318 DIRECTIONS FORGETTING AND KEEPING cure and recovery to peace of conscience, when you hear of so many that havé been cured of the same disease. Moreover, is it not a reviving thing to hear Christians open the goodness, of the Lord? And that in particular, as upon experience they have found him to their own souls? To hear them tell you of such notablediscoveries of God's special providence and care of his peo- ple, as may repel all temptations to atheism and unbelief? To hear them give you their frequent and full experiences of God's hearing and answering their prayers,and helping them in their dis- tresses? Though the carnal part of the mercy were only theirs, yet by improvement, the spiritual part may be yours; you may have your faith, and love, and joy, confirmed by the experience of David, Job, Paul, which are past so long ago ; and by the ex- periences ofall your godly acquaintance, as if theywere your own. This is the benefit of the unity ofthe church; the blessings ofene member of the body are blessings to the rest ; and if one rejoice, the rest may rejoice with them, not only for their sakes, but also for their own. Such as God is to the rest of his children, such is he andwill be to you. He is as ready topity you as them, and tohear your complaints and moans as theirs. And lest we should think that none ofthemwere so bad as we, he bath left us the examples of his mercies to worsethan ever we were. You never were guilty of witchcraft and open idolatry, as Manasses was, and that for a long time, and drawing the whole nation, and chief part of the visi- ble church on earth, into idolatry with him.' You never had your hand in the blood of a saint, and evenof the firstmartyr, (Stephen,) as Paul had. You never hunted after the blood of the saints, and persecuted them from city to city, as he did; and yet God did not only forgive him, but was found of him when he never sought him, yea; when he was persecufing him in his members, and kick- ing against the pricks ; yea, and made him a chosen vessel to bear about his name, and a noble instrument of the propagation of his gospel, as if he had never been guilty of any such crimes, that he might be an encouraging example to the unworthiest sinners, and in him might appear to the riches of his mercy ; 1 Tim. iii. 13. 16. See also Titus iii. 3 -7. Is there no ground of comfort in these examples of the saints? The same we may say of the experi- ences of God's people still ; and doubtless it were well ifexperiment- al Christians did more fully and frequently open to one another their experiences ; it were the way to make private particular mer- cies to be more public and common mercies ; and to give others a part in our blessings, without any diminution of them to ourselves. Not that Iwould have this, openly and rashly done, (by thosewho, through their disability to express their minds, dó make the works and language of the Spirit seem ridiculousto carnal ears,) as I per-
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