ISO TIIE PRIVILECE OP TEE [GERM. XL. win the hearts or their children to God, to persuadethem to accept of the grace of Christ, and snatch them as brands out of the burning. Let friends and dearest rela- tives, let masters and rulers of families, lay hold on everyjust occasion to speak of the things ofGod to those that are near them. Life is the only time to express our zeal for God, and love to souls, in such a manner as this. When we pray, " Thy kingdom come," we should awaken our endeavours to gain some new subjects to Christ. Come, let us all engage our own consciences in this sacred and compassionatework, while we consider, that " to -day is the accepted time, now is the hour of salva- tion." God may put an end to our own lives, or the lives of our friends to-morrow, and either their death or ours will prevent this sort of work for ever. Then we can speak no more, or they can hear us no more : They will be for ever out of the reach of our compassionate desires to save them. We maysend our bitter sighs, and our fruitless groans, after them, when they are gone down to darkness without hope ; and we may feel the inward anguish of a sharp and painful repentance, while, through our neglect, and their own folly and wickedness, they are cursing the day of their birth, and crying out, in full despair, under the torture of divine vengeance. X.I. Another grace which can be exercised only in this life, is, holy zeal, and boldness in the profession of .christianity, with courage in suffering for Christ. These are virtues that belong only to our mortal state ; these are made necessary to the saints, by the opposition that is raised against true religion by the men of this world. Here in this world, " they that will live Godly in Christ Jesus, must suffer persecution ;" 2 Tim, iii. 12. Our Saviour himself, in the first publication of his own gos- pel, " endured the contradiction of sinnersagainst him- self," he sealed his doctrine with his own blood, and has given his followers a glorious example of a suffering zeal and holy fortitude. Imitate him who " endured the cross, and despised the shame ;" Heb. xii. 2, 3. This sort of virtues doth not belong to the heavenly state ; for there is no opposition made to truth and holi- ness : There are no such trials of our zeal and courage
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