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AnS4'
Ari7I.]
A
SOUL
PREPARED
FOR
HEAVEN.
46P
to our entrance
into the heavenly state
;
and
we
must
walk
through
this world, this defiling world, with all
holy watchfulness,
lest our
souls be
blemished with new
pollutions,
lest
new
guilt
corne
upon our
consciences,
and the thoughts
of
appearance
before
God
be
terrible
to
us.
That
soul
is
very
much unfit for an
entrance into
the presence
of
a
holy
God,
who
is
ever
plunging itself
into
new
circumstances
of
guilt,
by
a
careless
and unholy
conversation. To
stand
upon
the borders
of
life,
and
the
very edge
of
eternity,
will
be
dreadful
to those
who
have
given themselves a loose to
criminal pleasures, and in-
dulged
their irregular appetites
and passions.
But it
is
not
only a
conscience purged from the
guilt
of
sin, by
the blood
of
Christ,
but a
soul
washed also
from
the
defiling
power and
taint
of
sin, by
the sanctify-
ing Spirit,
that
is
necessary to make
us
meet for the hea-
venly
inheritance. This
is
that
purification
which
I
now
chiefly
intend
;
Mat.
v.
8.
"
Blessed
are
the
pure in
heart,
for they shall
see
God.
Nothing
that
defileth
must
enter
into the
city
of God
on
high,
nor
whosoever
maketh
a lie,
or
loveth
it;"
Rev.
xxi.
M¡.
No
injus-
tice,
no
falsehood, no guile or deceit, can
be
admitted
within those gates: They must
be
without
guile,
both in
their
heart
and
tongue,
if
they
will
stand before
the
soul,
with all
the beauties
of
an upright
heart
and
charac-
throne of
God
;
Rev.
xiv. 5.
Sincerity and
truth
of
ter,
are
necessary
to prepare
an
inhabitant
for
that
blessed
state.
There
must
be no envy,
no
wrath or
malice, no
revenge,
nor
any
of
the angry
principles
that
dwell
in
our
flesh and
blood, or
that
inflame
and disturb the mind,
will be
found
in
those regions
of
peace and
love.
There
must
be no
pride or ambition,
no
self-exaltation and va-
nity
that
can dwell
in
heaven, for
it cast
out
the angels
of
glorious
degree, when they would
exalt
themselves above
their
own
station.
Pride
was
the
condemnation of
tia-
devil,"
and it must
not
dwell
in
a;human heart,
that
ever
hopes for
a heavenly
dwelling
-place
;"
1
Tim.
iii. 6.
and
Jude
verse
6.
There
must
be
no sensual
and intempe-
rate creature
there,
no
covetous
selfishness, no
irregular
passions, no
narrowness
of
soul,
no
uncharitable and
party
,spirit,
Will
ever
be
found
in
that country of
diffu-
sive love
and joy.
And
since the best
of
Christians
have
had
the
seeds
of
2
x3