171 THE WORLD TO COME. Permit me here to dwell a little upon these 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'impénttent sinners, who are as yet unprepared for the business and blessed- ness of the heavenly state ; awake and exert your souls in warm - est reflections on matters of infinite importance. - L 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 exer- cised towards you if not for this very purpose ? Rom. ii. 4. Think of the blessings of nature with which he has surrounded you, and the comforts of this life wherewith he has furnished you, in order to allure your thoughts towards him, who is the spring of alt goodness ; and to raise your desires towards him : It is he invites you, who will be the everlasting portion and hap- piness of his people, and in whose favour consists life and felicity ; and dare not any longer neglect your preparation for this happi- ness, which consists in the enjoyment of God, lest you should be cut off before you are prepared. 2. Consider again what Jesus the Son of God has done and suffered ; and consider what he is yet doing towards the prepare - tion of souls for heaven :. He came down to our world to under- take the glorious and dreadful work of the redemption of sinners from the curse of the law and the terrors of hell, and to procure a heaven for every rebellious creature that would return to God his Father. Think of the agonies of his death with which he purchased mansions of glory for those that receive his grace in his own appointed methods, those that are willing to have their hearts and minds formed into a suitable frame to receive this feli- city. Remember that he is risen from the dead, he is ascended to prepare a place in glory for those that are willing to follow him through the paths of holiness. Hearken to the many kind invi- tations and allurements of his gospel, which calls to the worst of sinners to return and live, and entreats and exhorts those who are in the ends of the earth, and upon the borders of hell, to look unto him that they may be saved; Ina. xlv. 22. Take heed that you suffer not these seasons of his inviting love to slide away and vanish unimproved ; take heed how you rebel against the lan- guage of the grace of his gospel, and thereby prepare yourselves for double and everlasting destruction. 3. Think again, what blessed assistances he has proposed to those who are desirous to be trained up for heaven ; how many thousand souls, as carnal, as sensual, and as criminal, as yours
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