[2.] When God summons us by his providence to make up our account: Luke xvi. 2, ' Give an account of thy stewardship, for thou mayest be no longer steward.' Many are about to go into the other world, but they do not think of making ready for it. The wrath of God is even at the door, and they are stupid and careless. Surely such a frame of heart should be far from the children of God. They have a tender conscience, and a deep sense of the world to come ; therefore in probability, when they have but a short time wherein to prepare, their preparation should be the more serious. So when we are to partake of the Lord's supper, a man would go aside and renew his evidences for heaven, and awaken his spiritual desire ; so for hear- ing the word, a man would compose his heart to receive the word with meekness ; and should we not set our hearts in frame when we are to meet with Christ, not only in the ordinances, but in person ?
Secondly, Why those only that are ready and prepared are to enter into the nuptial chamber.
1. Those are only meet for heavenly happiness. It is most suitable to them, as having that life begun in their hearts which shall be per- fected there, Col. i. 12. What should poor sensual, sinful creatures do with heaven ? Heaven is prepared for us, and we for heaven, Rom. vi. 23. When we are put into a heavenly frame and temper, heaven's gates stand open for us. It is the wisdom of God to put all things in their proper place ; heavy and light bodies in their proper places. So here the apostle saith, 2 Cor. v. 5, ' He that wrought us for this very thing is God.' Excellent vessels are not thrown about the house, but
vol. ix. 2 c
402 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SER. VIII.
put into a place suitable. The purging and purifying of our souls is a kind of spiritualising of our bodies, and so we are fitted both in body and soul.
2. These only have a lively sense of the coming of the Lord. Tem- poraries are a sort of hypocrites ; their work is real, though but a common work ; not because they purposely and intendedly dissemble, but because they have not answerable impressions to the things which they profess to believe, and their affections and preparations are not answerable to what they know; and so it is a kind of mocking of God. They profess and believe God omniscient, yet fear not to sin in his presence ; to believe eternity, yet temporal things have the greatest power and influence upon them : they look for the coming of Christ in great majesty and glory, but do not make suitable provision. If we had high thoughts of Christ, and a great respect to him, we would pre- pare accordingly ; but surely we have lessening thoughts of Christ, and his glorious coming, if we do not make ready for him, how high soever our notions be about it.
Use. Are we ready ? I must direct the edge of this use to four sorts of people : —
1. {Some care not whether they be ready or no ; they do but dally with eternity and things of religion ; their hearts are not moved with joy, or grief, or hope, or fear at the remembrance of this day. Surely they have no faith, at least not a lively, but dead faith ; and therefore are so dead-hearted ; and besides they care for none of these things, ' They mind earthly things.' If they can live comfortably here, be well at ease here, they never take care to live eternally. Now to these I shall only say, Live in no state or frame of heart but what you would die in. Alas ! in your serious moods you cannot but say, I would not die for all the world. But what if God should arrest thee before thou thinkest of it ? What would become of thee ? On the other side consider, when our work is done, and our ornaments put on, then it will be pleasant to us to think of the coming of Christ : ' Now, Lord, lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation,' Luke ii. 29.
2. Some think themselves ready when they are not : Kev. iii. 17, 'Thou thoughtest thou wast rich, and increased with goods; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.' I trust in God's mercy, and hope I shall go to Christ : it is easy to say this ; but do you know what it is to meet with Christ, what honour he expecteth from you at the last day, and how little a naked trust and a dead and empty faith will do to your acceptance with him ? I confess we have all from Christ, and all the honour we can do him results from his own grace ; but yet it is said, Eev. xix. 5, ( The bride hath made herself ready.' There is work required of us, and such as may be answerable to the dignity of so great a Lord and husband.