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I136
THE
PRIVILEGE
OF
THE
[SERM.
XL.
upon
the
cross,
spoke
a
word for
Christ
in
his
last
mo-
ments, and
it
has been blessed to
rescue many
from the
jaws
of
despair
:
That
dying
creature had
done nothing
for God
in
his life
;
a
vicious
life,
and a
wicked crea-
ture,!
But
the profession
of
sincere faith
and repentance
which
he
made
at
his
death, hath been richly honoured
in the kingdom
of
grace
;
and
I
am
persuaded it
has
helped
many
a fearful christian
on
toward the kingdom
of
glory.
Inference
IV.
" If
so
many
valuable works
are
done,
and
so
many graces
are exercised on earth,
which have
no place in heaven, then the
lives
of
the saints
are worth
praying
for."
Precious
in
the
eye
of
God
is
the
life
of
his
saints, and they should be precious
in the
eye
of
man
too.
When
an
active,
useful christian, when
a
pious
magis-
strate,
when
a
zealous and
faithful minister
goes down to
the
dust,
alas!
how
much good
ceases from
the earth
for
ever
?
The
world knows
not what
it
loses by such
a
death.
Let not
children be impatient
at
the length
of
life
which
their
holy
parents
enjoy
:
You
know
not, children,
what
benefit
ye may
reap
from
their
example,
their
coun-
sel,
their earnest
prayers;
and secret
wrestlings with
God
for your
souls
:
Let
us
have
a care
that
we
do nothing,
that
we
may break the spirits
of
our
pious friends, or
that
may hasten the
departure
of
holy
persons from
this lower
world, whose virtues
and
graces
are
of
eminent
use
among
us.
Let
us
rather pray
earnestly,
that
God
would lengthen out the
days
of
those,
who
speak and act
with
a
useful
zeal
for
the
honour
of
Christ,
and
for
the
welfare
of
the souls
of
men.
When death
once
has
put a
period
to
their
days, all this
sort
of
service
is
finished
for
ever;
and
we
ourselves may sustain unknown
loss
by
their
speedy
departure out of this
world.
THE
RECOLLECTION.
"
Is not
this a strange doctrine
which
I
have heard
to-
day,
that
a christian
on
earth
has many privileges which
can
never belong
to
the saints
in
heaven
?
Is it not
strange
tidings to hear,
that
there are
many graces
to
be
exercised
in this
life,
which
neither
saints
nor
angels can
practise
in
the
holy and heavenly world
;
And yet the
.
evidence
is so
strong, and the
truth
is so
plain and
cer-
tain,
that
I
see
it,
and
I
must
believe
it.
Remember