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
living you see upon what ground he is Lord of all as well as of his Church he is an eternall Lord over the dead and the living he is a transcendent Lord above all other Lords whatsoever and he is independant he is not obnoxious to any all have power from him and in some sort indeed Christ hath redeemed even all other creatures they are Christs and in some sort even proud wicked men that live in the Church that have perhaps some parts which are the occasion of their damnation because of and by them they are proud and insolent they are redeemed by Christ thus farre to be serviceable to his Church to use their parts to his owne ends they goe a great way in salvation that so by their parts they may be fit to doe service to the Church so he is Lord not onely over the Church but of others for the service of the Church Now this point that Christ is Lord of the dead and of the living it yeelds many comfortable uses I spake of some things in generall and then wee came to some particulars as First seeing Christ is Lord of the quicke and of the dead wee may comfort our selves under the Soveraignty of Christ To be Solomons servant was accounted a great happynesse those that did observe the governement of Solomon did thinke so as the Queene of Sheba Alas what shall we thinke of those that are under Christ who is greater then Solomon A most great a most wise a most loving a most gracious and powerfull Lord over all therefore it is a most comfortable condition here in this life to adde a little to that point however it be service it is against the nature of man to serve a man yet not to serve a more noble to serve God is to reigne Besides while we live here such is our disposition such is the weakenesse of base sinners that they must be ruled by another and indeede our happinesse and security consists in being ruled by another higher than our selves we are not fit to bee our owne governours S. Paul saith to the Galatians an heire in his none-age differeth little from a servant so it is with Christians till they be in heaven they differ little from servants and therefore they must bee under tutors and government And as it is a comfortable so it is an honourable condition for Christs Servants are so many Kings Christ is served of none but Kings and such Kings as doe not rule over slaves but such Kings as in Christ rule over the greatest and terriblest enemies of all a Christian can thinke with comfort and incouragement upon those enemies that make the greatest tyrants of the world to quake he can thinke of death of sinne of damnation of judgement of the Law of all these things Christs Kingdome is another manner of Kingdome than the Kingdomes of the world they are poore Kingdomes their Monarchs heads must lye as low as the basest subject they have they know not how soone and perhaps have a more terrible account to give than any other under them it is not so in Christs Kingdome Therefore those Christians that are afraid of death they forget their dignity they forget him on whom they depend for Christ is Lord both of the quick and of the dead if so be Christ be their Lord when they dye what neede they feare to dye and therefore let us comfort our selves when God calls for us he is our Lord as well when wee dye as while we live and more too for then our soules have more immediate communion with him can there bee more comfort than this that we have a Lord ever that dyed for us that rose for us and lives for ever and doth immortalize his subjects too joyne these together an ever-living Lord and ever-living subjects coexistent I meane for the time to come we indeed have a beginning Christ had none as God but we have an eternall state to be for ever and an eternall Lord to rule us for ever and to make us happy forever what comfort is more than this that howsoever there be varietie of conditions in this world wee live wee dye we are in prosperity we are in misery yet there is no varietie in the state of Salvation Christ is not a Lord to day and none to morrow but yesterday to day and the same for ever Againe as it is a point of comfort so it is also of duty if Christ be our Lord in life and death our duty is to looke to him in life and death to live and dye to him for our ayme must answere his ayme if we ever intend to come to heaven for we are understanding creatures and have a communion with him in a poore measure therefore what he will make his end must be our end his end was that whether we live or dye hee might rule over us our end should be in life and death to bee ruled by him How shall we live to Christ We live to Christ this is a ground of all other duties that follow when we know and acknowledge Christ hath a full interest in us by being our head by being our husband by being our King our elder brother he hath all the sweete interest to us that any relation can inright him to for all other relations among men are but shaddowes of that grand relation there onely is the realty of things he is a true head a true King a true elder brother a true husband of his Church all ours are but poore representations of those glorious things then know and acknowledge so much that is the ground of all living to him Vpon knowing and acknowledging issues all other obedience in our life to Christ those that thus acknowledge Christ they must be directed by his will and not their owne as a servant as farre as he is a servant and a wife so farre as she is a wife they have no will of their owne so he that lives to Christ and acknowledgeth him to be a Lord he must have no will of his owne but hee must live according to the will of Christ as you have it excellently set downe 1 Pet. 4. Christ suffered for us in the flesh let us arme our selves therefore with the same mind for he that suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sinne that he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God It is a comment upon this place Christ dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord of the quicke and of the dead that is that we might live according to his will and not after our owne doe you thinke our Saviour Christ would so farre deny himselfe to leave heaven to take upon him our base nature and be so farre abased in it to let us live as wee list oh no we must live the rest of our dayes not according to the lusts of men or our owne lusts but
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
of this subject at large heretofore I only desire you to raise up your thoughts to consider whom you have to deale with with him that is Lord of the quicke and of the dead we have to deale with the mighty Monarch of heaven and earth Christ therefore come as with faith because he hath ordained these things to strengthen faith so come with reverence knowing with whom wee are to feast and to deale consider of these things and then I hope that God will vouchsafe a blessing answerable to the intendment of his ordinance THE SECOND SERMON ON ROM 14. 9. For to this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived that he might be the Lord both of the dead and of the living I Shewed the dependance in the forenoone a Christian by the Spirit of God in him hee hath a blessed aime at all times howsoever hee may faile in particulars yet his ayme is right This doubt rose from difference of aymes whether he should please God or man his doubt rose in pleasing of God what might please him most and because hee sees not alwaies what might please him therefore he carries this honesty that whatsoever he doth he will doe it to the Lord and whatsoever he doth not he will not doe it to the Lord his ayme is for good at all times Now this is proved from the generall disposition of Christians they live and dye to the Lord therefore their particular actions must be to the Lord if their whole life and death bee to the Lord their actions must bee to him Now hee proves their whole life and death are to the Lord because they are the Lords how doth he prove that they are the Lords that is Iesus Christs because the Text saith here For this end Christ both dyed and revived that he might bee Lord both of the dead and of the living And surely he is Lord he will not misse of his end God never misseth of his end because hee can remove all impediments betweene him and his end Now it being Christs end to be Lord of the quicke and of the dead hee is Lord if he be Lord then those that are under him and led by his Spirit aime both in life and death to glorifie him in all things This in a word be spoken for the inference of the words To this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived Here you have a ground and an inference An argument and a reasoning from it The argument or ground is Christ dyed and rose and revived That that riseth thence is that he might be Lord both of the dead of of the living In thē ground it selfe I told you how Christ dyed as a publicke person as the second Adam c. and now here you are to take notice likewise that hee rose againe as a publicke person as the second Adam c. And likewise hee rēvived not to dye againe as in his first life when hee beganne to live hee beganne to dye but when hee revived he did not dye againe he lives for ever to make intercession for us in heaven Christ never dyes againe Rom. 6. he rose to a life that shall never end for the divine nature doth flow into his humane nature and doth immediately inspire such a spirituall life into it as it lives for ever by vertue of the Spirit of Christ actuating and stirring and moving him as his naturall life did here when hee was upon the earth Christ dyed and rose and revived To what end is all this what is grounded hence that Christ therefore is Lord of quicke and dead this is inferred from all three Christ dyed that hee might reconcile us to God by his death satisfying justice and so justice being fully satisfyed hee might have his end in being Lord of his Church hee had a minde to marry us but he could not till hee had rescued us therefore to rescue us out of divine justice and from the tyranny of Sathan Gods gaoler he made satisfaction to divine justice As for Sathan hee brought us out of his kingdome by strong hand and so doth continually by the power of his Spirit Now hereupon it must needes bee that hee must be Lord of that hee paid so deare a price for And then he rose againe for this end that he might be Lord because howsoever hee had a title to be Lord of the Church by the union of the humane nature with the divine he was Lord alway yet in regard of the exercise of his Lordship it was deferred till his glorious resurrection and ascention then that that lay hid before Christs divine power majesty and Lordship that appeared and manifested it selfe as it is Rom. 1. He was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God by the resurrection from the dead he was the Sonne of God before but then it was a kinde of begetting because it was then manifest things are sayd in Scripture and Divinity to be when they are apparent to be so this day of the resurrection Christ was begotten because it was apparent then by raising himselfe from the dead that he was the onely begotten Sonne of God now that made way for his Lordship for after his resurrection God gave him power over all things in heaven and earth and then upon the resurrection he had the Spirit in more aboundance having conquered all enemies betweene God and us therefore he was fit to be Lord by that because he could give the Spirit to them over whom hee meant to rule But then in his owne person he rising triumphed over all opposite enemies whatsoever over death the last enemie and over Sathan sinne and the Law having cancelled all surely he hath over-ruled all for himselfe he will over-rule all for his Church and people and therefore hee rose againe to bee Lord of quicke and dead and he may well be because he is Lord of quicke and dead in his owne person hee is Lord over all in his owne person and therefore he is Lord over the Church and all the enemies of the Church so farre as the enemies seized upon his person so farre hee overcame them all he hath as much care of his misticall person the Church as he had on his owne body and more too for he gave that for the other And then he revived to be Lord over all that is he lives for ever to make good what hee hath gotten by his death hee will not lose the price of his owne blood he is in heaven to appeare before God and sits at the right hand of God and rules there till he have made all his enemies his footestoole till he draw his Church home to heaven to himselfe he lives for ever as the Apostle saith to make intercession hereupon it must needes bee that by living for ever he is fitly qualified to bee Lord over all the quicke now I proceede That he might be Lord both of quicke and dead Christ is Lord both of the dead and of the
they may be serviceable to the maine else not to performe them Herein consists the maine happines of a Christian that whether hee lives or dies hee is not his owne but hee is his that can dispose of him better then ever he could of himselfe for if wee had the disposing of our selves as Adam had what would become of us what became of Adam when he was master of himselfe he lost himselfe and all The second Adam hath bought us with his blood and life to rule us for ever will hee then suffer us to bee disposed off by our selves No whether wee live or dye wee are his if we yeeld our selves sweetely to his governement in life and death THE THIRD SERMON ON ROM 14. 9. For to this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived that he might be the Lord both of the dead and of the living IN these words as you heard heretofore at large the Apostle labours to stay the thoughts and affections of men concerning the things of indifferency that they should not be hasty to censure anothers Servant who stands or falls to his owne Master as you have it in Verse 4. The reason is because whatsoever they do they doe it to the Lord He that regards a day regards it to the Lord hee that regards not a day regards it not to the Lord. Some things are of that nature that the right aime puts a qualification upon the actions a good end cannot qualifie many actions but some actions are of that nature that a good aime doth not altogether justifie it but it frees the person from some censure he doth it to God some upon some conceite may abstaine from a thing for religious ends and are not to bee censured some againe performe it and are not to be censured because they doe it to the Lord that is out of religious respects How doth he prove that they doe it to the Lord he proves it more generally ver 7. None of us live to our selves nor none of us dye to our selves which I spake of before Then he proves that we are the Lords because it was the end of Christs dying and rising and reviving that hee might be Lord both of the dead and of the living and if he be the Lord then we ought to live to this Lord of the quicke and dead We see Saint Paul here makes use of a generall truth of a grand principle that we are the Lords and therefore live to him and dye to him and doe particular actions to him or not doe them to him to shew that wee should have in minde information of sound general truths that are the ground of all particular practise as we shall see after For to this end Christ both dyed rose and revived c. The words they are Christs universall government of the dead and of the living inferred from the end of his death reviving and rising againe a comfortable inference from a strong ground We considered the particulars Christs death rising and reviving Christ dyed as a second Adam as a publicke person in whom dying all dyed when other men dyed particular men dyed when Paul was dead Paul dyed and there was an end onely there was an exemplary good in his death but there is more then an exemplary good in the death of Christ Christ dyed alone and singular in this respect because in him dying all dyed that were his that the Father gave him to dye for for they goe parallell Gods gift and Christs death hee did all by commission and hee would not transgresse his commission and he dyed a violent and cursed death because otherwise hee could not have saved us that were under a curse so as a second Adam hee rose and as a publike person therefore wee see in the resurrection of Christ many rose it is like enough they dyed againe it was for a particular dispensation to shew that Christ rose as a publicke person and it is not strange to thinke so that to honour God they should be content to live a wâ—â—â—e when Christ himselfe that was God was content to bee man and to be abased to death that grand mystery makes all other things credible he rose therefore as a publicke person to give life to all that he dyed for So hee revived that is more than to rise againe never againe to lay downe his life as you have it excellently set downe among other places Revel 1. 18. I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I live for ever more amen and he seales it too I have the keyes of hell and of death that is the dominion of hell and death for indeâ—â—â—hrist is life it selfe and life cannot dye as God he could not dye and therefore he tooke upon him that nature wherein he might dye for us and now having done that dispensation that office there is a perpetuall influence of life from the fountaine of life his Godhead to his humanity so he never dyes any more then here followes the scope and end of all That he might be Lord of the dead and of the living The three offices of Christ they have this order in regard of manifestation First he was a Prophet to instruct and teach his in himselfe and likewise by his ministery And then a Priest to dye for those that are his to make intercession now for ever in heaven and then a King first a Prophet then a Priest and then a King He was all at once the very union invested him in all these but in regard of manifestation he was first a Prophet to in struct us of the end of his comming into the world and then a Priest to doe that grand office that we have most comfort by and then a King to rule us he could not be otherwise for if he had manifested himselfe a King and a Lord in his glory where had beene his abasement if they had knowne him to be the Lord of glory they would never have curcified him onely some sparkles of his God head and Lordship and Kingdome and royalty over all flesh brake out in his miracles yea in his greatest abasement there were some sparkles I say even when he lay in the manger Kings came to adore him when he payd tribute he had it out of a fish by a command by majesty when he was on the crosse hee converted the good theese so somewhat brake out of him that he was a person more than ordinary but that was for speciall ends ordinarily hee went on in a course of abasement and all that he might performe the great worke of redemption therefore hee made a stoppe of his glory and Kingly office that hee might not manifest himselfe in that relation and office that he might doe the office of a Priest to dye for us therefore you have it here in the due order Christ dyed and rose againe as the high Priest of his Church that hee might he Lord of the dead and of the living he was
glory of Christ thinke of us in him when we see him borne thinke he was borne for me when wee see him dye thinke wee dye with him when wee see him buried thinke our selves buried with him so in the state of exaltation when wee see him rise and sit at the right hand of God thinke he is there to prepare a place for me whatsoever hee hath or whatsoever he did he regards us in all therefore it somewhat obscures the glory and the love of Christ to us to conceive that he had a selfe-respect in these things when he saith in the text For this end Christ dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord of quicke and dead I beseech you consider whose good he respects in this Lordship is it not a profitable Lordship for us is it not for our good that he is our Lord in life and in death not only our Lord but the Lord of Sathan of death and of all our enemies he is Lord over all saith the Apostle God over all blessed for ever therfore he is Lord over sinne over death over hell over all that we neede to feare it is for us therefore our good is intended though there be a redundance of glory in Christ in all these things yet thinke hee respects our good the best meditation of Christ is to thinke all is for us Beloved is it not a great mercy that hee should stop the issue and the beames of glory that should otherwise have come upon his humane nature that he should be content to be in the shape of a servant and bee eclipsed in regard of manifestation and abase himselfe to the death of the crosse and all for our redemption when he might have gone to glory another way but as one of the ancients saith well if he had gone to heaven another way hee might have come thither himselfe but hee could not have helped us that way therefore he would goe to heaven by way of abasement and concealement and stopping that of his glory that he might helpe us and pay the price to God for us and reconcile us I beseech you let us see his love to us in all this enough for that question which I would not have mentioned but that it hath a speciall use and comfort and may be an incentive to kindle love to Christ regarding us in his birth and life and death in his resurrection in his ascention in his glory in all To draw to a conclusion therefore Christ is our Lord both in life and death it is for ever oh beloved therefore I beseech you let us project for his glory for ever as much as we can he is our Lord when we are dead he is the Lord of our soules of our happines we are nearer him then than we are now hee that is my Lord both living and dying and for ever shall not I labour that when I am dead there may be a Church here that when I am dead posterity may serve him and be subject to him shall he for ever be Lord for my good and shall not I as much as lyeth in me lay a foundation for ever in his service that when I can serve him no longer my selfe then posterity may serve him It was a cursed wish of a Pagan Emperour when I am dead let heaven and earth be mingled if they will but a Christian thinkes Christ is mine and for my good both living and dying nay I have more good by him when I am dead than alive therefore I will labour that he may have glory in his Church by me and mine and all my counsels and projects shall be that it may be for ever and ever world without end therefore they desire that God may be served and glorified in the Church for ever as he is their Lord living and dying And let it be our comfort in the houre of death that may bee nearer us then we are aware off that he is not onely Lord of the living but of those that are dead he hath the keyes both of hell and death that is he hath the government of death and therefore shall I be afraid to commit my soule to Christ what a ground is this comfortably to yeeld our soules to Christ Lord take the soule thatthou dyedst to purchase that thou didst rise againe-to justifie that thou dost live now in heaven to make intercession for that thou hast given thy holy Spirit in some measure to sanctifie take this soule to thee it is thy soule as much and more than mine I am not mine owne nor my soule is not my owne Into thy hands I commend even thy Spirit for thou hast redeemed me oh Lord of truth thou hast redeemed this soule of mine therefore now take this soule that thou by thy Spirit hast wrought in some poore measure to desire to please thee that soule that thou hast sprinkled with thy owne blood take that soule for thou art Lord both living and dying and what a comfort is it when death shall close up our eyes that we can looke forward and see then our selves nearer Christ for then we goe to Christ our husband as Paul saith I desire to be dissolved and to bee with Christ which is best of all when a Christian thinkes at death now I am changing for the better Christ will not leave me at the houre of death neither dying nor living butwill watch over my dust my dead body is a member of Christ death may separate body and soule but it cannot separate soule or body from him therefore take no thought for body or soule for my soule I know hee will receive it and my body as a good depositum is layd up in the dust hee watches over all the dust and ashes and every thing and will make the earth faithfull in giving up that depositum he is Lord of me dying as well as living shall I be afrayd to dye when in death I commend my soule to such a sweete Lord and goe to my husband and to my King And that is the end of the Sacrament for the Word and Sacrament are parts of the regiment of Christ whereby he rules his Church hee rules his Church outwardly by the Word and Sacraments and inwardly by his Spirit his holy Spirit makes good his owne good meanes and therefore as the subjects of Christ I beseech you let us come to the ordinance of Christ he is such a Lord as doth great things by despised meanes bread and wine poore meanes but consider what a mighty Lord useth them for our soules good and it is his glory to magnifie himselfe by base and weake meanes hee goes contrary to the course of the world that stands all upon outward excellency therefore let no man stumble at the meannesse of the meanes but consider what great things he workes by the foolishnesse of Preaching and the meannesse of his Ordinances the Sacraments he beates downe strong holds he builds us up in Christ to Salvation hee communicates himselfe and all his benefits to us therefore I beseech you come with faith come with this perswasion Christ will blesse his own Ordinance and come with comfort Christ communicates himselfe to us the nearer we come to the fountaine the more wee draw And come with preparation know with whom wee have to deale with him that is Lord of quicke and dead come with reverence but these things I have oft upon this occasion stood upon so much for this Text. FJNJS Quest. Ans. 2. Independantly 3. Lord in the whole man 4. An Eternall Lord. 5. An Excellent Lord. Why the dead are put before the living Vse 2. Answ. Simil. Object Answ. Object Answ.