Worthy Leaders

The lives of worthy leaders, especially officials and ministers, are very needful for the church of God. The reason is because God often conveys good to people by the means of worthy leaders. If we consider the great benefit that comes by them, we will easily agree; for what a great deal of sin does a good official stop and hinder! When there were good judges and good kings in Israel, see what a reformation there was. When they were removed, there was a floodgate opened for all manner of sin and corruption to break in. There is an abundance of good that comes in by gracious persons.
(1) By their counsel; 'The lips of the righteous feed many' (Prov. 10:21).
(2) By their reformation of abuses, by planting God's good orders. They stand in the gap and stop evil. They reform it, and labour to establish that which is pleasing to God.
(3) Gracious persons, in whatever position they are, carry the blessing of God with them.
(4) They do good by their pattern and example. 'They are the lights of the world' (Phil. 2:15), that give aim to others in the darkness of this life.
(5) They can by their prayers bind God, as it were, that he will not inflict his judgments. They do a world of good by this way. A praying force and army is as good as a fighting army. Moses did as much good by prayer, as the soldiers in the valley when they fought with Amalek.
If this be so, then we may lament the death of worthy leaders, because we lose part of our strength in the loss of them. When there is scarcity of good leaders, we should say with Micah, Woe is me, the godly have perished from the earth' (Mic. 7:2). For all of us, once we are in Christ, we live for others, not for ourselves. A father is kept alive for his children's sake; good officials are kept alive for their subjects sake; a good minister is kept alive out of the present enjoying of heaven for his people's sake.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
Christ is Best, pp. 28-33
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