172 TnE WORLD TO COME. and indolence. Those who have no inclination to prepare them. selves for the joys of the heavenly state, may wait and expect divine influences in vain, if they will never stir up themselves to practise what is in their own power, and to Attempt what the gospel of grace demands. In almost all the transactions of God with men, it is the way of his wisdom to join our diligence and his grace together; and there are many scriptures that give us sufficient notice of this. See how St. Paul argues with the Philippians, and stirs them up to zeal and activity in securing their own salvation by the hope of divine assistances : Phil. ii. 12, 13. Work out your own salvation, for it is God that worheth in you both to will and to do. So said David to his son Solomon, when he appointed him to build the temple of the Lord; 1 Chron. xxviii. 20. Be strong and of good courage, and do it,for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee, and will not fail thee nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the word. This was the charge also that God gave to his people Israel ; Lev. xx. 7. Sanctify yourselves, and be ye holy,keep any statutes; I ant the Lord who sanctjfieth you. So the Psalmist tells us ; Ps. iv. 3. The Lord bath, setapart, or separated hint who is godly for himself; and yet, 2 Cor. vi. 17. The Lord commands his people to " separate themselves unto him, to coins out from amongst the sinners of this world ; and he you separate, saith the Lord, and I will receive you." So in other places of scripture, divine wis- dom commands sinners to fulfil their duty ; Prov. i. 23. Turn ye at my reproof: And yet in Ps. lxxx. 3. the church prays, Turn us, O Lord, and we shall be saved. The case is very. much the same even in the things that relate to this life, wherein divine assistance and blessing are connected with our diligence in duty. Solomon tells us ; Prov. x. 4. The hand (f the diligent maketh rich; and yet verse 22. it is the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich also. We can never expect the favours of heaven, unless we are zealous to obey the commands of heaven. When the sinful children of men are found waiting on God in his own appointed ordinances, then they are in the fairest way to receive divine communications, and be transformed into saints. If the blind man had not obeyed the voice of Christ; John ix. 7. and washed himself in the pool of Siloam, he could not ex- pect to have received his eye - sight. If the man with the wi- thered hand; Mat. xii. 10, 13. had not used his own endeavours to stretch forth his hand at the command of Christ, l can hardly believe it would have been restored to its ancient vigour and usefulness. If the poor impotent creature had not been waiting at the side of the pool of Bethesda ; John v. 5 -0. he had not met with the blessed Jesus, nor been healed by his miraculous power. You will say, perhaps, that our blessed Saviour could
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