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A,SOUL PREPARED.
FOR.R AVE4.
{DISC.
VIII.
should
be no
more concerned
about
a
preparation
for
their departure
hence: That
they
should
be
so
stupidly
thoughtless
of
a
world
to
come, while
they
are
on the
very
borders
of
it,
and eternal
joy
or
eternal
sorrow de-
pends
on this one question,.
"
Am
I prepared
for heaven
or
not
?"
O those
two
awful regions
of
the unseen
world;
where the
love
of God
shines with its
brightest
glories,
or
where the vengeance
of God
is
discovered
in
all
its
anguish and
horror
!
One of
these
will
be
the
certain
and eternal
-
dwelling place
of
the
souls
that
are prepared
for
them,
and there must
they
pass
their
long immorta-
lity,
either
in
joy,
or
in
sorrow,
without a change
;
and
yet
the
foolish
and besotted tribes
of
mankind
seem to
have abandoned
all
thought and concern
about
them. A
dangerous
lethargy, or
distraction.
What
shall
we
do to
cure sinners
of
this
mad-
ness
?
Shall
I
try
to
rouse
these
indolent unthinking
wretches
out of their dangerous
and mortal
slumbers with
the loudest
voice
of thunder
and divine
terror
?
But
the
lethargy
of
sin
is
proof
against
all
these
terrors and thun-
ders.
Shall
I
call
for
a
fountain
of
tears into
my eyes,
and
weep
over them with the
tenderest
sympathy and
compassion
?
But
they
feel
not
any meltings
of
pity
for
themselves, nor are their
hearts
to
be
softened
by
all
our
tears and
wailings.
Shall
I
beseech them
in
the name
of
Christ,
by
the
bowels
of
his
dying love,
and
the
blood
and
anguish
of
his
sufferings for
our
salvation
?
But
even these divine
and astonishing instances
of
tender-
ness
and mercy make no impression
on
their
souls.
While
Satan holds
them in
his
chains, they are sleeping the
sleep
of
death. O
for
a
word
of
sovereign
and
almighty
grace to
reach
the
centre
of
their spirits
!
To
shake all
the
powers
of
their
nature
!
To
awaken them to behold
their eternal interest!
and to
prepare
for heavenly
feli-
city
!'"
Awake, O sleepers,
ere the angel
of death
seize
you,
and
the grave
shut
its
mouth upon
you;
then all
your
seasons
and hopes
of
mercy
are
cut
off for ever,
and
you
will
awake hopeless immortals.
I
shall
conclude this discourse
with one word
of
ex-
hortation
to
those-who are
in any
measure wrought up
to
a.
preparation
for the heavenly
blessedness.,
"
O
happy
creatures!
whatsoever pains
you have taken,
whatever
conflicts
you have
endured
in
the matter of
your
own
sal-