would have pain and labour; yea, so to be affected with their condition; and (Isa. lxiii. 9) it is best exprest by the Lord himself, "in all their afflictions he was afflicted." It's true he is not in pain as we are, but he really resents our wrongs, and sympathises with us in our trouble.

4thly, Sympathie hath in it serious prayer to God, for hasteing the delivery of them that are in trouble. That was it that might have been expected of the disciples; that they might have used their prayer with Christ for help to the poor woman: and Psal. cii. is intituled a prayer for the afflicted when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complent befor the Lord; and yet ye will find a great lift of Zion's case taken on here. Sympathie calls to wrestle with God for these in affliction, when we can do no more. That was kindly sympathie in Christ called "the man among the mirtle trees," (Zech. i. 12,) while he cried, "O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercie upon Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?" Kindly sympathie makes him kindly interpose.

5thly, Sympathie hath with it a readiness not only to interpose by prayer, but also anie other way, that God shall call to, and which may contribute for the help and relief of the partie troubled, (Cant. viii. 8,) "What shall we do for our sister in the day that she shall be spoken for?" Sympathie carries ay alongst with it, What shall we do for the people of God in affliction? a readiness to do any thing lawfull, which may contribute for their freedom. And it is but a scorn for them to speak of sympathie that is not ready to caith1 it in doing. A tender sympathiseing heart hath a liberal and ready hand; that was a token of sympathie in Esther, chap. iv. 16, “I will go in to the king, tho' it be contrary to the law: and if I perish, I perish." I will hazard my neck for the people of God in trouble: betide my life, betide my dead, I will venture for them in this their strait.

6thly, Sympathie hath with it a true sadness of countenance, flowing from inward sadness of heart, because no occasion does offer 1 Realize, embody.

it self that does promise relief to the partie afflicted, and that ay and while God offer some outgate for this. In Neh. chap. ii. 2, compared with chap. i. 4, while he stood befor the king, his sadness and sorrow of heart shew it self in his countenance, and the king said, "Why is thy countenance so sad, seeing thou art not sick?" He answered, "Why should I not be sad, when the place of my fathers' sepulchers lys waste?" because those kings used to think most of their fathers' sepulchers; but the great cause was the report that was brought unto him of the great affliction wherein God's people were; there was such grief for that at his heart, that his countenance shew it came from the bone: sympathie casts the sympathizer in the mould wherein the afflicted partie is.

To apply this, 1. In what cases is sympathie a dutie? I answer, sympathie is not a dutie in every case, and to every partie or person; for, 1. We are not called to sympathise with the devils, they are not to be pitied; neither, 2. Are we to sympathise with the desperat enemies of God, when the vengeance of God lights on them, tho' there be that much naturalty in us to pity both, yet we will get no thanks for it frae God: for it's both a promise and a prophesie, that the righteous shall rejoyce when he sees the vengence, and shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked, (Psal. Iviii. 10.)

In what cases then is sympathie a dutie? I answer, it is a duty in these cases, 1. When multitudes of people are perishing for want of the knowledge of God—that's a kindly case of sympathie. (Rom. ix. 2.) When the Jews were perishing, and would not receive the gospel, sympathie rose in the apostle Paul to as great a height as ever it was in a sinful man, which made him say, "I have continual sorrow and heaviness in my heart, and could wish I were accursed for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." So we may see it in Christ, when the people were standing white befor him, and there were none to stryken and cutt down the harvest, (Matth. ix. 36, 37;) wherefore it's said, "He had compassion on them, because they fainted as sheep without a shepherd." 2. Another case is, the personal sufferings of God's people, either inward in soul exercise, or outward and bodily trouble on their person, name, goods, or

interests; wherefor, (Job ii. 11,) "When Job's three friends heard of the evill that was come upon him, they made ane appointment, and came together to murn with him, and to comfort him." 3dly, A third, and the great case is, the sufferings of the Church of God. When it fairs ill with Zion, that's the case in all the world that we are most oblidged to sympathise in, and in which the saints have ever been most in sympathiscing; and these being the cases wherein we are called to sympathise, if ye consider them, ye will find this is the season, if any of these cases call for sympathie, much more when they all concurr in our condition, as after we may hear.

But, 2dly, Ye would know that there are degrees of sympathie according as the case requires; some cases require more sympathie, some cases require less sympathie, and sometimes the saints have engrossed one degree of it, sometimes another; but when all the three cases runs together, and when they are together in such a height, sympathie in all the steps we named befor is called for, and to want sympathie at such a time, and in such a concurrence of cases, speaks out a bad condition.

And, 3dly, You would know that every time is not fitt for all expressions of sympathie, for to vent sympathie in all its effects; sympathie hath its own times and places for the expressions of it; as for instance, sympathie requires that I should look sad from a heart inwardly affected, but when I meet with a profain lown that's blaith1 to hear of the trouble of God's people, it were a sin to look sad and not my duty, for in so doing, I should make his heart glad which God would have made sad; and, therefor, at such a time, I am to evidence that I believe that God is the light of the countenance of his people, and to bod well, and to look out blyth; for as sympathie hath its degrees and measures as the case calls for, and every case calls me not to be dead to my injoyments, so wisdom is to dwell with prudence, and order sympathie in the expressions and venting of it.

The second thing I proposed to be spoken to is, What be these bonds that do oblidge and ty us to this sympathie, as the case

1 Glad.

requires? 1. There is the command of God, (Rom. xii. 15,) "Rejoyce with them that do rejoyce, and weep with them that weep." (Heb. xiii. 3,) "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them;" that's ane obligation lying on all. 2dly, There is a likeness to God as in other things, so in this, which we are bound to study-God hath much sympathie. In all his people's afflictions he is afflicted, (Isa. lxiii. 9.) His soul was grieved for the miserie of Israel, (Judges x. 16;) he pities the righteous and the unrighteous, and we are bound to study to be like him in that. 3dly, The communion of saints is a great tye and obligation; we have all one common profession, interest, stockpurse; we sail all in one bottom, we have all one head and husband, all are members of one body, and may not all these amount to ane obligation to sympathie ? 4thly, There is the expectation of help in our own trouble that soud engadge us: if we do not sympathize with others in their trouble, how can we expect that others shall sympathise with us in ours? for with the same measure we mett to others, it shall be measured to us again.

The third thing I proposed was this, Why are the people of God so litle in this deutie of sympathie? what can be the reasons of it? I answer, 1. Self-love is one of the greatest causes of it. Self-love makes folk forget all other bodies' trouble if it be well with themselves. The disciples were at this time well themselves, and had neither sore limb nor lith, and forgot the poor woman and the trouble her daughter was under, and this was it that made them say, "It is good for us to be here: let us build tabernacles;" and they had no mind of the poor folk that were doun in the valey, nor of the world about, that were dying in ignorance. Readily ye will find that there is litle sympathie where there is much self-love; and where there is much self-denyal there is much sympathie. 2. Another cause is, litle love to Christ: for except we take the people as bearing his image, and on that ground love them, we will not sympathise with them; and where there is no love to Christ there is no sympathie. A third cause is, folks even forget what they have been, and what they may be, and that hinders sympa

thie; hence is that exhortation, (Heb. xiii. 3,) "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them that are in adversity, as being yourselves in the body;" as if he said, sympathise with others in their trouble, for ye wot not what may overtake yourselves ere all the play be played: ye would remember what ye have been, and may be, and do as ye would be done to; otherwise, forgetting of that will marr your sympathie. A fourth cause is this, The Lord suffers it to be so, that the vast difference that is betwixt the large heart of Christ in sympathie, and the narrow parts of his people, may appear, and be the more conspicuous; he is much afflicted in all the afflictions of his people, when we are litle afflicted in all their afflictions; therefor is there so litle sympathie among us.

Use 1. From what hath been said, know that this is the true scason and time of your sympathie. How so? Because (as we hinted before) all the three cases wherein sympathie is called for, concurs in our present condition. 1. The world is like to be drouned in the ignorance of God; not only those parts of the world where the light never was, but many parts where it was have darkness instead of divination. 2. Many of the precious people of God are under personal sufferings. 3. The precious interests of Christ are trampled and trode upon, and the Church of God at a great loss in all her priviledges and injoyments; and if this be our case, then certainly God calleth for sympathie; and, therefore, a word or two to great or smal, gentle and semple, rich and poor, young and old of you, that are not about this dutie, are not plying sympathie with the Church, and suffering people of God: whoever ye be, ye have more nor reason to doubt whether ye are of the body whereof Christ is the head; and here I make another use of that place, Heb. xiii. 3, "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and these that are in adversitie, as being yourselves in the body;" mind this duty of sympathie, else it's ane argument ye are not in the body, as the minding of it is ane argument ye are of the body. If ye mind it not, ye have a great objection against your interest in Christ, and your being members of his body. I confess there are