2.  By such passages of scripture as evidently compare all visible professors and members of Christ throughout the world to one organical body, having eyes, ears, hands, feet, &c., viz., several organs, instruments, officers, &c., in it, for the benefit of the whole body; as, “He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,” Eph. iv. 11, 12.  “There is one body,” Eph. iv. 4.  “As we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office; so we being many are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another,” &c., Rom. xii. 4-9.  “As the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many, are one body; so also is Christ,” (i.e., Christ considered mystically, not personally,) “for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free,” &c., 1 Cor. xii. 12, to the end of the chapter, which context plainly demonstrates all Christ’s visible members in the world, Jews or Gentiles, &c., to be members of one and the same organical body of Christ, which organical body of Christ is the general visible Church of Christ; for the invisible church is not organical.

II.  That the edification of the Church of Christ is that eminent scope and end, why Christ gave church government and all other ordinances of the New Testament to his Church.  This is frequently testified in scripture. 1.  The apostle, speaking of this power generally, saith, “Our authority which the Lord hath given to us for edification, and not for the destruction of you,” 2 Cor. x. 8.  The like passage he hath again, saying, “according to the authority,” or power, “which the Lord hath given to me for edification, and not for destruction,” 2 Cor. xiii. 10; in both which places he speaks of the authority of church government in a general comprehensive way, declaring the grand and general immediate end thereof to be, affirmatively, edification of the church; negatively, not the subversion or destruction thereof. 2.  In like manner, when particular acts of government, and particular ordinances are mentioned, the edification of the Church, at least in her members, is propounded as the great end of all:  e.g. 1.  Admonition is for edification, that an erring brother may be gained, Matt. xviii. 15, 16, that wavering minds may be sound in the faith.  “Rebuke them cuttingly, that they may be sound in the faith,” Tit. i. 13, that beholders and bystanders may fear to fall into like sins.  “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear,” 1 Tim. v. 20. 2.  Excommunication is for edification; particularly of the delinquent member himself; thus the incestuous person was “delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus,” 1 Cor. v. 4, 5.  “Hymeneus and Alexander