That blessed communion which is between Christ and believers is reciprocal in nature; we do not only partake of what is his, but he partakes of what is ours.

He hath fellowship with us in all our wants, sorrows, miseries and afflictions; and we have communion with him in his righteousness, grace, sonship and glory.

He takes part of our misery, and we take part of his blessedness; our sufferings are his sufferings.

O, what an honour is it to thee, poor wretch, to whom a great many would not turn aside to ask how are you doing; to have a King, yea, the Prince of all the kings of the earth, to pity, relieve, sympathize, groan and bleed with thee, to sit by thee in all thy troubles, and give thee his cordials; to say thy troubles are my troubles, and thy afflictions are my afflictions: whatever toucheth thee, toucheth me also. O what name shall we give unto such grace as this is!

—John Flavel
Adapted from The Works of John Flavel, 2:151.

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