xloors : as any were reformed in their lives bj' turning Chi-istians, so tliey became offenders. It were well if this were only the heathen's sin, but by woful experience we find that the true Christian hath not more cruel enemies in the whole world than some of his own name. The sharpest persecutions of the church have been by those that were in the church. O what a dreadful account will such have to make in the great day, who profess the name of Christ, yet hate his nature in the saints ! who call Christ Lord, yet persecute his best, and destroy his most loyal subjects ! These are the men who above all others shall feel the utmost of the Lord's fiery wrath in the day when he shall plead his people's cause, and avenge himself on their adversaries. Be exhorted to this duty of praying for saints ; you cannot do anything which God will take more kindly at your hands. He himself puts this petition into our mouths, — 'Ask me of things to come concerning my sons,' Isa. xlv. IL Joab knew what he did in sending the woman of Tekoa to David, with a petition wrapped uji in a hand- some parable, for Absalom, the king's son ; he knew the king's heart went strongly after him, and so the motion could not but be acceptable : and is not the Lord's heart gone after his saints? Thy prayer for them therefore mustneeds come in good time, when it shall find the heart of God set upon the very thing thou askest ; this was it that God was so pleased with in Daniel, chap. ix. 22, 23. Now, in your prayers for the saints, among other things : First, Pray for their lives ; they are such a blessing where they live, that tliey seldom fall, but the earth shakes under them ; it is commonly a prognostic of an approaching evil, when God takes them away by death. Jeroboam had but one son in whom some good was found : he died, and then the ruin of his father's family fol- lowed, 1 Kings xiv. 13. When Augustine died, then Hyppo falls into the ene- mies' hands; if the wise man be gone that preserved the city, no wonder if its end hastens. God makes way to let his judgments in upon the woi'ld, by taking the saints out of it : when God chambers his children in the grave, a storm is at hand, Isa. xxvi. It is of concern to do our utmost to keep them among us, especially when their number is so few, that we may saj', as once the prophet concerning Israel, ' We are as when they have gathered the svmimer fruits, or the grape-gleanings of the vintage,' Micah vii. I. Did Ave, indeed, see them come up as thick in our young ones, as they fall in the old, we might say, a blessing is in them ; these would be as hope-seeds at least for the next genera- tion ; but when a wide breach is made, and few to step into it, this is ominous. At Moses's death, Joshua stood up in his place, and it went well with Israel ; but when Joshua died, and a generation rose up that had not seen the wonders God had done for his people, then went they to wreck apace. Judges ii. 9, 10. Secondly, Pray for their liberty and tranquillity. ' Pray for the peace of Jeru- salem : they shall prosper that love thee,' Psa. cxxii. 6. Jerusalem was the place for their public worship ; thither the tribes went up unto the testimony of Israel, and to give thanks unto the name of the Lord, ver. 4 ; so that by praying for Jerusalem's peace, is meant, such serene times wherein the people of God niight enjoy his pure worship without disturbance. The church hath always had her vicissitudes ; but her winter commonly is longer than her sum- mer ; yea, at the same time that the sun of peace brings day to one part of it, another is wrapped up in a night of persecution. Universal peace over all the churches is a great rarity ; and where it is in any part of it enjoyed, some un- kind cloud or other soon interposeth ; the church's peace therefore is set out by an half-hour's silence. Rev. viii. 1. V/hen God gave the poor Jews a re- viving after a tedious captivity, by moving Cyrus to grant them liberty to go and rebuild the house of God, how soon did a storm rise, and beat them from their work. One prince furthers them, another obstructs them. The gospel church, Acts ix., had a sweet breathing time of peace ; but how long did it last ? This short calm went before a sudden hurricane of persecution that fell upon tliem, chap. xii. ; thus have the politic riders of the world used the saints, as their carnal interest seemed to require ; one while countenancing, another while sup- pressing them : there is no sort of people on earth can expect less favour from the world, than the church ; their only safety therefore lies to engage God to espouse their cause. Thirdly, Pray for love and unity among themselves. The persecutor's sword is not at the church's throat among us ; but are not Chris- tians falling out amongst themselves ? The question hath often been asked,
Yg4 AND SUPPLICATION FOll ALL SAINTS.