Love to unite Christians and to make them one since divisions strike at Christ himself and harden the World in its infidelity 5. Love enlarges the Heart and frees it from the bonds of selfishness and makes its desire others welfare as well as our own Love to our Neighbour breaths forth in servent wishes that it may be well with him both in Time and to Eternity We are in every respect to consider our Brethren and true love will make us long that every way they may be benefited that they may not want any needful fecular comfort and encouragement especially that they may be blessed with all Spiritual blessings And above all that they may attain Eternal Happiness and Salvation The Apostles love vents it self in a Prayer for the Corinthians temporal prosperity and increase 2. Cor. 9. 10. Now he that mimistereth seed to the Sower both Minister brend for your food and multiply your seed sown and increase the fruits of your Righteousness So St. John writing to his beloved Gaius wishes him health and prosperity 3 Joh. 2. Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayst prosper and be in health even as thy Soul prospereth But the Apostles wishes that Souls might be sanctified and saved were most vehement and most pathetically expressed Rom. 10. 1. Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved Phil. 1. 8. God is my record how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ Gal. 4. 19. My little Children of whom I travel in birth again until Christ be formed in you Behold how the Apostle loved Souls I don't wonder that he wishes his love as a blessing to the Church 1 Cor. 16. 24. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus Amen 6. Love is the fulfilling of the Law the doing of which is so much for our Neighbours benefit Rom. 13. 8. He that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law As love to God includes the whole first table of the Law so love to our Neighbour includes the second with reason 't is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulfilling of the Law for it causes an affectionate and obediential respect unto every Commandment of the second table and there is not one of these precepts but 't is hugely for the good of Mankind 1. Love has a regard â—o the Honour and Authority of Others That honour which is due to Natural Parents love is ready to yield They that were instrumental in giving us our very Being and that nourished us with such tenderness and care when we were not ablâ— to shift for our selves may rightfully challenge obedience from us Upon a supposition that Parents are fallen into decay that piety that Children shew them in relieving them is called a Requiting them 1 Tim. 5. 4. so that Childrens disobedience as 't is unnatural so it has a great deal of ingratitude in it Love ascends higher than our Natural Parents and reaches the very Thrones where Kings and Princes are placed Kings are Patriae Patres Fathers of their Countrey all the inhabitants of a Kingdom are the Children of the King and as a Common Father their very hearts should love and reverence him It was not a Court complement or a strain of Rhetorick but an expression of religious Loyalty when the Prophet call'd the Anointed of the Lord the breath of the peoples nostrils Lam. 4. 20. and signifies how dear his life should be unto them all Love will cause tribute and custom to be willingly paid fear and honour to be rendred Rom. 13. 7. Christian Princes according as it was prophetically promised Isa 49. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are Ecclesiae Nutritij the Churches Nursing Fathers The Church of Christ in this world is not arrived to such matâ—uity but it stands in need of nursing the Magistrates care is needful and his Authority is a good fence unto the Christian faith And if the Doctrine of the Gospel has a legal establishment how should this endear the Supream Magistrate unto all inferiours Where Christian love reigns in the hearts of Subjects there Christian Kings will reign with greater security Love and rightly informed Conscience wherever found will do more than Rods and Axes though these are also necessary to support and defend the Civil Government 2. Love has a regard to the Lives of Others The guilt of blood is great the cry of blood is loud Murther how does it wound the Murtherers Conscience and defile the very land which receives the blood of him that is murthered Love utterly abhorrs cruelty and slaughter It considers the meekness and gentleness of Christ When James and John would by miraculous fire have consumed a Samaritan village that would not receive their Lord He rebukes them and sayes ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of for the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Luk. 9. 55 56. Love is so far from thirsting after blood that it will not allow of malice in the heart nay rash and causelefs anger it dislikes for that will make a man in danger of the judgment Mat. 5. 22. Were but love every where revived it would put an end to the Iron one and cause the Golden age to return Swords would be beaten into Plough-shares and Spears into Prâ—ning-Hooks and Nations would not learn Warr any more 3. Love will not violate others chastity Lust is strongly inclined to such a violation but the grace of love is of an holy and clean nature and abhorrs all obsceneness It is so far from consenting to defile anothers body that it will not allow the heart where 't is by a filthy thought or desire to be defiled for our Lord sayes Whosoever looketh on a Woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Mat. 5. 28. Love looks upon the bodies of Christians as Members of Christ as temples of the Spirit now the Members of Christ are not to be polluted the temples of the Spirit are not to be profaned How little of true love is there in this lustful Age in this adulterous generation An affection that is indeed Christian is rarely to be found but a reprobate and brutish concupiscence is very rise both in City and Countrey though hereby both are ripening apace for vengeance Jer. 5. 7 8 9. They assembled themselves by troops in the harlots houses they were as fed Horses in the morning every one neighed after his Neighbours Wife Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nature as this 4. Love will not steal away the substance of another It abhors to be injurious to any it is for following that which is altogether just It is ready to distribute willing to communicate to the poor according to that charge 1 Tim. 6. 18. and the poorer any are it is so much the more communicative Love is liberal for he that
shall be remembred Surely the Worlds hard usage of his members shall not be forgotten shall not pass unpunished If at the great day the not feeding and cloathing of hungry and naked Saints will be punished with everlasting fire oh what a sin will it be found to take away their food and rayment from them if Christ will be so angry with those who visited not believers in Prison Mat. 25. 42 43. where shall they appear that were the Imprisoners of them The World should not be cruel to Christians since Christ will quickly appear to judge the World in Righteousness So much for the first Proposition That the Church of Christ is compared to a Body Proposit II. The second Proposition is this That this Body of Christ is imperfect in this World and therefore continually should be encreasing Hence it is that Christians are exhorted to grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ 2. Pet. 3. 18. and not only to be stedfast and unmoveable but always to abound in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. In the handling of this Proposition I shall first shew in what respects the Church of Christ here on earth is imperfect Secondly In what sense the Church should be continually increasing Thirdly I shall produce several Reasons for this Increase of the Church Lastly I shall give you the Vses that may be made of it I begin with the first of these and shall shew in what respects the Church of Christ here on Earth is imperfect Two things are here to be considered First The number of the Churches Members is not yet compleated Secondly Those Members which actually are of the Church are imperfect the very best of them as long as they remain in this World 1. The number of the Churches Members is not yet compleated There are more still to be called out of the World and brought home to Jesus All are not gathered which the Father has designed to give him Joh. 10. 16. And other sheep I have who are not of this Fold them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice and there shall he one Fold and one Shepherd 1. Many 't is to be hoped who have heard the Gospel shall be converted though as yet they are not Though they have hitherto resisted the Holy Ghost yet at last they shall yield unto his Call and striving When once the day of power and the time of love is come they shall be made willing to receive a Saviour to be the Lords and to serve the Lord though now never so great an obstinacy and unwillingness is discovered Psal 110. 3. 2. Many who are in the loyns both of Believers and Unbelievers shall in due time be born and born again The Church shall never quite discontinue it may indeed sometimes be less visible but it always has a Being God will have a Seed to serve him in every future Generation Psal 22. 30. 3. The Natural Branches are to be graffed in again to their own Olive-tree Rom. 11. 24. For if thou wer 't cut out of the Olive-tree which is wild by nature and wer 't graffed contrary to nature into a good Olive-tree how much more shall these that is the Israelites which be the natural branches be graffed into their own Olive-tree Blindness in part is happened to Israel but they are still beloved for their Fathers sake and at length the veil which is upon their Hearts shall be taken away and they shall look unto him whom their Fathers crucified and be saved by him For he is the Messiah the deliverer that is come out of Sion and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob Rom. 11. 26. Now when Israel shall be added to the Christian Church how will this Church be encreased it will be a very glorious augmentation like a Resurrection from the dead Rom. 11. 15. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the World what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead 4. The Kingdoms of the world are to become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ Rev. 11. 15. I grant this is in part already the Gentiles have been preached to and have obeyed the Gospel Christ according to the Fathers Promise has had the Heathen given to him for his Inheritance and some of the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession but we may rationally conclude after the destruction of Antichrist and the utter overthrow of his power and usurpation that many more Kingdoms of the world will submit unto the Lord Jesus and his Church hereby will have a vast increase We find Rev. 18. Babylon destroyed the Kings of the earth and the Merchants that committed Fornication with her crying Alas alas and lamenting her sudden and utter downfall The Heavens and the holy Apostles and Prophets rejoycing over her because God had avenged them upon her And then it follows Rev. 19. 12. that upon the head of Christ were many Crowns which shews the subjection of many Kings to him and v. 6. there is a voice of a great multitude as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thundrings as if all the World did joyn together in saying Alleluia for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth From all this it appears that the Church as yet is incompleat and that greater numbers of Converts are to be expected and how should the Promises of the Churches enlargement in the latter dayes be thought upon with joy and how earnestly should we pray that those Promises may be accomplished 2. Those Members which actually are of the Church are imperfect the very best of them as long as they remain in this World How plainly does the Wise man speak Eccl. 7. 20. There is not a just man upon Earth that doeth good and sinneth not There is many a just man upon earth and every just man his practice is to do good but there is not one that so does good as not to be chargeable with the least evil The Apostle James that is so much for joyning good works with faith yet acknowledges in many things we offend all Jam. 3. 2. And the Apostle Paul that great Saint and Preacher speaks thus of himself and surely he would not tell a lye through abundance of humility Phil. 3. 12 13. Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but forgetting the things which are behind and reaeching forth to those things which are before I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God The imperfection of the Saints and Members of the Church on Earth will be evident in several respects 1. The Knowledge of the Saints is imperfect He that knew as much as any sayes We know in part and prophesy in part and now we see through a glass darkly 1 Cor. 13. 9. 12. David who was wiser than his enemies who had more understanding than all his Teachers than the Ancients yet prays still
extraction and born of God himself All her true members are new Creatures they are beautified with the image of God and resemble him in Knowledge Righteousness and true Holiness As Sin is the greatest deformity so Holiness is the truest beauty 't is this which makes the Angels shine nay 't is the glory of God himself Exod. 15. 11. Who is like unto thee O Lord among the Gods who is like thee glorious in Holiness How certain is it that the Righteous man is more excellent than his Neighbour Now the Church is called the Generation of the Righteous The Church is likened to a Woman because the Woman excells the man in beauty but she is such a Woman as the like is not to be found Rev. 12. 1. She is cloathed with the Sun the Moon is under her feet and upon her head a Crown not of Gold and Diamonds but better a Crown of twelve Stars What can equal this Glory of the Church All flesh is grass and all the glory of man as the flower of the field which soon withers and fades away She is said to be cloathed with the Sun because justified by Christ the Sun of Righteousness the Moon is said to be under her feet because all changeable things are below her spiritualized and raised Affections the twelve Stars which are her Crown signifie the Doctrine of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb whereby she is inlightned and brought at length to that light which is everlasting 5. The Church is a Body of great strength for this Body is strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Sinners are without strength they cannot please God they cannot profit themselves but the Churches members are strengthened with might by the Spirit in their inward man so that they can do things beyond the power of Nature they can see the invisible God they can believe against hope they can overcome and deny themselves they can wrestle with the Almighty and as Princes prevail with him they can foil the Principalities and Powers of darkness they can fight the good fight of Faith and lay hold of eternal life and all these are mighty acts indeed too great to be performed by any that are Hypocrites and ungodly The Church is most opposed and yet is most victorious and will still abide in the world notwithstanding all the worlds rage like the Immortal Regiment among the Persians that never was destroyed till the Empire was destroyed for if any Souldier was killed another presently was listed in his room This bush of the Church is unconsumed in a flame nay it has been most green and flourishing when the flame has been fiercest God has strengthened and preserved her and her preservation may be look'd upon as one of the greatest Arguments and Miracles of a Providence 6. The Church is a Body to whom the whole world is beholding It should be the joy for it is the security of the whole earth How soon would the Tares be pluck'd up bound in bundles and cast into the fire if it were not for the Wheat which grows among them Mat. 13. 29. The Church is a Friend and wishes well to Mankind 't is her Prayer that Gods way may be known on earth and his saving health among all Nations that the Kingdoms of the World may become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ And like a Mother she is in travel for the conversion and salvation of a greater multitude of Souls Why should the World be angry and recompense evil for good they should all be wise at length and desire to be incorporated into the Church and be resolved to go with her for they may be well assured that God is with her Zech. 8. 23. 7. The Church is a Body that will at length by many degrees be made more glorious than 't is at present Now 't is truly sanctified 't is highly dignified but it does not yet appear what it shall be 1 Joh. 3. 2. But when Christ the Head shall appear the second time without sin to salvation what a glorious Church will appear with him Col. 3. 4. Every member will shine as the Sun in the Fathers Kngdom Mat. 13. 43. And what a glorious spectacle will that be to behold all the Saints together in a company and every one of them shining forth as the Sun and the Son of God at the head of them all How with our cries and groans and serious diligence in preparing for it should we continually be hastning the coming of that day of God! Christs Body the Church has its defects and blemishes while it sojourns here below but at the last day all the spots will be off all the wrinkles smoothed and the end of Christs death will be fully attained Now the Apostle tells us He gave himself for his Church that he might sanctify and cleanse it and present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Eph. 5. 26 27. How gorgeously apparrel'd how richly adorned how amiable and lovely will the Lamb's Bride at last be when Satan shall be quite vanquisht Death swallowed up in Victory and sin shall cease to have a being when light shall be without any darkness joy without sorrow purity without the least mixture of defilement When Christ does put the Crown of Life upon his Churches Head then that Scripture will be fully verified Cant. 4. 7. Thou art all fair my Love there is no spot in thee I come now to the Application USE I. Let the Church and all the members of it consider their relation unto Christ their Head and doe that duty which such a relation calls for They are Christ's and not Mammons they are Christs and not their own they are his purchase his Spouse nay parts and pieces and Members of him which he has bought and united to himself 'T is highly against all reason that they should seek or please themselves in a sinful and self-destroying manner Their Duty towards Christ their Lord and Head is in several Particulars 1. The Members of Christ should love him in great sinoerity The Apostle wishes that the grace of God may be with all such sincere Lovers Eph. 6. 24. Dissembled and seeming Love is really none at all and in several respects worse than none Christs Love to his Church was most real How exceeding low was his humiliation that she might be advanced how great his Sufferings for her eternal Redemption The Apostle speaks as one amazed at the height and length and depth and breadth of this love of Christ which passes knowledge Eph. 3. 18 19. And if the Head be so full of love to all the Members certainly the Members will be in the worst sence unnatural if they return not love to their Head and Saviour they should prize him most highly counting all things but loss and dung that they may win him Phil. 3. 8. They should mourn
should be continually increasing 1. This increase is for the Fathers glory the more Saints there are God is honoured by the more and the more any are Saints he has still the more glory from them The stronger the members of Christ grow their Faith in God is firmer their fear more filial they love him more with their heart and Soul and strength they walk more humbly with him all which shews what right apprehensions they have of him and that they glorifie him as God believing his presence power mercy truth and righteousness That our Lord might perswade unto fruitfulness and increase he sayes Joh. 15. 8. Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit so shall ye be my Disciples 2. This increase of the Church is for the honour of Christ the Churches Head The largeness of a Dominion and the multitude of Subjects is the honour of a Prince The more sincere Christians there are the Kingdom of our Lord is the more enlarged and He himself is magnified the more The Redeemer is glorified when the Everlasting Gospel runs when his word which is the Scepter of his Kingdom is believed and obeyed when Souls by whole multitudes come flocking to him to be justified by his blood sanctified and healed by his grace and saved to the uttermost How was Christ honoured when after the ten first Persecutions the Roman Empire submitted to the Faith the Eagle gave way to the Cross and Constantine the Great threw down his Crown at the feet of the Lamb of God Then was that Scripture signally fulfilled though a further accomplishment is still to be expected Isa 55. 5. Behold thou shalt call a Nation that thou knowest not and Nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God and for the Holy One of Israel for he hath glorified thee 3. In this increase of the Church the operaetion of the Spirit is very illustrious He wrought the miracles for the confirmation of the Gospel and made it at first to be entertained in the world Wherever there is true Faith it is of his bestowing Those that are regenerated are said to be born of the Spirit Joh. 3. 6. The renewing of a Soul is of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. All spiritual gifts all true grace all solid comforts are from the Spirit The more therefore Light is spread the more largely gifts are distributed the more plentiful communication there is of grace the more peace and joy abounds the greater is the Spirits glory The Nicene Creed calls the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord and Giver of life Quot Membrae tot Miracula So many members as Christ has so many miracles there are of the Spirits working for he has raised them all to life who were once dead in sins and trespasses as well as others 4. This Increase is for the Churches advantage therefore it should be endeavoured 'T is matter of joy and praise to Saints to behold sinners converted and sanctified to see Prodigals coming to themselves and coming home to their Fathers House to see strangers and forreigners made fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God Eph. 2. 19. And when these Saints perceive that more of light is imparted to themselves and that they are filled fuller with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the Glory and praise of God they must needs apprehend this to be for their profit if the truest riches may be called gains and Pearls of the greatest price be of any value 5. The World is benefited by the Churches increase Not a Soul gathered out of the World but something is secured of greater value than the World If a City were on fire and burning apace to the ground the more persons are saved the more Goods are secured the greater kindness is done to that City because these Persons these Goods escape the fury of the flames Sin is ruining the World apace but all that in time come out from the World and touch not the unclean thing and are incorporated into the Church of Christ are safe as in a Sanctuary shall be delivered from the common destruction and scape the vengeance of eternal fire in which all the wicked must burn for ever 6. The Angels themselves are concerned at the increase of the Church The Apostate Ones are confounded when by all their subtilty and strength they are not able to hinder the increase of Christs Government nay that they are so over-ruled that they are made to promote his Kingdom by those very means which were designed to overthrow it And the Elect Angels are affirmed to rejoyce at the Repentance and Conversion of a Sinner Luk. 15. 10. Likewise I say unto you there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth And if they are so glad at the Conversion of one what an accession would it be to their joy to behold thousands and millions added to the Church of Christ 'T is pleasing to the Angels to behold peace on Earth and Gods good-will expressing it self in the Salvation of Men Luk. 2. 14. and upon this account they cry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glory be to God in the highest The Application follows USE 1. Of Reproof to them that hinder the Churches increase The furtherers of it I am sure are few the hinderers many therefore the more are concerned in the Reprehension 1. Enemies without endeavour with might and main to hinder the increase of the Body of Christ They hate the light and would fain hinder it from shining they are grieved that Jesus is preached are angry as well as grieved for they are unwilling his Subjects should become numerous The World upon this account raises Persecution and how many at such a time do fall away Mat. 13. 21. Cyprian laments the pressure of that Persecution which had so wofully wasted the Flock he was over and sayes that positi erant inter plangentium ruinas timentium reliqutas inter numerosam languentium stragem exiguam stantium paucitatem L. 4. Ep. 4. Many were ruined the rest feared the Church languished and few did stand against so furious an assault We have large Martyrologies but if all Apostates were registred how vast would be the Catalogues of them 'T is well Tribulation lasts but ten dayes a short time else the World might tread the Church under But the Worlds rage is without reason against the Church of Christ which will do no harm and desires to do the World the greatest kindness 2. Hypocrites within are to be reproved for they hinder the Churches increase fitly compared to Vipers which are said to eat the bowels in which they were bred Our Lords anger is very hot and his words sharp against Hypocrites Mat. 23. 13. For they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men they refuse to go in themselves neither suffer they them that are entring to go in They profess high but when
soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly he which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully 2 Cor. 9. 6. But though it will give away pounds to them that are needy it dares not unjustly take away a penny or a farthing from another though never so wealthy Solomon tells us that a false balance is not good and divers weights are an abomination to the Lord Prov. 20. 23. and they are also an abomination unto Love No duty more clearly discovered by the light of nature than to do justly and what does God in his written word more expresly require the unrighteous being plainly threaten'd with the loss of the Kingdom of Heaven and what poor and petty things are their unjust gains compared with such a Kingdom Wronging another though it be in so slie a manner that humane eyes observe it not humane laws cannot punish it yet will be overtaken with divine Vengeance 1 Thes 4. 6. That no man go beyond and desraud his brother in any matter because the Lord is the avenger of all such as we also have forewarned you and testified Love to our Neighbour implies a Love of Justice is to give our Neighbour his due Love can as soon cease to be Love as begin to be Injurious Nay if a man has heretofore been guilty of Injustice it will incline and constrain him to make restitution for The wicked must restore the Pledge and give again what he hath robbed and walk in the Statutes of Life then he shall live he shall not dye Ezek. 33. 15. 5. Love is very tender of others Names and Reputation It detests all manner of Lying as that which is an abomination to God Prov. 6. 17. and exposes the Lyar himself to the burning lake Rev. 21. 8. But a slanderous or malicious lye that wounds the Name and murthers the Reputation of another it hates exceedingly for this is an abomination most abominable and more against the very letter of the Law Thoâ— shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour The Name of a man ought to be very dear to him especially if he be a Christian because God and Christ and the Gospel are concerned in it A Christian cannot be aspersed without some aspersion on Christianity it self Love is very wary and that with great reason and will not cast into the precious Oyntment a dead Fly to make it send forth an evil savour Love hinders the Tongue from evil speaking and makes it subject to the Law of kindness Love is so far from raising a false report of another that it dares not take it up much less spread it all abroad The Citizen of Sion who shall dwell with God both here and for ever this is part of his Character He speaketh the truth in his heart he back-biteth not with his tongue nor doth evil to his neighbour nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour Psal 15. 2 3. Light may as well become darkness as Love be guilty of Lying and malicious Defamations Professors ears are ready to tingle when they hear the sound of hellish Oaths and horrid Execrations wretched men making bold with the Life of God the blood and wounds of Christ and hardly a sentence is pronounced without an Imprecation that God may damn them But these Professors would do well to consider that the same Mouth of Truth which has forbid and threatned Cursing and Swearing has forbid and threatned Lying and Slandering and if we observe how much injury may be done by a slanderous tongue we shall not wonder that the throats of such Slanderers are compared to open Sepulchers and their Tongues to whetted Swords and sharpned Arrows and the Poyson of Asps is said to be under them 6. Love is contented with its own and hinders us from coveting what belongs to another Sinful lustings and desires after that which is our neighbours precipitate unto those acts whereby he is injured thus Ahabs inordinate desire after Naboths Vineyard makes him a Murtherer of Naboth and that with many aggravations that he might enjoy it Love breeds contentation and instead of coveting what is anothers it wishes him both a quiet possession and an holy improvement and Love expelling these inordinate lustings it plucks up the very root of bitterness from whence do commonly grow all those injuries that the Sons of men do one to another Thus Love is Eagle-eyed to observe whatever God in his Law has commanded for our neighbours good and since the wise and gracious Law-giver has manifested his care of our neighbour in fencing his Life and all that is dear to him with so many Commandments Love rationally inferrs it ought to be our care not to break this fence but to keep all these Commandments without exception 7. Love breeds sympathy when our fellow Christians are in misery It makes us fear least harm befall the Church of God and when the Church is actually under Affliction it causes us in that affliction to be afflicted Love is the great Law of Christ and Chistian Sympathy is a fulfilling it Gal. 6. 2. Bear ye one anothers burthens and so fulfill the Law of Christ The Captive Jews their Harps were out of Tune and their Hearts had little list to Mirth and Musick nay By the rivers of Babylon they wept when they remembred Sion Psal 137. 1 2. Love easily melts the heart of a Saint into sorrow when other Saints are in sadness and calamity nay 't is reâ—dy to put on bowels when it sees any in misery This Sympathy of Love is a real thing and shews it self in a forwardness to relieve and help Love enlarges the Heart in Prayer for the distressed Church of Christ and all his Members it makes us in the Churches languors ready to faint and dye away our selves Love draws forth our Compassion towards the divided and distressed Land of our Nativity and in some it arises to so high a degree that they are ready such are their holy Agonies to wish Their Names blotted out of the Book of â—ife and themselves acâ—ursed from Christ rather than England should become desolate rather than God should depart and the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ be removed 8. Love makes us to delight in the Communion of Saints Sin has brought a great deformity and unloveliness upon Mankind the Scripture speaks thus of Men considered in their natural State They are all gone aside they are altogether become filthy there is none that doth good no not one Psal 14. 3. But the Grace of God lias made a difference between the Saints and other men they have put off the old man which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts and they put on the new man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4. 22. 24. Now this Holiness makes them truly amiable Love makes us pity the World that lies in wickedness but to delight in those who by Regeneration are called out of the World and made New Creatures David though a King lookt upon Saints as