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 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 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 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. 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 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 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 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 For this end Christ both dyed and rose c. 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 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 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 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 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 called the Lords day for a new world beganne with his
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 dye to him for being under him our ends must be answerable to his as wee shall see after For this end Againe where it is sayd 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 least the thoughts of Christ dying and stouping so low should offend us it s 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 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 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 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 For this end c. 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 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 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. 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 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 but to honour and governement what comfort is this to be under Christ to be under a governour 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 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 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
CHRISTS EXALTATION PVRCHAST BY HVMILIATION Wherein you may see Mercy and Misery meete together Very Usefull I. For Instructing the Ignorant II. For Comforting the Weake III. For Confirming the Strong By R. Sibbs D. D. and Preacher of Grayes-Inne London Published by T. G. and P. N. 1 Cor. 15. 45. The first man Adam was made a Living Soule the last Adam was made a Quickning Spirit LONDON Printed by Tho. Cotes and are to be sold by Iohn Bartlet at his shop at the Signe of the guilt Cup neere S. Austins gate 1639. The Contents THe Coherence of the Text. p. 1. 2. c. The Text divided p. 6. 7 Christs death was voluntary 10. 11 That Christ should dye is Admirable 14. 15 That Christ rose againe as a publicke person 16 What became of those that rose with him 18 The Spirit in heaven will supply all wants 22 Iustice must be satisfied 25 Why we are the Lords 26 Excellent inferences from Christs Resurrection 27. 28. c. What a Lord Christ is 32. c. ad 40. He is a Lord both of quicke and dead 41 God doth all to some good Ends. 42 Divine truths depend on one another 46 Christs Lordship full of security and comfort 50. 51. c. In the Lords Supper we have to deale with the Christ the Lord. 64 A Christian mans aime good 68 Christ rose to be Lord of the living 72. 73 He dyed to be Lord of his Church 74. c. And to be Lord of his Enemies 76 And to make good what by death he got 78. His Lordship eternall both over the living and the dead 80 How great a happinesse to be under the Lord Christ. 82. 83 Comforts against the feare of death 84 We must looke to Christ in life and death 86. 90 When we live to Christ. 88. 92. c. Directions for our ayming at Christ in all things 96. 97 Helpes to live to Christ. 100. 101. Diverse desire him as Iesus but not as Christ. 103. 104. 105. What it is to dye to Christ. 106. 107. Christs dying implies duty in us 110 Abilities to doe duties part of the covenant 113 A signe to know who is under Christs goverment 116. 117. Christs Lordship assurance of our perseverance 118. c. What will make us willing to dye 122. There is more than an exemplary good in Christs death 132 The scope of Christs humiliation and exaltation 134 The studdy of this scope is good 138 By what title Christ is Lord 141 Diverse comforts from this title of Christs Lordship 142. 143. c. ad 152 An honour to bee under Christs Lordship 153 It is great security to be under it 158 Christs Lordship a Spring of duties and that 1. One to another 2. To those that are not Christians 3. To Christ himselfe 160. 161. We must give up our selves to this Lord. 166. c. Christs Lordship a stoppe against Sinne. 170. 171. It is also a comfort in affliction 172. c. Whether Christ by dying merited for himselfe 178. 179. Christians must be alwayes projecting for his glory 188. c. Christs Lordship comfortable in the houre of death 190. 191. CHRISTS EXALTATION PVRCHAST BY HV MILIATION ROM 14. 9. For for this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living THe dependance of these words upon the former 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 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 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 and doe all particular actions to the Lord such must not be harshly censured because they are the servants of the Lord. In the third placē how doth he prove that they are the Lords that live and dye to him 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 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 then the inference For for this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived 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 Christ dyed First of all you must 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
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 And revived Why is this added to rising againe Hee revived To shew that hee rose 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 and revived that he might be Lord of the quicke and dead I come now to the thing proved That he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living 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 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 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 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 his Church Againe hee is an independant 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 Lord of the whole man 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 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 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 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 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 things premised let us make some use of all But first let us see why it s sayd He is Lord both of 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 living Now for use first where he saith For this end 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 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
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 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 living and the dead it is an excellent booke to studdy this beloved studdy Christ in the state of humiliation and exaltation That he might be Lord of the dead c. 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 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 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 God-man 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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