Reason 2. A second subordinate ground to this is, the union with Christ the kin(j of the church. Now all things serve Christ, who is the king of heaven and earth ; his kingdom reaches from heaven to the bottom of hell ; he overruleth cursed devils and wicked spirits. Who is he whom the devils obey ? saith God. Now if all things serve Christ, they serve his spouse, by reason of the union and spiritual commerce with Christ, to whom God hath dedicated and committed the rule and government of heaven and earth. All things are mine in heaven and earth, committed to me, saith Christ, when he ascended into heaven ; and therefore as Christ is the great Lord of the world, so the church is the great queen and empress of the world. All things serve Christ the husband, and all things must serve the church his spouse. It must be so. God is in covenant with the church, and Christ is hers by union with the church. ' Touch * Cf. ' A Christian's Portion,' ante, p. 6, seq. — G.
4G8 COMMENTARY ON
not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm,' Ps. cv. 15. Withhold the hand of violence from them, they arc mine. So Christ is head, king, and hushand of the church, and will not suffer her to be wronged, in his sight, hut all things shall servo for the church's good.
Ecasnn 3. Again, to come nearer and lower to us. Jf ymt look tn vh, all is for ihe chwclis sahc, the chUdren of God too; hecause God hath put a Spirit into his church to extract good out of all. ' All is for your sakes.' The Spirit of God shall teach j-ou to see God seeking your good in all things. God puts it into the spirit of his children to seek the good of his church in all tilings. Paul had the Spirit of God to direct his aims, as none but the child of God hath right aims to seek God in all things, and his glory.
The church hath the Spirit of God to see God seeking their good in all things. ' This shall turn to my good,' saith Paul, ' through the supplies of the Spirit and your prayers,' Philip, i. 19. The church prayeth that all things may serve for his good ; that God would sanctify all his crosses and afflictions ; that God would bless magistrates, ministers, and all ordinances for their good ; that, with the Spirit of God, and this action's* exercise of the Spirit of thanksgiving and prayer, all things are made for the church's good, because they have a spirit specially shewing itself in a spirit of prayer, to work good out of everythi)]g. Therefore the children of God pray that God would bless his suflerings and deliverances, and all things, not for his own good, but for the church's good. And the church itself and every good Christian labours to see God, seeking and deriving good to themselves out of everything ; for the covenant of God, being friends of God ; and they are near to Christ, and near to God in Christ. And they labour to see the love of God and the love of Christ in all things, that so the sweetness and communion of the love may be increased. God acquaints them with his secrets in everything, so much as may be for their eternal good ; and with the secrets of his election, how he directeth and ordereth all things to their good. He never corrects but he instructs with it ; he never afflicteth but they know the ground of it ; and so by the Spirit of God are enabled to draw good out of everything. In prosperity they see God seeking their encouragement; in crosses they see God seeking their humility and repentance. So that on these and. other grounds which I might name, all things are for the church's sake. Why do the children of God look for the good of the church ?
The reason why Saint Paul as a minister sought the good of the church, was the relation between a master and a people, between an apostle and people, called and gathered by him ; and in relation as a Christian, hecause fellow-members with them.
If I were to speak to ministers, I would speak of the relation between pastors and people, how they should seek the good one of another ; but as a Christian, all is for your sake. No Christian but as soon as [he is] a Christian hath a public mind insjoired into him to seek the good of others ; he concurs with God -nilliugly. As soon as ever he is a Christian, he learneth self-denial ; he knows he hath given up himself and all to God, to the church, and he is become a servant to others for Christ's sake. As soon as ever a man begins to be a Christian he hath a spirit of love, and seeketh not his own good. As soon as ever a man becomes a Christian, he hath a spirit enlarged, he hath higher and farther aims, and large affections towards God and the church ; his soul is large. All other men are straitened * Qu. 'active'?— G.