Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /

Such who know few but their Christian Relations, or Neighbours, may know the Sorrows, Dangers, Wants of these, and ought to pray for them, as they are Members of the Church, and consider the like State other Christians are in, and must be prayed for, &c. We are to mourn with those that mourn, and rejoice with those that rejoice: That we may the better do this, we should enquire the most we can into the present State of the Church. But more especially,

Such who know few but their Christian Relations, or Neighbours, may know the Sorrows, Dangers, Wants of these, and ought to pray for them, as they are Members of the Church, and consider the like State other Christians are in, and must be pray'd for, &c. We are to mourn with those that mourn, and rejoyce with those that rejoyce: That we may the better do this, we should enquire the most we can into the present State of the Church. But more especially,

1. Christian Kings, Princes, and Supreme Magistrates, as Nursing Fathers, Defenders, and Promoters of Christ's Kingdom and People, ought to Enquire, and maintain Intelligences; whereby they may understand what is the State of all the Churches of God, with which they and their Subjects hold a Commerce, that so either Public Prayers or Praises may be made for the Church. Moses hath given us Example of this kind, Acts 7.23, 24. who did deliberately conclude with himself, that he would visit his Brethren, the Children of Israel; and with his own Eyes survey their Condition, that he might suitably address himself to help them, supposing ⟨image 190⟩they would know God would deliver Israel by Moses. Some few we meet in History, who have concerned themselves for the Church of Christ abroad, without their own Dominions now and then. A Constantine appears to defend the Church, and to mind a Licinius to forbear persecuting the Church: Or, an Elizabeth to support a Neighbour-Church: Or, a Gustavus Adolphus to rescue oppressed Churches: Or, such as we have in our day seen raised to be a Father and a Mother to his People in this Kingdom: It was well for us that God awakened them to Enquire what State the Church was in here, and how it might be rescued.