grace in their hearts here, and yet they vainly expect to be made perfect in pleasure and glory hereafter.

Think with thyself, O carnal creature, that heaven will be a burden to thee; the powers, the appetites, and passions of thy sinful nature, will not suffer thee to relish the joys of the heavenly state. Dost thou imagine that a worm or serpent of the earth, or a swine which is ever tumbling in the mire, can be entertained with the golden ornaments and splendors of a palace? Or will the stupid ass be de. lighted with the harmony of a harp or viol? No more can a soul of a carnal and sensual taste, and which is ever seeking and groveling after earthly gratifications, be pleased or gratified with the refined enjoy. ments of the heavenly world. Thou must have a new nature, new appetites and affections, ere thou canst partake of divine joys, or relish them if thou wert placed in the midst of them. Holy adoration of God, and humble converse with him in worship, converse with the saints about divine things, perfect purity and devotion, with the meditation of the excellencies of Christ, and the sight of him in his ordinances, have never yet been the object of thy delight or joy; nay they have rather been thine aversion; and shouldst thou have the gates of heaven open before thee, and see what business the holy souls there are employed in, thou wouldst find no desire

to such sort of satisfactions; the place and the company would be thy burden, if thou couldst be let at once into the midst of them.

Think again, O sinful wretch, thy carnality of soul, thy supreme love of sensual and brutual joys, the secret malice or envy, the pride and impiety of thy heart, have prepared thee for another sort of company; thou art fitted for hell by the very temper of thy spirit, for such are the inhabitants of that miserable world, and in thy present state there can be no admission for thee into heaven. Thou hast treasured up food for the worm that never dies, for the eter nal anguish of conscience; thou hast made thyself fit fuel by indulgence of thy sinful and rebellious appetites and passions, for the fiery indignation of God; and every day thou persistest in this state, thy preparation for the dark regions of sin and sorrow is increased. But this leads me to the last remark.

Rem. 4. How dangerous a thing it is for a sinner to continue a day longer in a state so unprepared for the heavenly world.' Dost thou not know, whilst we are inhabitants in these regions of mortality, we are borderers upon death; and if we are unprepared for heaven, we are borderers upon damnation and hell? Our life is but a vapour, and the next puff may blow us away into the regions of everlasting darkness, misery, and despair.

Alas! How much of this divine preparation do the best of saints stand in need of for an immediate entrance into heaven? What care do they take, how constant are their labours, and how fervent their prayers to increase in this divine fitness, in these holy and heavenly qualifications? And dost thou vainly imagine to exchange earth for heaven at once, and

to be received into the pure and holy mansions of paradise without any conformity to God or Christ, or the rest of the inhabitants of that world?

Objection. But some ide and slothful creatures will be ready to object and say, if it be God who creates his people anew, according to his own image, and fits them for heaven: if we must be wrought up by his power and grace for the participation of this glory, what can we do towards it ourselves? Or why are we charged and exhorted to prepare ourselves for heaven? Since then it is God must do this work, why may we not lie still, and wait till his grace shall prepare us?

I answer, no, by no means; for God is wont to exert his grace only while creatures are in the use of his appointments, and fulfil their duty. This language therefore, and these excuses, seem to be the mere cavils of a carnal mind, or the voice of sloth and indolence. Those who have no inclination to prepare themselves 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 worketh 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 work." This was the charge also that God gave to his people Israel, Lev. xx. 7, 8. "Sanctify yourselves, and be ye holy, keep my statutes; I am the Lord who sanctifieth you." So the Psalmist tells us, Psal. iv. 3. "The Lord hath set apart, or separated him who is godly for himself;", and yet, 2 Cor. vi. 17. The Lord commands his people to "separate themselves" unto him, to "come out from amongst the sinners of this world; and "be you separate," saith the Lord, "and I will receive you." So in other places of Scripture, divine wisdom commands sinners to fulfil their duty, Prov. i. 23. "Turn ye at my reproof:" And yet in the 80th Psalm, 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 of the diligent maketh rich;" and yet ver. 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 command's 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 communica'tions, 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 expect to have received his eye-sight. If the man with the withered hand, Matth. xii. 10, 13. had not used his own endeavours to stretch forth his hand' at the command of Christ, I 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 in Bethesda,' John v. he had not met with the blessed Jesus, nor been healed by his miraculous power. You will say, perhaps, that our blessed Saviour could have visited him in his own house, could have directed his journey towards his habitation, or have sent for him into the public, and healed him there. No, our Lord did not choose either of these ways; but while the man was waiting at the pool, where he had encouragement to hope for a cure, there the Lord found him, and healed him.

Let not any presuming sinner therefore, who is sensible of his own unfitness for heaven, dare to continue in a careless indifference about so important a concern: Let him not put off his own conscience with this foolish excuse, 'It is God must do all in' us and for us, and therefore I will do nothing myself.' Dost thou think, O soul, that this will be a sufficient answer to him that shall judge thee in the great and