pgwolv
Puritan Board Freshman
"His dealing toward his own church stands in 4. things: The first is the collecting or gathering of it: & this is a special end of his sitting at the right hand of his father...And this he doth two ways: first by the preaching of the word, for it is a powerful outward means, whereby he singleth and sorteth his own servants from the blind and wicked world, as Paul saith, He gave some to be Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the gathering together of Saints. And hence we learn two things. The first, that every minister of God's word, and everyone that intendeth to take upon him that calling, must propound unto himself principally this end, to single out man from man, and gather out of this world such as belong to the Church of Christ: and as Jeremiah saith, to separate the precious from the vile. The second, that all those which will be good hearers of God's word, must show themselves so far forth conformable unto it, that it may gather them out of the world and that it may work a change in them, and make them the servants of Christ: and if the preaching of the word do not work this good work in our hearts, then the end will be a separation from the presence of God. Christ when he came near Jerusalem, and considered their rebellion whereby they refused to be gathered unto him, wept over it, and said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou which stonest the Prophets, and killest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as the hen gathereth her chickins under her wings, and thou wouldest not. And by this he teacheth, that if the preaching of the word turn not us to Christ, it turns to our destruction.
The other means of gathering the Church, and that the more principal is, the inward operation of the spirit, whereby the mind is enlightened, the heart is mollified, and the whole man is converted to God. And this ordinarily is joined with the ministry or preaching of the word, as appears by the example of Lydia. Saint Luke saith, God opened her heart to be attentive to the doctrine of the Apostle. And by the example of Paul, when Christ saith, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? at this very speech he is converted, and said, Who art thou, Lord: what wilt thou that I do? And this is manifest also by experience. There is nothing in the world more contrary to the nature of man, then the preaching of the word: for it is the wisdom of God, to which the flesh is enmity. Here then it may be demanded, how it can be in force to turn any man to God. Answer. The word preached is the scepter of Christ's kingdom, which against the nature of man by the operation of the H. Ghost joined therewith, doth bend and bow the heart, will, and affections of man to the will of Christ.
The second work of Christ is, after the Church is gathered, to guide it in the way to life everlasting. He is the shepherd of his Church, which guideth his flock in and out, and therefore Paul saith, They that are Christ's, are guided by his spirit. And by Isaiah the Lord saith, those his servants which are turned from idolatry, he will guide in the way, and their ears shall hear a voice behind them, saying, This is the way, walk in it, when thou turnest to the right hand and to the left. Which voice is nothing else but the voice of the H. Ghost in the mouth of the ministers, directing them in the ways of God. The children of Israel were travailing from Egypt to the lande of Canaan full forty years, whereas they might have gone the journey in forty days. Their way was through the wilderness of Arabia, their guides were a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night: the manner of their journey was this; when the pillars moved, they moved; when the pillars stood still, they stood still: and so long as the pillars either moved or stood still, they likewise moved or stood still. And by all this a further matter, namely the regiment of Christ over his church, was signified. Everyone of us are as passengers and travailers, not to any earthly Canaan, but to the heavenly Jerusalem; and in this journey we are to pass through the wide and desert wilderness of this world: our guide is Christ himself, figured by the pillar of fire and the cloud: because by his word and spirit he shows us how far we may go in every action, and where we must stand, and he goes before us as our guide to life everlasting.
The third work of Christ is, to exercise his Church unto spiritual obedience by manifold troubles, crosses, temptations, and afflictions in this world, as earthly kings use to train and exercise their subjects. When our Savior Christ was with his disciples in a ship, there arose a great tempest upon the sea, so as the ship was almost covered with waves; but he was asleep: and his disciples came and awoke him, saying, Save us master, we perish. Behold here a lively picture of the dealing of Christ with his servants in this life. His manner is to place them upon the sea of this world, and to raise up against them bleak storms and flaes of contrary winds by their enemies, the flesh, the devil, the world. And further in the midst of all these dangers he for his own part makes as though he lay asleep for a time, that he may the better make trial of their patience, faith, and obedience. And the ends for which he useth this spiritual exercise are these. The first to make all his subjects to humble themselves, and as it were to go crooked and buckle under their offenses committed against his majesty in time past. Thus Job after the Lord had long afflicted him, and laid his hand sore upon him, saith, Behold I am vile : and again, I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. In the same manner we being his subjects and people, must look to be exercised with temptations and afflictions which shall make us bend and bow for our sins past, as the old man goeth crooked and doubles to the earth by reason of age. The second, is to prevent sins in the time to come. A father when he sees his child too bold and venterous about fire and water, takes it and holds it over the fire or over the water, as though he would burn or drown it, whereas his purpose indeed is nothing else but to prevent danger for the time to come: In like manner Christ's subjects are bold to sin by nature, and therefore to prevent a mischief, he doth exercise them with affliction, & seems for a season as though he would quite forsake his Church, but his meaning is only to prevent offenses in times to come. The third end is, to continue his subjects in obedience unto his commandments: so the Lord saith when he would bring his Church from idolatry: Behold I will stop thy way with thorns, & make an hedge, that she shall not find her paths. The H. Ghost here borrows a comparison from beasts, which going in the way see green pastures, & desire to enter in and therefore go to the hedge, but feeling the sharpness of the thorns dare not adventure to go in. So God's people like unto wild beasts in respect of sin, viewing the green pastures of this world, which are the pleasures thereof, are greatly affected there with: and if it were not for the sharpness of crosses and temptations, which are God's spiritual hedge by which he keepeth them in, they would range out of the way, and rush into sin as the horse into the battle.
The fourth and last work of Christ in respect of his Church is, that he sits at the right hand of his father to defend the same against the rage of all enemies whatsoever they are: and this he doth two ways. First by giving to his servants sufficient strength to bear all the assaults of their enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil. For Paul saith, those to whom the Lord hath given the gift of faith, to them he hath also given this gift to suffer afflictions. And the same Apostle also prayeth for the Colossians, that they may be strengthened with all might through his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness. The evidence hereof we may most plainly see in the most constant deaths of the martyrs of Christ, recorded both in the word of God, and in the Church histories. It is wonderful to see their courage and constancy. For at such times as they have been brought to execution, they refused to be bound or chained, willingly suffering most cruel torments, without shrinking or fear; such courage and strength the Lord gave them to withstand the violent rage of all their adversaries."
William Perkins - Exposition of the Apostles' Creed (boldface mine)
The other means of gathering the Church, and that the more principal is, the inward operation of the spirit, whereby the mind is enlightened, the heart is mollified, and the whole man is converted to God. And this ordinarily is joined with the ministry or preaching of the word, as appears by the example of Lydia. Saint Luke saith, God opened her heart to be attentive to the doctrine of the Apostle. And by the example of Paul, when Christ saith, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? at this very speech he is converted, and said, Who art thou, Lord: what wilt thou that I do? And this is manifest also by experience. There is nothing in the world more contrary to the nature of man, then the preaching of the word: for it is the wisdom of God, to which the flesh is enmity. Here then it may be demanded, how it can be in force to turn any man to God. Answer. The word preached is the scepter of Christ's kingdom, which against the nature of man by the operation of the H. Ghost joined therewith, doth bend and bow the heart, will, and affections of man to the will of Christ.
The second work of Christ is, after the Church is gathered, to guide it in the way to life everlasting. He is the shepherd of his Church, which guideth his flock in and out, and therefore Paul saith, They that are Christ's, are guided by his spirit. And by Isaiah the Lord saith, those his servants which are turned from idolatry, he will guide in the way, and their ears shall hear a voice behind them, saying, This is the way, walk in it, when thou turnest to the right hand and to the left. Which voice is nothing else but the voice of the H. Ghost in the mouth of the ministers, directing them in the ways of God. The children of Israel were travailing from Egypt to the lande of Canaan full forty years, whereas they might have gone the journey in forty days. Their way was through the wilderness of Arabia, their guides were a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night: the manner of their journey was this; when the pillars moved, they moved; when the pillars stood still, they stood still: and so long as the pillars either moved or stood still, they likewise moved or stood still. And by all this a further matter, namely the regiment of Christ over his church, was signified. Everyone of us are as passengers and travailers, not to any earthly Canaan, but to the heavenly Jerusalem; and in this journey we are to pass through the wide and desert wilderness of this world: our guide is Christ himself, figured by the pillar of fire and the cloud: because by his word and spirit he shows us how far we may go in every action, and where we must stand, and he goes before us as our guide to life everlasting.
The third work of Christ is, to exercise his Church unto spiritual obedience by manifold troubles, crosses, temptations, and afflictions in this world, as earthly kings use to train and exercise their subjects. When our Savior Christ was with his disciples in a ship, there arose a great tempest upon the sea, so as the ship was almost covered with waves; but he was asleep: and his disciples came and awoke him, saying, Save us master, we perish. Behold here a lively picture of the dealing of Christ with his servants in this life. His manner is to place them upon the sea of this world, and to raise up against them bleak storms and flaes of contrary winds by their enemies, the flesh, the devil, the world. And further in the midst of all these dangers he for his own part makes as though he lay asleep for a time, that he may the better make trial of their patience, faith, and obedience. And the ends for which he useth this spiritual exercise are these. The first to make all his subjects to humble themselves, and as it were to go crooked and buckle under their offenses committed against his majesty in time past. Thus Job after the Lord had long afflicted him, and laid his hand sore upon him, saith, Behold I am vile : and again, I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. In the same manner we being his subjects and people, must look to be exercised with temptations and afflictions which shall make us bend and bow for our sins past, as the old man goeth crooked and doubles to the earth by reason of age. The second, is to prevent sins in the time to come. A father when he sees his child too bold and venterous about fire and water, takes it and holds it over the fire or over the water, as though he would burn or drown it, whereas his purpose indeed is nothing else but to prevent danger for the time to come: In like manner Christ's subjects are bold to sin by nature, and therefore to prevent a mischief, he doth exercise them with affliction, & seems for a season as though he would quite forsake his Church, but his meaning is only to prevent offenses in times to come. The third end is, to continue his subjects in obedience unto his commandments: so the Lord saith when he would bring his Church from idolatry: Behold I will stop thy way with thorns, & make an hedge, that she shall not find her paths. The H. Ghost here borrows a comparison from beasts, which going in the way see green pastures, & desire to enter in and therefore go to the hedge, but feeling the sharpness of the thorns dare not adventure to go in. So God's people like unto wild beasts in respect of sin, viewing the green pastures of this world, which are the pleasures thereof, are greatly affected there with: and if it were not for the sharpness of crosses and temptations, which are God's spiritual hedge by which he keepeth them in, they would range out of the way, and rush into sin as the horse into the battle.
The fourth and last work of Christ in respect of his Church is, that he sits at the right hand of his father to defend the same against the rage of all enemies whatsoever they are: and this he doth two ways. First by giving to his servants sufficient strength to bear all the assaults of their enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil. For Paul saith, those to whom the Lord hath given the gift of faith, to them he hath also given this gift to suffer afflictions. And the same Apostle also prayeth for the Colossians, that they may be strengthened with all might through his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness. The evidence hereof we may most plainly see in the most constant deaths of the martyrs of Christ, recorded both in the word of God, and in the Church histories. It is wonderful to see their courage and constancy. For at such times as they have been brought to execution, they refused to be bound or chained, willingly suffering most cruel torments, without shrinking or fear; such courage and strength the Lord gave them to withstand the violent rage of all their adversaries."
William Perkins - Exposition of the Apostles' Creed (boldface mine)
