that.are.under
decays
of
grace and
piety,
that
are labouring and
wrestling with
strong.
corruptions, or
in
actual
conflict with
repeated
temptations,
which too often
prevail over
you
?
It
be-
comes you to
hear.
the watch -word,
which
Christ
often
gives
to his churches
under
such
circumstances:.
"
Make
haste and awake unto
holiness, be
watchful, and
strengthen
the things
that
remain
that
are ready
to die
;
.
hold
fast
what
thou
hast
received
;
Rev.
iii.
,
11.
"remember
thy
first affection
and
zeal,
and
repent and
mourn for-what
thou hast
lost,
lest
I
come
upon thee
as
a
thief,
and thou
shalt not
know
the
hour
;
,Remember
whence thou
art
fawn,
and repent,
and do
thy first
works,
for thou
hast
4
st
thy
first
love
;"
Rev.
ii. 4, 5.
Have a
care
of
dan-
gerous
lukewarmness
and indifference in the things
"of
religion.
This
is
the very temper
of
a
sleepy-declining
christian,
while he
dreams
he
is
rich,
and
has
great
attain-
ments
:
Take
heed lest,
presuming upon
thy
riches
and
thy self
-
sufficiency,
thou
shouldst
be
found
"
wretched,
and
miserable, and poor, and blind, and
naked
;"
Rev.
iii.
16.
Keep your
souls awake hourly,
and
be
upon
your guard against
every
adversary, and every defile-
ment, lest
ye be
seized
away in
the
commission
of
some
sin,
or
in
the compliance with
some foul
temptation.
The
drowsy
soldier
is
liable
to be
led captive,
and
to die
in
fettere,
and groan
heavily
in
death. But
blessed
is
the
watchful christian, he
shall
he
found amongst the
overcomers,
and
shall
partake of
the rich variety
of
di
vine favours, which
are contained
in
the epistles to the
seven
churches;
Rev.
chapters
ii.
and
iii.
Though
the
greatest
part of
a
formerdiscourse
has
been
describing the blessedness
of
a watchful christian
at
the
hour
of
death,
and
in this
I
have
set before
you
the sad
consequences
that
attend
sleepers,
both
which
are
powerful
preservatives against
drowsiness, yeti
at
the conclusion
of
c
3