and to seek themselves to serve Satan and sin the professed enemies of God which are not onely digressions but motives to hell and eternall destruction VVhat a pitifull thing is it that Creatures should come into the world and live some twenty some forty some moe yeers and go out of the world again not knowing wherfore they lived Good reason it is wee should live to Christ acknowledge him in all our ways live answerable to our knowledge resigne up our selves to his government and seek his glory in all things that wee may make Christ known in the VVorld That all that see us may see Christ in us and perceive our love to him That hath called us out of darknesse into his marvellous light And also to acknowledge him to be Lord of our life and in death to resigne our selves to him as a faithfull Creatour knowing that hee taketh care of us in life and death For we are not our own Wee are bought with a price as the Apostle saith Again Our selves are our greatest enemies â—here is no such flatterer as the bosome flatterer That enemy selfe that we have in our bosomes betrayeth us to Satan else all the Devils in hell could not hurt us Self is our own enemy and Gods enemy Nay enemy is too easie too good a word the best thing in us is enmity it self against God By wofull experiment wee finde that which hath brought all the misery that the world ever felt hath beene self-will Men will be turned upside down rather than their wils shal be crossed but doth not this provoke God Shall a piece of earth strive against him and will not hee break it to powder Surely God will set us as a mark to shoot at and will triumph and get himselfe victory and glory over those creatures that will have their wils Hell is fit for such God will be sure to have his will of them when the creature shall set his wil against Gods wil when an earthen pot shall set it self against a mace of brasse which will have the worst think you If we live to our selves we lie open to Satan But on the contrary part a man that liveth to God is fit for any gracious motions whatsoever they be Hee is fit for God and a blessed communion of Saints Man is a reasonable creature made for God And if you grant there is a God you must grant that man is to doe service to that God God is the Creditour and man the Debtor and of necessity there must be an obligaiion Now to shew the nature of this living to Christ. First it imports a vitall operation an exercise that proceeds from life Now as naturall life springeth from union of the body with the soule so the union of the soule with Christ bringeth into the soule true principles of an holy and spirituall life For Christ and the soule cannot touch one another but presently hee infuseth a living principle All artificiall motions proceed from something without And such are the self-seeking Christians that do only act a part in Religion but these thaâ— truly live to God and Christ they have an inward instinct that enclines them to holinesse Secondly there is intyrenesse in a Christian course so that he liveth to none but Christ. Life is not onely taken for the space of his being in the world but for the improving of all the furtherances of our life to Christ. As to bestow our selves upon him in all the civill relations wee have in the World by being obedient to him and to others in him and for him in whatsoever callings we are not onely in our naturall life but also in our civill life to go on in a constant tenour all the whole course of our lives aiming at Christ not to set our selves in our callings to get riches for those shal be cast in by the way God alloweth us riches but not to be our ends but that wee may serve him and honour him There is no time to sinne but a time for every thing else Thirdly In our living to Christ there must be evennesse and uniformity wee must not live to Christ for a fit but constantly not to doe now and then a good action but to make it our course our trade to live to Christ intirely constantly uniformly Fourthly and then living to the Lord implyeâ—h that all Christians counsel and advice is how to live to Christ. Heaven is alwayes before him because his way is to God and to Christ. Other men will rage and swel though the know wel enough they are out of the way when they be put in minde of it But a gracious man is glad to have any Scripture opened that may give him more light either by a discovery of a sin or duty because hee now knoweth an enemy and friend which before hee knew not and hath learned a duty which before hee was ignorant of for it is his scope and endevour to set himself in the way of living to Christ. Firftly Hee that liveth to Christ hath likewise this quality He is not carried on his course by false windes hee doth not sail by a false coÌ„passe Though the world incourageth or discourageth him all is one hee regardeth it not his care is wholy taken up in the service of his God And with Ioshuah think the world what it wil He and his house will serve the Lord and with holy David will resolve to be yet more vile for Gods glory And though hee getteth disgrace in the world he regardeth it not but is willing to suffer it so that his God may be honoured knowing he shall not be a looser by the bargaine Other men if so be they are disgraced they are so shallow in Religion that they are quickly taken off because the truth hath no root in them like the bad and naughty ground and not only so but they will speake contrary to the truth in their consciences bâ—t alas one day they shall know that God accounteth them as his enemies Sixtly again a true Christian will live to the Church of Christ for we are members of Christ we ought to labour for the advancement of the truth of his Religion the Kingdome of Christ and to be of the same spirit with good Nehemiah that all may be well with us when the Church of God prospereth and groweth up in the world getting victory over all her enemies Now carnall men live not at all to Christ they care not whether Religion sinketh or swimmeth Tel them of heavenly matters tush they are not for them but God doth hate such persons for as they regard not to serve God or to owne Christ in their lives so hee wil not owne them at their deaths As in prosperity they are not on his side neither wil owne his part which one day wil prove the best so in times of trouble they cannot expect or looke for any favour or mercy from him And to adde
his Members and in all degrees of nearnesse to him And because God in the second person hath done all therefore in the second person he ismore termed Lord than God the Father or the holy Ghost And therefore Acts 2. 36. God the father hath made him Lord and Christ. This is a poynt of wonderfull comfort and not onely a comfort but a direction how to carry ourselves It is not onely a poynt of dignitie and prerogative but a dutie First it is agrand coÌ„fort we are the Lords and the Lords in a peculiar manner as before The Divel is the Lords the Earth is the Lords All is the Lords but wee are the Lords by eternal donatioÌ„ by purchase by conquest by voluntary yeelding to him And therefore it is a most excellent condition What is the Lord If we be Christs we have him for Lord that is Lord of life Lord of glory Lord of grace that is Lord of Lords King of Kings He is an independent Lord none is above him the Father and he agreeing together if you know one you know both Hee is an absolute Lord a free Lord he hath no dependance at all upon any creature whatsoever An eternall Lord we have an eternall being in him for wee are when we are dead And therfore the Apostle divideth it Whether we live or dye wee are the Lords We have a substance when we be dead and a Lord of equall continuance with our selves a king for ever Therefore it is a poynt of wonderfull comfort But you will say Freedome is a sweet thing especially freedome from government so as to have no Lord to controule us therfore how can this be so excellent estate to have Christ our Lord Beloved wee are creatures wee are neither of our selves nor by our selves nor â—or ourselves Besides wee have enemies greater than our selves the powers of hell and therefore if we had not a better above us what would become of us but to bee totally subjected under the power of enemies It is the happines of the inferior to be in subjection to be the superior It is the happines of beasts to be under man that they may be kept from destruction It is the happines of the the weak to have tutors governers It is the perfection of inferiors to yeeld a gracious subjection to that that is better than themselves For every thing is perfected by being subject to that which is better And therfore we especially in our lapsed condition seeing wee are our owne greatest enemies God in love will not trust us with our selves since the fall but wil have our hapnes to be dependent subject to another to a God in our nature an excellent Lord and therefore an excellent Lord because besides what I spake before Christ hath all the authority in heaven earth committed to him not only over us but over our enemies that they shall not doe us harme And indeed he cannot bee Lord of the Chruch but he must be Lord of all creatures in heaven and earth that no creature may prejudice his Church Hee hath universall authoritie over all things and all for the Chruches cause And then he hath all the good qualities of a Lord not only authority but wisdome and strength power bounty and goodnesse and whatsoever may make him a gracious Lord. And therefore it is our perfection to be in subjection to this Lord. To set forth a little the excellencie of this Lord. He hath the sweetnesse of all superiours whatsoever as he hath taken the name of all superiority that is sweet and lovely so he hath the affections of all and eminently more than all hee is a Lord as a Husband hee loveth more than any husband can doe Hee is a Lord as a King he can do more for us than any king He hath all power in heaven and earth and hell over the divels themselves All knees bow to him of things in heaven and in earth and under the earth And he is Lord as an Head Whatsoever Superiority is neare deare that hee is to his Church He requires service I but hee is such a Lord as enableth us to serve him helpeth our infirmities by his Spirit without him we can doe nothing but in him wee can doe all And as hee enableth us to performe service so doth hee reward every service every good thought nothing is lost that is done for Christâ— sake not a cup of cold water Hee giveth strength to perâ—orme accepteth it as a worke of his Spirit and then rewardeth it He is so a Lord as he standeth for his so a Lord as he appeareth for us now in heaven against all accusations of Sathan Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods people for Christ maketh intercession for them He stood for his Disciples here on earth and upon any occasion was ready to defend them and hee is as ready in heaven to stand for his subjects and servants and will answer all accusations of a malitious world against his Chruch and children and will bring forth their righteousnesse to light as the noone day hee standeth for their credit and ingageth himselfe for the defence and protection of his Mount Sion his Church And to adde one thing more out of the text concerning the excellencie of this Lord he is an unchangeable Lord his love is as himselfe and his care as himselfe Eternall For whether we live or dye we are his What other people that are under a government can say so For all their governours love and care endeth in death In the meane time their mindes are variable their affections may dye before themselves as how many have beene cast off in their old dayes But God will not do so Forsake me not in my gray haires sayth David Hee is our Lord while wee live and he leaveth us not when wee leave to live but is our God to death in death and after death and for ever It is a relation that holds for eternitie As our Saviour Christ sayth of Abraham Isaac and Iacob He is the God of Abraham Abraham is dead Isaac and Iacob rotten in their graves I but their soules are in heaven and because he is their whole God their bodies shall be raised againe and united with their soules and bee for ever with the Lord. In all the vicissitude and entercourse of things in this world wee need something to sticke to and this the Christian hath to sticke to that never faileth him He is the Lords and the Lord is his hee is Christs and Christ is his Christ hath a love that is as himselfe unchangeable Whom the Lord loveth he loveth to the end The promises made in Christ are as Christ the promises of grace here and glory hereafter certain as his nature and love is unchangeable so the fruit of his love in his gracious promises is alwaies certain They are the everlasting portion of the Church
method Again our Saviour Christ in his ordinary speech delivered it a generall rule It is better to give then to receive VVhich containeth a direction to men to be publike and liberall Saint Pauls ordinary course was so Knowing therfore the terrour of the Lord wee perswade men c. VVhat an influence hath this into our conversations That I must do as I must give account at the day of judgment And so what use made hee of the glorious state to come in that house and building of God not made with hands not seen but apprehended onely by faith It inabled him to do and suffer all things that became a Christian to do and suffer If a man have that principle and mindeth it that all things worke together for the best to them that love God what can discourage him he knoweth in the issue all shâ—â—l be for the best and God will not fail him nor forsake him in his way but giveth his Angelsâ— charge over him So Christs direction One thing is necessary how may it rectifie us when we trouble our selves about many impertinencies If these generalists were always present upon sollicitations to sin or discomfort It shall goe well with the righteous and it shall not go well with the wicked if wee take good courses it shall be well if ill courses sinne will be bitter it would be a marvailous helpe and advantage in all particulars of our lives The second general observation is this That as we must get good principles laid up in store upon all occasions so we must specially have gracious aimes Men are as their aimes are Noble spirits have noble aimes Christians are of an higher ranke then ordinary men and therfore they have higher aimes Religion giveth command to all other particulars and prescribeth to them a general end it taketh a man off from a false end and pitcheth him upon a true end It taketh him from himselfe thâ— great Idoll that Man naturally setteâ—h up above God and above Christ and above Heaven and Happinesse and telleth him that the true end of all is to live to Christ and that on good grounds for we are his and his by good title hee died for us that he might be Lord both of quick and dead As in state Policy those that are Governours in a state they prescribe ends of Trades and reduce them to a serviceablenesse of state If they finde any thing hurtful they look to it as it stands in reference to the common good So Religion considereth of all particulars as they have reference to Christ and the mayn end taking us off from false ends and prescribing the last and best end and directing all particulars to that end But wee shall see this better in the unfolding of the words The first thing hee begins in the general is to take us off from false ends None of us liveth to himselfe First to live to our selves is not altogether to be taken in a civil sense A man liveth to himself when he liveth privatly or retiredly Benè vixit qui bonè latuit So a man may do in some things especially in times of persecution but this ordinarily is not good A man is a creature for communion God hath fitted him for communion by speech other endowmâ—nts that there may be preserved a communion of Saints But because a retired life is sometimes good it is not here maynly aymed at Again secondly VVe live to our selves when we minde our selves altogether and not one another VVhen we have more respect to our selves then to God or to our Christian brother And this is even contrary to nature wee see in nature that a particular nature wil in some cases yield to a general and thwart it self The fire is a light body and in the natural motion of it mounteth upward yet this body wil go downwards to preserve whole the uniuersal nature from a vacuum from emptinesse that the fulnesse and solidity in nature may not be disturbed And we see heavy bodies goe upward for the same end As a man wil venture the hand to save his head and to save his body so it should be in society and government particular men should venture themselves for the Prince or State for the head or for the bodie But in a more large and religious sense To live to a mans self is to make himselfe his last end his Terminus reductivus to reduce all to himself and make Religion every thing serviceable to himself When a man will serve himself of God for base ends because his service will advance him As the Sichemites were circumcised for Dinah And to die to our selves is much like it A man dyeth to himselfe when he regardeth himself in death and is regarded much of no body else Persons that have an absolute being of themselves that have no kindred not much acquaintance or have been little fruitful in their lives die to themselves in a civil sense That is no man mourneth for them saying Ah my brother They were of little use in their lives and so little mist in their deaths And usually they that live thus to themselves they die to themselves little regarded little lamented Onely this often times they do most good when they die as we say of Swine They are never good till dead But this is meant in a theological higher sence No Christian dieth to himselfe that is dieth unregarded of God and of good men As hee liveth not to himselfe but to Christ so he dieth not to himselfe Precious to the Lord is the death of all his Saints He is not Despotos without Lord and Master but whether he liveth or dieth he is the Lords So much for the negative part which wee see may be taken both actively and passively But this clause wâ—l be better understood by adding the other Whether wee live wee live to the Lord Or whether we die we die to the Lord. What is it to live to the Lord First to acknowledge the Lord in all our wayes to be our Lord to whom we owe our selves And secondly Therupon to resigne our selves to the Lord in our whole carriage so as to obey him to give up our selves to be disposed of him and directed by him as hee pleaseth And then Thirdly to refer all things to his glory as our last end and to endevour that God and Christ may be known and magnified in the VVorld VVhen wee labour to practise what we pray for according to that first Petition hallowed be thy name his Religion and truth and whatsoever else is Gods may be advanced set high published and inlarged that he may be known and worshipped that he may be to us what he is in himselfe the great God Lord of quick and dead So by our giving respect to him sutable to our knowledge of him Fourthly and lastly He that liveth to the Lord comforâ—eth himself in this that the Lord taketh notice of him in every thing For
but mortification We are not debters to the slesh saith the Apostle Therefore when a proud vindictive motion ariseth say I owe no suite or service to the flesh VVhat should these doe in a heart dedicated to God consecrated to Christ I am not mine owne much lesse Satans or lusts which be objects of mortification but no way worthy of my service Absolute deniall is required here Of other things a deniall is required onely as they stand in competition with Christ. In that case a man must sacrifice Isaac not onely his sinful selfe but natural self also his life and bodily liberty the dearest thing in the world and whatsoever is sweet for Christ. He having taken us off from our selves assigneth us to a true Lord. Wee live to the Lord and die to the Lord. It had not beene enough to say Wee ought not to live to our selves or die to our selves if he had not told whom we must live to and die to For naturally man will never leave any thing though but an apparaÌ„t good til he knoweth something better A man wil not part with a bad Master til he hath a better service Therefore he sheweth where to bestow our selves namely upon Christ who hath care of us both in life and death This is to be laid down for a ground had we not a better being in Christ then in our selves hee would never take us from our selves for God never biddeth us to our losse We have a better condition in Christ then we can have in the VVorld It is our gaine and advantage to live and die to Christ though it be to the losse of naturall self of civill selfe and whatsoever else yet it is our advantage It is Mercatorium not a losse but a trading VVee have a better for worse No man ever parted with any thing for Religion or a publike good but God made it up in a better kind Though God should not make it up in this world in the same kinde yet in Religion there be all things better then in the world If we lose honour here wee have honour from God If wee lose riches wee have them made up in grace here in glory hereafter If wee lose liberty we have it in the inlargment of a good conscience If wee lose friends wee get a God for a friend who can make our enemies friedÌ„s If we lose life wee are put into possession of eternal life and therfore wee need not stand at the bargain Wee have a better being in Christ then in our selves VVater is not lost when it emptieth it self into the Sea for there it is in its proper element A Christian is not lost when he loseth himselfe in his God in his Saviour For in him he hath a better being then in himselfe Hee is brought neerer the fountain I desire to depart and to be with Christ which is the best of all saith the Apostle Religion is a most excellent condition for as hee that saveth his life shall lose it so hee that loseth his life shall save it All our comforts have a better being in Christ then inâ— our selves and therfore wee should labour to have communion with him and to strengthen our faith in Christ and be in love with our happy condition in him which yieldeth comfort in life and death And all by vertue of the death of Christ and the resurrection of Christ. As he saith afterward Christ both died and rose again that hee might be Lord both of the dead and of the living The resurrection of Christ is the consummation of all If Christ had not risen again where had our comfort bin But the very thought of it that we are ingraffed in one who hath not only purchased us by his death for we are the price of his bloud but to make it cleer that it is so is now in heaven as our head having overcome death and intending to bring al his body where he is as it was his will That where hee is wee should be also is a glorious thought The glory of Christian Religion is in the resurrection of Christ and to consider that we that are creeping here on earth shal be members of him that is glorious in Heaven Lord of heaven and earth who not onely died for us but is risen againe and wil make us all both in body and soule conformable to his glorious selfe as the Apostle saith to the Philippians cannot but infuse life and vigour into all our actions estates and conditions be they never so mean And have a wonderfull influence into the whole life of a Christian. THE SECOND SERMON ROM 14. 7 8. None of us liveth to himself and none of us dyeth to himself for whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord Whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords FIrst the general scope of the Apostle is to take us off from our false ends None of us liveth to himselfe c. Secondly to assigne us to the true object to whom wee ought to dedicate our selves that is to the Lord. Thirdly the ground of all Whether wee live or die we are the Lords And then fourthly the spring of all Christ both died and rose againe that hee might be Lord both of quick and dead There is a concaâ—enation and knitting together of divine truths They following one another by a necessity of coÌ„sequence As from the body of the Sunne there is a naturall issue of beames And as in plants derivation from the root into the branch so there is from Christ into all truths Grant him to be the second Adam and grant him Lord of the Living and of the Dead and it will follow wee ought to live to him If we grant we ought to live to Christ then wee must grant wee ought not to live to our selves For wee ought to live to Christ. Why to Christ because hee is Lord both of life and death Why is he Lord because hee hath purchased it by his bloud How doe wee know hee hath purchased it by his death satisfactorily because hee is risen againe and sitteth at the right hand of God to make all good for us Things are best to us when they are digested and made our own by the presence of good principles But here is the mischief Sin is ready and good principles are not ingraffed into us but if divine truths were as neere as corruption is then wee could withstand and repell all temptations As Travellers have the end of their journy in their thoughts habitually though not actually for every step they take is in vertue of their end So wee should consider that we are all Travellers in the way to Heaven and every step of our life should be to that end The ignorance of this maketh the life of most men to be but a digression from the mayne As if they were brought into the world onely to satisfie base lusts
The good things promised are everlasting likewise we may build upon them wee cannot build on riches here or life here but we may build on eternall life eternall glory and happinesse So that cast a Christian into what condition you will he hath God and Christ in covenant with him and the love of Christ and all the gracious promises and the things promised And these doe not vary life varieth We may live now dye to morrow but whether we live or dye these foure things mentioned are certainly ours A Christian cannot say of any thing here that it will be his long his estate is his now and many wayes there are to take it away his friends are his now but their friendship may decline any thing in the world may bee so ours to day as not ours to morrow And therefore were it not that in this varietie of conditions we had something that is afterward â—here were our comfort wee may out-live all comâ—orts here but wee cannot out-live our happinesse in Christ For whether wee live or dye wee are the Lords To speake of this a little as it yeeldeth comfort in death wee are the Lords not onely while we live but when wee dye Why because we have a being in Christ when we dye Christ is a living root because I live you shall live also This Lord is the Lord of life and therefore whosoever is one with the Lord of life hee can indeed never dye Death is only a change of a naturall graccious life here to a glorious life in another world from the Church warfaring here to the Church triumphant in heaven It is not properly death for misery dyeth Death it selfe dyeth wee doe not dye Death overthroweth it selfe but a Christians life is hid with Christ and when he dyeth he dyeth to live and is found in Christ at the day of judgement and shall bee for ever with Christ. Therefore it is no great matter what kinde of death a Christian dyeth because he dyeth in the Lord. Blessed are they that dye in the Lord. Hee sayth not them that dye a faire death A wretch an opposer an hypocrite may doe so and goe to hell But blessed are they that dye in the Lord because Christ is their Lord in death and so sayth the Apostle Heb. 11. All these dyed in faith Hee sayth not they all dyed a faire death for they did not but many of them dyed a bloudy death yet they all dyed in faith and so they dyed in the Lord. And therefore when wee read in the Histories of the Church that some were torne in pieces with wilde beasts that they gave the bodies of the Saints to the Fowles of Heaven as David hath it which may discourage some to bee Christians let us not thinke that any matter they died in faith And as the Psalmist sayth Pretious to the Lord is the death of all his Saints For he taketh notice of them in their lives not onely in their lives but the haires of their head they being all numbred Hee taketh notice of the teares that fall from their eyes and will not hee take notice of their bloud Hee taketh notice of their persons their haires their teares and will hee part with their lives for nothing No hee will be payd for the lives of his children when hee parts with them his enemies shall bee sure to pay for it Hee will bee avenged on them for it as the bloud of Naboth was on Ahab so hee will bee revenged on all the persecutours of his Church and take a strict account of every droppe of bloud that hath beene shed for their persons are pretious God taketh speciall notice of them they are his members his Spouse and neare unto him And then hee will not have them dye till they have done their worke Hee taketh speciall notice of them all their life And when they have done what they came for as Christ sayth of himselfe I have done the worke thou gavest mee to doe Then hee sendeth for them home They dye not at adventure but under the care of one that knoweth them well both in life and death And therfore it is that God so revenged the Persecutors of his Church for the bloud of his Saints from the bloud of Abel unto this day And as the death of his Saints are pretious so are all the things the Saints have their credit is pretious their goods are pretious God taketh notice of everie thing they part with for his sake As he and all his is ours himselfe his happines his spirit his priviledges so when wee are his all ours are his hee taketh care of our lives of our deaths of our credits of our riches of our estates wee part with nothing for him but he considers it and will reward it aboundantly Hee that dyeth in the Lord is a blessed man so sayth the spirit the flesh will not say so but rather will inferre who would bee so religious for such venture their lives and are counted as the off-scowring of the world The Divell will teach this Lesson and the world As they have lived in the flesh and will sell all to bee some body in the World though they goe to hell when they have done But saith the Spirit blessed are they who not onely die for the Lord as Martyrs but that die in the Lord whether to seale the truth of God with their blood or other wise they die happily so this is a ground of speciall comfort And as it is a ground of speciall comfort so it is a ground of direction Whether we live or die we are the Lords Therfore it may bee a foundation of living to the Lord. If we be the Lords surely we ought to live to him Iâ— we be his all our endeavours whatsoever is ours are his Fructus and Fundus goe together the fruit and the soile and therefore if we be the Lords in life death we must not live to our selvs as our own but give our selvs to him not to anything else we are not our owne nor mans but the Lords And therefore wee ought not to yield up our selves to our selfe-wils selfe-wit self-love to be at or owne disposing and to live as we list We are redeemed from our selves yea from all our vaine conversations Some thinke Christ dyed and therefore they may be vaine especially at the solemn time of Christs nativitie The divell hath so prevailed with the world and will till there bee a new face of the Church they never honour the Divell more than when they seeme to honour Christ. For say they Christ came to set us at libertie Did hee so But it was to deliver us from wickednesse yea from vaine conversations and not to purchase us liberty to live as wee list Our tongues are our owne say they in the Psalmes I but Christ sayth they are not your owne they are his And if
Christ and Scripture no further than the Church discovers 〈◊〉 And so they overturne all For they believe God because men say so It is a dangerous errour that runneth into practise If the Church say treason must bee done wee must bee traytors It is no matter what the Scripture sayth the Pope hee is the head of the Church and hee can dispense with what he pleaseth But my sheep saith Christ heare my voyce And it is our duty to heare what the Lord of our â—aith saith which is onely Christ. If he be our Lord then let our wils bee brought into subjection to his will nothing is more out of order than this will of ours if that were once subiect to Christ all controversie betweene God and us were taken away All the stâ—ife is whether we shall have our wills or he his will The Spouse hath no will of her owne but it is resigned to her Husband So must wee submit our wills to Christs desire And then againe wee ought not in any thing to regard the humours of men Christ is Lord of our affections we must hate what hee will have us hate and love what hee loveth our whole soules must be conformable to Christ. And our bodies are wholly his too and therefore wee must be content that our bodies should bee used as they used his body He gave his body for us he tooke our nature and in that nature went about doing good suffering hardship hee was hungry and thirsty hee was crucified in our nature suffered in our nature and so should we be content our natures should be used as he would have them to take much pains in doing good to suffer hunger thirst restraint yea death it selfe for Christ because wee are Christs it is no more than hee did for us hee being our Lord was abased for us in his blessed body and flesh and therefore shall not wee suffer for him So our conditions are his suffer him therfore to cut us out a portion to allot us any condition The word implyeth more particularly an application to our selves wee are the Lords and the Lord is ours And likewise a renunciation and severing from all others we are the Lords and none else the Lords and none but the Lords if we are any bodies else it is in the Lord and for the Lord. Here is likewise a resignation wee are the Lords and therefore wee will give up our selves to him with a resting in him and high estimation of him and glorying in our condition through him And then heere is an improvement of this implyed wee are the Lords therefore we ought to improve it on our parts by serving him and on his part by believing that he will have care of us We are the Lords first by particular application which is wrought by degrees First God by his Spirit revealeth himselfe to be ours not fully but by letting in so much light into the soule as may carry the soule to him and makes us yeeld to him trust in him and cast our selves upon him and by doing so wee grow into farther acquaintance with him and hee honours our faith with a farther sence assurance that he is ours and we are his There is a great deale of distance and bredth betweene the first act of faith by which we cast our selves on Christ and a confident perswasion that Christ is ours and wee are his that is a fruit of faith and there needeth a great deale of growth before we come to that And therefore if you aske what doth the soule first to make Christ his owne It is this In the use of meanes wherewith God pleaseth to be effectuall a light is by the Spirit let into the soule wherby the heart is perswaded that hee hath a good meaning towards it that he is a gracious Lord and wil forgive the sinnes of all that relye upon him And with the acknowledging of these truths together with the offer of mercie in Christ there is so much sweetnesse let into the soule as carrieth the soule backe againe to Christ to rest upon him For unlesse Christ begin in some degree to make love to the soule and giveth a taste of his sweetnesse wee cannot relye upon him nor love him not onely because we are creatures and hee is first and must begin to us but because it is the nature of a guilty soul when it is under terrour and awakened to forecast such doubts that till Christ letteth in some glimpse of his love the soule dare not looke Christ in the face Now in the unfolding of these divine truths of the Gospell some intimations are given That Christ is mine and I am Christs which afterward becommeth the claime of an experienced Christian. This therefore directeth what course they shall take to get Christ that want him They must attend upon the blessed meanes of salvation and then consider how farre forth they may lay claime to Christ. For first all that live in the Church are Christs in some degree God hath prevented men with his love in admitting them to the visible Church and there is an obâ—igation on them to thinke well of Christ for that because hee had care of them before they had care of themselves by vouchsafing them the seale of Baptisme and making them members of the visible Church Secondly unlesse they labour being come to yeares of discretion to feele a farther assurance that Christ is theirs they disanull and deny their baptisme and therefore it is good for such soules as are touched with sight of sinne to gather upon Christ and to winde about all helps they can to worke on Christ as the vine gathereth on the tree it windeth about I am born in the Church I have been baptised lived in times of the Gospell have opportunities to heare the blessed truths and therefore I wil have good conceits oâ— Christ that he meaneth well to my soule Indeed a company of wretches that rest in their baptisme being prophane swearers vile persons abusers of their calling or any thing can say are not wee baptized and doe not wee come to Church but they forget that this is an obligation on them to be good no excuse for them to be evil It tieth thee to renounce that thou livest in else thou deniest thy baptisme We must know beloved that Christ loved us not as we love a goodly Pillar or other curious piece of Art that cannot love us againe but the intercourse between God and man is mutuall If he say he is ours wee say againe I am thine Lord and give my selfe to thee and the claime is mutuall He claimeth us for his and we claime him for ours for he deales with reasonable creatures that can enter into covenant with him as friends Wee must therefore give up all to God If God bee God let us owne him And as wee cannot serve Christ and sinne Wee cannot serve Christ and Antichrist we cannot comply with Christ