THe dependance of these words upon the former [Page 2] I take to be this; the scope of the Apostle in this Chapter, is to stay the ridged censures of other, concerning weaker Chri­stians, especially about matters of indifferency, or at the least of a lesse na­ture, In the 6. verse, saith he, He that regards not a day, regards it not to the Lord, he that eates, eates to the Lord, and he that eates not to the Lord; he eates not, and gives God thankes, &c. His reason is this, they that in eating or in not ea­ting, doe it with a religi­ous respect to the Lord: if they eate, it is to the Lord, if they eate not, it is to the Lord, that is, in o­bedience to the Lord, [Page 3] they are to be borne with­all, because they doe it with religious respects, though perhaps there may be a little errour in the matter, yet there be some things of such indif­ferencie that they not give denomination to the acti­on, if it be to the Lord, howsoever the action bee not altogether to be excu­sed, yet the person is to be excused, and is not to bee hardly censured: there­fore considering that they that doe it, and they that doe it not, doe it to the Lord, be not hasty in your censures.

Quest. How doth hee proove that these holy Christians did eate, or not [Page 4] eate to the Lord?

Answ. From this be­cause they were the Lords they that are the Lords, they live to him, and dye to him, and therefore they doe particular actions to him, No man, verse 7. lives to himselfe, nor no man dy­eth to himselfe, which in­cludes all particular acti­ons, Whether we live, we live to the Lord, or whether we dye we dye to the Lord; whether we live therefore or dye, we are the Lords, he proves therefore that they doe eate, or not eate to the Lord, if they bee good Christians, because they are the Lords.

Those that are the Lords, live to the Lord, [Page 5] and doe all particular acti­ons to the Lord, such must not be harshly censured, because they are the ser­vants of the Lord.

Quest. In the third placē how doth he prove, that they are the Lords that live, and dye to him?

Ans. He prooves it from the maine ground in the text, For, for this end Christ both dyed and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the li­ving. So you see the de­pendance of the reason, they eate, or eate not to the Lord: why? because they are the Lords.

But how is it they are the Lords? It is the end of the three actions of [Page 6] Christ here, Christ dyed, and rose againe, and revi­ved, for this end that hee might be Lord of the dead and of the living: so you see the connexion of these words with the former.

In the words you have argumentum & argumenti ratio, the argument, and the reasoning from the ar­gument, the ground and the inference from the ground, the ground is, Christ dyed and rose againe and revived; what is the inference from that? that he might be Lord, of the dead and of the living.

In the words therefore wee will consider the argument it selfe, the ground it selfe, and [Page 7] then the inference.

There are three bran­ches of the ground.

Christ

• Dyed.
• Rose.
• Revived.

Of the inference wee will speake afterwards, and shew how these grounds inforce that infe­rence, that he should be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

First of all you must [Page 8] know that Christ dyed here as a publicke person, or else the inference were not good, Christ tooke upon him the person of no man, but the nature, for this end that he might be a publicke person; If Christ had taken the per­son of any body, there had beene two persons of Christ, he had dyed in one person and not in ano­ther; now having the na­ture that is common to all men, and not the person of Peter or Iames, &c. when he dyed the person dyed in that nature, wherein he might dye, so when it is sayd Christ dy­ed, wee must consider Christ as a publicke per­son, [Page 9] not taking the parti­cular person of any man, but the generall nature of man into union with the second person, Christ dyed as a publicke person.

Secondly, Christ dyed as the second Adam; the spring of all misery and death was from the first Adam, but the second A­dam was a quickning Spi­rit, he dyed as a publicke person, and the second Adam.

We must know more­over that he dyed as the great high Priest of the Church, offering to God the Father a sacrifice that made him Lord over all, as we shall see after: hee dyed as a Priest, as indeed [Page 10] he that was fore-signifyed by all the Sacrifices, and Priests, hee was both Priest and Sacrifice, Heb. 9. 14. By the eternall Spi­rit the Godhead, he offered himselfe to his Father.

Againe he dyed a volun­tary death: for else he had not dyed in obedience, his death was violent in re­gard of them that forced it, but it was voluntary in regard of them that he of­fered himselfe for, as a sweete Sacrifice to his Fa­ther, that voluntarinesse made his death a sweete sacrifice: for whatsoever the Father did to him, he joyned with the Father in it, the Father gave him, he gave himselfe, the Fa­ther [Page 11] appointed him to bee so and so, and he joyned with the Father in all things, No man takes away my life from me saith hee himselfe. It was a volun­tary death, in regard of his freedome, nay hee thirsted after it, as you have it in the Gospell, he longed after it, upon high­er considerations, howso­ever in a lower considera­tion, as it was a tormen­ting thing, and a bitter cup, hee had a desire that it might passe, but it was upon lower respects, upon hi her respects the will of his Father, and the Sal­vation of mankinde, hee thirsted to drinke of that cup.

[Page 12] A man may will, and nill the same thing upon presenting of different ob­jects, and respects, and reasons, that which a man may decline as wee say, in this respect, looking to a particular end, that a man may desire looking to a higher end; because man is framed so, to yeeld to the stronger reason al­way. Thereupon that is no objection, he seemed sometime a little unwil­ling? It was, looking up­on something presented to him, that made him in that respect unwilling: but looking upon other respects, he gave himselfe willingly, the Father and he joyned together.

[Page 13] And therefore by the way, when they talke of the active and passive o­bedience; there was acti­on, in all his passion; chiefly in his passion there was action; for if it had beene meere suffering without voluntary obedi­ence, what obedience had that beene? a beast may so suffer, but against his will, but his voluntary o­bedience was the chiefe, in all his passion, He hum­bled himselfe to the death of the Crosse, as it is Phil. 2.

Yet further, as he dyed voluntarily, so he dyed as our surety, therefore hee dyed a cursed death due to us, Hee was made a curse for us, that hee might re­move [Page 14] the curse from us, these, and such like con­clusions must be observed in this, that the Apostle saith, to this end Christ dyed, because wee shall have use of them after­wards.

Here we might stay and admire, that life should dye! that glory should become shame for us: And that hee that is the Authour of all blessing should become a curse! Indeed it is a great myste­ry, that Christ being God, should stoupe so low that hee could joyne together the infinite Majesty of God, and that low degree of abasement, that he did condescend unto. Domine [Page 15] quo descendis, &c. Lord how farre goest thou? he could not goe lower, and be God. God to shew his love to us, shewed him­selfe God in this, that he could be God, and goe so low as to dye, and not onely to dye, but to dye a shameful and cursed death for us, but I passe to the particulars:

He rose againe, and in­deed, it was impossible, but hee should rise againe, because he is the Lord of life. Now the Lord of life, and life it selfe could not long dye, it was but [Page 16] by dispensation that hee dyed, viz. to worke our salvation, but he could not be detained any longer by the sorrowes of death, he dyed therefore, and rose, he rose, even as he dyed, he rose a publicke person, and as a second Adam, to give and infuse spirituall life into all his branches, he rose as our surety in our roome, he rose in spight of the Iewes, that labou­red to keepe him downe, all they could: By the way, this shewes that he will rise in his Church, and in his children, in his Religion, and in his cause, let the world, and all the devils in hell lay a stone upon Christ, upon his [Page 17] cause, and Church, and children, they will rise a­gaine, even as his blessed body did, in spight of all the watchfullnesse of the Iewes.

Againe, as he rose, so he rose with many, not a­lone to shew (as I said be­fore) that he rose as a pub­licke person, another man riseth as himselfe, the rest rise not with him, as cau­sed by his rising. But Christ rose as a publicke person: Therefore, ma­ny rose with him, the graves were opened, to shew that he rose as a pub­licke person, as our surety, as a spirituall head, and as the second Adam, who could infuse life into o­thers. [Page 18] What became of those bodyes that rose with him after? the Scrip­ture saith nothing of it, nor what became of Mo­ses body. They rose to doe God a service, and Christ an honour, which when they had done, they were content to be dispo­sed of by God againe, and it is likely, to returne from whence they came: for if the head of the Church, himselfe was content to come from heaven into the Virgins wombe, and from thence to the crosse, and from thence to the grave, and to be abased for us, those that have the Spirit of Christ those bles­sed soules in heaven might [Page 19] well be content for a time to be abased, to take bo­dies, to doe a service for their Lord and master; who was content to fore­goe heaven thirty foure yeares, and the glory due to him.

Therefore by the way, if God will use us (though we be never so great) for a particular service to the Church, shall wee stand upon it, when the blessed Saints in heaven, those blissefull soules were con­tent to come, and take bo­dies for a time, to doe God service, and then to sleepe againe?

Againe, he rose on that day, which was ever af­ter, and well may still be [Page 20] called the Lords day: for a new world beganne with his rising, therefore a new Sabbath; Saint Iohn saith, I was in the Spirit upon the Lords day. If a man be e­ver in the Spirit, it is upon the Lords day, when the Lord of the day doth ho­nour his people, giving them to enjoy his Ordi­nances, and joyning effe­ctually with them, ma­keth them full of the Spi­rit, and raiseth up our dead hearts after him.

Why is this added to ri­sing againe? Hee revi­ved?

To shew that hee rose [Page 21] never to dye againe, and that indeede hee never meant to lay aside that bo­dy againe, as once he had, to dye for us. Consonant hereunto is that, Revel. 1. 18. Behold, I was dead, and am alive, and I live for e­vermore, I have the keyes of death, and of hell. Hee lives for evermore, as Heb. 7. Hee sits for evermore at the right hand of God, there making intercession for us. He dies no more.

Againe, this (revived) is added, to shew the kind of his life, differing from that life hee lived before, that life he lived, before he dyed, was supported with meate, and drinke, and refreshings: even as [Page 22] our poore lives are. It was a life subject to death, that he dyed in, but after his Resurrection, except it were for a particular dis­pensation to confirme the faith of his Disciples, he needed no more to eate, or drinke, or sleepe, or any naturall supports, and helpes, for he was enlive­ned immediately by the Spirit of God which flow­ed into him, he was full of the Spirit, and that did supply all other things whatsoever. Even as in heaven, God shall be all in all, that is, hee shall be so immediately to us, to supply all, as we shall nei­ther eate, nor drinke, nor sleepe, nor have magi­strates, [Page 23] nor ministers, but the Spirit of God will be all in all, so it was with this life of our blessed Sa­viour, when he revived, the Spirit supplyed the absence of all other sup­ports whatsoever, that he used before he dyed. And indeed our Saviour Christ came to bestow that life upon us, that he lived af­ter his Resurrection, not this naturall life of ours, that needes meate, and drinke, and refreshing, this is not that life, that Christ specially aimed at, when he came to dye, but that spirituall and eternall life, that he lived after the Re­surrection, a life not sub­ject to death, a spirituall [Page 24] life, not needing any crea­ted support whatsoever.

You see the grounds, the inference from these grounds, follow in these words, That he might bee Lord both of the dead and of the living. The ground hath three branches, death resurrection, and reviving, how all these doe flow, and give strength to this inference, I will touch in the particulars. First, then Christ dyed that hee might be Lord of the dead, and of the living.

Christ dyed, 1 Pet. 3. to offer himselfe a sacrifice to redeeme us by his pre­cious blood, wee are not redeemed with Gold or Silver, but with the blood [Page 25] of Christ: hee could not be our Lord till hee had bought us, now his death was the price of our re­demption, I say redempti­on, not emption, a thing may be bought, that was never sold away before: now we were sold to Sa­than, and under a contrary government, now Christ satisfying divine justice, re­deemes us, he buyes us a­gaine, wee had subjected our selves to the devill, and put our selves under his regiment, till we were ransomed by Christ, now Christ shall have no right to us, till the price be paid to divine justice; for mer­cy must have justice satis­fied, the attributes of God [Page] must not fight one against another. Christ therefore is Lord of us, because by death, he gave full content to divine justice, so that now notwithstanding ju­stice, yet we are Christs, and are saved, nay now the justice of God helpes us, the most terrible attri­bute justice, is a ground of comfort: for it stands not with justice to have the same debt paid twice. For God is just and faithfull, saith the Apostle, so then you see there is a ground from death, why wee are the Lords, we are Christs because we cost him deare hee hath paid a price for us, that is worth more then the whole world. [Page 27] Now God shewed his love in nothing more then in this, that he parted with that that is next himselfe, the greatest, his Sonne, who being God, yet dyed in that nature, that could dye to redeeme us, and hereupon becommeth Lord.

Secondly, Hee rose a­gaine, therefore he is Lord of the quicke and dead.

First, because his rising againe, was a manifestati­on that his death was a ful satisfaction to divine ju­stice, or else our sinnes should have kept him in the grave still, hee being our surety: but our surety being out of prison, it is a signe hee hath fully dis­charged [Page 28] all our debt, and the price is paid. If the surety and the creditor be agreed, we know the debt is paid.

Secondly, in that hee rose againe, he is Lord: because in rising againe, he entred into the possessi­on, and exercise of that Lordship, that he had pur­chased. The right is one thing, and the use and pos­session of the right is ano­ther. Christ was Lord of us before he dyed, he was Lord of us when he dyed: but hee did not enter into possession of this Lordship till he rose againe. There­fore he saith, All power is given to me, both in heaven and earth; when hee was [Page 29] ready to goe up to heaven, to shew that by his resur­rection, the right hee had by death, was manifest.

Lastly, because his ri­sing againe; shewed that the father was fully paci­fied, he obtained the gift of the Spirit, which next Christ himselfe, is the greatest gift, God gave his Sonne first; and then the Spirit that comes from the Father and the Sonne. The Spirit was not given till his resurrection and ascension, as it is Iohn 7. Why? because, till all e­nemies were fully subdu­ed by his death, and wit­nessed to be subdued, by his resurrection, the Spi­rit could not be so fully [Page 30] given, the Spirit being a declaration of the good will of God that sent it. Now when the enemies of Christ were tryumphed over, and God had shew­ed by the raising of his Sonne againe, that he was fully satisfied. Then the Spirit comes, as the Son of Gods favour, which Spirit doth enable us to be subject to Christ, and makes us come under Christs Kingdome, which is a spirituall government. Wherefore, because he obtained the Spirit for his members upon his resur­rection, thereupon is the inference good, he rose a­gaine, therefore he is Lord of the quicke and of the dead.

[Page 31] Thirdly, Hee revived, therefore he is Lord of the quicke and of the dead? re­viving and taking such a life, as is not subject to death any more: hee is now in heaven, to make good that he purchased on earth. He revived I say, to be a King, Priest, and Prophet, at the right hand of God for ever, there to rule his Church, and to overrule all the enemies of it, till he hath subdued all, till hee hath gathered all the Elect, and brought his Church out of the world, and made his ene­mies his footestoole. You see then the ground is good, and the inference is good. Christ dyed, and rose, [Page 32] and revived, that he might be Lord of the quicke and dead. I come now to the thing proved.

Christ is Lord, both of the dead and of the living, for the better clearing of the point, let us see what is Lordship?

Lordship properly is Ius in rem & personas, it is a right, and where it is ful, it is a right with possessi­on, either in things or per­sons.

But what manner of Lordship is this?

Christ is an universall Lord of and over all, over [Page 33] all the world, both over all the dead, and all the li­ving, but more especially, and in a peculiar manner, he is Lord of his Church; even as a husband is Lord over his wife, which is a Lordship with sweetenes: So Christs government is with unspeakeable, with unconceiveable sweete­nesse. He is Lord, as the elder brother, as the first begotten is over the rest, for he is the first begotten among the dead, this like­wise is a sweete governe­ment. It is indeed a Lord­ship, of a King over his subjects, as his Lordship is a branch of his Kingly office, but it is such a Lordship as is for the good [Page 34] of his Subjects, It is not a derived happinesse, they injoy the head, and the subjects; Christ accounts himselfe happy in his Church, which is his full­nesse, the Church is the fulnesse of him that filleth all things. Ephe. 1. And more especially is the Church most happy in this governement, it is such a Lordship, as is in­deed altogether for the good of the Subjects. To us a Childe is borne, to us a Sonne is given. He dyed, and rose, and revived, and all is for us, a Christian may say of Christ, that he is totus in meos usus ex­pensus, as one well said, he is all mine, hee is all ex­pended [Page 35] for my use and profit. It is such a Lord­ship, as makes all his sub­jects Kings, therefore it is said, Rev. 1. He loved us, and gave himselfe for us, to purge his Church, as it is Ephe. 5. and likewise to make us Kings and Priests; where note, Christ hath a notable attendance up­on him; he is served with none but Kings: All Gods children are Kings, even the meanest servant that is any where in the world, in spirituall respects is a King, what a Lord and King is this, that makes all his servants Kings. You see therefore, as Christ is an universall Lord, and al­so he is a peculiar Lord o­ver [Page 36] his Church.

Againe, hee is an inde­pendant 2. Indepen­dantly. Lord, onely his Father joynes with him in all, he is subordinate to his Father as mediator, but hee is independant in respect of all humane au­thority whatsoever, all humane authority is deri­ved from him, By me Prin­ces raigne, &c. His govern­ment in regard of all those governements, is altoge­ther independant, there­fore hee is called the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, hee is Lord Para­mount as we say, over all, and they all are, or should be dependant upon him.

And likewise he is a 3. Lord in the whole man Lord of the whole man, [Page 37] body and soule, he is a Spirituall Lord: He com­mands not the body onely, but the Soule, he sits in the throne of conscience espe­cially, and there he sub­dues the conscience and the soule to him; there he prescribes lawes to the conscience, and pacifies the conscience, and stabli­sheth conscience, and set­tles it against all feares and terrours whatsoever, he is Lord of body and soule, especially of the soule, he bowes the necke of the inward man, and brings it wholly to be subject to him, he layes his com­mand upon the very soule it selfe.

And he is an eternall 4. An Eternall Lord. [Page 38] Lord, you see here he is Lord of the quicke and of the dead, all other Lords have nothing to doe with men, when they are dead they can doe them no more harme, they have some power indeed over their dead bodies, but alas that is senselesse; their go­vernment ends in death, because they are Lords over the outward man onely: but Christs Lord­ship is when we are gone hence, and then more especially; for then wee are more immediately with him, wee are nearer the fountaine, when our soules are gone to him, that gave them: I desire (saith S. Paul) to be dissol­ved [Page 39] and to be with Christ, which is best of all, especi­ally then hee is Lord, when wee are gone hence.

In a word, he is an ex­cellent Lord, for he hath 5. An Excel­lent Lord. all things that a Lord should have: a Lord should have three things, autho­rity, sutable vertues and abilities, power and strength answerable to all: Now the Lord Christ hath all these; and first he hath authority, for God the Father gave him pow­er over all, hee purchased it, and his Father gave it him, he gave him the hea­then for his possession, and All power is given to me, in heaven and earth; and hee [Page 40] hath full authority, as it is Iohn 17. Thou hast given me power over all flesh, hee hath then authority. Se­condly he hath all graces and vertues fit for a Lord and governour, hee hath Righteousnesse, Wise­dome, bounty, affections, &c. we neede not make doubt of it, for he is the spring of all these in others; his scepter is a Scepter of righteous­nesse. Thirdly, hee hath strength answerable to his authority, for he is a Lord that is God; sometimes a­mong men authority wants power, or other qualifica­tions, but in Christ is all: the utmost, and greatest fulnesse of all: These [Page 41] things premised, let us make some use of all.

But first let us see why its sayd He is Lord both of Why the dead are put before the living. the dead and of the living, prefixing the dead before the living? To shew I conceive that Christ is Lord of those that were dead before, as well as of those that are alive now. Christ is the Lord of all from the beginning of the world, from Adam to the last man that shall stand upon the face of the earth; therefore he is Lord of those that were dead be­fore, as well as of those that are alive now, and that shall dye after, he is Lord of the dead, and of the [Page 42] living: Now for use, first where he saith,

It is a point wondrous pregnant, and full of very comfortable use: first shewing that the grounds of a Christians faith and comfort, are very strong, (as you see how the holy Ghost dwells upon the argument) For this end (saith he) Christ dyed and rose againe, and revived, that he might be Lord of the quicke and of the dead.

God doth all to ends, it being a point of wise­dome to prefixe an end, and worke to it: If God hath an end, and provi­dence [Page 43] in the haires that fall from our heads, hath he not a farre greater in disposing of things for the good of the Church? His Sonne is given to death and raysed againe, it is for the greatest end in the world, being the greatest worke, the greatest worke hath the greatest end, such was this end, the Lordship of the Church; For this end (saith he) Christ dyed, and rose againe, that hee might be Lord of the dead, and of the living which is his Church.

And is this Christs end to be Lord of the living and of the dead, we must have it then our end too, to serve Christ, to live and [Page 44] dye to him, for being un­der him, our ends must be answerable to his, as wee shall see after.

Againe where it is sayd Vse 2. he dyed, and rose, and re­vived, that he might be Lord of the dead and of the living. It is a profita­ble course (I speake it one­ly in generall) when wee thinke of the abasement of Christ, to thinke of the end why; so of his exalta­tion, its good to keepe these together to avoyd scandall, that might arise in our minds from either, though of by it selfe, that God should stoupe so low, [Page 45] least the thoughts of Christ dying and stouping so low should offend us, its good also to thinke of the end that he might bee Lord of quicke and dead, and if that dazell thee a­gaine, to thinke of our Sa­viour now in glory, full of majesty in heaven, and how shalt thou have ac­cesse to so glorious maje­sty: oh come downe a­gaine! and thinke of God incarnate, God going up and downe in our flesh, of God dying, dying a cursed death, & rising againe, thus in your meditations inter. weave these thoughts to avoyd scandall, thinke of his glory, and that you may not be amazed at the [Page 46] glory, so as to be deterred from going boldly to him, thinke of bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, God dying in our nature, joyne these two together, For this end the Sonne of God both dyed, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead, and of the living.

Againe you see here in generall that the grand principall points of re­ligion, have an influ­ence into all the parti­culars, and there is a ho­mogeniall deduction, (as we call it) of divine truths one from another, all de­pend one upon another, and all divinity: for how­soever divine truth bee [Page 47] contrary to carnall reason sometimes, yet there is strong reason in all divine truth, for one is the cause of another, and one de­pends upon another, as here, Christ dyed, and rose, and revived, one followes another: what from all this: to be Lord of quicke and dead, how then prooves he that he is Lord of all? because he dyed, and rose, and revived, one riseth from another, so that though carnall reason be one thing, and all divi­nity be another, yet there is reason, and deduction, issuing of one thing from another, in divinity most wisely and holily, and it is a part of wisedome to [Page 48] observe, how conclusions rise from principles, as branches and buds doe from rootes: indeede if we would enter into seri­ous considerations of the grounds of religion, how they give life and rise un­to their particulars, they would have an influence into the whole course of our life, as perhaps wee shall see in the particulars more clearely.

Againe in generall, when he saith Christ is Lord of the quicke and of the dead, we see thence the truth of the Catholike Church, from the first man living [Page 49] to the end of the Church, under one head Christ: Christ is the Saviour of those that were before the Law, under the Law, under the Gospell, Christ was the Saviour of all, he is the Saviour of the dead as well as of the living, all come under one head, which hath no further use than to informe us, in that one point of doctrine, to shew that Christ is yester­day as well as to day, to Morrow, and for ever, all that were saved before, that are saved now, and that shall be for ever, are saved by Christ, there is no other name under hea­ven, whereby wee can be saved, he is the Lord of the [Page 50] dead and of the living: Now therefore to come more particularly, Christ is Lord both of the dead and of the living, what a Lord we heard before?

This is a point of won­drous comfort, and like­wise a point informing us of our duty, and withall shewing us that Christ will worke that duty in us, because he is a Lord, not onely that should rule over us, that we should be subject to him, but to make us subject to him, it is a point of wondrous comfort, and of duty, and of this issue that we under the covenant of grace, shall bee inabled to per­forme that duty to our Lord. [Page 51] And then it is a point of wondrous security, in life, in death, as alas, sometime one thing amazeth us, sometime another, some­time wee are willing to dye, Elias was afraid to live, sometime wee are afrayd of-death, as we are all naturally: why, come life, or death, come what will come, we are under a Lord that is Lord of the dead, and of the living, so it is a point of wondrous se­curity and quiet to a Chri­stian in all passages, hee somtimes lives, and some­times dyes, but his salva­tion is not at that hazzard to be off and on, but whe­ther he live or dye, hee is sure to be saved, for he is [Page 52] under the Lord of the li­ving, and the dead.

But to speake a little of the first; it is intended for comfort, as well as di­rection, to duty, and to be subject, to submit to the Lord, it is a comfort that we have a Lord that rules us for our good, while we are living, and when wee are dead, and for ever: and indeed wee cannot have a greater comfort beloved than this, that we are not our owne, but that wee are bought with a price, that we are under Christ, why what a com­fort is this, will you say? homo non est natus, &c. as the naturall man sayd, a man is not borne to sub­jection [Page 53] but to honour, and governement, what com­fort is this, to be under Christ, to be under a go­vernour?

Answ. Oh beloved know that it is the greatest comfort, as the rule is, every thing is perfect if it be weake, by that whereby it is sub­ject to a higher, the vine is perfect by leaning to the Elme, it would lye on the Simil. ground else, and be spoy­led: the perfection of the weake creature the sheepe, is to have a shep­heard, the perfection of a weake nature is to have a ruler for their good; the perfection of the ship, is the Pylate, it would dash on every rocke, and bee [Page 54] tossed with every wave else, and so it is our per­fection that we are under a Lord, such a Lord as this is, cui servire regnare est, &c. to whom to serve is to reigne, for all his servants are so ma­ny Kings, it is our per­fection to bee subject to him, therefore it is a won­drous comfort that Christ is become Lord of the li­ving and of the dead: I be­seech you therefore think of it in your meditations, all the Scripture aimes at this end to comfort, what­soever is written, is writ­ten for our comfort, and this is a principle of divi­nity among the rest, that a Christian is not his owne [Page 55] man now but he is under Christ, and this is a com­fort both in life, and death at all times, as the Psalmist saith, My times are in thy hands Lord, hee saith not my time, but my times are in thy hand; so wee may say our times are in Christs hands, our time of being borne, our time of living and dying, and when wee are dead, our time of rising againe; our time, the whole current of our time is in thy hands, not in the devills hands, not in our enemies hands, beloved, for they would make short worke with us then, but our times are in our Lords hands, Christ is the Lord of our times, [Page 56] the Lord of our life, and death, and when we are dead he is a Lord for ever, for he lives for ever, and therefore hee is for ever a Lord. Beloved wee doe not live and dye, at the devotion, and good plea­sure of any man whatso­ever, they cannot stirre so much as a hayre from our head without the will of this Lord, all the devills in hell cannot stirre a haire of our head, I say nor all men that are acted by the Spirit of the devill, they may threaten punishment, but alas they can doe no more, then this Lord of Lords, will give them leave, therefore it is a point of wondrous com­fort.

[Page 57] Object. Oh but will a poore soule say, Christ indeed is Lord of the living, and of the dead, but I finde a great deale of corruption in me, &c. and I am a sin­ner.

Answ. Why he is Lord over thee, hee hath a sweete Lordship over thee, as well as a commanding Lordship, he is not onely a King but a husband as it is Ephes. 5. He gave him. selfe to purge his Church, and to make his Church fit by little and little, thou hast sinne and corruption, but thou hast a mercifull husband that will beare with the weaker vessell, doth he command others to doe that, and will hee [Page 58] not practise that that hee enjoynes others? undoub­tedly he will, and there­fore it is a comfort, it is a sweete government and subjection, as of the hus­band over the wife, Christ purgeth, and clenseth his Church, hee doth not cast it away.

For I beseech you con­sider, he that dyed for his Church and children, when they were enemies, will he cast them away now they are poore friends, and desire to please him? as Saint Paul divinely reasoneth, Rom. 5. Much more shall wee be saved by his life, If he sa­ved us by his death, much more now by his life, be­ing [Page 59] in heaven, consider he rose and lives for ever, therefore will he cast us away for some imperfecti­ons, that dyed for us when we were enemies? hee that will not quench the smoaking flaxe, nor break the brused reede, will hee cast away his poore chil­dren that strive against their corruptions? hee will not, nay he hath pro­mised where he hath be­gunne a good worke, hee will finish it to the day of the Lord, though it goe but slowly forward, yet that beginning is a pledge of proceeding, God will never remove his hand from his owne worke, till he have brought it to per­fection; [Page 60] therefore let any soule comfort it selfe, that will come under this Lord in a word what greater comfort can wee have than this, that he is such a Lord over us, as is Lord over all things in the world besides: for hee could not be Lord of his Church, except hee were Lord over hell, and all power were subject to him, now being so hee is such a Lord of the Church as can restraine the power of all other creatures whatsoever, because else they might annoy the Church, and affront him in his government by op­position, if he were not Lord of all things, else as [Page 61] well as of the church, but this is the comfort of a Christian, hee is under a Lord, that is Lord of of all the enemies of the Church, and he is so Lord over them till by little and little, hee make them his footestoole, that that is begun in this world, shall bee consumate hereafter by that Lordship, nay he will make all the enter­prizes of the very ene­mies of his Church what­soever serviceable, to his poore Church, for as the Apostle saith, All things are yours because yee are Christs, he is such a Lord, as that besides himselfe, being ours, hee makes all the world ours, yea the de­vill [Page 62] is ours, for in spight of him whatsoever he doth, it is ordained to the salva­tion of the Church, the Churches enemies are the servants of the Church, the unvoluntary servants, for they waken the Church, and scoure it, God ray seth them up for the exercise of the Church, and when he hath done, you know what course he takes with them, so then he is Lord, not on­ly over all, but hee over­rules their actions, for the good of the Church, whatsoever they are, and hee makes all the indea­vours, and plots of the e­nemy for the Churches good, all is yours, life, [Page 63] and death, though it bee death by tyrants, all kinde of death whatsoever, it is yours, what a comfort is this, that wee are under such a Lord as this?

Especially, what a com­fort is this at the houre of death, when Christ; that hath ruled us all our life time before, will take then the government and pos­session, of that Iewell that he hath bought with such a price, our precious soule, that when wee must part with friends, and part with this sweete body, that the soule so much loved, and with the world, and all things in the world, then Christ wil owneus for his, when the world wil owne [Page 64] us no longer. Therefore mee thinkes Christians should be at a poynt, for life or death, hee never goes out of the dominion of Christ, nay hee is nea­rer Christ, hee is more Christs, if there bee any comparison to bee made, when hee is dead, then when hee is alive, Blessed are those that dye in the Lord.

To apply this a little to the present occasion, here in this Sacrament we are to have Communion with this Lord, of his death and resurrection. For what is the Sacrament but are pre­sentation of his body bro­ken, and of his blood pow­red out for us, that hee [Page 65] might be Lord over us? The more communion and fellowship you have with Christ, the more assurance you shall have that you are his, which is indeed the grand comfort of all, that wee are Christs, that Christ is ours, for then heaven and earth is ours, all is ours. Now God hath ordained these Sacra­ments for this end, the word is the Scepter of his Kingdome, whereby hee rules, the Sacrament is the seale of the word, there­fore all good subjects that submit themselves to the Kingdome of Christ, must submit themselves to this sweet ordinance of Christ, that he hath ordained for [Page 66] our good, the word, and Sacraments, thereby we shall finde the effectuall working of his Spirit in us, subjecting the whole inward man to his graci­ovs governement, but ha­ving spoken of this subject at large heretofore, I on­ly desire you to raise up your thoughts, to consider whom you have to deale with, with him that is Lord of the quicke, and of the dead, we have to deale with the mighty Monarch of heaven, and earth, Christ; therefore come, as with faith, because he hath ordained these things to strengthen faith, so come with reverence, knowing with whom wee [Page 67] are to feast, and to deale, consider of these things, and then I hope that God will vouchsafe a blessing answerable to the intend­ment of his ordinance.

I Shewed the de­pendance in the forenoone, a Chri­stian by the Spirit of God in him, hee hath a blessed [Page 69] aime at all times, howso­ever hee may faile in par­ticulars, yet his ayme is right.

This doubt rose from difference of aymes, whe­ther he should please God or man? his doubt rose in pleasing of God, what might please him most, and because hee sees not alwaies what might please him, therefore he carries this honesty, that whatso­ever he doth, he will doe it to the Lord, and what­soever he doth not, he will not doe it to the Lord, his ayme is for good at all times.

Now this is proved from the generall disposition of Christians, they live, and [Page 70] dye to the Lord, there­fore their particular acti­ons must be to the Lord, if their whole life and death, bee to the Lord, their actions must bee to him.

Now hee proves their whole life, and death are to the Lord, because they are the Lords, how doth he prove that they are the Lords? that is Iesus Christs, because the Text saith here, For this end Christ both dyed, and revi­ved, that he might bee Lord both of the dead, and of the living.

And surely he is Lord, he will not misse of his end; God never misseth of his end, because hee can re­move [Page 71] all impediments be­tweene him and his end: Now it being Christs end to be Lord of the quicke, and of the dead, hee is Lord, if he be Lord, then those that are under him, and led by his Spirit, aime both in life and death, to glorifie him in all things. This in a word be spoken, for the inference of the words.

Here you have a ground and an inference: An ar­gument and a reasoning from it.

The argument or ground is, Christ dyed, and rose, and revived.

[Page 72] That that riseth thence is, that he might be Lord both of the dead of of the living.

In thē ground it selfe, I told you how Christ dyed as a publicke person, as the second Adam, &c. and now here you are to take notice likewise that hee rose againe as a publicke person, as the second A­dam, &c.

And likewise hee rē ­vived, not to dye a­gaine, as in his first life, when hee beganne to live, hee beganne to dye, but when hee revived he did not dye againe, he lives for ever to make in­tercession for us in hea­ven, Christ never dyes a­gaine, [Page 73] Rom. 6. he rose to a life that shall never end, for the divine nature doth flow into his humane na­ture, and doth immediate­ly inspire such a spirituall life into it, as it lives for ever, by vertue of the Spi­rit of Christ, actuating, and stirring and moving him, as his naturall life did here, when hee was upon the earth.

To what end is all this, what is grounded hence, that Christ therefore is Lord of quicke, and dead, this is inferred from all three.

Christ dyed, that hee [Page 74] might reconcile us to God by his death, satisfying justice, and so justice being fully satisfyed, hee might have his end in being Lord of his Church, hee had a minde to marry us, but he could not till hee had rescued us, therefore to rescue us out of divine justice, and from the ty­ranny of Sathan, Gods gaoler, he made satisfacti­on to divine justice. As for Sathan hee brought us out of his kingdome by strong hand, and so doth continually by the power of his Spirit. Now here­upon it must needes bee that hee must be Lord of that hee paid so deare a price for.

[Page 75] And then he rose againe, for this end that he might be Lord, because, howso­ever hee had a title to be Lord of the Church by the union of the humane nature with the divine, he was Lord alway, yet in re­gard of the exercise of his Lordship, it was deferred till his glorious resurrecti­on, and ascention, then that that lay hid before Christs divine power, ma­jesty and Lordship, that appeared, and manifested it selfe, as it is Rom. 1. He was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God by the re­surrection from the dead, he was the Sonne of God before, but then it was a kinde of begetting, be­cause [Page 76] it was then manifest: things are sayd in Scrip­ture and Divinity, to be when they are apparent to be, so this day of the resurrection, Christ was begotten, because it was apparent then by raising himselfe from the dead, that he was the onely be­gotten Sonne of God, now that made way for his Lordship, for after his resurrection God gave him power over all things in heaven and earth, and then upon the resurrection he had the Spirit in more aboundance, having con­quered all enemies be­tweene God and us, there­fore he was fit to be Lord by that, because he could [Page 77] give the Spirit to them over whom hee meant to rule.

But then in his owne person he rising, trium­phed over all opposite enemies whatsoever, over death the last enemie, and over Sathan, sinne, and the Law, having cancel­led all, surely he hath o­ver-ruled all for himselfe, he will over-rule all for his Church and people, and therefore hee rose a­gaine, to bee Lord of quicke and dead: and he may well be, because he is Lord of quicke and dead in his owne person, hee is Lord over all in his owne person; and there­fore he is Lord over the [Page 78] Church, and all the e­nemies of the Church, so farre as the enemies seized upon his person, so farre hee overcame them all, he hath as much care of his misticall person the Church, as he had on his owne body, and more too, for he gave that for the o­ther.

And then he revived to be Lord over all, that is, he lives for ever to make good what hee hath got­ten by his death, hee will not lose the price of his owne blood, he is in hea­ven to appeare before God, and sits at the right hand of God, and rules there till he have made all his enemies his foote­stoole, [Page 79] till he draw his Church home to heaven, to himselfe, he lives for ever as the Apostle saith, to make intercession, here­upon it must needes bee that by living for ever he is fitly qualified to bee Lord over all the quicke: now I proceede.

Christ is Lord both of the dead and of the living, you see upon what ground he is Lord of all, as well as of his Church, he is an eternall Lord over the dead and the living, he is a transcendent Lord, a­bove all other Lords [Page 80] whatsoever, and he is in­dependant, he is not ob­noxious to any, all have power from him, and in some sort indeed Christ hath redeemed even all o­ther creatures, they are Christs, and in some sort even proud wicked men, that live in the Church, that have perhaps some parts (which are the oc­casion of their damnation, because of and by them, they are proud and inso­lent,) they are redeemed by Christ, thus farre to be serviceable to his Church to use their parts to his owne ends, they goe a great way in salvation, that so by their parts, they may be fit to doe service to the [Page 81] Church, so he is Lord, not onely over the Church, but of others for the ser­vice of the Church.

Now this point, that Christ is Lord of the dead and of the living, it yeelds many comfortable uses, I spake of some things in generall, and then wee came to some particulars, as

First, seeing Christ is Lord of the quicke and of the dead, wee may com­fort our selves under the Soveraignty of Christ: To be Solomons servant, was accounted a great happy­nesse, those that did ob­serve the governement of Solomon, did thinke so, as the Queene of Sheba: A­las, [Page 82] what shall we thinke of those that are under Christ, who is greater then Solomon? A most great, a most wise, a most loving, a most gracious and power­full Lord over all, there­fore it is a most comforta­ble condition, here in this life, (to adde a little to that point) however it be service, it is against the nature of man to serve a man, yet not to serve a more noble, to serve God is to reigne.

Besides while we live here, such is our dispositi­on, such is the weakenesse of base sinners, that they must be ruled by another, and indeede our happi­nesse and security consists [Page 83] in being ruled by another higher than our selves, we are not fit to bee our owne governours, S. Paul saith to the Galatians, an heire in his none-age differeth little from a servant, so it is with Christians till they be in heaven, they differ little from servants, and therefore they must bee under tutors, and govern­ment.

And as it is a comforta­ble, so it is an honourable condition, for Christs Servants are so many Kings, Christ is served of none but Kings, and such Kings as doe not rule over slaves, but such Kings as in Christ rule over the greatest, and terriblest [Page 84] enemies of all, a Chri­stian can thinke with comfort and incourage­ment upon those enemies, that make the greatest ty­rants of the world to quake; he can thinke of death, of sinne, of damna­tion, of judgement, of the Law, of all these things: Christs Kingdome is ano­ther manner of Kingdome than the Kingdomes of the world, they are poore Kingdomes, their Mo­narchs heads must lye as low as the basest subject they have, they know not how soone, and per­haps have a more terrible account to give, than any other under them: it is not so in Christs King­dome.

[Page 85] Therefore those Chri­stians that are afraid of death, they forget their dignity, they forget him on whom they depend; for Christ is Lord both of the quick and of the dead, if so be Christ be their Lord when they dye, what neede they feare to dye, and therefore let us comfort our selves when God calls for us, he is our Lord as well when wee dye, as while we live, and more too: for then our soules have more imme­diate communion with him, can there bee more comfort than this, that we have a Lord ever, that dyed for us, that rose for us, and lives for ever, [Page 86] and doth immortalize his subjects too? joyne these together, an ever-living Lord, and ever-living sub­jects, coexistent I meane for the time to come, we indeed have a beginning, (Christ had none as God) but we have an eternall state to be for ever, and an eternall Lord to rule us for ever, and to make us happy forever, what com­fort is more than this, that howsoever there be vari­etie of conditions in this world, wee live, wee dye, we are in prosperity, we are in misery, yet there is no varietie in the state of Salvation, Christ is not a Lord to day and none to morrow, but yesterday, to [Page 87] day, and the same for e­ver.

Againe as it is a point of comfort, so it is also of du­ty, if Christ be our Lord in life and death, our duty is to looke to him in life and death, to live and dye to him: for our ayme must answere his ayme if we ever intend to come to heaven: for we are under­standing creatures, and have a communion with him in a poore measure; therefore what he will make his end must be our end, his end was that whe­ther we live or dye, hee might rule over us, our end should be in life and death to bee ruled by him.

[Page 88] How shall we live to Christ?

We live to Christ, (this is a ground of all other duties that follow) when we know, and acknow­ledge Christ hath a full interest in us, by being our head, by being our hus­band, by being our King, our elder brother, he hath all the sweete interest to us, that any relation can inright him to, for all o­ther relations among men are but shaddowes of that grand relation, there onely is the realty of things, he is a true head, a true King, a true elder brother, a true husband of his Church, all ours are but, poore repre­sentations of those glori­ous [Page 89] things, then know and acknowledge so much, that is the ground of all living to him.

Vpon knowing and ac­knowledging, issues all other obedience in our life to Christ, those that thus acknowledge Christ, they must be directed by his will, and not their owne, as a servant as farre as he is a servant, and a wife so farre as she is a wife, they have no will of their owne; so he that lives to Christ, and ac­knowledgeth him to be a Lord, he must have no will of his owne, but hee must live according to the will of Christ, as you have it excellently set [Page 90] downe, 1 Pet. 4. Christ suffered for us in the flesh, let us arme our selves there­fore with the same mind: for he that suffered in the flesh, hath ceased from sinne that he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh, to the lusts of men, but to the will of God: It is a comment upon this place, Christ dyed and rose and revived, that he might be Lord of the quicke and of the dead, that is, that we might live according to his will, and not after our owne, doe you thinke our Saviour Christ would so farre deny himselfe, to leave heaven, to take upon him our base nature, and be so farre abased in it, to [Page 91] let us live as wee list? oh no, we must live the rest of our dayes, not accor­ding to the lusts of men, or our owne lusts, but ac­cording to the wil of God; and therefore as the Apo­stle admonisheth, Rom. 12. we must search what is the acceptable will of God in all things: what is the end of our hearing Sermons, of our reading, and all the paines wee take in the meanes of Salvation? not onely to know what God will doe to us, but what he will have of us, he will have the directing of our lives, and there­fore if wee will live to Christ, we must labour to know his good pleasure to [Page 92] us, what he meanes to doe for us, and so his good pleasure with us, what he will have us doe againe by way of thankefulnesse, Christ squared his life im­mediately according to his fathers will (It is writ­ten, in the volumne of thy booke that I should doe thy will oh God) so all that are Christs must have the same Spirit, to direct all their lives according to his will; now the most grand things of his will (for his will is in the Scriptures) are that we re­pent, he commands all to repent: his will is that we beleeve in him, his will is our sanctification, as it is 1 Thes. 4. his will is that [Page 93] we suffer, and in suffering submit our selves to him, and the Scripture is ex­presse in many other par­ticulars, but these especi­ally are named, to shew something, wherein wee must direct our selves ac­cording to his will, but (not to insist upon parti­culars) in all things wee must labour to direct our lives according to his will.

Secondly, that we may live to God, we must aime at the glory of Christ in all things, and at the cre­dite of religion, not at our owne credit; if Christ be Lord of the quicke, and dead, while we live wee must not seeke our owne glory but his: the contra­ry [Page 94] to this the Apostle complaines of, All seeke their owne, saith he, and not the things that are of the Lord Iesus Christ, we must consider what is for the credite of religion, and the honour of Christ, and not what is for our owne advantage: is it not good reason that wee should seeke the glory of him that is Lord over us, naturally proud man is lead with a Spirit of selfe­love, and he seekes him­selfe in all things, even in his religion, so farre as it stands with his owne lusts he will be religious and no further, so long as Gods will is not contrary to his, he will doe God Service, [Page 95] but if it crosse his will once, then hee will give God leave to seeke him a servant.

Thus man makes him­selfe an Idoll, he sets up himselfe in the roome of God, he doth all things, as from himselfe, so for himselfe, nor indeede can he doe otherwise, (till hee put off himselfe wholly, and deny himselfe) a man cannot goe beyond him­selfe but by grace, that ray seth a man above him­selfe, it makes him have an eye to some excellen­cy, out of himselfe, con­formity whereto, and in­terest whereinto will make him happy.

Now that we may aime [Page 96] at Christ in all things, it is good to call our selves to account for our aymes, wherfore we live, & wher­fore wee have are, or doe any thing, either in grace or nature, it is or should be, not onely that we may be saved our selves, but that Christ in all may bee glorified, wee neede not sever these, for Christ joynes them both toge­ther, and he that seekes his owne Salvation, seekes the glory of God, because God will be glorified in saving us, the end hath a maine influence into all actions, and as it differen­ceth man, from other creatures, that though he doth the same action as a [Page 97] beast, he eates, and drinkes and sleepes, all for ano­ther end, for an end be­yond himselfe, because he is a reasonable creature, whereas other creatures rest in themselves, so it differenceth betweene na­turall men, and Christians, they differ in their aymes not in their actions, both doe the same thing, one doth it for base ends of his owne, keepes within the circle of those ends, the other having a light discovering excellencies better than the world can afford, and having another Spirituall life above, hee is thereby directed to fur­ther aymes in all, yea even in his civill actions.

[Page 98] Saint Paul gives a rule, that Whether we eate or drinke, or whatsoever wee doe, we should doe all to the glory of God: though the action bee common and civill not tending directly to the glory of God, as eating, &c. yet our ayme should be in it, at Christ and at God, that the body thereby being refreshed may bee fit to serve God.

And indeed there is not the commonest action of this life, but we may shew that we have a good end in it, and therein glorifie God, therefore in Scrip­ture, it is put as a kinde of limitation, Obey in the Lord, marry in the Lord, [Page 99] doe all things in the Lord, that is in Christ, he shewes that wee should doe all such things, intimating that as we must goe about such enterprizes with in­vocation of the name of the Lord, &c. so chiefe­ly we should doe them so farre and no farther, as they may stand with the favour and glory of Christ: In subordinate things, the rule of subor­dinate things is to doe them so farre as they may helpe to the maine end: Now the Service of all o­ther is subordinate to the Service of Christ, and all other bonds are service­able to the maine bond in marriage, or whatsoever [Page 100] we may not prejudice the bond of marriage in the Lord, marry not rich, nor honourable, but in the Lord, all things must have their limitation to bee done in the Lord, that is, so farre as they may stand with pleasing the Lord, thus we see what it is to live to the Lord with his good pleasure and like­ning.

Now an assistant helpe (of living to the Lord) is a perpetuall selfe-deni­all of our owne wise­dome, will, and affecti­ons in all things, else wee shall live to our selves, and to the Lord we shall ne­ver attaine.

But you will say this is a [Page 101] hard saying; True, but consider this one thing, that we are the greatest enemies to our selves of all, and wee carry in our selves a cursed enmity to all that is divine, and su­pernaturall, naturally we are trained up to our owne will, therefore we cannot indure the yoake of Christ without: supernaturall strength.

Againe divine things perpetually crosse the li­king of the soule, where­upon there is an antypa­thy betweene us and Christ, and divine things, therefore there must bee selfe-deniall of necessity. Now the knowledge of this will bee a good [Page 102] meanes to inable us to the duty.

Another helpe to this, of living to Christ, is to complaine of our selves to Christ, as Saint Paul Rom. 7. Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me, &c. To informe a­gainst our rebellions, that we live too much to the flesh, and too little to the Spirit; too much to our selves, and too little to Christ, by reason of that principle of flesh and blood, and to desire him to captivate all, and bring all in subjection by his Spirit, this is alway a signe, of a man lead by the Spirit, that it directs him to Christ, the Spirit [Page 103] as it comes from Christ, and the father, so it di­rects to Christ to the pleasing of the Father, and of Christ in all things.

Here I might take just occasion, to reproove a company of men that live under the Gospell, that will bee saved by Christ forsooth, but will not have Christ a Lord to rule over them, they will be ruled by rules of state, or rules of flesh, and blood, and their owne lusts, by the rules of hell sometimes, so that they may have their owne aimes, their owne ambiti­on satisfied and raisethem­selves, to their owne pitch [Page 104] a disposition cursed, and opposite to that religion which they professe, for our life should be a living to Christ, and under Christ a living to the Church and state: But say they Let us breake their bonds, and cast their coards from us, what doe they thinke wee will be awed with a com­pany of poore preachers, away with them, we will have our wills, let us breake their bonds in sunder. Christ sits in hea­ven, and laughes them all to scorne, Psal. 2. they shall know at length hee will be no Saviour, where he is no Lord, if he may not rule them by his Spirit and holy directions while [Page 105] they live, he will not owne them when they dye, for you see the text joynes both here, he dyed, and he is Lord, when hee dyed there came water and blood out of his side, to shew that hee came not onely to shed his blood, to dye, and to satisfie di­vine justice, but by water to clense us, and to fit us to be subject to his govern­ment, therefore those that take him as a Priest to dye and will not have him as a Lord they rent his offices, I doe but touch these now.

We see what it is to live to Christ, let us see: what is it to dye to the Lord?

To dye to the Lord is [Page 106] to know and acknowledge that Christ hath power over us when wee dye, thereupon to submit our selves to him, and not to murmure and fret, when he comes to call for our life and soule, as if we were unwilling to part with them.

Then againe to dye to Christ is when upon any good occasion, he calls for our lives, in standing for a good cause, for the Church or state, to be rea­dy to lay it downe; there is not the least tittle of truth, but it is better than a mans life, a man may not onely dye, in case of martyrdome, but in case of justice and truth, and so [Page 107] he must be willing to doe, if he will dye to Christ.

Againe wee dye to the Lord when we carry our selves so when death comes, as wee may ex­presse some graces to glo­rifie God, even in our ve­ry death, when wee stud­dy to doe all the good we can, that wee may dye fruitefully, out of this con­sideration, my time is short, I will labour to bee sowing to the Spirit, as much as I can, not to dye like fooles but wisely, knowing that there is no further opportunity, here is the time of seede, here­after will bee the time of reaping: therefore there is no Christian, that is ma­ster [Page 108] of himselfe at the houre of death, if some disease disable him not, but he studdies how to shew himselfe as fruitfull as he can at that time; as you see our Saviour when he was to dye, what long chapters there are three together, of his demea­nour how hee strengthned his Disciples, what an ex­cellent prayer he made to God, see Moses how hee carryed himselfe at his death, what excellent ad­monitions hee gives; and good Iacob what an excel­lent Will he made, and S. Peter knowing he must put of his earthly tabernacle, he labours to put them in minde to glorifie God as [Page 109] Saint Paul saith.

A Christian ought to end his dayes in faith, and obe­dience; in faith that God will take his soule, when he commits it to him, and he shall reigne for ever in heaven: In obedience thereupon, because he be­leeves, he dyes in faith, he will dye in obedience, I even offer my selfe to thee, because I beleeve thou wilt care for mee when I am gone hence, for thou art the Lord of life and death and thou art the Lord of mee when I live, and when I am dead.

Well, as it implies du­ty, so it implies a graci­ous effect, that wee shall be inabled to this duty, he [Page 110] indeed in himselfe is a Lord, wee ought to ac­knowledge him so, nay, we shall have the Spirit if wee be his, to cause us to acknowledge him, you have a notable place, 2 Cor. 5. 15. to this purpose, The love of Christ con­straines us, because wee thus judge, If one dyed for all, then we are all dead, if hee dyed to redeeme us from death, to what end did he dye? he dyed for all, that they that live, might not live to themselves, but to him that dyed, and rose againe: It is nothing but this in the Text, we should live to him. Now this that wee should live to him, it is not an aime of ours one­ly, [Page 111] but an effect that hee workes in us, he dyed that we might live to him, for he dyed, and rose, that he might obtaine the Spirit; by this Spirit hee inableth us to live, and dye to God, as you have it, Rom. 8. at large proved, those that are Christs, have the Spi­rit of Christ, and are led with it.

Beloved, it is a part of the new Covenant, that whatsoever ourduty is, we shall have ability to per­forme it, by the Spirit of Christ, for all the gracious promises of the Gospell, are not onely promises up­on condition, and so a co­venant, but likewise the covenant of grace is a te [Page 112] stament, and a will, a will is made without conditi­ons, a covenant with con­ditions, that as hee hath made a covenant what he would have us to doe, so his testament is, that wee shall have grace to doe so, he will put his Spirit into us, and circumcise our hearts, or else beloved, there would bee no more strength of the covenant of grace, then there was of that of nature in Adam, why did Adam fall? he had not the Spirit to up­hold him, nor had he the promise of it, to keepe him that hee should not fall, therefore the covenant of workes was frustrate, but now the covenant of grace [Page 113] is this, that whatsoever God requires, he will give his Spirit, to inable us to doe it, that the covenant may not bee frustrate, if God shold not make good our part as well as his, we shold not be saved. There­fore, now in the covenant of grace, wee may boldly goe to God, and Christ, and alleadge unto him, when any duty is pressed upon us, and when wee are about to performe any duty, and finde want of strength, Lord thou know­est I have no strength of my selfe, I am a barren wildernesse, but thou hast entred into a covenant of grace with me, which co­venant now is a testament, [Page 114] a free will, that thou wilt give what thou requirest Lord, in the use of meanes that thou hast ordained, in attending upon thee, and looking up to thee, I de­sire that thou wouldst give me strength to submit to thee, to live, and dye to thee, to direct my course, as I should, this should be the course of a Christian, and not to set upon things in his owne strength, but when duty is discovered, looke to the promise of grace, and of the Spirit, and put them into suite, and alleadge them to Christ, in the use of sancti­fied meanes, as reading, hearing, holy conference and the like, and hee will [Page 115] enable us to doe that that is our duty.

Therefore a man may know, who is indeed un­der Christs governement, by this, for he that is actu­ally under Christs govern­ment, and acknowledgeth him to bee his Lord, hee hath ability to live, and dye to him, in some com­fortable measure, to deny himselfe, to goe out of himselfe, to live and to dye to the glory of God. The Spirit of God hath given him this victory, and tryumph over his owne heart.

Last of all, if this be so, here see the wondrous se­cure state of a Christian, Beloved, that as Christ is [Page 116] his Lord, both in life and death, and it is his duty to subject himselfe, so Christ wil give him grace, so to direct his life. There­fore let us doe our duty, attend upon the meanes, and lift up our hearts to God, let God and Christ alone with all the rest, let Christ alone with ruling us, and with inabling us to be ruled by him; hee is Lord not onely over us, but in us, by his Spirit. But theSpirit breatheth where it listeth, there must bee waiting upon God in his Ordinances, till we finde ability to holy duties, and those that have so much patience to honour God and Christ, so farre as to [Page 117] attend in the use of good meanes, till the good houre come, till the Spi­rit come to subject their spirits to duty, no doubt but God intends well to them, but those that are so short spirited, that if they finde not ability to deny themselves, and to live to God, and to breake off their course of sinne, but give over in a kinde of base dispaire, it is just with God to leave them to themselves, that they shall even live and die to them­selves, that is, they shall live without respect to Christ, and dye without respect to Christ at all, as if there were no Christ to take care for them.

[Page 118] Now out of this branch of holy security, upon the care & power, and Lord­ship that Christ hath over us, for the time to come, it riseth that a Christian may be assured of his sal­vation, of his perseverance because Christ is Lord of all, he is Lord of his heart, hee is Lord not onely of the things without us, but of our spirits within us, and hee will inable us to sub­ject our selves to him, that neither things present, nor things to come, or any thing, shall ever be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ, not one­ly from Gods love to us, but from our love to God.

Beloved, let this incou­rage [Page 119] us, to come under the governement of Christ: There is no security or safety, but in his governe­ment, wee are sure of no­thing in this world, but we are sure of this, that Christ, if he be our Lord, is our Lord for ever, and that nothing in the world shall ever be able to sepa­rate us from him.

I will close with this, you see Christ is ours, whether wee live or dye, hee is Lord of quicke and dead, let us labour to live to him, that hee may rule over us while we live, else when wee come to dye, though we never so much (perhaps out of principles of selfe love) desire him [Page 120] to be ours, it is to no pur­pose: while we live, there­fore let us submit to his government, and if we live to him, we shall easily dye to him: if we doe not in­ure our selves by daily selfe deny all, and practi­sing of the duties of obe­dience to live to him, how shall wee come to dye to him? our life may bee snatched from us against our wills, wee may dye with a kinde of fretting and indignation, that we can live no longer, that wee can enjoy our plea­sures no longer, but to dye meekely, and quietly, as to a Lord, submitting our selves to him that is the Lord of life and death, a [Page 121] man can never doe it, that hath not lived to the Lord Therefore I beseech you every day be acquainted with the actions of living to the Lord, whatsoever you doe to men, doe it as to the Lord, in the Lords strength, to please him, and as it may stand with his favour and no further: And especially take the advantage of your youn­ger yeares, to roote out lusts, that will grow to that head else, that God in his judgement, giving you up to your selves, (af­ter long rebellion) you shal never bee able to deny your selves to live to Christ, and when death comes to dye to Christ, [Page 122] therefore let us inure our selves, to deny our selves, in the practice of every holy duty, as to the Lord betimes, that so we may get the upper hand of our flesh, in these holy perfor­mances, that they may be easie and sweete to us, as indeed the yoke of Christ is after it is worne a while, the subjection of Christ is the sweetest subjection in the world, it breedes the greatest peace, and joy, and love, and contentment to the soule, and which is more then all, a blessed hope, for the time to come, he that is life, is in­ured to holy duties, and hath overcome the rebel­lions of his base flesh, [Page 123] when he comes to dye, he can say with Simeon, Lord now let thy servant depart in peace, that is, thou Lord of life, now thou wilt have me dye, I am even content to dye, to resigne my selfe to thee, who can say so, but he that makes Christ his Lord, all his life time? then when death comes, he is content to yeeld un­to him as a Lord, else it will be just in the houre of death for Christ, to say as it is Iudg. 10. doe you come to mee, and com­mend your soules to me? goe to the lords you have served, you have served the humours of such a one, you have alliena'ed your soules to such a one, you [Page 124] have given your soules to sinne, and to such men as are instruments of the de­vill, you have denyed your honesty, your faith, your religion, goe to him, goe to the gods you have served, they are your lords, I am not your Lord, I was not al your life time, though these speeches be not uttered, the effect of them will, the soule will conclude, I have ser­ved mine owne lusts, and the humours of others all my life time, how can I looke that the Lord should take my Soule, therefore let it be our dai­ly practise, to live to the Lord, to have the chiefe aime of our life in our eye, [Page 125] to direct our actions so, as they may be serviceable to the maine, else not to performe them.

Herein consists the maine happines of a Chri­stian, that whether hee lives or dies hee is not his owne, but hee is his, that can dispose of him, better then ever he could of him­selfe, for if wee had the disposing of our selves, as Adam had, what would become of us? what be­came of Adam, when he was master of himselfe? he lost himselfe, and all. The second Adam hath bought us with his blood, and life, to rule us for e­ver, will hee then suffer us to bee disposed off by [Page 126] our selves? No, whether wee live or dye, wee are his, if we yeeld our selves sweetely to his governe­ment, in life and death.

IN these words, as you heard here­tofore at large, the Apostle labours to stay the thoughts, and af­fections [Page 128] of men, concer­ning the things of indiffe­rency, that they should not be hasty to censure a­nothers Servant, who stands or falls to his owne Master, as you have it in Verse. 4.

The reason is, because whatsoever they do, they doe it to the Lord, He that regards a day, regards it to the Lord, hee that regards not a day, regards it not to the Lord. Some things are of that nature, that the right aime puts a qualifi­cation upon the actions, a good end cannot quali­fie many actions, but some actions are of that nature, that a good aime doth not altogether justifie it, but [Page 129] it frees the person from some censure, he doth it to God, some upon some conceite, may abstaine from a thing for religious ends, and are not to bee censured, some againe per­forme it, and are not to be censured, because they doe it to the Lord, that is, out of religious respects.

How doth he prove that they doe it to the Lord? he proves it more general­ly, ver. 7. None of us live to our selves, nor none of us dye to our selves, which I spake of before.

Then he proves that we are the Lords, because it was the end of Christs dy­ing, and rising, and revi­ving, that hee might be [Page 130] Lord both of the dead and of the living, and if he be the Lord, then we ought to live, to this Lord of the quicke and dead.

We see Saint Paul here makes use of a generall truth, of a grand princi­ple, that we are the Lords, and therefore live to him, and dye to him, and doe particular actions to him, or not doe them to him, to shew that wee should have in minde, informati­on of sound general truths, that are the ground of all particular practise, as we shall see after.

[Page 131] The words, they are Christs universall govern­ment of the dead, and of the living, inferred from the end of his death, revi­ving, and rising againe, a comfortable inference, from a strong ground.

We considered the par­ticulars, Christs death, ri­sing, and reviving.

Christ dyed as a second Adam, as a publicke per­son, in whom dying all dyed, when other men dyed, particular men dy­ed, when Paul was dead, Paul dyed, and there was an end, onely there was an exemplary good, in his death, but there is more then an exemplary good, in the death of Christ, [Page 132] Christ dyed alone, and singular in this respect, because in him dying, all dyed that were his, that the Father gave him to dye for, for they goe pa­rallell, Gods gift, and Christs death, hee did all by commission, and hee would not transgresse his commission, and he dyed a violent and cursed death, because otherwise hee could not have saved us, that were under a curse, so as a second Adam, hee rose, and as a publike per­son, therefore wee see in the resurrection of Christ, many rose, it is like enough they dyed againe, it was for a particular dispensati­on, to shew that Christ [Page 133] rose as a publicke person; and it is not strange to thinke so, that to honour God they should be con­tent to live a w [...]e, when Christ himselfe that was God, was content to bee man, and to be abased to death, that grand mystery makes all other things credible, he rose therefore as a publicke person, to give life to all that he dyed for.

So hee revived, that is more than to rise againe, never againe to lay downe his life, as you have it ex­cellently set downe a­mong other places, Revel. 1. 18. I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold I live for ever more, amen, [Page 134] and he seales it too, I have the keyes of hell and of death, that is, the domi­nion of hell and death, for inde [...] [...]hrist is life it selfe, and life cannot dye, as God he could not dye, and therefore he tooke upon him that nature, wherein he might dye for us, and now having done that dispensation, that of­fice, there is a perpetuall influence of life, from the fountaine of life, his God­head, to his humanity, so he never dyes any more; then here followes the scope and end of all,

[Page 135] The three offices of Christ they have this or­der, in regard of manife­station. First, he was a Prophet to instruct, and teach his in himselfe, and likewise by his ministery: And then a Priest to dye for those that are his, to make intercession now for ever in heaven; and then a King: first a Prophet, then a Priest, and then a King: He was all at once, the very union invested him in all these, but in re­gard of manifestation, he was first a Prophet to in struct us of the end of his comming into the world, and then a Priest to doe that grand office, that we have most comfort by, [Page 136] and then a King to rule us, he could not be otherwise, for if he had manifested himselfe a King, and a Lord in his glory, where had beene his abasement, if they had knowne him to be the Lord of glory they would never have curcified him; onely some sparkles of his God. head, and Lordship, and King­dome, and royalty over all flesh, brake out in his miracles, yea in his grea­test abasement there were some sparkles I say, even when he lay in the man­ger, Kings came to adore him, when he payd tri­bute, he had it out of a fish, by a command, by majesty, when he was on [Page 137] the crosse hee converted the good theese; so some­what brake out of him, that he was a person more than ordinary, but that was for speciall ends, or­dinarily hee went on in a course of abasement, and all that he might performe the great worke of re­demption, therefore hee made a stoppe of his glory and Kingly office, that hee might not manifest him­selfe, in that relation and office; that he might doe the office of a Priest to dye for us: therefore you have it here in the due or­der; Christ dyed and rose againe, as the high Priest of his Church, that hee might he Lord of the dead [Page 138] and of the living, he was so before, but he was not manifest before: there­fore he is sayd to be mani­fest to be God by the re­surrection, Rom. 1. 4. he was God from ēterni­ty, but he was borne then, This day have I begotten thee, it is spoken of the resurrection, so you see here Christs offices, the state, and condition of his humiliation, and of his exaltation, and the use and end of all, That he might be Lord of the dead and of the living.

And if we be any thing offended with that abase­ment, that God should dye, looke to his rising, and reviving, and Lord­ship [Page 139] over all, both quicke and dead, and if we bee dazelled with his glory, looke backe againe to God in our flesh, and God in our flesh abased, even to the death of the crosse; oh it is a sweete meditation beloved, to thinke that our flesh is now in heaven, at the right hand of God, and that flesh that was borne of the Virgin, that was layd in the manger, that went up and downe doing good, that was made a curse for us, and humbled to death, and lay under the bon­dage of death three dayes, that this flesh is now glo­rious in heaven, that this person is Lord over the [Page 140] living and the dead, it is an excellent booke to studdy this, beloved stud­dy Christ in the state of humiliation and exalta­tion.

How is Christ Lord? He is Lord of the dead, those that dyed before he was borne; and of the li­ving those that are since, he is yesterday, that is, to those that were before he was, and to day, that is, when he was, and to mor­row and for ever the same, therefore he saith of the dead and of the living, of the dead, that is, in re­ference to former times, [Page 141] Christ is the Lambe of God slaine from the beginning of the world.

By what title is hee Lord?

By a title beloved, not as God, but by a title of conquest as a redeemer: for he dyed that he might be Lord, we are a bloody spouse to Christ, we are the price of his blood, he dyed that he might bee Lord, he must winne us before he could have us; thereupon dying and pur­chasing us, now hee is Lord of his Church and Children by marriage, before he could marry us he must bee borne in our nature, for the husband and wife must be of one [Page 142] nature: and being in bon­dage to a contrary King, to Sathan; hee must re­deeme and purchase us out of Sathans hands, so he is a Lord by conquest, and then he is a Lord in a nearer relation, hee is a Lord as a husband, He is Lord both of the dead and of the living.

But the point is sweetest in the use of it, onely know for a ground that Christ is Lord of the dead and of the living, as mediator God­man, not as God, but as God man, God in our nature, and hereupon wee have diverse sweete com­forts: as for example.

First of all it shewes what we may expect from [Page 143] Christ, what Christ will doe to us, and what wee ought to returne to him againe, for relations are bonds, especially when they are so founded, as this of Christs is, to bee Lord over us both in life and death, it is founded upon redemption, and up­on our Spirituall marriage, relations are bonds, and therefore they tye on his part to shew what wee may expect from him, he is Lord of the living, and of the dead, wee may ex­pect on his part, all that a gracious Lord should doe, to provide for his Church and children, we may ex­pect that from him, that (wee can from none else [Page 144] that) hee should not onely be Lord over us, but that he should make us subject that hee should flow in to us by his holy Spirit: for here is the prerogative of Christ, that he is such a head as quickeneth dead members, he is such a husband as makes his spouse beautifull, he puts glory upon her, no other husband can doe it, Moses married a blacke woman, but hee could not alter her hue, much lesse her dispo­sition, it is not in the po­wer of any man, a King cannot alter his subjects, but he is such a King as al­ters the nature of his sub­jects, he makes them sub­ject, he takes them out of [Page 145] a contrary kingdome, as being not borne his sub­jects, but borne anew by the Spirit, he doth all pro­vision, protection, the changing of our natures, the beginning of a good worke, and where this Lord begins a good work, hee finisheth it to his owne day: for beloved know this for a ground, that now in the second co­venant, we are not left as Adam was, in the hands of our owne free will, to stand or fall, but now in the second covenant that is founded upon Christs death, and satisfaction for us, Christ gives grace, he gives his holy Spirit to bring us within, the com­passe, [Page 146] and performes both our part and his too; he makes good his owne to be a gracious Saviour to us, and he performes our part too, or else the second covenant, the co­venant of grace should be frustrate as the first was, if it were left to our free­dome, therefore that is that that we may expect from this Lordship of Christ, the performance of the covenant of grace, in writing his law in our hearts, other Kings give lawes and write them in tables, but they cannot write them in the hearts of their subjects, but hee is such a Law giver as writes his owne will in [Page 147] the heart, he teacheth the very heart obedience, we are taught of God to love one another, I will write my law in their bowels, and in their inward parts, that is, they shall not onely know what they should doe, but they shall know the doing, the affecting, and performing of the things; they shall be able to doe the things, so Christ is a Lord over us, not onely teaching us what we should do, and in­joyning us in a kinde of superiority, this is your duty, and not this, but in­abling us to doe that that he commands, he gives us the very doing, the affe­ctions and loving, he tea­cheth [Page 148] our hearts to love. I say this we may expect from him, in the use of meanes, and subjecting to his ordinances, which is a wondrous prerogative to those that will submit to his law.

We may expect againe from this Lord advance­ment, he is such a Lord as makes all his subjects kings, the meanest man that is a subject to Christ that hath the Spirit of Christ is a King: Now he is a King over that that all others are slaves to, that are not Christians, they rule over others, but they are in thraldome, to their owne lusts, but he is a spi­rituall King, a King over [Page 149] hell, and death, and those things, that the very grea­test of men are afrayd off; as who feares death most? and hell most? those that deserve it most, by reason of their great place, sinke most in sin and rebellion against God, and contract more guilt than other men that that they are afraid of a true Christian as a Christian, is most trium­phant over, he is a King o­ver those things, for every subject of this Prince is a King.

Christs manner of go­vernment is hid now, there is more reallity in this, then can be expressed therefore wonder not: In a word Christ as our [Page 150] Lord binds himselfe to bring us to glory, never to leave us till hee hath brought us to that place that he is in himselfe, Fa­ther I will that where I am they be also, and hee pur­geth his Church, Ephes. 5. That he may make it a glori­ous Church, he takes upon him not onely to dye, to redeeme us from hell, and damnation, and to set us in a state of favour with his father, but to goē on in a course of fitting us till he have brought us to the glorions condition that he is in, it lyes upon him to doe it, therefore let us doe our duty, as wee shall see after, and let him alone with that that belongs to him▪

[Page 151] For our selves beloved this is our honour, that we are under such a King, such a Lord both living and dying; it was the honour of those that lived in So­lomons time, that they were under such a wise Prince, the Queene of She­ba judged it so, but what an honour is it to a Chri­stian now, that he is under such a blessed Prince as Christ is: It is a great ho­nour to be the Spouse of such a husband, to be the subject of such a King, to be members of such a head: and therefore we should oft thinke of it, to put honourable thoughts into us, and I know no greater way to keepe us [Page 152] from sinne, from base courses, than to have our thoughts strayned to this high point, to thinke of the dignity of a Christian, what a condition he is now brought unto in Christ, and what hee shall bee brought unto ere long, this should make him honourable to himselfe, to make him in a holy state, to thinke himselfe too good to defile his soule, or body, that is so dearely bought, and so highly advanced shall such a man as I flee? saith Nehe­miah, oh looke to that, shall such a man as I flee. It is the honour beloved of a Christian, that hee is Christs living and dying.

[Page 153] Object. But you will say an ho­nour, it is an honour to be free, the subject is bound, non sumus nati, &c. as the heathen man sayd, we are not borne to slavery, but to honour and liberty, and it is an appetite ingrafted in man, to desire free­dome above all things.

Answ. It is true, In regno nati sumus Deo, &c. wee are borne in a Kingdome, and to serve Christ is to reigne, for where there is a subor­dination, it is a preroga­tive to be under a better: as for the body being ba­ser than the soule, it is for the good of it to be under the soule, because it is more excellent, it hath life, and wisedome, the [Page 154] body is a loathsome dead thing of it selfe: the sheepe being a weake simple creature, shiftlesse, to bee guided by a sheepeherd, who is of a superiour na­ture, and wise to defend it, it is its security and safety, for the Vine that is a weak plant of it selfe, to have support, it is for the good of it, for man that is in a subordination to a higher nature to God, for him to be under the government of Christ God man, of God in our nature, it is a great honour: as they could say in the Schooles, every thing hath its per­fection, by being subject to a superiour, except the highest of all, which is [Page 155] not subordinate, but inde­pendant, whatsoever is dependant hath its perfe­ction by dependance, therefore it is an honour that we bee under Christ, the greatest honour in the world, especially if wee consider what manner of government Christs is, it is a rationall govern­ment agreeable to our principles: for he guides us as a Prophet, he is not onely a King but a Pro­phet, to teach us, he saith not you shall doe this, he stands not upon tearmes of will, no he is a Prophet to teach us, what wee should obey, he convin­ceth us, and then useth us, that we would not but be [Page 156] der such a government: and then when hee rules our will, he doth it sweet­ly, he drawes it with the cords of a man as the Pro­phet speakes, that is, by allurements, he brings us to heaven by way of love and intisements, what greater rewards can there be thought of than those that Christ leades us by, and drawes us to subjecti­on by, and therefore hee workes upon our will sweetely, by perswading us by allurements in that kinde.

In a word, he is such a King as is a husband, would you have a milder governement then that of a husband, which though [Page 157] it be not a parity, yet it comes as neare as can be, such a governement is Christs, as hee is a King, so hee is a husband, hee knowes how to beare with the infirmities of his Church, he that bids the husband to favour the wife as the weaker vessell, doth not hee practise his owne principles? will not he favour his owne spouse as the weaker vessell think you? that hath promised not to quench the smoking flax, and breake the brui­sed reed, undoubtedly he will: Therefore it is an honour to bee under the governement of Christ, so rationally, and sweetely hee drawes us with the [Page 158] cords of a man, it is the government of a husband, and of a wise husband, I doe but give a taste, you may inlarge them in your owne meditations.

And as it is our honour, so it is our security, and safety to bee under him, why? because when wee come sweetely under Christs governement, we need feare nothing, he that feares Christ, all things feare him, since Christ hath taken our nature up­on him, the devill him­selfe is afraid of mans na­ture, he trembles to think God hath appeared in our nature, now hee is afraid of a Christian, God hath taken this nature. Then [Page 159] hee is such a King as wee may be secure under him, as a universall King over all things, that he may be King over his Church; for hee hath all power in hea­ven and earth, Mat. 28. All power is given to mee in heaven and earth, and all for the governement of his Church, it is our se­curity to bee under him that governes al things for the good of the Church, he saith Iohn 17. Thou hast given mee power over all flesh. Christ hath all power given to him, in relation to his Church, therefore hee hath power over the devill, over hell, and over all wicked men, and all Monarches, and opposite [Page 160] power is subject to him, that they shall serve the Church, when they doe scourge the Church, they are but Christs rod, they are but instrumentall to Christ, they doe but his worke, therefore it is a great security, and we need to feare none, if we be un­der Christ.

Againe, to goe on, as it is our honour and secu­rity, so it is a Spring of duty, Christ is our Lord, he is Lord of all. There­fore it teacheth us our du­ty every way.

[Page 161] Our duty

• One to another.
• To those that are not Christians.
• To Christ him­selfe.

It teacheth us in all stan­dings, how to carry our selves. To give a taste of this, the Apostle presseth it oft, that Christ is our Lord, and will bee our judge.

Therefore, for others we ought not to be hasty in judging or censuring, wee ought to love them, because wee have all one Lord, this must force love: We have all one Lord, one baptisme, &c. We are ma­ny in our severals, but we [Page 162] are all one under this bond, being all under one Lord.

Then againe, it teacheth us how to carry our selves to men, otherwise affected not to be servants to the humours of men, Christ rules over us, both living and dying, therefore bee not the servants of men, but according to the scriptures limitation, Mar­ry in the Lord, obey in the Lord, walke in the Lord, doe all in the Lord, that is, so farre as it may stand in the will and pleasure of him, that is the Lord of Lords: For when the au­thority of any superiour doth countermand against the will of this Lord, it [Page 163] ceaseth to bind, when they command any thing in subordination, that may stand with the pleasure of the Lord, then the autho­rity is divine, wee obey Christ, in obeying them. As Christ said to his owne mother, when shee com­manded things, that shee had no authority to doe, hee cals her mother no longer, but Woman, shee stretching then beyond her compasse.

Againe, to goe on, this should teach us, in that Christ is the Lord of the living and of the dead, to account our selves not our owne, it should teach us perfect selfe de­nyall in matters of religi­on, [Page 164] especially not to be o­verwhelmed of our owne conceites, in the great mysteries, that Saint Paul cryes out of, Oh the depth, you have many that quar­rell with those things, and would bring them to rea­son, they will goe no fur­ther in religion then they can see reason, whereas one saith, I beleeve, be­cause it is impossible, and too farre above reason, therefore I the rather be­leeve it, it is oft times good to stand at a stay in God, as if wee were at a nonplus, to admire at him in the mysteries of Christs governing the Church, why hee suffers some part of the Church, that per­haps [Page 165] is better then other parts, (that are quiet and exempt from the crosse) to be exercised, with affli­ctions, and others not, not to scandall at this, and to be overbusie, in searching out the reason of this, Christ is our Lord and he is infinite in wisedome, and it is his prerogative to doe such things, as hee is not lyable to give a reason of to us, so God will have mercy, upon whom hee will have mercy. In great my­steries, remember the so­veraignty of this our Lord he is Lord of quicke and dead, let this stoppe our judgements, and teach us to deny our selves, when wee cannot give a reason [Page 166] of them, in a holy admira­tion, say with Saint Paul, Oh the depth.

And so for our will, he is Lord of quick and dead, we say of a wife, she hath no will, and a servant is not a distinct person, as it were in law, he is anothers wee are Christs servants, his subjects, & his spouse, and when wee beginne to be Christs, wee have lost our owne wills, we resigne them up to Christ, thy will shall bee mine in all things, if thou wilt have me doe this, I will doe it, if thou wilt have me suffer, I will suffer, if thou wilt honour thy selfe with my goods, and with my life, thou shalt have them: Of [Page 167] thee I had this body, this soule, this state, this repu­tation; I have whatsoe­ver I have from thee, it is maintained by thee, thou art mine, and I am thine; therefore I give up all to thee backe againe, it is a ground of perfect resigna­tion, that Christ is Lord of the quicke and of the dead, therefore stand not upon tearmes with Christ, when hee calls for any thing, in case of suffering and sealing the truth, let him have it, it is not lost, wee have a better founda­tion in him, then we have in our selves, when wee give any thing to him, life, or state, or credit, or what­soever, wee have a better [Page 168] life, a better state and con­dition in him, because all is more eminently in him, the primitive fountaine, then in the derivation, and beames from him, when we lose any thing, it is but a beame from the Sunne, and whatsoever wee lose in particulars, we have in the whole, in the foun­taine, againe, in Christ, therefore faith would helpe all this; in case of suffering, and tryall, what, is the cause good, or no? then I will resigne my selfe, and all that I have, and am to Christ, hee is Lord both of the quicke and of the dead.

Wee must know belo­ved that we are redeemed [Page 169] from our selves, and there­fore make this use of it, when wee are tempted to any sinne, Christ is my Lord, I am redeemed from my base lusts, what have I to doe with this anger? what have I to doe with this ambition? I am no debter to the flesh, I am under Christ, I am under grace, he hath redeemed mee from my vaine con­versation, I owe it nothing but mortification, and de­ny all, therefore in all so­licitations of corruption, learne this lesson, fetch ar­guments hence, Christ hath done great matters for me, he lived and dyed, and lives for ever, that is Lord of me living and dy­ing, [Page 170] there is no greater slave, then he that is a slave to his owne flesh, and to his owne lusts, therefore when we are stirred to any thing by our base nature, which must dye, or else wee shall never live eter­nally, we must kill it more and more daily, and death is the summe and accom­plishment of mortificati­on, when wee are stirred to any thing, go to Christ and complaine to him, blessed Saviour, thou didst dye, and rise, and revive, that thou mightst be Lord of the living and of the dead, I beseech thee claim thine owne interest in me, bring all into captivity, to thine owne Spirit, what [Page 171] hath this base affection to doe with me? what have I to doe with it? I am freed from it, I am redee­med from my selfe, what have I to doe with my selfe, but deny all? I am thine altogether, there­fore take thine owne in­terest in me, possesse me, fill me with thy Spirit, be all in all in mee, let pride, and ambition, and such things have no footing in me. It is good powring out the soule to God, to that purpose, to complaine to Christ, when it is thus with us, because it is his office to rule us. Now Lord Iesus do thine office, thy office is to be King, to rule in me, other lords [Page 172] would faine rule in mee, pride, and lust, and base covetousnesse would faine rule, as the Prophet saith, but what hath other lords to doe with me? thou art my Lord, and hast right to me, living and dying.

It is a point of wondrous comfort likewise to us, in all afflictions whatsoever, especially such, as con­cerne the state of the Church, we are now in ill times, if wee looke about us, however God conti­nues better to us then we deserve, wee are as the three young men in the fiery furnace, untouched, when all is in a combusti­on round about us, where is Christs ruling now? [Page 173] his poore Church is thus used, and trampled upon in France, in the Palatinate, in Bohemia, and the Prin­ces of Germany.

Beloved, it is our faults, perhaps wee waken not Christ, as the Disciples, they awaked Christ, when there was a mighty storm, and moved him to rebuke the winds, and the waves, and there followed a calme, so should we. Christ loves to bee awaked by our prayers, and if the Church would joyne in forces, one Church with another, altogether they might worke wonders, let us offer a holy violence to Christ by prayer, and the use of holy meanes; he is [Page 174] Lord still of the Church, and take things at the worst as they are, hee is but carrying things to his owne ends. Beloved, if we consider things aright, it can hardly bee other­wise with the Church then it is, if wee consider the former security, and dullnesse, and want of pri­zing the great things of Christ, the ministery of the word, and the Sacra­ments, we live under the Gospell, in such deadnesse and such sinnes, as a Turke would scarce commit, we are no more affected with it, then a Iew, or a Turke, that hath not the meanes, will Christ indure this that wee should come to bee [Page 175] carelesse whether wee have the Gospell, the blessed truth of God, or no? and grow sinfull, and have lesse conscience then a Turke or a Iew, will Christ continue his bles­sed prerogatives, and pri­viledges to such? There­fore, if we doe but looke to the ordinary dispositi­ons of most men, a man would thinke it impossi­ble, but that judgement should come, will there be a reformation of these men without a Spirit of fire, without some purging flame.

Then againe, Christ is humbling his Church for the advancement of it, and suffers the enemies to tri­umph [Page 106] for their further a­basement, hee is compas­sing a blessed worke, there is a great wheele a going, but wee doe not see the issue of things, al this great wheele the Lord rules and governes and moves, you shall see at length what it will drive to, wee see in a clocke there are many wheeles one con­trary to another, but all helpes the clocke to strik, all joyne in that, so there is a stroke, there is some­what that will come out of all these troubles, that seeme contrary one to an­other, some up, and some downe, but all these wheeles, will helpe to bring out some stroake, [Page 177] some glorious thing, that posterity perhaps may see that is now a working. Therefore let none take scandall, Christ rules now in the middest of his ene­mies. We must not catch at peeces of Christs work­manship, as in a poem, we judge not by a peece, but looke to the Catastrophe, wee looke to the upshot, and closure of all though all was in a combustion, there wee see all things brought to an excellent and wise issue: Therefore I beseech you suspend your judgements a while, and then you shal see with a spirit of faith, all the e­nemies overthrowne, e­ven as if we did see it with [Page 178] our eyes of sence, and in the meane time perswade our selves, that Christ is about a blessed worke, as hee is King of his Church.

One question the Pa­pists moove upon such Texts as this, that I will assoyle briefely, because it may trouble some, though it bee of no great moment: It is said here that Christ dyed, and rose againe, and revived, that hee might be Lord of the dead, and of the living. Hence, not onely Papists, but some others, moove this question, which I will give a little light unto.

Whether Christ by his dying and abasement did [Page 179] merit any thing for him­selfe? because it is said here; he did this that hee might bee Lord of the dead, &c.

Hee abased himselfe to the death of the crosse. Therefore, God gave him a name above all names, Phil. 2.

The Papists they fall upon Calvin, that saith, he did not, (and that makes me the rather to touch it) Calvin, as hee was a very holy man, so out of his ho­linesse, hee avoyded curi­ous questions, as much as he might, therefore gives an excellent answer, saith he, whether he did or no, it is curious to search, it is rash to define. For satis­faction, [Page 178] [...] [Page 179] [...] [Page 180] take these grounds and all is well.

First of all, that Christ is perfectly glorious now in heaven, both body and soule, there is no question of that, and that he came to this glory, both of bo­dy and soule, and the ma­nifestation of it, after his abasement by his humili­ation, first, he must dye, and suffer, and then enter into glory.

Againe remember this for a ground that Christ as man merited not the grace of Vnion or uncti­on, for how could he me­rit before he was? could Christ merit to be united to the second person, that was the greatest grace [Page 181] that ever was? No, nor the grace of unction, ha­bituall grace in Christ whereby the humane na­ture was filled with all grace, it was upon unction, presently they follow one another, there was no meriting of that thing, because from the begin­ning of his incarnation it was by union of his na­ture, these things being thought upon, for other things they are not mate­riall, onely it is best and safest, to thinke that he did not for himself merit any thing: for if so be all glo­ry was due to him by ver­tue of union, which he had by grace, and by vertue of unction, if he had dyed [Page 182] presently, he might have gone to heaven presently indeed without dying if there had not beene a dis­pensation layd upon him to dye for us, and there­fore by vertue of union and unction that was free, heaven was due to him presently, and all that glo­ry that hee had after­ward.

Why was there a stop of that glory? that his body being united to the divine nature, was not pre­sently glorified, as now it is in heaven, so that hee lived in abasement, and dyed a most cursed death.

Beloved all this was for us, and then after the dis­pensation [Page 183] was finished for us, after Gods justice was satisfied for us, there was no more stoppe or stay of his glo­ry, but then his divine na­ture did flow into his hu­mane nature, and then his humane nature became glorious, so glorious as it was capable of what hee did was for us, There­fore it is good to thinke of the love of Christ, that he considered us and not himselfe, in that his abase­ment as the Scripture runs in that straine, To us a Sonne is given, for us a childe is borne, he dyed for us, hee gave himselfe for us, he rose for us, hee ascended for us, he sits at [Page 184] the right hand of God for us, himselfe indeede hath glory, but together with us, and therefore when wee thinke of the glory of Christ, thinke of us in him, when we see him borne, thinke he was borne for me, when wee see him dye, thinke wee dye with him, when wee see him buried, thinke our selves buried with him; so in the state of exaltation, when wee see him rise, and sit at the right hand of God, thinke he is there to prepare a place for me, whatsoever hee hath, or whatsoever he did, he re­gards us in all; therefore it somewhat obscures the glory and the love of [Page 185] Christ to us, to conceive that he had a selfe-respect in these things, when he saith in the text, For this end Christ dyed, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord of quicke and dead, I beseech you consider whose good he respects, in this Lordship: is it not a profitable Lordship for us? is it not for our good, that he is our Lord in life and in death? & not only our Lord, but the Lord of Sathan, of death, and of all our ene­mies, he is Lord over all saith the Apostle, God over all, blessed for ever therfore he is Lord over sinne, over death, over hell, over all that we neede to feare, it is for us, therefore our [Page 186] good is intended, though there be a redundance of glory in Christ, in all these things, yet thinke hee re­spects our good, the best meditation of Christ, is to thinke, all is for us.

Beloved is it not a great mercy, that hee should stop the issue, and the beames of glory that should otherwise have come upon his humane nature, that he should be content to be in the shape of a servant? and bee eclipsed, in regard of ma­nifestation, and abase him­selfe to the death of the crosse, and all for our re­demption, when he might have gone to glory ano­ther way? but as one of [Page 187] the ancients saith well, if he had gone to heaven a­nother way, hee might have come thither him­selfe, but hee could not have helped us that way, therefore he would goe to heaven by way of abase­ment, and concealement, and stopping that of his glory, that he might helpe us, and pay the price to God for us, and recon­cile us: I beseech you let us see his love to us in all this; enough for that que­stion, which I would not have mentioned, but that it hath a speciall use and comfort, and may be an incentive, to kindle love to Christ, regarding us in his birth, and life, and [Page 188] death in his resurrection; in his ascention, in his glo­ry, in all.

To draw to a conclusion therefore, Christ is our Lord both in life and death, it is for ever, oh beloved therefore I be­seech you, let us project for his glory for ever as much as we can, he is our Lord, when we are dead, he is the Lord of our soules, of our happines, we are nearer him then, than we are now, hee that is my Lord both living and dying, and for ever, shall not I labour that when I am dead there may be a Church here? that when I am dead posterity may serve him? and be subject [Page 189] to him, shall he for ever be Lord for my good, and shall not I as much as ly­eth in me, lay a foundati­on for ever in his service? that when I can serve him no longer my selfe, then posterity may serve him.

It was a cursed wish of a Pagan Emperour, when I am dead let heaven and earth be mingled if they will: but a Christian thinkes Christ is mine, and for my good both li­ving and dying, nay I have more good by him when I am dead than alive, therefore I will labour that he may have glory in his Church by me and mine, and all my coun­sels, [Page 190] and projects shall be, that it may be for ever and ever world without end, therefore they desire that God may be served and glorified in the Church for ever, as he is their Lord living and dying.

And let it be our com­fort in the houre of death (that may bee nearer us then we are aware off) that he is not onely Lord of the living but of those that are dead, he hath the keyes both of hell and death, that is, he hath the government of death, and therefore shall I be afraid to commit my soule to Christ? what a ground is this, comfortably to yeeld our soules to Christ, Lord [Page 191] take the soule, thatthou dyedst to purchase, that thou didst rise againe-to justifie, that thou dost live now in heaven to make in­tercession for, that thou hast given thy holy Spirit, in some measure to san­ctifie, take this soule to thee, it is thy soule as much and more than mine I am not mine owne, nor my soule is not my owne, Into thy hands I commend even thy Spirit, for thou hast redeemed me oh Lord of truth, thou hast re­deemed this soule of mine, therefore now take this soule, that thou by thy Spirit hast wrought in some poore measure, to desire to please thee, that [Page 192] soule that thou hast sprinkled with thy owne blood, take that soule, for thou art Lord both li­ving and dying, and what a comfort is it when death shall close up our eyes, that we can looke forward and see then our selves nearer Christ, for then we goe to Christ our hus­band, as Paul saith, I desire to be dissolved and to bee with Christ, which is best of all, when a Christian thinkes at death: now I am changing for the bet­ter, Christ will not leave me at the houre of death, neither dying nor li­ving, butwill watch over my dust, my dead body is a member of Christ, death [Page 193] may separate body and soule, but it cannot sepa­rate soule or body from him, therefore take no thought for body, or soule for my soule I know hee will receive it, and my bo­dy as a good depositum is layd up in the dust, hee watches over all the dust and ashes, and every thing and will make the earth faithfull in giving up that depositum, he is Lord of me dying as well as living, shall I be afrayd to dye, when in death I commend my soule to such a sweete Lord, and goe to my hus­band and to my King?

And that is the end of the Sacrament, for the Word and Sacrament are [Page 194] parts of the regiment of Christ, whereby he rules his Church, hee rules his Church outwardly by the Word and Sacraments, and inwardly by his Spi­rit, his holy Spirit makes good his owne good meanes, and therefore as the subjects of Christ, I beseech you let us come to the ordinance of Christ, he is such a Lord as doth great things by despised meanes, bread and wine, poore meanes, but consi­der what a mighty Lord useth them for our soules good, and it is his glory to magnifie himselfe by base and weake meanes, hee goes contrary to the course of the world, that [Page 195] stands all upon outward excellency, therefore let no man stumble at the meannesse of the meanes, but consider what great things he workes, by the foolishnesse of Preaching, and the meannesse of his Ordinances the Sacra­ments, he beates downe strong holds, he builds us up in Christ to Salvation, hee communicates him­selfe and all his benefits to us, therefore I beseech you come with faith, come with this perswasion Christ will blesse his own Ordinance, and come with comfort, Christ com­municates himselfe to us, the nearer we come to the fountaine, the more wee [Page 196] draw. And come with preparation, know with whom wee have to deale, with him that is Lord of quicke and dead, come with reverence; but these things I have oft upon this occasion stood upon: so much for this Text.