Page:The pastor in his closet.djvu/85

 sudden death. I beseech Thee make this my ignorance stir me up to the more intense watchfulness. “Watch and pray,” this is Thine own word. May I have strength to fulfil that word to the uttermost; let not that day come upon me unawares; let me be prepared for the coming of the thief, with my “loins girded” and my “lights burning.” Grant that I may watch and pray to the end; the nearer draws the end, so much the more may I watch; as every day is a step towards death, so ought it to be a step towards the kingdom of heaven. As I may die any day, so every fresh day is a gain to my soul. It were a fearful thing after having preached to others to be myself “a castaway;” to have had Thy words so long in my mouth and yet to be cast out of Thy presence; to have spoken so much of the kingdom of heaven and yet not to enter it; to have warned men of hell and yet to be cast therein; to have been an ambassador of Christ with an embassage of peace, and yet not to go into my Lord's palace; to have spoken the word of peace and yet to lose peace; to have preached Christ and yet to lose Christ. save me from perdition in the last day, “lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” Christ have mercy on me.