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shall bear them up in their hands, lest they dash their foot against a stone k." Yea, they have their office also for the good of souls. An angel appeared to Christ himself, and strengthened him in his agony. And as evil spirits can hurt the souls of the wicked, so no doubt but the good can help the souls of the righteous; and, therefore, when satan comes to deceive, he is said to be transformed into an angel of light ". Yea, when the soul goeth out of the body, these angels are the conductors of it into the presence of God", where we shall be made equal to the angels themselves". O, if the eyes of true Christians were but opened to see their glorious attendance, they would be more sensible of this privilege, and thankful for it, than now they be. God could do all things for us without instruments if he pleased, but as he rather chooseth to work by instruments and second causes for our bodies, so also by these invisible instruments both for body and soul. When Saul had sinned against God, and was forsaken by him, the good Spirit was taken from him, and an evil spirit given him. Some common benefits even common men may have by these angels while they forfeit not their helps, but not that special benefit as the saints. The world cannot distinguish the righteous from the wicked, but the angels of God can; for they must needs know their own charge, and who it is that Christ hath especially committed to their trust.

11. Another excellent benefit of the converted, is this, As they are true members of the catholic church, (whatsoever any schismatics may say to the contrary, that would confine the catholic church to their own party,) so have they communion with the whole church, and many spiritual advantages by that communion. Besides that external communion in church order and ordinances, which the ungodly may have as well as they, there is a spiritual internal communion, which is proper to the living, converted members. All the saints have one Spirit of holiness, to animate them P. And they all intend the same end, and conspire in the same way for the accomplishment. God is their common end, as he is their common original". They have all "one God,

k Psal. xci. 11, 12.

n Luke xvi. 22.

1 Luke xxii. 43. • Luke xx. 36.

9 Rom. xi. 36. 1 Cor. viii. 6. 11, 12.

m 2 Cor. xi. 14.

P Rom. viii. 9. 1 Cor. xii.

one Christ, one faith," though they may differ in many smaller opinions, and to "every one of them is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ." And so they "are all one body and one Spirit," and must endeavour to "keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peaces." They are members of one heavenly city, "even Jerusalem, which is above, the mother of us all," where they shall be perfected. And of the militant church, the city of God, while they are here on earth. It is the design of God in the fulness of time, to gather them all into one, in Christ, yea, to make them and the angels in heaven to be one body", They have here the same officers and means, even apostles, and prophets, and their holy writings, pastors and teachers, and the use of ordinances, and this for the edifying and perfection of the body, "till they all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. That speaking the truth in love, they may grow up into him in all things which is the head, Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, to the edifying of itself in love *."

Moreover, all the whole church doth constantly pray for every member; not only as for those that are yet unconverted, that they may have grace, because they have no absolute promise to be heard in that; and that they shall not be heard for all men in general, they are certain, and therefore may not so ask it. But when they pray for the godly, it is as for those for whom they have a promise. As they live in the constant love of one another, which is the mark by which the world must know them, and an effect of the Spirit which doth animate the whole body, so doth this love express itself in the breathings forth of constant desires for the prosperity of the whole, and each part. O Christians, what an excellent privilege is this, that the poorest man or woman of you that is converted, hath thousands and thousands of the prayers of the saints going for you to God from

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day to day. Which way ever you are going, or whatsoever you are doing, this stock is improving for you, this work is going on. When you are about other matters and think not of it, there are thousands of holy people praying for you. When you grow cold and faint in prayer, there are thousands of fervent Christians at prayer for you. When you have caught a fall, and conscience is troubled, and you dare scarce go to God again, there are thousands of Christians that are at prayer for you, that have clearer consciences and boldness with God. Is not this a comfort when your graces are weak, when temptations are strong, and troubles, and fears, and doubts are many, to remember you have thousands of the people of God at prayer for you? Is not this a great comfort in the greatest dangers, when you are afraid of your salvation, to remember how many thousands are at prayer for your salvation? Nay, it is even all the whole church of God. And you may well think that God will not easily deny the prayer of his whole church. He that hath promised to hear two or three, yea, every single person, that asketh any thing in the name of Christ according to his will, is unlikely to deny his whole church, when they join together for any such thing. And this is a matter that is according to his will, that his truly converted people should persevere, and be preserved in his love, and safely brought on to his heavenly kingdom". O remember this in your doubts and troubles, that all the church of Christ is daily at prayer with God for your salvation. And is not this a great comfort to you; in time of sickness, or at the hour of death, to remember, that now the whole church of God is at prayer for you? You send to this friend and that friend which you think have interest in God, and you are glad if you can but get them to pray for you. How glad then should you be, that all the church prayeth for you, who most certainly have so great an interest in him? The spirit of prayer, which teacheth the people of God to pray, will not forget you, nor suffer them to forget you, but will make them pray for all the body, and every member of it; as the very tenor of the Lord's prayer sheweth you and Col. i. 3. Eph. vi. 18. Col. iv. 3. 1 Tim. ii. 1. Rom. i. 9. xv. 30. O then, sirs, if you be wise, yield to that grace of Christ that would convert you, that you may

z 2 Tim. iv. 18.

be members of this body, and live in the spiritual communion of it. For, alas! to join externally in the communion of the church, when you have not communion with them in the Spirit, will but increase your condemnation at the last. You are every day among the saints of God, but you know them not, nor the Spirit by which they live, nor the spiritual part of the work which they do. Such a communion as the dead corps have together which you tread upon (whose bones and dust lie mingled in the earth) in comparison of our communion that are here together in the presence of God among the living; even such a communion have the unconverted in the visible church, in comparison of that spiritual communion with the people that are converted.

12. Another excellent benefit to the converted, is, That they have the constant intercession of Jesus Christ, God and man, in his heavenly priesthood, at his Father's right hand in the heavenly glory. Their head is not insensible of their wants, nor doth he disregard them; the wrong that is done you, he takes as done to himself. "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ?" said he to one that trod upon his foot. And the good that is done to you, or denied to you by others, he takes as done or denied to himself, as may be seen in Matt. xxv. 40. 45. Surely then he doth not forget us, though he be exalted to his glory. He is not like the poor silly creatures, that cannot bear exaltation without being puffed up, and forgetting themselves; yea, their friends and their God. No; his exaltation is spiritual and heavenly, perfecting his human nature to the greatest height that it is capable of: he liveth in the face of God who is love; nay, into the personal union with the Godhead which is love, hath he assumed our nature long ago; he was never more tender of Jerusalem, when he wept over them; or of his people when he wept, and bled, and died for them, than he is now of them in his glory. Though he cannot weep or grieve now as he did on earth, yet he can love now as much as ever he loved; and therefore his eye is still upon our wants, his heart is set upon us for our good, he looks down from heaven upon every particular member; he seeth that this man wants this grace, and that man wants that, and the other is in danger of this or that corruption or temptation;

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and he is daily carrying on the cure. It is he that sends this minister and the other minister as his apothecaries, with his medicines, and persuadeth you to take them for your good; it is he that directeth this or that affliction to be a purge for some dangerous disease, when he seeth that easier means prevail not. You see not your chief Physician, he standeth out of your sight; but he seeth you, and it is he that doth all for you that is done: as he prepared a medicine of his own blood to cure sick souls, while he was here upon earth, so he is now continually applying it to them for their cure. Do not think that all his love was shewed upon the cross, or that all that he doth for you by his blood was then done; no he is still pleading as it were that blood on your behalf unto his Father, and offering the sacrifice for you again in the holiest, which he once offered for you on the cross; and is there a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek ©. And "because he continueth ever, he hath an unchangeable priesthood; wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." "For as by his own blood he entered once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption: so shall this blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge our consciences from dead works to serve the living God.” For Christ" is not entered into the holy place made with hands, which is the figure of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God, for us "." For" after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever, he is sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his (and our) enemies be made his footstool; for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified "." So that we have a perfect high-priest that perfectly loveth us, who is representing our case before his Father, and pleading a perfect sacritice for us; and through him it is that we ourselves have "boldness to enter into the holiest, even by his blood, by the new and living way which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, even his flesh: for, "having such an high-priest over the house of God, we may draw near in full assurance of faith," if we have a " true heart

d Heb. vii. 24, 25.

f Heb. ix. 24.

g Heb. x. 12-14.

c Heb. viii. 1-4. vii. 3. 11. 15.
Heb. ix. 11. 14.

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