276 . T'he Trial if tJ p'erfonalfoving · ·. ~oncerns, their difireffes and their enlargements their Joys and their griefs, Ifa. lxiii. 9· Luke xv, S· ~hich :is a very tender fympathy, infomuch that the touch~ ing of .them is the ' touching ofthe' apple ofhis ey.e " Z~ch. i~. 8•.so they alio hav~ a v~ry tender fympathy wtth bun, m the <;oncerns of h1s glory. They are glad, and rejoi'ce in the profperity of his kingdom, ACts xi. 23, 24. They pray for it continually, Pfalrn a~xii. IE· and contribute their endeavours, in their tlations, .to advance it, Phil. i. 21. ·For to me to live is ChrifJ. They have a feeling .of the indignities done to his l'vlajefiy, as done to :themfdves, Pfalm b.ix,. 9· ' The reproaches of them that reproache·d · thee, are fallen upon me.' And they are mourners · for the fins of others, as well as for their owns on the . account of the di{honour they do to God, becauft they keep not his la<z.u, Pfalm cxix.. 136. The children of the covenant will neither be oppofers of the kingdom of Chrifl:, nor will they be neuters ; but wilJ put their fhouldcrs to the 'ZJ)Ork of the Lord, to help it fm·war.d, accDr,ding $0 thejr vocatio.N : and without fuch a pablick fpirit, in greater or Jelfer me_afure, no man fh~dl be able to -prove his_faving interefl: in the covenant ; for f:o hath et:tr Lord himfelf deter· · mined the matter, Mat. xii. 30. ' He that is not with me,_ is againfi: me; a-nd l)e that gath.ereth 11ot wi_th me, fcattereth abroa.d.' .(2.) They have a native and kindly fympathy with . th~ pe.ople of the covenant; f0r they 4>re members l!nc. of another, Eph. 'iv. ~ s. The grace ofthecove· _ nant.difpofeth men to be loving and beneficial to man!" kind., bur in a p>ecuHar ,manner to holy men ; to ~ do g.oo.d unto ,· ~dl men, cfpecially lllnto them who &re .of the houlh0ld of faith,' ~Gal. vi. 10. The comr :n1.0n .,bond o( the coven.ant .engageth them in a 1pe'\" culiar l.ove one to another: even as in that bond, they ftre'the common 'objeCts of the work}'s hatr-ed. Th~y bear the f~m~ im-arre with Chrifi their common head : · o and
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