A Golden Chain

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,¹ They that are Christs, 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,² 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 holy Ghost in the mouth of the ministers, directing them in the ways of God. The children of Israel were travelling from Egypt to the land 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. Every one of us are as passengers & travellers, not to any earthly Canaan, but to the heavenly Jerusalem: and in this journey we are to pass through the wild and desert wilderness of this world:³ our guide is Christ himself, figured by the pillar of fire and the cloud: because by his word and spirit he showeth 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 second worke of Christ is, after the Church is gathered, to guide it in the way to life euerlasting. He is the shepheard of his Church, which guideth his flocke in and out, and therefore Paul saith,¹ They that are Christs, are guided by his spirit. And by Esai the Lord saith, those his seruants which are turned from idolatrie, he will guide in the way,²