DISCOURSE VIII. 177 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 immortality; 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 dan- gerous lethargy, or distraction ! What shall we do to cure sinners of this madness ? 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 thunders. 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 wailing's. 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 aston- ishing instances of tenderness 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 felicity !- 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 hope- less immortals. I shall conclude this discourse with one word of exhortation 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 salvation, yet let Gbd and his grace have all the honour of this work. Ït is to God you owe your sacrifices of praise. He that hat!, wrought you up for this felicity is God. It was he who awakened you first, and set you a thinking of your most important concerns : It was he that led you first into the way of salvation by Jesus Christ his Son, and bath thus far crowned your labours and your prayers with success and blessing. Every, stumbling -block in your way might have thrown you down to perdition : Every temptation might have turned you back from this glorious pursuit: Every enemy of your souls Might have discouraged or overcome you, if God and his grace had not bee" engaged on your side. It is tie bath upheld you when you were falling, he bath taken you by the hand and led you right onward when you were wandering, and he hat, supported you by his divine cordials o promise when you were fainting. It is God who hath enabled VOL, VII. ;Iz
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