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
that is Lord of Lords King of Kings that is Lord Paramount who will not suffer any thing to befall his Church or any particular Christian that shall not bee for their good for he hath all power in heaven and earth for that purpose and for ever What a comfort is it in life and death in the middest of oppositions here or from the powers of hell that we have a Lord that is commander of all Lord of life or death He hath the keyes of hell and death Himselfe hath conquered all and hee will conquer all in us by little and little What happinesse is it Isay to be under such a Lord The end of the fourth Sermon THE FIFTH SERMON ROM 14. 7. 8. 7 For none of us liveth to himselfe and no man dieth to himselfe 8 For whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we dye we dye unto the Lord whether we live therefore or dye we are the Lords THere is nothing more availeable to the living of a Christians life then to have the eye of the soule on his maine end and scope And then to be furnished with some maximes and principles to direct our lives to that scope Where the parts are most noble and large there the aime and scope is most excellent Now a true Christian being raised above others hath an end and scope above other men And that indeed maketh him a Christian in good earnest When God by his Spirit discovers an higher excellency then the world can affoord and setteth our hearts towards it Now the Apostle setteth downe the scope of out whole condition both of life and death First Negatively No man liveth to himselfe No man dieth to himselfe Then Affirmatively Wee live to the Lord and dye to the Lord. And hee giveth the ground of both Whether we live or dye we are the Lords If we live to the Lord we shall have a being after life A Christian is when hee is not when he is not here he hath a being in heaven and â—uitably to his severall conditions he hath a Lord to owne him in all Now hee liveth yet cannot build on life nor any thing below because life is short and uncertaine But this he may build on Whether he liveth or dyeth he is the Lords Now Christ is said in Scripture to bee Lord oftener then God because God in the second person hath appeared in our Nature overcome all our enemies hath triumphed and is now in heaven in our Nature and because Lord is a word of authority and soveraignty And God hath made him governour of quicke and dead He is a Lord in regard of God the father by Donation God hath given the elect to him before all worlds He is a Lord in regard of himselfe by conquest over the enemies of our salvation And then by Ransome He hath paid a price to divine justice for us For though God gave Christ to us from all eternity and us to Christ yet on these tearmes that he should ransome us God will not have his justice a looser therefore Christ must pay a price to divine justice such was his mercy and the glory of his mercy to find out such a way to satisfie justice that God should dye No attribute of God must be a looser he must have the honour of all his attributes and therefore of his justice and here is the glory of his wisedome in contriving a way that mercy may triumph and justice may be satisfied And then he is Lord by our voluntary submission to him for we set a crowne upon his head when wee subject our sâ—lves to him He is our Lord in all estates living or dying At all times without limitation In all conditions whether it bee a life of prosperity or adversity let us dy by what manner of death soever And so I shewed wee are the Lords in a double sence In regard of our carriage to him and in regard of his care over us both must be included Wee are not the Lords onely for that hee taketh care of us and without our service nor that wee doe him service without his care of us but hee is so our Lord that wee have grace to acknowledge him and he hath grace and love and mercie to protect and acknowledge us both in life and death It is no prejudice to a Christians estate that hee is anothers it is the happinesse of the weake to be under a stronger of those that bee deficient to bee under fulnesse Now there is all-sufficiencie in Christ therefore to bee under him is our happinesse Give mee leave to illustrate this Every thing is beautifull in its owne place things that are highest it is fit they should bee highest things that are lowest it is fit they should bee lowest If the head were not in its owne place there would bee deformitie in the body And so it is fit Christ should be our Lord being God-man and the glory of our nature And it is our happines our beauty comelines our safety perfection to bee under Christ and to be onely under him Hee is onely larger than the soule he is of equall continuance with the soule hee is onely suitable to the soule being a Spirit he only is eternall and therefore being every way so aboundantly satisfactory to the soule it is the happinesse of the soule to have him for its Lord especially considering what a Lord he is a Lord independant Lord of Lords that hath all other Lords at command a bountifull and gracious Lord. And we are not onely the Lords while we live but when we come to dye therfore wee should bee willing to dye when our time cometh yea to dye any kinde of death because hee is Lord of quicke and dead We should be like David and Moses who were very fruitful towards their ends And as we are not ashamed to live so so good a Lord so we should not be afraid to dye to him as one sayd of himselfe This word Lord implyeth there bee some dutâ—â—s owing by us wee are the Lords in our soules in our bodies in our conditions and therefore wee should wholly give up our selves to him and 〈◊〉 no thoughts to dishonour him give way to no â—isings no desires which become not the subjects and servants of the Lord believe noâ—hing that wee â—ake up of our selves keepe the chastiâ—y of our â—aith and understâ—â—ding not to believe lies and untruths But submit our very understandings and faith to God Wee must not bee servants of men in our judgements or soules no maâ—cipium alien◠〈◊〉 as the Philosopher â—ayth But consider what Christ hath revealed and let us submit to that And therefore it is a grand errour in the Church of Rome who would have people to belieâ—e as â—he Church believeth which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first lye that leadeth them into all those erroâ—â—s â—o believe
THE CHRISTIANS END OR The sweet Soveraignty of CHRIST over his members in life and death VVherein is contained the whole scope of the godly MANS life with divers Rules Motives and Incouragements to live and die to IESUS CHRIST Being the substance of five SERMONS preached to the Honorable Society of Grayes Inne by that Learned and faithfull Minister of Gods Word RICHARD SIBBES D. D. and sometimes Preacher to that Honorable Societie 1. COR. 6. 20. Yee are bought with a price c. HEB. 11. 4. He being dead yet speaketh LONDON Printed by Thomas Harper for Lawrence Chapman and are to be sold at his shop at Chancery lane end next Holborne 1639. THE FIRST 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 THe scâ—pe of the Chapter in â—he former part of it is to discover to the Romans and in them to us all how to carry our selves to others in matters of indifferency As there is difference of things in the world some good some ill and some of a middle nature so there are different affections in men about these things of a middle nature some are strong and they are prone to despise the weaker for they know their liberty Some more weak and they are prone to censure and complain of them that be strong as all weaknesse is full of impatience Thus it was with the Romans the strong despised the weaker as ignorant the weaker censured and in their hearts condemned the strong as too adventurous The Apostle sheweth here an excellent peaceable spirit hating contention as an evill thing in a Church In a Faâ—ily when children fall together by the eares the father taketh up the quarrell by beating them both So in a Church while people fall a contending and breaking the bonds of love God taketh them in hand And therefore the Apostle taketh them off from this danger of despising one another and presseth it by a reason in the fourth Verse drawn First from their relations Who art thou that judgest another mans servant Secondly from their aimes They doe it both out of religious respects Hee that eateth eateth to the Lord he that eateth not eateth not to the Lord hee that regardeth not a day regardeth it not to the Lord he that doth it doth it to the Lord. And therfore if both have a Religious respect censure may be forborn There is that force in a good aime that in some actions of an indifferent nature they may be done or not be done God may beare with both though hee allow not of eithers carelesness in searching out the truth Till the â—ime of growth God beareth with them so their aimes be gracious their fault being simple ignorance not malicious pertinacy When S. Paul saw the hypocriticall aimes of the Galathians in things of indifferent natures he would not yield a whit to them But the defect of the Romans was in their knowledge not in their wils they did it with respect to the Lord. And therefore as in Acts 13. 18. God is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an excellent word to beare with their manners in the VVildernesse dispencing with many things as putting away of wives c. not that hee liked that course but hee would set up a meek kinde of government not taking advantage to cast them off So he dealt with the Romans Now shall God be mercifull and indulgent and man severe In the text you have a generall reason why they that did it or did it not did or did it not to the Lord. For none liveth to himselfe or dieth to himselfe but whether we live or die we are the Lords In this reason here is first a generall negative None of us liveth to himselfe none of us dieth to himselfe a figurative speech and Rhetoricall expression beginning and ending alike Secondly there is a generall affirmative when hee hath taken them off from themselves hee assigneth them to a true Lord. Whether we live we live to the Lord whether wee die wee die to the Lord. And this is set downe with a disjunction wee neither live to our selves nor die to our selves And thirdly a generall ground that wrappeth â—p all Whether we live or die we are the Lords And therfore in reason wee should live to him and die to him Fourthly there is the ground of all in that that followeth For to this end Christ died and rose againe that bee might be Lord of life and death So here is reason upon reason and ground upon ground The summe of all is wee cannot certainly conclude of life or death For wee live but for a while and when wee have acted our part upon the Stage we die and go to another world Of life and death we can make no reckoning Assoone as wee begin to live we begin to die For some part of our life is taken away daily as it is with sum the more you take away the lesse remayneth But certaine it is living and dying we are the Lords VVee ought therfore to have a conjunctive consideration I now live yet that is not my comfort but sure I am Whether I live or die I am the Lords He riseth from a generall to a particular which may teach us this point of wisdome First that to have good generall truths is an excellent point of wisdome for they have affluence into all particulars A comprehension of principles is the ground of prudence for direction in particular cases There is no art but hath some generall maxims as in Law in Physick and in the Mathematicks There be canons or principles call them what you will that have influence into all particulars So Religion hath general rules which should be deposited in memory at all times that on all occasions wee may see how particulars spring from and agree to the generals Therefore wee should labour to treasure up in our memory good principles for men worke in all things according to their principles If they have good principles or general truths they work answerably And the reason of any errour in a Christians life is from false principles Men of a bad conscience whose synteresis being the part of the soul that preserveth principles is corrupt they think they do God good service in killing of men from an abominable principle As in Popery which is grounded upon false principles making mens traditions a rule of faith Therefore it is good to have generall true grounds Marke how the Scripture is frequent this way What an excellent generall rule is that of Christ Seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all other things shall be cast upon you Carry that along and what a light doth it give into all our actions VVhat need wee by indirect courses seeke to bee great in the world if we take Christs
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
wee had sanctified judgements and hearts set at liberty it were an easie thing if we had judgements to see that we are never more our selves than when wee are not our selves that wee have a better being in Christ than in our selves that our selves are our worst enemies If the judgement were thus posseâ—t and the will and affections made answerable to this judgement it were easie to deny ourselves But selfe hinders the knowledge of it selfe all it can Peccatum impedit sui cognitionem sinne naturally hinders the knowledge of its owne foulenesse That which should discerne sinne is clouded and that which should hate sinne is ingaged to sinne So that under the use of meanes we must labour to know our condition and the foulenesse and danger of that condition And that is the excellency of Gods ordinances and divine truthes that by them we come to know our selves But I will not inlarge my selfe in that What it is to live and diâ— to the Lord wee have declared That it is to make Christ his chiefe aime and end and doe all in vertue of that end Then is a Christian in his right temper when Gods end Christs end and his end have the same centre A qualification very excellent That that makes God delight in his children so much is that they have the same end the same God the same spirit with Christ. It is so excellent to prefixe a right end to ail our actions that it spirituallizeth common actions As Saint Paul saith of servants They serve the Lord in serving their masters Whatsoever the stuffe of our actions be yet in that aime and spirit in which they bee done they may be services of the Lord. Now life implyeth the whole course of our actions all our actions should be to the Lord immediately and directly or mediately and reductively as they are quickened by the Spirit of God And that is the excellency of a christian hee considers of every thing as it helpeth his last end As on the other side a base worldling considers Religion and all things else as they sute to his worldly aimes but to speake of the next point Whether wee live or dye wee are the Lords This is the inference drawne from the former two generals negative and affirmative None of us liveth to our selves or dyeth to our selves And from thence it is inferred whether we live or dye wee are the Lords And as it is an inference raised from the former So wee may consider it as a cause why we must live to the Lord and dye to the Lord for whether we live or dye we are the Lords The words are a certaine bottome and foundation for a christians comfort in the uncertainty of his condition here being between life death Sure he is of death as of life but when to dye and how long to live he is uncertaine But be that as it will be this is certaine living and dying he is the Lords So that take the whole condition of a christian take him in all estates of life or death which two divide the whole condition of man for all men may be ranked into these two orders of quick and dead I say consider a christian in either of them Christ is Lord of both take him in a condition of life while he liveth he is the Lords When hee giveth up his breath he is the Lords So that come of him what will in this uncertaine condition this is certaine and sure he is the Lords Now a Lord is he that hath Dominium in rem personam right to persons and things and the disposing of them pro arbitrio as it pleaseth himselfe and so Christ is Lord both of life and death First in generall as he is Lord of all creatures by Creation God having given all power into his hands both in heaven and in earth Secondly in a more particular manner and right Hee is Lord of all those that bee his by a peculiar gift from all eternity God hath given us to Christ in his eternall electing love Thine they were and thou gavest them me saith Christ. Thirdly and then we are Christs by his owne purchase we are the price of his bloud wee are bought with a price not of Gold or Silver but with his precious bloud by that price Gods justice is satisfied God so gave us to Christ that he gave him to redeem and shed his bloud for us that his iustice might be no looser Fourthly wee are his by Conquest For he being so excellent a person as God-man hath rescued us from all our enemies Sin Sathan Death Hell and whatsoever else what have they to doe with us when Gods iustice is once satisfied Fifthly those that are true believers are his in regard of a peculiar interest between him and them They give themselves over to him by a contract of marriage and covenant and therefore hee is Lord of them by their yeelding of themselves to him as a Lord they take him for a Lord as well as for a Saviour and that is the foundation of the spirituall marriage and the covenant of grace on both sides Christ giveth himselfe to us and wee by the spirit of Christ have grace to give our selves back againe to him By our owne voluntary Contract wee have given up our selves to him in our effectuall calling which is our answer to Gods call when hee calleth on us to beâ—lieve to take him and the soule answers Lord I believe and accept thee This by S. Peter is termed the answer of a good conscience 1 Pet. 3. and is when we can say I am thine thou art mine and I yeeld my selfe to thee to be disposed of by thee No Christian can claime Christ hi Lord but this contract hath passed between his soule and Christ. So that if â—ou looke to God the Father we are Christs by donation if you reâ—gard Christ himselfe wee are his by purchase if wee regard the enemies we have we are Christs by conquest if wee regard our selves we are his by voluntary acceptance of the covenant of grace and by contract past between him and us yea and Christ is so our Lord as that hee is our Husband our Lord as our King our Lord as our Head We owe to him a subjection as subjects a subjection as his Spouse a subjection as his disciples to be taught by him our Lord and Master Now the tearm of Lord is usually given to Christ rather than to God the Father both in the new testament the old too And if there were no other reason for it it is enough that God so stileth him But secondly God in the second person hath done those things that make him our Lord more than the Father or holy Ghost For hee in the second person hath taken our nature and died and rose againe for us and hath conquered all our enemies Hee hath in the second person made us his Spouse
they bee not Christs they are the Divels Our thoughts are not our owne but all should bee dedicated to Christ. Therefore wee should bee content that Christ should set up a regiment in our soules that hee may rule our thoughts â—desires our language and members that they may be all weapons of righteousnesse Wee have nothing our owne much lesse â—inne from which we are redeemed And not onely from grosse sinnes but from such conversations as are vaine in themselves and will be vaine to thee And when wee are redeemed from sin and from vaine conversations we are redeemed from our selves from the world from the Divell whom now hath a man to serve none but this Lord. Wee have renounced all other in Baptisme and we are revolters and rebels and renounce out covenant in baptisme if we renounce not the world and the lusts of it in our lives Our selves we must not serve for we are redeemed from our selves and not onely from our carnall selves but naturall selves Christ is Lord of our natures And a Christian ought to say Lord of thee I had this body of thee I had this life of mine these goods of mine this credit of mine this reputation and place in the world As I had all from thee so I returne all to thee againe And as we are not our owne we must not bee other mens we are not servants of men as the Apostle sayth wee must not take upon trust the opinions that others would put upon us or what wee list our selves in religion wee must not have mens pesons in admiration for advantage we must not Idolâ—ze any creature for as we are not our owne so we are not any others but we are the Lords The happinesse of a Christian is to bee independent on the creatures hee may use them as subordinate helpes but hee is to depend onely on this Lord what to believe what to speake and not to take up this or that opinion to please this or that man thereby to rise to greatnesse It is a base thing to say I believe as my paâ—ents believe are you your parents your parents are the servants of this great Lord whose you are and to whom it is your dutie to yeeld your selves And therefore in sollicitation to any sin make that use of it that the holy Apostle doth in that grosse sin that reignes â—o mâ—ch in the world and brings many to hâ—ll Defileâ—ent of body Saith hee Our bodies are bought with a price And shall I take the members of Christ and make them members of an 〈◊〉 So when wee are tempted by corruption and Satan joyning with it reason thus Shall I deâ—â—le this body of mine my body is not miâ—e it is thâ— Lords my members are not mine they bee dedicated and consecrated to him What should such base abhominable 〈…〉 to Christ I am his my thoughts his my desires should bee his Let those that bee given to sweaâ—ing and blaspheâ—ing aâ—d idle â—alke consider that their tongues are not their owne and yet for whom doe they imploy their tongues as an instrument but for Saâ—â—â— So when wee come to dye make use of it not onely for comfort but for duty We are Christs and therefore if hee doth call us by any kinde of death if hee sends for us by a bloudy death goe to Christ that way because he is Lord and disposeth of whatsoever befalleth us and determineth by what death wee shall glorifie him Bee of Saint Pauls resolution to glorifie God both living dying He knew God should be glorified by his death as well as by his life So wee may glorifie Christ by any death bee content to yeeld our selves any kind of way to him There bee two vertues wee ought specially to exercise in the houre of death Assurance of faith that wee are Christs And a resignation to his will that in faith and in obedience wee may commit our selves to him as to a faithfull Creatour and Redeemer This is our dutie And it is no easie a matter to do this Many bequeath themselves to God but alas they have alienated themselves before to the world They have given their bodies to wine to women as the Scripture phrase is Or they have given their spirits to the world As wee use to say in our common speech of some men They are given to the world But when they have given their strength to the flesh before and doe at time of death bequeath their spirits to the Lord will hee owne them Alas they are alienated before and so put out of their owne disposing And therefore ordinarily unlesse the Lord worke a miracle it is impossible to dye in the Lordâ— If a man have not lived to the Lord before which may teach us to give our selves really to him in our life time that our lives being a service to Christ wee may comfortably die to him and have our soules to dispose of The like subjection must bee shewed in all conditions whatsoever If God will have mee to honour him in a meane calling I am not mine owne I am his my life and all my condition of life are onely to him My calling my estate it may bee is low that my pride may bee humbled But God hath set mee in my calling he will have mee to honour him in it In the meanest calling a man shall have enough to give an account of and therfore there is no reason to be ashamed of our calling I am the Lords in my life in all the passages of it in my calling in all the troubles of it I am to looke for support and protection and provision and direction from God I am here by his appointment And therefore he that hath set me in this place will provide for me protect me guide mee by his Spirit what to doe in my place And so it is a ground of contentation in all conditions You see then there is great reason why wee should not live to our selves but to the Lord that wee should not dye to our selves but to the Lord. For it is a great comfort a speciall duty and therfore in a word We cannot have a more comfortable experiment in all divine truths than this That God in Christ hath passed over himselfe to be ours and wee have passed over our selves to him iâ— wee have grace to doe iâ— And then to plead and improve it when it is done there is not a comfort of greater comprehension and therefore the Apostle dwelleth on the poynt No man liveth to himselfe no man dyeth to â—â—â—selfe but we live to the Lord and dye to the Lord. To what end is all this but that we should settle it as a bottome ground of comfort and contentment and happinesse that wee are not our owne but the Lords Think therefore of this one thing that wee are his that hath a command in heaven and earth to whom all knees bow with subjection his
it is a phrase imporâ—ing a direction to a duty And likewise to confirme and comfort us in this that we do our duty VVee doe not serve a dead Master but one that taketh notice of us living and dying So to die to the Lord is to acknowledge Christ to be the Lord of life and the Lord of death of death as well as of life Hee hath the keyes of Hell and of Death and the disposing of both Therefore wee must resigne up our selves to him in death And then study to honour him by death in any kinde yea by Martyrdome if he shal cal us to seale the truth of Religion with bloud And then to acknowledge him to be owner of us and one that wil receive us dying As he took notice of us living And so the words are a privilege as well as a duty As it is sealed up in the last words Whether wee live or die wee are the Lords Thus I have unfolded the text Hee first promiseth the general negative No man liveth to himself no man dieth to himselfe You must apply this to Christians onely that are true Professors and members of Christ. For other men that are not in Christ have not the spirit of Christ they live to themselves and die to themselves and ayme at themselves in all things and therefore they are not the Lords Therfore it is a fearful condition to live and die to our selves Yet you have some kinde of men not onely in their particular persons but in their callings are all for themselves but why should I call it calling for there is no calling but it is for publike good As an Vsurer for whose good is he Let all sink or swim what careth hee so times hold and moneths and yeeres continue hee wil have his returns And such are they that live in a coursâ— of oppression that live by the ruine and spoyle of others But there is a more subtile living to a mans selfe as all men doe that have not the spirit of Christ they live within that circle selfe the Devil keepeth them that they goe not out of it so that sâ—lfe doth run through all their actions their civill a ions yea their religious actions which are all tainted with self-respects Ever since the fall it is so Man withdraweth himself from Gods government and setteth up himselfe instead of God thought to have a secured happines from God in eating the forbidden fruit and therfore would not depend upon God to be happy He saw another way to be like God God hath highest place in our heart by order of Creation and according to the degrees of excellency in things should our esteeme of them be every thing being beautifull in his place But where God is put down as he is in all men till they be in Christ something self-love sets up in the heart above God Hence commeth the necessity of this method of taking us off from our selves before wee can live to Christ because self-love is an impediment and blocke in the way betweene us and Christ heaven end happines And therfore Christ begins the Gospel with self-denial Whosoever will be my Disciple let him take up his Crosse and follow mee Now there be foure degrees of selfe There is 1. Naturall 2. Civill 3. Sinfull 4. Religious Selfe First naturall selfe is the state wee are in as men Secondly Civill as we are poor or rich or honourable according to our severall places in the Common-wealth Thirdly sinfull selfe is as we are carried to sinfull lusts and the Crâ—ature Fourthly Religious self is our Condition in Christ when we are ingreaffed into him and made new Creatures Now we must not live to our selves First not to our naturall selfe VVe must not live onely to live For as all other Creatures are to serve us so wee are to serve something else that is better For that that is not of it selfe cannot be for it self Now we have not beings from our selves but from God he giveth us beings and a being in that ranke of Creatures wherin we are Therfore our naturall self must be to a higher end A man is not the end of things there is another end then he and that is God who is of himselfe hath made all other things for himselfe And therfore riches and honours and the like wee should not live to our civill selfe Nature teacheth us that having spirits we are not for any thing meaner then our selves We do not live here to be rich to be great to command others for these things do not answer the soule of man First Nothing that hath an end can be a chief end That that hath â—inem consummatum cannot be finis consummans That that hath an end consuming it self caÌ„not be an end perfecting it self We have a journy beyond all things and that cannot be our end that leaveth us in the way Riches and honour are determined in death Let our preferments be never so great thogh to the Monarchy of the whole World yet we have a being beyond them They have consumptions in themselves And then they be inferiour No truth in them can fill up the understanding no good in them can fill up the will But the understanding can pierce through them And the will in rellishing and tasting the good of them can looke on them as cast commodities It can quickly suck out all the sweet that is in them Therfore they cannot be a mans end because hee hath larger parts then they can fill That that must be mans end must be larger then the soule and that wherin hee can rest it must be some universall good fit for all turns and purposes Now there is nothing in the VVorld that hath more then a particular service for mens particular service for mens particular ends Honour can doe something but not all things Riches cannot command health they cannot cure a fit of an ague they be for a particular good onely They can command many things but not al things Men consider what they can do therfore desire them But they consider not what they cannot do and therefore they rest in them That which is a mans last end must be a satisfying general universal good an immortal good of equal coâ—tinuâ—ance with hiâ— as nothing in the world is It must be such a good as hee cannot offend or be defiled with all Such as hee cannot misuse And what is there in the World but Christ and the best things but a man is prone to defile himselfe in Knowledge is the best thing but that worketh like leaven it swels as the Apostle saith Knowledge puffeth up Therfore wee must live to no worldly thing And much lesse must we live to sinfull selfe Some things are to be denied in way of competition and in opposition but somthings are to be denied absolutly Absolutely a man must not owne or live to a base lust pride or sensuality Hee owâ—th nothing to these
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
and he must needs be a Christian the necessity and excellency of it standing upon such undenyable grounds O but I shall â—ose my reputation saith the doubtfull heart of man and be counted a foole I shall lose my friends and contentment if I come to be religious and serious indeed These be idle objections as if there were not in this kinde better in Religion then in the world as if God did bid us to our losse as if Christ should bid us follow him to our disadvantage surely no Hee is Lord of Heaven and earth and can recompence us in this world But what is all pleâ—sure here to the pleasure of a good conscience What is friendship here to communion with God and friendship with Christ and the protection of Angels VVhat are riches to him that is the fountain of all riches Did not Moses know what hee did when he forsook Pharoahs Court or Paul when he said to be with Christ is best of all Did not Abraham know what hee did when hee left his fathers house and followed God though to the giving up of Isaak whom he knew God could raise up again he being alsufficient Perhaps I loâ—e a friend or pettypleasure or contentment but that was but a particular good serving for a particular turne onely but in stead therof I have God that is alsufficient for all turnes that is neer to mee and never neerer then when I deny any thing for his sake A man hath never more of GOD then when hee denyeth himself most for God for in what measure we empty our selves of love to any creature in that measure God fils the soul with contentments of an higher kinde VVe have within that particular good which wee parted with and wee have peace and grace which is incomparably above it Think of that and it wil be an infinite incouragement to live to Christ. And therfore take these rules Seek the end in the meanes I can have Christ my end in riches pleasures friends it is well But if I cannot have my end with these things away with them When they be gone the end will remayne Christ will continue though they leave us VVe may enjoy any thing here if the mayn end can be enjoyed with them if not let us be willingly stript of all for we shall be stript of them by death God hath enough he hath all things at command and hath wisdome enough a thousand ways to provide that we shall not be losers by him no not in this life Consider then what it is to give our selves to the Lord. VVhen we give our selves wee give all things else with our selves They gave themselves to the Lord and then they would easily part with their goods as the Apostle saith But wee will never give our selves to the Lord till we consider what he hath done for us He hath given himself wholly for us left heaven for us denyed himself for us made himself of no reputation for us became a worme and no man a curse for us And in way of requitall wee should answer him with giving our selves and all wee have to him this is to be a Christian to purpose Christ hath given himselfe to mee and therfore I will give my goods my self my life to Christ that is in affection and preparation of spirit though not in action And in action too when he calleth for them I am not mine own he hath my selfe And fructus sequâ—tur fundum Hee shall have whatsoever is mine If he call me to suffer losses crosses disgrace or death it selfe welcome all I am his and therfore whatsoever is mine is his And it is no more then he hath done for mee Hee went so low that hee could not be lower and be God He hath advanced my nature as high as my nature could be advanced by union with his person and he will advance my person to heaven And therfore the Martyrs were willing to part with their lives They loved not their lives to death as Christs phrase is Hee that loveth his life shall lose his life My life is not deare to me saith Saint Paul so ready was hee to resigne all for Christ. The reason is which I desire may not he forgotten wee have a better being in God then in our selves If wee lose our naturall life we have in him a better life If wee lose our riches wee have them in heavenly treasures The water is not lost that runneth into the Sea it is in the Ocean still it s better receptacle It was Saint Pauls desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all But if hee will have mee to serve the Church here and enjoy my life longer his will be done So hee liveth to the Lord and dieth to the Lord and whatsoever commeth Hee is in 〈◊〉 paratus VVhether he liveth and dieth hee is the Lords THE FOVRTH SERMON ROM 14. 7. 8. 7 For none of us liveth to himselfe and no man dieth to himselfe 8 For whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we dye we dye unto the Lord whether we live therefore or dye we are the Lords IN these words the Apostle taketh us off from our selves and assigneth us to a true end As the first thing that grace doth is to set God and Christ in his owne place the Heart so in the second place it begets a regard of our selves such as may stand with the love of Christ. For till Christ hath a place in the heart by our comming to some degrees of selfe-deniall selfe hindereth us in all our whole course both of believing and doing For wee have naturally contrary principles to all articles of faith and contrary motions to all the commands of God It hinders us in the duties to God to others to our selves And therefore to what I formerly sayd I may adde this consideration That it is no easie thing to bee a Christian. If wee were required to renounce any thing else we might obtaine it of our selves sooner than deny our selves for what is nearer to our selves than our selves Thousand Rivers of Oyle the first fruits of the body would be given for the sin of the soule That outward mortification so much magnified in Popery is nothing to the renouncing of a lust But if we would be Christians to purpose wee must bee stript of our selves as they say of the serpent he must part with the old Slough we must have an higher principle than our selves before we can doe it A Christian is above himselfe and better than himselfe and stronger than himselfe because hee hath a better selfe than himselfe And by vertue of that better selfe which is grace in his heart hee is able to bring under all his other selfe not onely his sinfull selfe but his naturall selfe neither his life nor any thing is deare unto him in comparison of Christ. Therefore we must not have conceits of religion as easie indeed if