icular 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 were
delivered to Satan, that they might learn not to blaspheme," 1 Tim. i.
20: more generally of the Church; thus the incestuous person was to be
put away from among them lest the whole lump of the church should be
leavened by him, 1 Cor. v. 3. Absolution also is for edification, lest
the penitent party "should be swallowed up of too much sorrow," 2 Cor.
ii. 7. 4. All the officers of his Church are for edification of the
Church, (Eph. iv. 7, 8, 11, 12, 16,) together with all the gifts and
endowments in these officers, whether of prayer, prophecy, tongues, &c.,
all must be managed to edification. This is the scope of the whole
chapter. 1 Cor. xii. 7, &c., and 1 Cor. xiv. 3-5, 9, 12, &c., 26; read
the whole chapter. That passage of Paul is remarkable, "I thank my God,
I speak with tongues more than you all; yet in the church I had rather
speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach
others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue," verses 18,
19. Thus church government, and all sorts of ordinances, with the
particular acts thereof, are to be levelled at this mark of edification.
Edification is an elegant metaphor from material buildings (perhaps of
the material and typical temple) to the spiritual; for explanation's
sake briefly thus take the accommodation: The _architects_, or builders,
are the _ministers_, 1 Cor. iii. 10. The _foundation_ and _corner-stone_
that bears up, binds together, and gives strength to the building, is
Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. iii. 11; 1 Pet. ii. 4, 6. The _stones_ or
_materials_ are the _faithful_ or _saints_, 2 Cor. i. 1. The _building_,
or house itself, is the _Church_, that spiritua