Abraham's bosom, we must be as he was, " the friends of God," Jam. ii. 23. This is the defign of the gospel, that we be" reconciled to God," 2 Cor. v. 20.

(3.) A state of adoption into the family of God, t John iii. 2. By nature we are children of the devil, John viii. 44. If we remove in that ftate to the other world, what can we expect but to go home into our father's houfe? Therefore if we would be ready, that relation must be diffolved; and we must be adopted into the family of God, that when we fail, we may be received into everlasting habitations with his family. If we are not of God's family in the lower house, we will never be of it in the upper; for they are all but one family, Eph. ii. 15.

(4.) A ftate of peculiar interest in God as our own God. When the man Chrift was going to heaven, he fays, "I afcend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God," John xx. 17. God himself is the reward of his people, who therefore must be theirs ere they can be ready to remove into the other world, Gen. xv. I. In our natural state we are without God, Eph. ii. 12. And should we die without him, where can we expect to land in the other world, but without where are the dogs, &c. in outer darkness? Wherefore, to be ready, we must before removing have our Maker to be our Husband, God our Creator to be our God in covenant, according to Heb. viii. 10. "I will be to them a God." For there lies heaven's happiness, Rev. xxi. 3.-"God himself fhall be with them, and be their God."

This relative state of grace is neceffary to found our right and title to heaven, Matt. xxv. 34. "Come, ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the kingdom," &c. And certainly we can never remove into the other world, till once it is expiated. No body can expect to invade it by force, to get into that part of the other world which they have no right to. No man could judge himfelf ready to remove into a farm or heritage here, or fettle there, till once he had got a right to it; and shall

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one imagine himself ready for the other world, while he has no right to heaven?

2. This readiness consists in being brought into a real ftate of grace, whereby the temper and difpofition our fouls are in by nature, quite unfit for heaven, may be changed into a heavenly one, 2 Cor. v. 5. This lies in two things: (1.) The quickening of our dead fouls, Eph. ii. I. We are by nature fpiritually dead; God the foul of our fouls is departed from us; fo we are lifelefs and movelefs; dead to God, as really as our departed friends are dead to us. Should we remove in that cafe to the other world, what iffue could be look ed for, but that he should bury us out of his fight, as we do our dead friends? Therefore to be ready, we must be quickened by the return of the Spirit of Chrift into us, Rom. viii. 2.

This is called the first regeneration, whereby there is a new principle of action put into the foul, by which the foul believes on Christ, and actively unites with him, John i. 12, 13. and is thereby brought into the relative ftate forefaid.

(2.) The fanctifying of our natures throughout, D. Theff. v. 23. By nature we are unholy all over, Tit. i. 15. The foul in all its faculties is wholly defiled; and confequently the body in all its members. Sin reigns in the natural man, living lufts have the mastery of him. What a removal can one have in this case, where the image of God is defaced, Satan's image fet up, and fin bears full fway, but that in Prov. xiv. 32. The wicked is driven away in his wickedness?' To be ready then for the other world, we must be sanctified all over; the mind must be enlightened, the will turned towards the will of God, the affections regulated, and we renewed in the whole man.

This is called the fecond regeneration, whereby the foul being in Chrift by faith is changed into his image, and fo made a new creature, 2 Cor. v. 17. Receiving grace for grace in Chrift; it has new habits implanted in it, fitting for the doing of good works, Eph. ii. 10.

This real ftate of grace is neceffary to our being meet or fit for heaven, Col. i. 12. 2 Cor. v. 5. forecited. Without it we are no more meet for it, than fishes for meadows, an idiot for an estate, or a dead man for a feast. Men look on heaven as a place of ease and rest; without confidering it as a holy reft from fin, and an: eternal exercise of holinefs in heart and life; if they fo confidered it they would foon fee their unmeetnefs for it, and that "without holiness no man fhall fee the Lord," Heb. xii. 14.

Laftly, This readiness confifts in persevering in that ftate, relative and real, unto the end, Mat. xxiv. 13. "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be faved." Rev. ii. 10. "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Apoftates cannot be ready for the other world; if one removes in apoftacy, what can be expected, but as Heb. x. 38. God's "foul shall have no pleasure in him?" Therefore the perfeverance of the faints is infured by the strongest fecurity, John x. 28, 29. "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither fhall any pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me, is greater than all; and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." So that whofoever do make never so fair an appearance, but afterward fall away, they discover that they never were in a state of grace, relative nor real, 1 John ii. 19.

Secondly, There is actual readiness in refpect of our frame and circumftances, Luke xii. 35, 36. The former gives us a fafe, this an abundant enterance into the better world, 2 Pet. i. 10, II. Now one may be habitually ready, who is not actually fo; though not contrariwife. But we are called, both by God's word and our own neceffity, to actual readiness for that removal. This lies in two things.

1. Patting our house in order, If. xxxiii. 1. It is a piece of neceffary preparation for the other world, to have our affairs in this world, in such a state, as we may fitly leave them; and no man of bufinefs can be

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excused in a flothful leaving his affairs in confufion, while he is not fure at what time he may be called off. For thereby others may be wronged; and if it be finful to wrong others in life, it cannot be blameless to wrong them at death, when there is no more accefs to right them.

2. Keeping our fouls cafe in order, Luke vii. 35. "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning." Tho' in converfion the gracious ftate of our fouls is fecured; yet it will require much diligence to keep our fouls cafe right for our removal, and flothfulnefs may put us out of cafe for it, Eccl. x. 18. The being of grace is fufficient for the one, but the exercife of grace is neceffary for the other. Now an orderly cafe, fit for one's removing to the other world, lies in thefe feven things.

(1.) Keeping up actual communion with God, in the courfe of our life, Cant. . ult. "Until the day break, and the fhadows flee away; turn my Beloved, and be thou like a roe," &c. Thus was Enoch ready for his removal, Gen. v. 24. "Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him." He who would be adually ready, muft walk with God in ordinances, in providences, and the whole tenor of his life; being fpiritual in religious duties, an obferver of providences, accommodating himself thereto, and setting God be fore him in the courfe of his actions. Thus he will ferve an apprenticeship for the better world, and will be in a cafe for a removal, fince that will only be to him a change of his place, not of his company.

(2.) A heart weaned from this world, Col. iii. 3,4• For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Chrift in God. When Chrift, who is our life, fhall appear, then fhall ye alfo appear with him in glory." David was in cafe for removing, when he faid, Pf.cxxxi. 2. “My foul is even as a weaned child;" and Paul, when he faid, Gal. vi. 14. God forbid that I fhould glory, fave in the trofs of our Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." When one is quick and lively in his affection to this world, eafily and feelingly

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touched with its fmiles and frowns, he will be at death like unripe fruit, that takes a fore pull to pluck it off the tree; but the weaned believer will, like ripe fruit, drop off eafily. So God's blafting of mens worldly comforts, exercifing them with infirmities, pains, and fickness, are kindly defigned for this end.

(3.) Purity of confcience, Acts xxiv. 15, 16. "And have hope towards God,-that there fhall be a refurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. And herein do I exercife myself to have always a confcience void of offence toward God, and toward man." Hereby it is provided, that there is no ftanding controversy betwixt God and the foul; in which cafe one is not fit for removal. This is obtained by a strict and tender walk in every thing, whereby the confcience is fo far kept from defilement, Pfal. lxvi. 18. 1 John iii. 20, 21. And by a daily ufe-making of the blood of Chrift, whereby defilements, which we will inevitably contract, are wiped away, John xiii. 10. A thorn of unpardoned guilt in a believer's confcience, renders him in ill cafe for the great journey.

(4.) Diligence in our generation work, Luke xii. 43. "Bleffed is that fervant, whom his lord when he cometh, fhall find fo doing." David had a kindly removal upon this, Acts xiii. 36. "After he had ferved his own generation by the will of God be fell on fleep." That man has lived long enough, who has got his generation work allotted him expedited, though he do not live to any great age; and they that through floth neglect it, will find themfelves carried off ere they are ready, though they become very old. Happy is the man, that is found fo doing, doing ftill on, as one that fees death at his back; and it is kindly, if the Mafter fooneft loofe the foreft wrought fervant.

(5.) Willingness to remove and be gone at the Mafter's call, Luke ii. 29, 30. "Lord, now letteft thou thy fervant depart in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy falvation." They who are mortified to life in a Chriftian manner, re