505 / 674
DISC.
viII.'
A
SOUL
PREPARED
FOR
HEAVEN.
485
eye-
sight.
If
the
man with the withered hand,
Mat.
xii.
10,
I3. had
not
used
his own
endeavours
to
stretch forth
is
hand at the command
of
Christ,
I
can
hardly
believe
it
would
have
been
restored
to its
ancient vigour
and
usefulness.
Hale
poor
impotent creature
had
not been
waiting
at
the side
of
the pool
of
Bethesda,
John
v.
5-9.
he had
not met
with
the
blessed
Jesus, nor
been
healed
by
his
miraculous
power.
You
will
say,
perhaps,
that
our
blessed Saviour
could have
visited him
in
his own
house, could
have
directed
his
journey
towards
his
habi-
tation,
or
have
sent for
him
into the public, and healed
him
there.
No;
our
Lord
did
not
chuse
either
of
these
ways;
but
while
the man
was
waiting
at
the
pool,
where
he had
encouragement
to
hope for
a
cure,
there
the
Lord
found
him,
and healed
him.
Let
not any presuming
sinner therefore,
who
is
sensi-
ble
of
his own
unfitness for heaven,
dare
to continue
in
a
careless indifference
about
so
important
a concern
:
Let
him
not put
off his own conscience with
this foolish
excuse,
"
It
is
God
must do
all in
us,
and for
us,
and
therefore I
will
do
nothing
myself."'
Dost
thou think,
O
soul,
that
this
will
be a sufficient
answer to
him
that
shall
judge
thee
in
the
great and
solemn day
?
May
you
not
expect
to
hear the Judge reply terribly
to such
an ex-
cuse,
"
You never sought
after
this
preparation
for
heaven, and
you
must
be
plunged into
hell,
for
which
your
own
rebellion and slothfulness
have
prepared
you."
But perhaps
you
will
object
again,
What
can
so
fee-
ble, so
sinful a
creature
as
I
am,
do
towards
this divine
work
?
I
answer,
Canst
thou not
separate
one
quarter
of
an
hour
daily to
think
of
thy
dreadful circumstances; and
thy
eternal
danger
in a sinful
and
defiled
state
of
soul
?
Think of
the
uncertainty of
life,
and
how
sudden thy
summons may
be
into
the
eternal and unchangeable
state. Survey
thyself
in
thy sinful
condition
both
of
heart
and
life,
and
see how
unfit thou
art
for
the com-
pany
of
all the holy ones above.
Meditate
on
these
thy
perilous circumstances,
till thy
heart be
deeply
affected
therewith;
fall
down before
God
in
humble acknowledg-
ment
of
thy
former guilt and
pollutions: Give
up
thyself
to
him
with holy solemnity,
to have thy
heart turned
away
from
every
sin,
and strongly inclined
to
holiness
2t3
i