Sweet and Soul-Persuading Inducements Leading Unto Christ, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Preſſing the ſeeking of the welfare of Christs Church.
4. THis likewiſe preſſeth on us the miniſtration of our beſt help and aſſiſtance to the Church of Chriſt.Preſſing to ſeeke of the welfare of the Church with the grounds thereof. The members of a common-wealth endeavour the welfare and ſafety of the, common-wealth, they preferre it above their owne private good: The members of Chriſts ſpirituall common-wealth ſhould doe the like for Chriſts Church; It is the Lords injunction, pray for the peace of Jeruſalem, be inſtant with God for the proſperity, ſafety, increaſe, and flouriſhing eſtate of his Church. What though God watch over it, and have promiſed protection to it; yet thou muſt alſo pray for, and labour the prosperity thereof, otherwiſe how canſt thou rejoyce in the welfare of the ſame. To this duty the very relation between us and the Church ſhould leade us; the Church is the body whereof we are members, doe not all the members in the body naturall labour the welfare of the whole? How can the members of the myſticall body of Chriſt doe leſſe, unleſſe they will prove themſelves unnaturall. Our Sympathy with the Churches, afflictions ſhould perſwade us to this, we muſt apprehend, the calamity which reſteth upon the Church, as reſting upon our owne perſons: If one member (ſaith Saint Paul) doe ſuffer, all the members ſuffer with it. A dead member indeed hath no ſympathy with the reſt; but the living member hath a fellow-feeling, a quicke and exquiſite ſence within, when any of the members are pained or hazarded. Who is weake (ſaith Paul) and I am not weake, who is offended, and I burne not. The bleſſing which is attendant on our endeavouring the welfare of the Church, is an Argument of great force to move us to this worke; hereof the Lord ſaith, they ſhall proſper that love thee: They that love thee, they that are carefull for thee, ſolicitous and ſtudious to maintaine ſoundneſſe of Doctrine and purity of divine worſhip in thee; they that humble themſelves in thy behalf, when troubles are upon thee; they that put themſelves forth to the utmoſt, to relieve thee in thy wants, to comfort thee in thy ſorrowes, to aſſiſt thee againſt thy oppoſers; they ſhall prosper, it ſhall be well with them, they ſhall not goe without a bleſſing, their worke and labour of Love ſhall not be forgotten. Beſides, our welfare is very much dependant upon the welfare of the whole Church of Chriſt: The welfare of every member in a common-wealth, and in a body naturall, is deeply intereſted in the proſperity and good ſucceſſe of the whole. Thus the proſperity or fall of the Church in generall, is our fall or proſperity in particular. The ſtrengthening of ſome part of a building is a ſtrengthening and a beautifying of the whole building; the fall of any part is a weakning, a diſgrace, a prejudice to the whole; and thus it is in this caſe, We live (ſaith Paul) if ye ſtand faſt in the ſaith, if ye abide in Chriſt, thrive in grace, and make a gracious progreſſe in the wayes of life, then we live, then we rejoyce, and are full of comfort, then our hearts are much ſtrengthened in the Lord. Our Subjection to changes, miſeries, and troubles, ſhould very much quicken us to the preſent commiſeration of the reſt of Chriſts afflicted members, the Lord may make us drinke of the ſame cup, as in the prophecye of Jeremy the Lord cauſed the cup of his wrath to goe round, he made all the Nations to drink thereof, and if we have no compaſſion on others now, who ſhall have compaſſion upon us then, if we withdraw our helping hand from others, who ſhall reach forth the hand of aſſiſtance unto us; for God doth ſo order it in the courſe of his providence, that look what meaſure we meet to others in their diſtreſſe, the ſame ſhall men meaſure againe to us in our neceſſity. Beſides, this is a work very acceptable to God, and very profitable to the Church of God; doubtleſſe it pleaſed David well when Joab ſought to bring home Abſolon to him, and when Abner undertooke to bring about all Iſrael. Thus when we endeavour to reconcile God and his Church, to bring men about to God, by our prayers, exhortations, and their repentance, is a worke very pleaſing unto God; and herein we prove inſtruments of the greateſt honour, game, and comfort to our fellow brethren. O therefore I as we are all one common-wealth, let us labour the good of this our common-wealth, Let Magiſtrates and Miniſters be to the Church like the ſiery pillar to Iſrael, a light, and a defence; Let Miniſters like Bees make the honey, compoſe ſweet and wholeſome Doctrine, gathered from the flowers growing in the garden of the ſacred Scriptures, and ſo frame it that it may be ſweeter then the honey or the honey-combe unto the palate of the Church; and let Magiſtrates like hives preſerve this honey of wholſome Doctrine, that nothing doe adulterate it; Let Miniſters by the executive power of the Word and Sacraments, and Magiſtrates by their directive and coactive power demeane themſelves to the great behoofe and benefit of Gods Church; and as Moſes and Aaron brought Iſrael out of Egypt, ſo let both Magiſtrate and Miniſter labour the ſpirituall and corporall freedome of the Lords people: And as every member, joynt and ſinew in the body naturall, performes his office for the good of the whole; ſo let Chriſts members from the higheſt to the loweſt, according to their ſeverall places, ſtations and abilities, promote the welfare of Chriſts Church and ſervants.