501 / 674
flISC.
VIII.]
A
SOUL
PREPARED FOR HEAVEN.
434
of
nature,
and they
complain they are
fit
for
no
service
in
this world
;
but
if
they can
feel in
themselves this holy
fitness for the enjoyments
of
heaven, they have
a.
rich
and
living
fountain
of
pleasure in their
own
breasts,
ever
springing, ever
flowing,
and
such as
will
follow
them
with daily supplies
of pleasure,
if
they
are not
wanting to
themselves, through all
this wilderness,
till they
arrive
at
that land
where all the rivers
of
blessing
meet and
join
in
a
full
stream, to make the inhabitants for ever
happy.
"
It
may
be,
O christian,
thou
art
afraid
that
thou
hast felt
but little of
this divine
preparation;
thou
seest
so
many defects
in
thyself
daily, so
much unlikeness
to
God,
so
much working
of
iniquity, such restless efforts
of
the
body
of
sin, so
much
prevalence
of
temptation,
so
much coldness
in
duty,
such deadness
in
acts
of
devo-
tion, such
frequent returns of
guilt
and
pain
in a
tender
conscience, and
so
many enemies to struggle
with,
every
step
of
thy
way
to heaven,
that
thou
art
greatly discou-
raged and afraid
this divine
preparation
is
not wrought
in
thee.
Enquire
then yet
further:
Are all these
me-
lancholy
scenes
both
within and without,
the
matter
of
thy sincere grief
and
burden
?
Canst
thou
say, in
this
tabernacle
I
groan, being burdened
with
the
body
of
sin,
as well
as
with
the
frailties,
and
pains
of nature
?
Canst
thou
say sincerely,
that
thy
inmost
desires
are towards
God
and
his
glory
in
the
present
life,
and towards
his
enjoyment
in
the
life to come
?
Dost
thou maintain
a
constant
converse with heaven as
well as
thou canst,
though
it
be so
much broken,
and
so
often painfully
in-
terrupted? Hast
thou
a
continual and settled aversion
and hatred
to
sin,
and
a
holy
jealousy and fear
of
its
de-
filements?
Hast
thou
a
restless
breathing
of
soul
after
greater
likeness to
God,
and
greater
communion with
him?
Dost
thou delight
in
spiritual
and
holy
conversa-
tion
;
and does thy zeal för the
honour of
God,
and
-his
Son
Jesus, carry thee forth to those actions
which
are
suitable
to
thy
station, for the advancement
of
religion
in
the
world
?
Be
assured then
that God
is
training thee
up for this heavenly state,
and
has
in
some
measure
pre-
pared
thee for
it.
God
has begun
in
thee
the
business
and blessedness
of
the
upper
world.
In
the midst
of
all
.thy sorrows
and complaints here
below,
peace be
witil
VOL.
Ir.
;.? I.