(2.) And so for the civil ivorld, all states are for the church. The com- monwealth is for the church. Therefore St Paul bids us ' pray for kings and princes,' &c. Why ? That under them we may live a godly and peaceable life,' 1 Tim. ii. 2. If it were not for the gathering of the church, God would take little care for commonwealths. They stand because the church is mingled with them. Take church from the commonwealth, and what is it but a company of men that make the world their god ? King- doms and commonwealths are but hospitals and harbours for the church. Though they despise the church, and account of it as Christ was accounted, a stranger that they will not acknowledge, yet notwithstanding, those few despised ones are the substance of the kingdom. God intends the church as the considerable part of the world, though men think not so. The rest that are not the church, they are for the church. As we say of a field of wheat, the ploughing, the rain, the stalk, the ear, the husk, all is for the wheat ; so the standing of the world, the government of it, the parts and gifts of men, all are for the church, to do good to it. Were it not for the service they owe to the church, they should not continue.
(3.) And i)i. the church all that ever is good is for the elect's sake. As we stand under Christ in great terms, ambassadors, &c., so we stand to the church as servants. ' We preach ourselves servants for Christ's sake,' 2 Cor. iv. 6. ' Let a man esteem of us as of the ministers of Christ,' 1 Cor. iv. 1. No greater nor no less, but as the ministers of Christ. Persons and ministry, calling and gifts, all are for the church, as itisEph. iv. 11, seq., at large ; when he ascended up on high, he ' gave some to be apostles, some pastors,' &c., all for the good of the church. ' I suffer all for the elect's sake,' saith St Paul, 2 Tim. ii, 10. Therefore it forceth very well ; we should not glory in the ministers, nor in any creature. They are for us. But if a man will glory, let him glory in him who hath made all things his, that is, in Christ.
(4.) Further, the world is ours, take it in the icorst sense ; the world of wicked men, all their plots, and the * prince of the world ' are the chui'ch's.
A CHRISTIAN S CHARTER. 9
How is this ? He and all his instruments are under the command of him that turns all his designs contrary to his own intention. This is a hell to Satan, and one of the chief torments that he hath ; that as his malice is above his power, so God overpowers him in his power. God overshoots him in his own bow. Whatever he designs against the head Christ, and against his members the church, it is overturned for the good of the church. In the apostles' times some were ' given over to Satan, that they might learn not to blaspheme,' 1 Tiin. i. 20. It is a strange thing that Satan should teach not to blaspheme, who is the author of blasphemy ; yet by couscqueuce, he atilicting their bodies, thereupon they came to be wise, and learned to be moderate and sober, and to be Christiauly minded, and not to blaspheme. So the prince of the world is ours in this by an over-commanding power, that turns all to good against his intentions. For there is but one grand monarch ui the world ; every kingdom is under a higher kingdom. There is but one to whom all are subject. There is one grand wheel that tm-ns all the others. And therefore Satan himself is serviceable to God's end, whether he will or no.
And then for the world of wicked men, all their designs, though for the present they seem to be against the church, yet they are serviceable to the church. For wicked men are but the lauuderers of the church, to wash the church, to purge it, to do base services that God intends for the refin- ing of the church. And all their hatred is for the good of the church. For God suffers the world to hate his children, that his children might not love the world, because it would be a dangerous love. The church is a strange corporation ; it is such a corporation as hath greatest benefit by enemies. The enemies of the church are the promoters of the greatest good of the church. The very world is the church's, take it in the worst sense, for the ' wicked world that Hes in mischief.' But I will not dwell upon that. To go on.
As all things in general, so UJe especially is the church's. Why doth God prolong the life of good pastors and good people, but that they may be blessed instruments to convey truth to posterity ? As St Paul saith, Phil. i. 23, 24, ' It is for your sake that I am not with Christ. It were best for me to be dissolved, and to be with Christ,' a great deal ; but for your sake, for your good, I must remain still. So, for the life of pastors and good Christians, by communion with whom we have benefit. For their particular it were best for them to be in heaven, to be gathered to the triumphant church, to their friends, to Christ, to the saints, the souls of just men made perfect, there is no question of it ; but for the church's sake they are made to want their glory for a time. Paul was content to be without the joys of heaven for a while, to want his crown of glory, to live in the church, to do good. So the Hfe of other able worthy men it is for the church, and it is the calamity of the church when God takes them away.