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
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
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
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
from it 1. That the wicked may take notice of the godlies mortality to be a deadly messenger of their future misery 2. That they may take seasonable warning God hath concluded mischief against them when he hath withdrawn the saving society of his servants from them And that he hath determined ruine against a Land when he accounts it not worthy to lodge his people The Scripture tells us The Saints death a forerunner of the words destruction That all of the Antediluvian Patriarchs were removed to heaven before the Judgement of the flood The year of the worlds drowning was the year of Methuselah's dying God it seems would close up the number of his many dayes and shut his aged eyes from beholding the sad spectacle of the Creatures confusion It is historically reported of S. Augustine That the people of Hippo were not onely happy in his Preaching the Gospel to them but also by the enjoyment of his person amongst them in the time of the Arrian Persecution in Africk for whilst he lived with them nothing could be done by their cruel Adversaries against them but immediately after his death their Town was totally ruined by the merciless Vandals before the falling out of the German Miseries by War The Lord was pleased to gather many of his precious servants to heaven in peace And this hath not onely been an ancient kindness to the godly before the worst of times but a Modern Mercy to many of our Age who are daily taken up and secured in heaven from the present dangers of spiritual and carnal profaneness which overfloweth in this degenerous Generation wherein we live We should take notice of the godlies death its warning Their daily removing from us doth presage nothing of good unto us but bitterness in the latter end I humbly desire this were more seriously considered by us to a reforming advantage That however the Saints removal be an act of Grace as to themselves yet that their departure were owned by us as a matter of sorrow and greatest grief I shall offer one thing to be thought upon by all and it is shortly this Where God hath no favorites Animad he shews no kindness but separateth his Saints from the Tents the wicked to undo them for ever Therefore let me this day counsel you Counsel if ever you make account to do any thing in favour of your Countrey and its National interest minde your afflicted Brethren in this juncture of their trouble We know not what a day may bring forth Pressed home This is the day of Jacobs Calamity and we know not what the Lord will do for him upon our interest and request What a Glory shall it be to us to be the instrumental Saviours of our Brethren in preserving them more by our Prayers than they can do themselves by Military Power Animad Remember how much of the Nations happiness is wrapt up in their security whose private Orators we are upon a publick account Let there be zeal in our spirits to cry earnestly for them that it may go well with them Let us be wrestling with God Our prayer our forces whilst they are strugling with men joyning our Forces that they may prevail Let us sowe in tears for them that they may reap in joy for us I can use no stronger Argument to ingage your spirits than to assure you from God That the Glory of a Nation are the Godly in it they are the Pledges of its Happiness and therefore whensoever or wheresoever such are ingaged Let us minde their condition upon a publick account It is but folly to fancy of our National or Personal security whatever become of them Can the Building stand if the Pillars be broken It is a Master-piece of Satans policy Satans invention to Charm some to such thoughts thus fainting their spirits and friezng their prayers 1. But if the Blood of Saints 2. The Blessing of the Gospel and 3. The Benefit of three Reformed Nations can affect us then let their cases command our Addresses to God for their assistance We cannot help our brethren but by prayer though they be wholly ingaged for us yet we cannot be farther serviceable to them than our Prayers can prevail Let something therefore be done to purpose with God for the profit of his People Let it be seriously remembred in our assemblings before the Lord Animad that we make Addresses to him for the safety of his friends and not of his enemies such who are not onely in unity with himself True and upright in their bearts but are this day zealously ingaged for his interest And if this Godly Party be joyned in the common danger A scruple removed to those who are of another Character than this of Piety mentioned in my Text Let such be favoured upon the Saints account That those poor creatures may be convinced 1. It is not in vain to serve the Lord in prosperity and to depend upon his assistance in the day of adversity and 2. That they are debtors to the society of Saints for their deliverance 3. Who are so highly prized by God that he will spare the wicked for their sake And however some of those miserable wretches ingaged may be past prayers Jer. 7.16 11.14 14.11 in respect of their personal demerit yet now being occasionally concerned in the publick safety they may reap a return of prayers upon the account of others This I have added The Saints spirits satis fied to ease the Spirits of some who are straitned to intercede with God for such who possibly have lifted up their heart and tongue blasphemously against himself his Truth and People But we hope there is no such ungracious Instruments imployed in the present quarrel Therefore letting the judgement of Charity pass upon all we conceive it becometh our interest in them to deal fervently with our God for them ever thinking our selves much befriended in their deliverance But lastly Lâ—st Animâ—â— Our own concernment in this dayes address I presume it may contribute somewhat to the promoting of the present business if we consider our selves there is nothing of greater misery can betide us on this side of heaven then to be stript of the Saints company and comfort They are not onely in general the Nations Glory Our misery to win tue Saints society and establishment but each particular members incouragement and help There is none so useful and so intimate to Christ and his Members The Saints our help every way useful as are those of his spirit and interest they are eyes to the Blinde Feet to the Lame Light to the Ignorant Quickning to the Negligent and Ease to the Oppressed As they can speak a word so they can do a work of seasonable sweetness for the comfort of their Brethren in the evil day And therefore as it is of the greatest gain to be gathered with them so it