506 / 674
4E6
.A
SOUL
PREPARED
FOR
HEAVEN.
[DISC.. VII%
and
heaven.
Commit
thy soul, guilty
'and
defiled as
it
is,
into
the hands
of Jesus
the
Mediator
;
entrust
'thy
cause with hinr as an all-sufficient Saviour
;
entreat
that
he
would
cleanse thee
from
all thy
guilt and
pollution,
by
the blood
of
his
sacrifice,
and the grace
of
his
spirit;
that
blood of
atonement
which has
procured
for sinners
pardon
and peace with God, and those operations
of
his
grace which
may
sanctify,
thy sinful
nature.
Address
thyself
to
the exalted Saviour for healing
influences from
his
hand
to
cure
all
the
maladies
of
thy
soul,
to form thee
after
his image,
and to
make thee
a
son
of God. Pray
with
holy
importunity for
this necessary
and
divine bless-
ing,
wait
on
God
in
secret and
in;
public
;
give
him
no
rest
night
or day;.
till
he
has renewed thy
soul,
and trans-
formed thee into a
new
creature,
and given
thee
a:relish
of
the
heavenly enjoynients
:
Dwell
at the
throne of
grace
till
thou feelest.thy
heart
drawn upward
and
heavenward,
and
watch
against
every thing
that
would
defile
thy
soul
anew,
or
make
thee unfit to enter
into
the company
of
the
blessed.
Permit
me
here
to
dwell
a
little upon
those motives
that
should awaken thee
to
bethink thyself ere
it
be
too
late, before the grave
has
shut
its
mouth upon thee, and
thou
art
consigned
to
the place
of
eternal.
misery. Awake,
awake,
O
impenitent
sinners, who
are
as
yet.unprepared
for
the business
and
blessedness
of
the
heavenly
state;
awake
and
exert your
souls
in warmest
reflections on
matters
of
infinite
importance.
1.
Think
with yourselves
how
much the
great God
has done towards
the
preparation
of
sinful
men
for
this
heaven;
think
seriously
of
his
long-suffering
goodness,
and
his
sparing
mercy, which
should have
led
you
long
ago
to
a
melting sense
of
your
own folly,
and brought
you back
unto
him by
humble repentance. For what
reason
were
his
patience and
his
long
-
suffering
exercised
towards
you
if not
for
this very
purpose
?.
Rom.
u.
4.
Think of
the
blessings
of
nature
with which he
has
sur-
rounded
you,
and the
comforts
of
this life wherewith
he
has
furnished you,
in order
to
allure
your
thoughts to-
wards
hire, who
is
the spring
of
all
goodness
;
and
to
raise
your
desires
towards him:
It
is
he
invites
you,
..who
will
be
the everlasting
portion and
happiness
of
his
people,
and
in
whose
favour
consists life
and
felicity
;
and dare