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4'4
A
SOUL
,PREPARED FOR
HEAVEN.
rDISC.
heaven a
part
of
my
own.
But
I
proceed
not
here, be-
cause this would
anticipate
what
I
design
hereafter.
8.
God
is
pleased to work up
his
people to
a
prepa-
ration for
the heavenly
state,
by
"
giving them a
pledge'
and earnest
of
the
blessedness
of
heaven,"
that
is,
by
sending
his own
Spirit into their hearts
under
this
very
character, both
as the
spring
of
a
divine
life,
and
as
the
evidence
of
our
hope,
and sometimes
bestowing
upon
them
such
foretastes
of
the heavenly world,
by
the ope-
rations of
his
holy Spirit, which
are too joyful
and glo-
rious
to
be
fully
expressed
in
mortal
language;
but
we
shall
attempt
something
of
it
in
another
discourse.
[Here
this
discourse
may be
divided.]
proceed
now
to
seek
what inferences or
edifying
re-
marks
may
be
made
upon our meditations thus
far
:
Remark
I. We
learn
from
my
text
"
what are the
brigfitest,
the plainest, and the surest
evidences
of our
interest
in
the
heavenly
blessedness
:
Are
we
trained
up
to
it
and prepared for
it
?"
Has
the
blessed
God
wrought up our
souls to any
hopeful degrees
of
this
prepa
ration
?
Has
he
in
any measure
made
us
meet for the
inheritance
of
the saints
in sight
?
I
grant
the
scripture
teaches
Sus,
that
it
is
by a
true and
living faith in
our
Lord
Jesus
Christ,
that
we
obtain
a
title
to
eternal
life,
according
to
the proposals
of
the
co-
venant
of
grace in the
gospel
;
but
our preparation
for
heaven
by
a
holy
and
heavenly
temper
of
mind
and con
duct of
life,
is
the fairest
and
most uncontested evidence
of
the truth
and
life
of our
faith,
and
such a
proof
of it
as
will
stand the
test
both
in
life
and death,
in
this world,.
and
in
the
world
to come.
If
we
would manifest
our
faith
in
Christ
to
be
sincere
and genuine
and effectual
for
our
salvation,
we
must
make
it appear that
we
are
growing up into the
image
of
Christ
in all
things,'
we
must
be formed
after
the likeness
of
the Son
of
God,
who
is
our
great
example,
and our forerunner
into heaven
;
and
where
this evidence
is
found the
soul
cannot
fail
of
sal
vatiou. Wheresoever there
is
this
fitness
for the
joys
on
high,
God
will
assuredly
bestow these
divine pleasures.
It
is
for such souls
that
he
has
prepared
a
heaven,
and
when
he
has
prepared
such
souls for the heavenly world,
he
will
surely bring them
to
the possession
of
it,