The vanity of this mortal life, or, Of man, considered only in his present…

Therefore let us consider; Are we conscious of no unfitness for that blessed state? To dwell in the presence of the holy God? To be associated with the Heavenly Assembly of pure intellectual spirits? To consort and join with them in their celebrations and triumphant Songs? Can we espy no such thing in our selves, as an earthy mind, aversation to God, as pride, disdain, wrath, or envy, admiration of our selves, aptness to seek our own things, with the neglect of others, or the like? And do not our hearts then misgive? and tell us we are unready? not yet prepared to approach the Divine Presence, or to enter into the habitation of his Holiness and Glory? And what then have we to do, but set our selves to our preparatory work? To set our watches, make our observations, take strict notice of all the deflections and obliquities of our spirits, settle our methods, and hasten a redress? Do not we know this is the ⟨p. 132⟩time and state of preparation? And since we know it, how would the folly torture us, by reflection, of having betrayed our selves to a surprisal! None are ever wont to enter upon any new state without some foregoing preparation. Every more remarkable turn or change in our lives, is, commonly (if at all foreknown) introduced by many serious fore-thoughts. If a man be to change his dwelling, employment, condition, common discretion will put him upon thinking how to comport with the place, business, converse, and way of living he is next to betake himself to: And his thoughts will be the more intense, by how much more momentous the change. If he be to leave his Country, with no probability of returning; If he be designed to a station, the circumstances whereof carry any thing of awfulness in them; if to public business, if to Court-attendances, With what solemnity and address are such things undertaken! ⟨p. 133⟩How loath and ashamed would one be, to go into such a condition, being totally unapt, not at all knowing how to behave himself in it! But what so great change as this can the nature of man admit? That a soul, long shut up in flesh, is now to go forth from its earthly Mansion, and return no more; expecting to be received into the glorious Presence of the Eternal King, and go act its part among the perfected Spirits that attend His Throne! How solicitous endeavour of a very thorough preparation, doth this case call for!