5. This unity is seen in the sympathizing that all believers have one with another, and that in respect of mourning and rejoicing; In respect of those that mourn, So we are to weep and mourn with them; We are to bear one another's burdens; We are to be affected with the Churches calamities as being also of the body; As the Apostle said, the care of all Churches lay upon him, 2 Cor. 11.28. Who was afflicted and he did not burn? the same proportionably is to be in every believer: Therefore this unity of believers should be vigorous this way, what evils, what exercises befall others, they should be affected with them as their own; This discovers they are lively members of the body, for if Christ though in Heaven was sensible of the persecutions done by Paul against the Church, saying, Why persecutest thou me? how much rather should every particular member account the temptations of others as his own; As it is thus for mourning, so also for rejoicing, there ought to be such an unity among believers, that we are to rejoice in the gifts, graces, and good things that others have, as if they were our own; But O the self-love, the envy, the repinings that are apt to be in one godly man against another, The spirit in us lusteth to envy, saith the Apostle, even in believers; Hence are those daily exhortations against grudgings, murmurings, and envyings one against another, and these are made the fruit of the flesh, because where the Spirit of God worketh and enliveneth, there is joy, peace, and long-suffering, all graces contrary to such unquiet distempers; Now this is very difficult to flesh and blood, that those parts and gifts which obscure thine, and those good things in others that seem to hinder thine, yet to rejoice and bless God for them, as if it were to thy own self, but this spiritual and mystical unity will enable thee thereunto▪ Neither is the Sun or air more requisite then this union, no wonder if our Saviour doth thus affectionately pray for it.
5. This unity is seen in the sympathizing that all believers have one with another, and that in respect of mourning and rejoycing; In respect of those that mourn, So we are to weep and mourn with them; We are to bear one anothers burdens; We are to be affected with the Churches calamities as being also of the body; As the Apostle said, the care of all Churches lay upon him, 2 Cor. 11.28. Who was afflicted and he did not burn? the same proportionably is to be in every believer: Therefore this unity of believers should be vigorous this way, what evils, what exercises befall others, they should be affected with them as their own; This discovers they are lively members of the body, for if Christ though in Heaven was sensible of the persecutions done by Paul against the Church, saying, Why persecutest thou me? how much rather should every particular member account the temptations of others as his own; As it is thus for mourning, so also for rejoycing, there ought to be such an unity among believers, that we are to rejoyce in the gifts, graces, and good things that others have, as if they were our own; But O the self-love, the envy, the repinings that are apt to be in one godly man against another, The spirit in us lusteth to envy, saith the Apostle, even in believers; Hence are those daily exhortations against grudgings, murmurings, and envyings one against another, and these are made the fruit of the flesh, because where the Spirit of God worketh and enliveneth, there is joy, peace, and long-suffering, all graces contrary to such unquiet distempers; Now this is very difficult to flesh and bloud, that those parts and gifts which obscure thine, and those good things in others that seem to hinder thine, yet to rejoyce and blesse God for them, as if it were to thy own self, but this spiritual and mystical unity will enable thee thereunto▪ Neither is the Sun or air more requisite then this union, no wonder if our Saviour doth thus affectionately pray for it.
