destroyeth at noon day A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand but they shall not come neer thee I wil be with them in trouble I will deliver and glorifie him with long life will I satisfie him and shew him my salvation All which be more then ordinary expressions to assure the godly of his favourable assistance and doing well by them in the day of trouble And if the Saints had no more but a word of Promise from him who is holy and true Gods word sufficient to 〈◊〉 the Saints and whose words are more unchangeable then the heavens it were enough but to his Promises we have his precepts and words of authoritie added commanding us to make our addresses to him for help Psal 50.15 Call upon me c. I wil deliver thee c. Saints rely upon promises And David confesseth he had been much with God in that estate and had found such refreshment as his soul could wish Psal 34.7 Thou hast known my soul in adversity saith he Saints find by experience the Lords words true this he speaks by personal experience as to what he had found Doubtless David had such gracious returnes as give his spirit a great deal of enlargement in extremity beyond his ordinary hopes The Scriptures often mention three Qualifications of the Lords Promises to satisfie his servants in order to their assistance Qualifications of the Lords promises to the Saints First they are full Secondly they are free Thirdly they are certain 1. That his Promises are full is very evident because they are given out without any limitation of persons Lords promises indefinite places or dangers of the godly So that it is a part of the Saints Commonwealth of whatsoever magnitude or size they are high low rich poor in whatsoever danger they fall in Saints adventure any where upon Gods Word they are alike sharers in the Promises Let David go in the vally of the shadow of death he is sure of deliverance for God is with him and his rod and Shepherds crook shall comfortably preserve him This precious soul could not be alone in trouble such was the fulnesse of the Lords Promises to him that he had alwaies the Lords presence with him Gods presence and promises alike Gods Promises and Presence are of the same dimension both essentially infinite in their fulness 2. They are free 2d Qualif Free and thus they are held out to the Saints that they may never question their accomplishment or application upon the sense of their own unworthinesse and so when such desires are sent up by them the accomplishment of which may be as a tree of life to them Accomplishment of promises to the godly sweet they may confidently expect a seasonable return And so I find David and others never question that if they call but the Lord will answer to satisfaction Hence the godly are more confident in respect of the promises in the night of their adversity The godly more confident in adversity then the wicked in prosperity then the wicked are negligent by reason of their principles in the day of their prosperity The first hath hope in his death when the other hath no faith in his life 3 3 Qualif Certain That the Promises are certain Christ is the best interpreter of his Fathers words Heaven and earth may passe away but of them there is not one jot to be changed O Lord saith David 2 Sam. 7.28 thou art God and thy words are true Hence the Saints pass with patience through any difficulty without the least of disturbance The patience of the Saints because they are certain by promise that they shall obtain if they run the race with perseverance which is set before them They know that he who is their life and the length of their dayes can support them in opposition to any Antagonist whatsoever according to his promise These things being cordially considered An advertisement in order to an improvement of the premises Gods word of promise should take deep impression upon every heart especially such who have experimentally found the Lord holy and faithful who may comfortably and confidently assert they never sought the Lord in vain but that he hath ever answered above their hopes Oh how should a spirit be touched with the feeling of that favour which hath ever shined cleerest in the cloudiest seasons of their extremity when there was none to befriend but God The Lord a loving friend in extremity Oh let such never forget that it is the Lords custom to conform his kindnesse in the thick of all discouragement that the gale of his goodnesse bloweth in every season His mercies sweet in that season that there is no storm can stop his affection from watering all the plantations of the Saints that he puts counsel and comfort in every corner befitting their condition Gen. 32.29 1 Kin. 17.4 he hath an Angel for Jacob and a Raven for Elijah Fourthly 4th Ground His glory His own glory is another ground of his engagement for his Saints To this Ground we have the Scripture give in great and frequent testimony It seems the Lord speaks much of the tendernesse of his glory God is jealous of his glory that he wil not dispense with its abuse to any I am the Lord The Lords glory ingaged for his people my glory I will not give unto another Isai 42.8 In the Saints troubles the Lords glory is much ingaged the Saints are alwayes sufferers upon his account For thy sake all the day long are we persecuted Note Satan intends to dishonor the Lord by his servants Psal 44.22 It is worth our noting that in the Saints troubles it is not so much Satans design to disquiet the servant as to disgrace the master That putting the Saints from their patience and perseverance he may turne the reproach of their shipwrack and apostacy upon him whom they serve Satan endeavoreth to affront God upon his Saints sufferings who should have espoused their controversie he having engaged to own them in their sharpest conflicts therefore the Lord for his glory hath engaged in opposition to their stoutest enemies Psal 105.14 15. He suffered none to do them wrong he reproved Kings for their sake saying Touch not mine Anointed and do my Prophets no harm And again He saved them for his name sake Psal 106.8 I remember Moses in his administration doth plead from his glory for his peoples deliverance often in Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomie all which with a great many more Scriptures evidences we have to assures that the Lord doth good to his people in point of honor Here it is worth observation Note if the Lord doth impledg or pawne his honor for our peace in adversity We are to serve God as a preserver after deliverance Luke 1.74 we are justly obliged to pay the tribute of
own God looks upon the Saints enemies friends assuring us if we make account to keep in with him we must befriend his servants so that there is no corresponding with him without praying for them in the day of trouble He looks upon those to be most cordial to himself who are most compassionate to his Saints I conceive the godlies interest in God is no ordinary argument to their Brethren of their Addresses to him upon their account They may truly apprehend their welcome with God God favoureth prayers for his Saints who come about such business to him The Lord likes such suitors who come often before him as Interpreters onely of his Saints Necessities Hence it comes to pass Saints prayers prevail we seldome finde any returned from the Throne of Grace without a comfortable answer Whilst Daniel was praying and opening the case of his peoples calamity Dan. 9.20 21. there is a Messenger dispatched to ease his spirit with the glad tidings of a timely deliverance to the Church so he had his question resolved and his minde satisfied Prayers in behalf of the Saints Note is a part of that sweet communion which we entertain with God for as long as we have tongues to speak Ps 34.15 he hath an ear to hear And I finde that the godly have taken this course of correspondence with him in behalf of their Brethren Let us then in the first place conclude Applic. 1 That it is the greatest part of the Saints happiness on this side of heaven to be in favour with God For thus in their greatest extremity they are not onely precious to God but profitable to all of his interest and they are not onely the objects of Mercy but the subjects of the Saints Prayer Do well O Lord unto c. Secondly Applic. 2 in our serious Addresses to God Not to come before God without our brethren let us ever be mindful of his servants if they be in danger Let us not come before him without them so we shall speed the better and let us take notice when we pray for the Saints we but befriend our selves the more we endeavor their happiness the more we promote our own The Lord hath ingaged our Addresses for them upon our own account and it is not to be questioned but he will acknowledge our kindness Let therefore this pregnant argument of the Saints Unity with God The Saints union with God must incourage our proyers for them bespeak our deportment in Prayer that it be such as please God and profit the Saints for they are precious to him let them be such to us Let us not forget their necessities whilst we are earnest for our own supplies The Lord wil have our Prayers to be the Proxies of our Spirits and to sign our qualification with a witness so that all their Dialect must be sweetened with Fraternity I humbly confess it is harder to love another then our selves but the Saints are taught to love both alike that our hearts may seal their sincerity to God and his interest I cannot but take notice Animad before the dispatch of this Argument how unkinde they are to God who minde not his afflicted servants whose case is as comfortless as danger can make it I do apprehend such as they express themselves guilty of want of unity with God so of interest in his Members I shall cordially desire all Professors who seem to be respective to God They would be such to his precious servants Let Gods love upon their hearts warm them to a constant communion with his Saints and so fixing it as a Monument of their kindness to him never to be forgot I shall farther presume to adde a word to the premises That the Lord takes such for enemies to himself A word of inlargement who do not positively befriend his Saints and so any may conclude in what relation they stand to God by what of respect they carry to them Secondly 2 Arg. the godly are to be presented to God in their dangers or troubles in respect of the Nation to which they do belong The godly of a Nation The gedly the precious in the nation as they are the party of the greatest worth as to God so they are of the greatest advantage to their neighbors They are not like fruitless Weeds which trouble the ground but such a Seed as make the soyl the better a Garden of the Lords dressing a Vineyard of his own watering a Vine of his own planting and a husbandry of his own blessing They are profitable in many respects to a nation and their prosperity is of such commodity to the Countrey wherein they converse that they are guests which make the house the better First 1 In respect of ornament in respect of Ornament the godly are a Nations glory they put an honour upon it which naturally it hath not in it There is a distinguishing Character The Church thenations glory written upon Zion Psal 48.2 which is not to be read upon all the Mountains of the earth It is not onely the Beauty of the Nations but eminent by its Inhabitant being the City of the great King It is no wonder that Esay prophecies The Mountain of the Lords House to overtop the hills seeing it is a habitation of Holiness and the Sanctuary of the Lords Rest I would have people to look upon the godly with other eyes then upon the world There is as great difference betwixt them and the children of this world as is betwixt the precious and the vile the heaven above and the earth below We must think it is not for nothing Saints are eminently owned the Spirit doth so emimently own them with a choice in the world as if they were not of it I have often listened to hear the voice of God in his Word speaking to them as his People Ps 33.12 his Inheritance Psal â—4 1 1 Cor. 6.19 Rom. 8.16 Gal. 3.26 Can. 5.2 3 Eph. 5.23 1 Co. 12.12 Bsa 40 11. Luk. 12.32 Job 10.3 Eze 34 12 Ezra 5.11 his Tabernacle his Temple his Children the Spouse of Christ his Love his Dove his Undefiled his Body his Members his Flock his Sheep his Servants All which most eminent Titles of Love Honor do more then ordinary demonstrate in what account they are with God and how to be lookt upon by the world But let the Sons and Daughters of Nature think what they please of the Saints they should be very contemptible with God if they wanted their company The world without the godly What the world is without the Saints is like the firmament without stars or the Elementary Region without the light of the Sun The Saints the Zodiack of the Sun of Righteousness It should not onely be darkened by privation of their persons the Zodiack of the Sun of Righteousness but for want of their practice which do shine like
in this Difference betwixt Saints and sinners in trouble the Lord engageth for the assistance of the one and not for the other So that the wicked are left hopeless and helpless in the evil day when the godly find a favourable and gracious support in that season Thy right hand upholdeth me saith David This is a word of his experience and so much the Scriptures witnesse of all the godly that the Lord doth engage for them But upon what grounds he upholds the Saints against their adversaries Grounds of the Lords assistance for his Saints is the thing further now to be inquired after I find the Scriptures give in ample testimony of the Lords ingagement for and supporting of his people in trouble Eight grounds of the Lords assistance and so do move us to consider of eight reasons of his undertaking for them First We read of an eminently intimate interest he hath in them Ground of the Lords help his interest so that they are honoured with the names of strictest relation union and communion with himself Cant. 5.2 as of his Spouse Children Brethren to his Son Christ Exod. 19.5 his chiefest treasure above all people in the earth and with the characters of greatest worth as can be put upon such as a chosen generation 1 Pet. 2.9 10 a royal Priesthood a holy Nation a people set at liberty in times past not a people but now the people of God in times past not under mercy but now obtained mercy c. By all which we understand those saving rights he hath to his Saints by Election Eph. 1.4 5 1 Cor. 1.30 Vocation Redemption Justification Sanctification and Glory This Interest laid in the bottom Interest the ground of assistance upon it is built the whole Fabrick of the Lords favour both in prosperity and adversity to the godly So that they are put in a more then ordinary security of obtaining whatsoever is necessary for their comfortable assistance and subsistance in any estate I remember David tels us Psal 34.10 That the beasts of prey may be starved when the Saints shall have plenty The interest which the Lord hath in the Saints Interest makes the Saints precious as it is the ground of his acting for them so it renders them precious to him as a seal upon his heart or a signet upon his arme And it is not to be questioned but the Saints find the sweetnesse of it in their sharpest conflicts Saints dearer to God then their parents Though my father and mother forsake me yet the Lord will gather me up Psal 27.10 And therefore the Lord professeth that the case of his people is alwaies before him when they apprehend by their estate that they are neglected by him Isa 49.14 15 16. This interest is the binding bond of matrimonial unity and amity betwixt the Lord and his people Interest the marriage bond of Saints Hos 19.20 I have married thee c. Persons married are cemented with all the soddering and sweetning influences of conjugal correspondence either in prosperity or adversity Hence I find this interest to be very serviceable to the saints in their suffering seasons It is the Altar upon which they sacrifice the Offering of their addresses to God when they are put to their utmost Interest the Altar of our duties to God Isai 63.15 16. Look down from heaven and behold from the dwelling place of thy holiness c. Where is thy zeal and thy strength and the multitude of thy mercies and of thy compassions they are restrained Doubtless thou art our father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel know us not Here is a serious address upon interest put up to God It is no wonder the saints should be earnest upon that account Interest the ground of the Saints correspondence seeing the most solid ground of that mutual correspondence betwixt the Lord and his people and therefore to be improved in the worst of times Oh then let this be remembred by all the heires of heaven in the dark day of their danger Applic. Improvement of Interest when the clouds of calamity are dropping over them here upon earth that there may be a spirit of wisdom acting in them Interest the anchoring place of the Saints to anchor their heart in peace upon the ground and cape of this hope I could advise the godly to take that cordial counsel which Christ giveth his Spouse Cant. 2â—7 Christs counsel convenient for the Saints Until the day break or the shadows flee away be like a young Hart upon the Mountains of Bether That however the Mountains of Divisions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divisio may eclipse the comforts of the saints prosperity The Saints interest a means of union yet I should wish this Mount of conjunction might dispel the distraction of their calamity in the hour of tryal The godly have a great advantage of all their enemies by reason of this interest They have the benefit of Gods power to support them in spight of their enemies The benefit of interest and therefore we find that it lyes not in the hand of the wicked to ruine the godly I presume it is not for want of malice The Saints interest boundeth the wickeds power but might They cannot do what they would and therefore they do what they can It is the happiness of the godly to be united to God by interest when the wicked are divided from him by their iniquity As the first secureth assistance to the godly so the second prepareth destruction for the wicked But seeing it is certain that the Lords interest in the Saints is the first ground of his ingaging for them me thinks this should fix divers particulars upon the saints spirits Interest doth settle the Saints spirits in trouble worth their serious meditation First they are not to fear their enemies when they have such a friend David is not afraid of ten thousand of the people to trouble him if the Lord did assist him Psal 3. Secondly They must not look upon the Lords service as a piece of difficulty For if the Lord have an interest in our persons he wil have a finger inour practise He is as careful in the time of prosperity to direct and help us to do good as in the evil day to protect and preserve us from danger Thirdly They are not to look upon their enemies as in any capacity to undo them seeing the Lord doth support them Advertisement to the wicked It seems it is to kick against the pricks to fall out with the godly because whatever they are to the world they are dear and neer to God Let them be opposed by any they have a God to take their part I remember David Psal 46.7 tels his enemies that he had God for his friend and so he was strong enough for his stoutest adversaries And this hath put life
attendance of the accomplishment of the Promises Neque frustra quia etsi nos sustentet fides quia tamen interea vacillant carnis nostra sensus preces miscenda sunt ad confirmationem Calv. ad loc So much for the words of my Text as they stand in order to their Contexts If we look upon them in themselves we have them here formed to our hand in the Model of an address to him who had formerly given assurance it should go well with the godly in their suffering condition The rod of the wicked saith he shall not lye upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lot of the righteous v. 3. The fitness of my text And thus my Context cometh to hand in season as a sutable subject exciting the Saints this day to an intercession for their brethren in that estate The words be naturally digested in two material members Text divided 1. There is a Supplication Do well O Lord. 2. A Designation of certain select persons for whom the address is tendred viz. such who are good and upright in their heart It seems David puts up a request to God For whom David prays but it is for such as be under the eminent Characters of Piety and Sincerity Neque tantum simpliciter rogat ut bonos benigne tratet Deus sed bonitatem quoque definit quis manat ex sincero affectum Calv. ad loc I apprehend David understandeth here the faithful of the land as he phraseth the godly Ps Note Gracious Magistrates car ful of the godly 101.6 he is very careful of the party that they may be happy in a sweet correspondence with God in the day of trouble And therefore he intercedes in those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benefac Jehova So Jerome Tremelius Do good O Lord. To do good is an act primario Firstly from Jehova as the fountain of all Beeing and Goodness Operari sequitur esse he is that Primum bonum summum in esse He is that primitive Supreme Good in being and so from himself doing good in operation All inferior agents are subordinate to his moderation in all their transactions Hence in recta ferre causalitatis in the right case of causality Means productive as influenced by God all means of whatsoever magnitude or qualification are onely productive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they are influenced by him to do any good and so the Lord as he is the first so he is the best and choicest of Chymists God the best Chymist to quintessentiate the good of his people from the most malignant materials Saints rest in God for assistance And therefore David in this address doth trouble himself no farther to call in the secondary succurrence of any subordinate instrument whatsoever to befriend the Saints in trouble but here goeth confidently to the Throne of Grace Saints know where to go in trouble Heb. 4.16 for the Lords benevolence to his people in the time of need I presume David was no stranger in heaven and therefore knew with whom to intercede for the Saints on earth He had often experience that the God of Israel was the Lord of Hosts David acquainted with God by experience and the Saints surest and sweetest friend and ever soonest to be found for counsel comfort and all accommodation in the evil day Me thinks Davids practise should be the Saints patern in their addresses to heaven for themselves or others Davids practise should be a copy to us to go to God They must not seek to the second Animadversion but the first hand for incouragements in the day of calamity they are to eye the God and not the Men of Israel Mercy before Means the Fountain before the Streams Gods Favour before humane Fidelity or Ability whatsoever David a good man and a good Magistrate This is the method of David one of the best of men a man according to Gods own heart and one of the choicest of Magistrates that ever did bear principality or charge over the Lords people And so much for his Supplication His Designation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the good in the plural The persons designed in this Address It seems the party for whom this address is made are set apart by David as singular for their qualification I conceive it is not necessary I should make any fixed discourse of those Characteristical impressions by which they are illuminate and designed in my Text Animad before onely we take notice that this party is precious both in themselves and Davids account In themselves they are set down to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and those be Characters of such eminent worth The persons praid for are excellent of a choice qualification that they alwayes denominate the subject excellent and above the ordinary size or stature of Professors To be good To be good what is to be of God by participation To be upright To be upright what is to to be of his word by qualification And to be both in heart To be both good and upright what it is doth signe the truth of Sanctification These be the marks of Honor and letters of Religion ingraven and written upon those persons which render them so precious in the eyes of David that their accomplishment gives him incouragement to make a presentment of their condition before the Lord. A gracious people are very dear to a godly Magistrate David is tenderly affected that such precious souls should be afflicted David studieth the happiness of the Lords people and therefore as their Prince and Prophet he is willing to do his utmost for them that it may go prosperously with them by making this serious Address to God that he would befriend them in opposition to all of their enemies whatsoever Do well O Lord. The substance of Davids words may be the comfortable seminary of severall sweet Conclusions The fulnes of this text But for the present I shall briefly take notice of two onely 1. 2 Conclus from the words That there is a special regard to be had of such who be gracious and or godly whilst they are in danger 2. We are to deal earnestly with God to befriend them in that estate Both which Conclusions seem to be the rule of Davids practise and the subject of his prayer in this place The party for which David pleadeth is not of a trivial tincture Who are those who are truly godly but of the deepest ingrain of godliness being clothed with the choicest impresses of inherent holiness True and upright in their heart c. It is worth our observation as we pass along Note Of Davids Spirit that it was one of the eminent ingredients of Davids accomplishment to have his heart affected with and his eye directed upon the honour and happiness of the Saints My eyes are upon the faithful of
Lights in the world I shall not stand to put honor upon the Saints to honor the world Let this world only take notice from a little That the same is obliged in point of credit to wish well to the godly and if their prayers were profitable they have reason to pour them out upon their necessity seeing they are their Ornament in respect of God they should befriend them upon that account But all this is in vain to the wicked Preocaupation they have other thoughts of the godly The wicked doe lowly esteem of the godly they put a lower esteem upon them and upon what is theirs their Persons Principles and Practice are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvith them they esteem not them vvorth their society much less of assistance but least of all to be named in the day of eminency and ornament amongst them they scorn to hold any communion of reputation or honour with them and therefore to perswade such a party were to beat the Air or arenam arare there is no speaking of a correspondence betwixt God and Belial in any season either of prosperity or adversity Let us therefore turn from them who are more apt to adde affliction to the afflicted Apostroph or a word to the godly then to sweeten the Saints condition and to prevent their distraction in the evil day I shall humbly beseech the godly therefore Exhortation who are of the same interest and unity with their brethren that for Zions sake they would wrestle with their God Let the lives of the Saints be as precious to them as to the Lord who bought them Let us call strongly for the people of the Lord and the Ark of his strength the Gospel and its inlargements Let there be nothing so near our hearts Blood of Saints of the greatest price A dear commodity as the blood of Saints which is a thing of the greatest price in heaven or earth Let the honor of the Lords people and their continued safety be a great inlargement of our happiness that it may not be spoken in Gath or published in the streets of Askelon that the Lords Worthies and the work in their hand should not onely be worsted but shamefully derided by the enemies of the Lord and his people but that the Lord would do his great Work that all the world may know there is a God who ruleth in Jacob and a King in Israel and that it may be set home upon the spirit of the Adversaries that their God is not like ours even themselves being judges Secondly It is a sadness to the Saints to have their party reproached let it be presented to God the condition of our National Sadness if it should go hard with the godly in this dangerous ingagement if the godly be the Nations glory what an eclipse of that honour should overshadow the surface of the City of God How would the enemies of God blaspheme and they of no Religion cloud it with their Calumnies The wickeds railings telling us with more then impudent arrogance That our interest in heaven is but ordinary or none at all seeing the Saints have shared with the common hardship of the wicked Let us deal earnestly with our God in behalf of the Ornament of the Nation to which we belong seeing it is laid in the prosperity of the faithful of the land that chosen Generation whose safety is the Nations honour and their own happiness Let this be presented to God that we may receive a comfortable answer in behalf of our Brethren It seems they stand or fall not to themselves but to all of their Brethren and Compatriots Remember the godly are the nations glory They are their Ornament and to lose this with an enemy is a double affront First it is to yield to an enemy which we would not part with to our dearest friends Secondly it is to make our selves a scorn to them who thirst our disgrace I shall proceed no farther in this onely leave you to be thinking of this Argument to act your Spirits to a farther ingagement with God for his comfortable Correspondence with those qualified persons in my Text those true and upright in heart whose spirit with all its accomplishments is more the Lords then their own Let those precious ones be obliged to your prayers for their security and the Nation to them and their interest for its remarkable eminency for they are the Nations Ornament Secondly they are not onely the Nations Glory but the Pledges of its peace and security It should go hard with the wicked if they had no favour for the godly they should not onely fall short of mercy but of all opportunities of Repentance It is remarkable in the History of the Deluge Noahs preaching and preparing of the Ark deferred the flood That all the time Noah was building the Ark he was warning the world of their danger But whilst he is preparing this great Vessel the world was in no fear of drowning Noah and his Family must be shipt before the world be destroyed he must be shut in the Ark before the waters break out upon the earth when he is removed the world is ruined It feems all the Inhabitants of the earth are undone when Noah is gone God promised to Abraham to save five Cities for ten righteous persons God will have the wicked beholding to the Saint God is graciously pleased to have the world beholding to the godly upon a religious account that they may be perswaded that Piety is of great price with God and of singular efficacy in the Saints to befriend themselves and others Paul had the lives of all them who are shipt with him presented to him for salvation that all might take notice of Paul to be the Lords favourite and an eminent Courtier in Heaven although now Nero's Prisoner upon earth Many times Note the godly are much mistaken by their Brethren Saints mistaken and it is no wonder for Satan their great Adversary The wicked reproach the godly to deform them hath not onely a minde to malign them but a black Art to disguise them under several shapes He is not onely a dexterous deceiver in himself but a malicious traducer in the person of others Let this give a running Caveat to Saints A Caveat to the godly not onely to consider the subtile cruelty of Satan but the sacred integrity of their fellow servants although strangers with a great deal of Christian candor and tenderness of spirit But if the safety of the Nation lean so much upon the Saints I truly think we need no other argument to befriend them but the assurance of our own in their happiness and safety There is an observation of the Spirit Esa 57.1 that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come as if God when he hath designed to make war upon a Nation he removes his hostages of peace
in Psal 30. There is such a mystical Unity betwixt Christ and his Members No correspondence with Christ without his members that there is no correspondence with the one without respect to the other they suffer and complain of the same injury Tanto vos affectu amare dignatur ut quod nos patimur ipse se pati testatur Aug. Hom. 15. Such is Christs affection to us that he witnesseth his affliction for us Therefore If this day I might be esteemed worthy to counsel you Ezhortation to all the saints I would seriously desire you consider the troubles of your brethren as if they were your own their danger as your indemnity Such a care as it becometh your interest in them so let me tell you ye are concerned in their safety All things come alike to all men sayes Solomon Eccles. 9.2 Cuivis potest accidere quod cuiquam potest scito omnem conditionem versatilem esse quod in illum incurrit in te quoque incurrere potest P. Syr. apud Senec. Troubles common to al the saints That which befalleth one may befall another And it is worth observation saith he That every condition is changeable and the lot of one may fall in the lap of another And this is a Truth beyond Contradiction An advertisement to all That there is no people or person whatsoever that hath such armour of proof Animad as is affliction-free Tum tua res agitur c. It is the great Councel of Providence which passeth Decree of the Saints troubles and determineth precisely of its individual objects the Saints must be no choosers but bearers of their burthens Our own case must warn us Ille hodie ego cras sayes ancient Bernard He to day and I to morrow Therefore let this be a word in season Applic. to such who would seal their love to Christ to shew more then ever their cordial affection to his suffering Saints Secondly Consid 2 such whatever they are to the world Such are dead who are not tender of the godlies case or sufferings yet they are dead as to God As they are not affected with the Saints danger so they are not quickened with the Saints life If they were of their spirit they would act like their being operari sequitur esse operation or action is the natural flux of essence as things are in Nature so they Act. Hereby we know that we are translated from death to life because we love the brethren 1 Joh. 3.14 There is nothing which signeth more the life of grace in our selves Note A mechanick membership without compassiō or sense then to commiserate the mortal ingagements of the godly It is but a kinde of a mechanick Membership which sympathiseth not with the case and temperature of the person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ex Herodoto a wooden leg naturally is of no feeling or moving as a silver nose is of no smelling and a withered hand of no holding Dead members in the body for shew only and yet those are in the body more for shew then use being altogether sensless of its pain or pleasure So these members are dead in themselves Note which are past feeling the dangers of others They are rotten as to the body which doth not compassionate its sufferings Membra putrida mortua sensum non habent tales sunt Christiani qui de alienis malis afflictionibus non dolent August in Psal 130. Hom. 15. As rotten and dead members sayes he have no sense such are Chistians who for the evils and calamity of others have no sorrow Hence it is no wonder the wicked are much of Gallius spirit Acts 19 The wicked careless of the saints condition careless of the Saints calamity they having never tasted of their comforts They live not the Saints life and so are sensless of the Saints lot they are altogether strangers to the sanctimony of their conditions and therefore to the severity of their afflictions Therefore me thinks this Consideration may prove serviceable Strong arguments to tenderness as an effectual incentive to all the godly that as they have an eminent interest in the things of heaven so to owne the transient troubles of their brethren here upon earth Thus as they are not of the world they will distinguish themselves from it as they are the coheirs of Glory they will convince the world they are the precious children of the Spirit of Grace Therefore I shall humbly beseech all the godly Exhortation to all the saints in this juncture of Jacobs trouble to witness their principle by their practice what they are in the graces of their life To wrestle with God by the greatness of their labour this day with the Lord Let it be known to the enemy that there be Chariots and Horsemen in Israel and that the practice of the Saints by prayer is of greater power in heaven The power of prayer then all Navies or Armies whatsoever moving upon Sea or Land Let it not be said We must look upon Christs members interest in trouble that we want a life to breathe for the refreshment of Christs Members lest he take it ill at our hands Who knoweth but he hath separated us from the sadness of their condition that we might be suiters for their safety It is good for them that we may be honoured to have a subordinate hand in their happiness Let their ingagement put a more then ordinary ingagement upon our spirits The saints danger an argument of our intercession Let it be a matter of publick evidence that we live not onely to our selves but to our brethren It shall be a glorious victory which is purchased by prayer it shall be a triumph of the Lords contriving a day of the Lords deliverance and an eminent evidence of the Lords benevolence to our British Jerusalem it shall be worth our pains worth our prayers it will determine our interest in God by our prevailing with him in behalf of his Saints Thirdly Consid 3 No zeal to God where there is no love to the brethren as such are not affected with a sense of the Saints misery so they are not warmed with a zeal to the Lords glory It is very certain the same spirit which is troubled with the one is melted with the other Animad There is such a strict communion betwixt the Lord and his servants The saints neglect is the Lords dishonor that he not only accounts their injury but neglects as impeachments to his glory and therefore where there is no tenderness for his Saints he looks for none or little respect to himself I could heartily wish that every soul considered seriously a few things of that correspondence kept betwixt God and his servants in extremity The thoughts of which would influence their spirits to a sympathy of their condition as it becometh the Lords and our interest in