358 Churches welfare endeavoured. ple, anda great honour to Chrift, who reignes as Kiggover them. Prefling to recite the wel_ -fare of the Church with the grounds thtreof, CHAl'. N. Pre f fng thefeeking of the welfareofChrr is Church. 1 4."rHis lîkewife pref eth on us the miniftrationofourbeft 1 j help and afliftance to the Church ofChrifl.Themem- bers of a common-wealth endeavour the welfare and-fafety, of the counnon-wealth, they prefèrre it above their owne private good : The members ofChrifls fpiri,uall common- wealth flhculd doe the like for Chrifts Church;lt is theLords injunction, pray for the peace of fernfalem, be inftant with God for the profperity , fafety , increafe , and flourifhing eftate of his Church. What though God watch over it, and have promifed prote,{tion to it ; yet thou muff altopray for, and labour the profperity thereof, otherwife how calif thou rejoyce in the welfareof the fame. To this duty thevery re- lation between us and the Church fhould leade us ; the Church is the body whereof we are members, doe not all themembers in the body naturali labour the welfare of the whole ? How can the members of the myfticall body of C-hrift doe lef1e, anleffe they will prove themfelvesunnatu. rall..Our Sympathy with the Churches afflictions fhould perfwadeus to this, we muff apprehend the calamity which reftethupon the Church, as telling upon ourovine perfons If one member(faith Saint Paul) doefuffer, allthe noembers fuf. fer rriah it. A dead member indeed bath nofy mpathy with the rest ; but the living - member bath a fellow-feeling, a quiche and exquifitefence within, when any of the members are pained or hazarded. Who is Wcake (faith `Paul) andI am not -weak', Who is.offended, andIborne not. The blelling which is attendant on our endeavouring the welfare of the Church, is an Argument of great force to move us to this worke; hereof the Lord faith, they (hall proffer that love thee : They that.
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