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
Saints adversaries is an eminent reason of the Lords ingagement for them to oppose their fury This the Lord hath comfortably concluded in favour of his servants Determined assistance Because saith he thou hast a perpetual hatred and hast put the children of Israel to flight by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity The wicked threatned when their iniquity had an end I will lay their Cities waste c. Ezek. 35.4 5. As the wickeds malice argue their mischief so its continuance threatneth their ruine Malice the bane of the wicked The wicked would do a great deal better by themselves if they dealt kindly by the godly It hath been observed that malice with continuance What continued malice is is but the devil in disguise who loves rather to be abroad in the hearts of the wicked then at home in hell Therefore to supplant his subtilty and to prevent his cruelty are eminent acts of the Lords kindnesse in favour of the godly I have alwayes observed that the Lord is pleased by the power of his grace An observation of Gods favor to the godly to make the Saints wiser then the vvicked and stronger then the devil So that hovvever both may hate them yet neither can undo them They may be implacable in their malice but incapable in their practise to do them any considerable harm The heat of their hatred may blacken their beauty Malicecannot undo the godly but let Satan and his instruments do what they can the Saints are still comely as the Tents of Kedar and the Curtains of Solomon It is not the staining of the Saints Colours but the stopping of the Saints comforts that is their sorrow The Saints more afflicted with eclipsing of their graces then loss of their good The breathings of malice may deface the first but the gates of hell are not able to obstruct the second For as the Saints have hope in their death so they are blessed with the continued comforts of the spiritual life let the devil and the wicked do what they can The godly were in a piteous condition Satan would undo the Saints if God did not prevent him if they had no more refreshment then what Satan would bestow he would starve them to his service and kill them in it he would feed them with the bread of affliction to prepare them for destruction But it is the Saints happinesse they are not upon his allowance They have bread whereof he knoweth nothing Saints are not spiritually starved the secrets of their mercy is shut up from him and they are not straitned of their provision even in the worst of times It is not Satans malice that can mince their mace Thou hast prepared a table for me saith David Psal 23.5 in the sight of my adversaries The Lord wil let Satan and the wicked know he keeps his servants well that they may conclude there is nothing wanting to them that fear him Psalm 34.9 It is the sweetness of the Lords Spirit The Lords kindnesse comfortable in the sharpest season the sharper the wicked hate his Saints the dearer he loves them and the better they fare For I am with thee to save thee and deliver thee saith the Lord to Jeremy Jer. 15.20 So me thinks Satan and his Clyents are but fools for all their fury Conclus The folly of Satan his instruments they do but befriend the godly by their malice thus melting the Lords affection in a warmer fervency to his Saints The wicked defeat their owne design and so becoming guilty of the death of their own design they shew what they can do but not what they would It seemes they have not so much rope in their posse The wicked cannot execute their malice against the godly as they have scope in their velle Dogs may shew their teeth although they durst not bite Here me thinks it is no loss of time to pause a little admiring that mercy which compasseth the Saints Saints favor great How great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that fear and done to them that trust in thee before the sons of men saith David Psalm 31.19 We see amongst all the stratagems of Satans subtilty he is not more restrained in any The wicked cannot but as they have then in this of the wickeds malice that those his emissaries cannot hurt as they hate the Lord having chained up their ferity with the cord of his Commission The wickeds weekness so that there is no stirring for Satan or his servants beyond the reach of their line let them struggle what they can Oh then Applic. how should the Saints love their mighty God whose power is their preservative against such an evil Saints are not given up to the wicked that he will not suffer his Saints to be sacrifices to the will of their enemies they may hunger for their destruction but starve before they obtain it It is not malice can catch the prey when mercy prevents it David is here cruelly hunted by Saul but graciously supported by God It is not his malice can murder him or his plotting that can surprize him for the Lord was with David whither soever he went FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 BOWELS of MERCIE BREATHING FOR THE SAINTS IN DANGER OR SACRED SYMPATHY UNSEALED BY ALEXANDER PRINGLE A Worthless Servant to Christ in the Work of his Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 3.12 LONDON Printed by A. Maxey for Wil. Weekley at Ipswich and are to be sold by J. Rothwell at the Fountain in Cheapside 1657. LECTORI INTEGERRIMO INter Multifaria blaterantis hujusce seculi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nulla tam perfrictae frontis videtur nequitia quam est ista in Evangelicae veritatis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Impudens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qua dum universa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dogmata conspurcare studeat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cruentos quosdam è suis spelaeis excitat Lupos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sceleratisssimo quorum Ministerio Jurgia non modo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 refertisssima sed Zizania in Domini vinea virulentissima operose disseminat Sic ut mediantibus hisce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Satanicae hujusce praxeos nefarii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non tantum sunt Socinianae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 satellites Pelagianaeque vafritiae versipelles vaferrimi aut enthusiastici 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anabaptisticae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed alii quam plurimi purae-putae indignantis ignaviae soboles astutissima 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simulata quorum pietas duplicata evadit iniquitas quibusque aurigatio rustica aut sutrina quaedam civica aptius multo convenit quam ratione ratiocinante de crypticis fidei mysteriis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disserere aut sacrae paginae digestis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imponere competit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verum isti
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
them 1. Consid 1 It seems the Saints are more the Lords then their own and therefore nothing can befal them wherein his Glory is not concerned 2. Consid 2 Satan the saints and the Lords enemy The Lord and his people have the same common adversary who endeavoureth the dishonour of the one as the ruine of the other and in opposition to him the Lord equally ingageth for both The Saints are sufferers for God Consid 3 Saints suffer upon the Lords account and therefore it is not to be imagined when they are afflicted by the wicked that they are neglected by him But the more they are persecuted for him the more they are owned by him and indeared to him by all the most intimate ingagements of love and honour 4. Consid 4 Saints happines what it is to God We must take notice that the Lords honour consisteth much in the saints happiness and therefore such as befriend their prosperity are promoters of his glory 5. Consid 5 As there is nothing so dear to God as his glory * Esa 42.8 Gods honor ingaged for the supply of he saints so there is nothing can sooner ingage it then the saints necessity for as his honour is precious to him in respect of his Deity so are his servants wants in respect of his clemency 6. Consid 6 God accounts favor to the saints respect to himself It hath ever been the Lords custome to ballance the saints favour with his own alwayes acknowledging himself a debtor to both in order to a comfortable requital If a cup of cold water is not to be forgotten how will greater courtesies be remembred We need not think we shall be losers by the godly when we contribute to their necessity There is gain in doing the saints good if the Lord be our pay-master for he is never short but alwayes exceedeth in liberality our expectation or desire 7. Consid 7 It is an eminent act of the saints wisdom to mingle mercy to their brethren with duty to God and thus thinking they cannot serve God better It is service to God to befriend the saints then in befriending the godly It is one of the grossest parts of the wickeds folly that they imagine a correspondence with God but not with his people being strongly possest that howsoever they may be in arrear to him yet they are in nothing debtors to them Thus they often offer to God with strange fire the Idol of their own conception 8. Seeing there is nothing more considerable in the eye of God To be tender of Gods honor upon the saints account then to favour his servants Let us ever be sensible of the prejudice of the Lords honour in the afflictions of the godly It was not so much the routing of the Host of Israel The cause of Elies death or the ruine of his children as the captivity of the Ark and the blood of the Saints which was the cause of Elies death He was more afflicted with the injury of Gods glory then affected with the sorrow of all his domestick indempnity it was Gods dishonor and not his own loss which broke his heart The wife of Phineas minds more Israels glory and of his daughters then her husbands death the taking of the Ark then the travelling of her birth the departing of glory from Israel then of life from her self Oh how tender is a gracious spirit of the glory of God It is the ground of the Saints ingagement against the wicked therefore it should be of eminent efficacy to draw a strong party even all of its interest to their assistance Hence it is easie to conclude this Consideration Applic. that they savour of another interest then that of the Saints who are not sensible of their sufferings Fourthly Consid 4 Doggish anpidity hindreth tenderness of spirit such doggish stupidity Caninae aequanimitatis stupor As it smells nothing of Religion so it crosseth all antural affection It is below the excellency of reason not to compassionate the injury of nature There be none but such who are appointed to ruine themselves which do not pity the ruine of others Soli filii irae iram non sentiunt nec tristantur in tristibus Bern. Ep. 256. They are the children of wrath sayes he who are not sensible of wrath A danger not to be touched with the saints condition and are not affected when their brethren are afflicted It signeth not onely a worthless but a spirit of immanity not to be troubled with anothers extremity Quis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illam ubi nullus animum tangit affectas stuporem immanem quo nullo prorsus erigatur neque excitetur affectum non enim quia durum aliquid inde rectum aut quia stupidum ideo sanum August lib. 14. de Civit. cap. 10. Who saith he can speak any thing of that Apathy Apathy of inexpressible injury to our selves others which spoileth the minde of affection and covereth it with a stupid distraction so that there is nothing can stir it is it therefore a thing right because hard or sound because stupid Let this give a short An advertisement of tryal of spirits but a seasonable Advertisement to such to try their condition who are more in charity with themselves then any else who love rather to flatter their owne accomplishment then to give incouragement to others that whatever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they pass upon themselves they may consider again and they shall finde that this their sensless apathy of the state of others signeth them to share more of the worst of sinners then of the meanest Saints and more of Monsters then Men who are altogether careless what become of their Neighbours We are not onely by Nature rational but social Homo sum humani nihil me alienum puto Terent. The want of Christiā compassiō brotherly tenderness doth design us of a more then beathenish spirit The very heathen could speak in order to their kinde and the befriending of it how much more such who have learned in the School of Christ to bear one anothers burthen and to be tenderly affectionate towards one another as becometh brethren I heartily wish this secret counsel might be serviceable to some who have not onely cast off the bond of all spiritual fraternity with the godly Spirits warned of their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but also of natural humanity with others so that they take no more notice of their danger then if they were not concerned in their safety They minde nothing of the danger of others so it go well with themselves They will neither be at the cost of prayers for them or of incouragements to them in their troubled condition such is the Genius of those stupid Stoicks who think they were made for none but themselves whose spirits are else void of compassion as their hearts of holiness or their ends of future happiness
contagion may be the bane of others We know the right side cannot be well when there is a Pleurifie in the left when the heart is sick the head is heavy Non est enim pondus verae virtutis insensibilitas cordis quia valde insana per stuporem membra sunt quia incisa sentire dolorem non possunt Greg-Mor lib. 2. cap. 16. Where insensibility of the heart is there is no weight of true vertue because the members are unhealthfully stupified and being cut they feel no pain As if the Moralist should have said Analogie of the physical the mystical body When there is no feeling in the heart then the members are dead and vice versâ When the members are mortified the heart is sensless Hence it is easie to unriddle his conception that there must not onely be a symmetry of parts but a Gospel-sympathy of hearts amongst the Lords people in trouble I could heartily wish Objection solved one scruple were removed by the force of this Doctrine before we proceed It is the common Calumny of the wicked Object who have less of God then corruption That there is no such binding relation upon the spirit of any obliging them to a strict observance or sympathising correspondence of and with the suffering condition of the Saints This piece of arrogance hath no little efficacy to break Christian communion and to make our spirits answer with Cain Am I my brothers keeper Therefore to cut the root of this poysonable Coloquintida we shal shortly present two things 1. Sol. As there is nothing more perniciously destructive to common society then such a principle so all the Laws of Religion and Reason do forbid its practice Anima ut in toto corpore tota est in qualibet ejus parte ideo cum sit aliquid in exigua particula corporis quod non sentiat anima illa tamen tota sentit quia totam non latet August de Trinit lib. 6. cap. 6. As the Soul is in all and every part of the Body and there is no part of the Body insensible c. By which is demonstrate the sympathy not onely of the Natural but of the Mystical Body in its life motion affection and mutual compassion 2. Sol. It is a Dictate of the Deity transcribed by Paul Gal. 6.2 That we bear one anothers burthen and so fulfil the law of Christ which speaks nothing more then a fraternal correspondence of the Saints spirits in the time of trouble that as the Saints have common benefit in Christ so they have common burthen for him Members of the same Body are of the same tenderness and feeling if they be not dead and if such they are not of Christs Body or inlived by him Qui non dolet cum pungitur vellicatur pro putrido mortuo membro habetur August Hom. 18. Such a member saith he which is not pained when pinched is deservedly esteemed rotten and dead By which we are certified there is none of Christs Body but such who are touched with a sympathy of his Members Therefore let us savingly conclude Determination as there is no duty of greater utility Saints communion the ground of their compassion so there is none of greater authority to be improved amongst Professors of the same Gospel and its interest then this is Cum patiuntur membra corporis ejusdem quomodo alia membra licet superiora non compatiuntur membris unius corporis laborantibus Ambros-Epist 22. When members of the same Body are suffers how can the one be without the sympathy of anothers trouble Cum membra quaedam sunt in tribulatione quadam in pace istos contristat eorum tribulatio illos pax illorum consolatur August in Psa 30. There is such a communion amongst members of the same Body that they are sad and rejoyce as it goeth well or evil with them in their saddest and most peaceable times It seems it is their practice to mourn with them who mourn and rejoyce with them who rejoyce I have ever observed No such communion as that of the Saints that there is no such communion kept amongst any as amongst the Saints both in adversity and prosperity but especially in the evil day the time of common danger then they all cry with David Do well O Lord c. And so much for the first Proposition The first Doct. finished The second considerable Conclusion Conclus 2 suggested to us by Davids Prayer cometh to hand viz. That the Lord is to be intreated to befriend his people in danger Proved This it seems is Davids Practice let it be our Patern Let us take some pains this day for the Saints profit Esa 62.7 Give him no rest till he repair and set up Jerusalem c. It is not for Saints to be silent whilst their Brethren are suffering We are to pray for Zions prosperity if we love our own Psal 122.6 They shall prosper that love thee The Lord is pleased to make the peace of his people The Saints prayers profitable the return of their prayers that he may not onely ingage them but all of their Brethren in the duty for such a purchase and so it is easie to finde out how zealously and often the spirits of the godly hath been ingaged for their Brethrens security in the day of calamity Because sayes Samuel it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people God forbid that I should sin in resting to pray for you 1 Sam. 12.24 It seems Samuel lookt upon it as an act of iniquity to deprive the Lords people of the Benefit of his Prayers He considered his addresses for them to God might prevent their ruine How importunate is Abraham for the Saints in Sodom Gen. 18.25 26.27 How zealous is Elias for all the Israel of God! Nehemiah Jeremiah and Daniel for the children of the Captivity It is no marvel to reade those gracious Orators so compassionately earnest for the obtainment of their end seeing the prosperity and interest of the Lords people hath been so eminently dear unto them that they have joyntly striven to advance it at their utmost peril I confess there be very solid Arguments and Grounds for the Saints ingagement in behalf of their Brethren Arguments for he Saints prayers in the day of trouble as First in respect of God Demonstrate Exod. 19.5 6. they are owned by him as his inheritance his peculiar treasure though all the earth be his Exod. 19.5 As there is none like himself amongst the gods so there is none like them amongst the Nations They are not onely near but invaluablely dear unto him Precious in the sight of the Lord are the death of his Saints Psal 116. The Saints harm toucheth his honour Zech. 2.8 He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of my eye God is highly concerned both in the Saints injuries and favour he taketh both their enemies and friends as his