Church-order.

It is hard to have all things according to rule in the day of the church’s affliction, because of the weakness and fearfulness of some, and because possibly those who have most skill in that matter may for a time be laid up in chains.  But when the church has rest and quietness, then as she praises God, so she conceives and brings forth governors and good government and rule among her members.  David, a man of blood, could not build the house to the Lord, which peaceable Solomon, that man of rest, afterwards did.  When armies are engaged and hot in battle, it is harder to keep them in rank and file than when they have rest and time for discipline.

The church in affliction.

When the church of God is afflicted, both heaven and hell have their hand therein; but from a differing consideration, and to a diverse end.  From heaven it comes, that we may remember we have sinned, and that we may be made white and tried; but from hell, that we might sin the more, and that we might despair and be damned.

Satan’s hostility to the church.

Satan has tried many ways to be at amity with the church—­not because he loves her holiness, but because he hates her welfare.  And that he might bring about his enterprise, he sometimes has allured her with the dainty delicacies of this world, the lusts of the flesh and of the eyes, and the pride of life.  This being fruitless, he has attempted to entangle and bewitch her with his glorious appearance as an angel of light; and to that end he has made his ministers of righteousness, preaching up righteousness, and contending for a divine and holy worship.  But this failing also, he has taken in hand at length to fright her into friendship with him, by stirring up the hellish rage of tyrants to frighten and molest her; by finding out strange inventions to torment and afflict her children; by making many bloody examples of her own bowels before her eyes, if by that means he might at last obtain his purpose.  But behold, all has been in vain; there can be no reconciliation.  And why, but because God himself maintains the enmity?  God hath put enmity between the devil and the woman; between that old serpent called the devil and Satan, and the holy and beloved and espoused wife of Christ.

Security of the church.

Gold is a metal so invincible and unconquerable, that no fire can consume it:  it may burn it indeed, and melt it; the dross indeed doth consume and give way to the power of the fire, but the gold remains and holds its ground, yea, it gets ground even of the furnace and fire itself; for the more it is burned and melted, the more it recovers its color, and the more it shakes off its dross and dishonor.

Just thus it is with the people of God, and hath been so even from the beginning:  the more men oppressed them, the more they grew.  His church has been now for many hundred years in the king of Babylon’s furnace; all which time she hath most gloriously endured and withstood the heat; and at last, when the fire hath done its worst against her, behold, there comes out a city of gold.  Wherefore, let her be bold to say, even before she comes out of the fire, “When I am tried, I shall come forth as gold.”