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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	church_n	heaven_n	key_n	4,213	5	10.4217	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12177	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.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1639 (1639)	STC 22485; ESTC S117259	45,936	138

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 ●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 s●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 dut●●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 ●isings no desires which become not the subjects and servants of the Lord believe no●hing that wee ●ake up of our selves keepe the chasti●y of our ●aith and underst●●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 ma●cipium alien● 〈◊〉 as the Philosopher ●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 belie●e as ●he Church believeth which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first lye that leadeth them into all those erro●●s ●o believe

his Members and in all degrees of nearnesse to him And because God in the second person hath done all therefore in the second person he ismore termed Lord than God the Father or the holy Ghost And therefore Acts 2. 36. God the father hath made him Lord and Christ. This is a poynt of wonderfull comfort and not onely a comfort but a direction how to carry ourselves It is not onely a poynt of dignitie and prerogative but a dutie First it is agrand cōfort we are the Lords and the Lords in a peculiar manner as before The Divel is the Lords the Earth is the Lords All is the Lords but wee are the Lords by eternal donatiō by purchase by conquest by voluntary yeelding to him And therefore it is a most excellent condition What is the Lord If we be Christs we have him for Lord that is Lord of life Lord of glory Lord of grace that is Lord of Lords King of Kings He is an independent Lord none is above him the Father and he agreeing together if you know one you know both Hee is an absolute Lord a free Lord he hath no dependance at all upon any creature whatsoever An eternall Lord we have an eternall being in him for wee are when we are dead And therfore the Apostle divideth it Whether we live or dye wee are the Lords We have a substance when we be dead and a Lord of equall continuance with our selves a king for ever Therefore it is a poynt of wonderfull comfort But you will say Freedome is a sweet thing especially freedome from government so as to have no Lord to controule us therfore how can this be so excellent estate to have Christ our Lord Beloved wee are creatures wee are neither of our selves nor by our selves nor ●or ourselves Besides wee have enemies greater than our selves the powers of hell and therefore if we had not a better above us what would become of us but to bee totally subjected under the power of enemies It is the happines of the inferior to be in subjection to be the superior It is the happines of beasts to be under man that they may be kept from destruction It is the happines of the the weak to have tutors governers It is the perfection of inferiors to yeeld a gracious subjection to that that is better than themselves For every thing is perfected by being subject to that which is better And therfore we especially in our lapsed condition seeing wee are our owne greatest enemies God in love will not trust us with our selves since the fall but wil have our hapnes to be dependent subject to another to a God in our nature an excellent Lord and therefore an excellent Lord because besides what I spake before Christ hath all the authority in heaven earth committed to him not only over us but over our enemies that they shall not doe us harme And indeed he cannot bee Lord of the Chruch but he must be Lord of all creatures in heaven and earth that no creature may prejudice his Church Hee hath universall authoritie over all things and all for the Chruches cause And then he hath all the good qualities of a Lord not only authority but wisdome and strength power bounty and goodnesse and whatsoever may make him a gracious Lord. And therefore it is our perfection to be in subjection to this Lord. To set forth a little the excellencie of this Lord. He hath the sweetnesse of all superiours whatsoever as he hath taken the name of all superiority that is sweet and lovely so he hath the affections of all and eminently more than all hee is a Lord as a Husband hee loveth more than any husband can doe Hee is a Lord as a King he can do more for us than any king He hath all power in heaven and earth and hell over the divels themselves All knees bow to him of things in heaven and in earth and under the earth And he is Lord as an Head Whatsoever Superiority is neare deare that hee is to his Church He requires service I but hee is such a Lord as enableth us to serve him helpeth our infirmities by his Spirit without him we can doe nothing but in him wee can doe all And as hee enableth us to performe service so doth hee reward every service every good thought nothing is lost that is done for Christ● sake not a cup of cold water Hee giveth strength to per●orme accepteth it as a worke of his Spirit and then rewardeth it He is so a Lord as he standeth for his so a Lord as he appeareth for us now in heaven against all accusations of Sathan Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods people for Christ maketh intercession for them He stood for his Disciples here on earth and upon any occasion was ready to defend them and hee is as ready in heaven to stand for his subjects and servants and will answer all accusations of a malitious world against his Chruch and children and will bring forth their righteousnesse to light as the noone day hee standeth for their credit and ingageth himselfe for the defence and protection of his Mount Sion his Church And to adde one thing more out of the text concerning the excellencie of this Lord he is an unchangeable Lord his love is as himselfe and his care as himselfe Eternall For whether we live or dye we are his What other people that are under a government can say so For all their governours love and care endeth in death In the meane time their mindes are variable their affections may dye before themselves as how many have beene cast off in their old dayes But God will not do so Forsake me not in my gray haires sayth David Hee is our Lord while wee live and he leaveth us not when wee leave to live but is our God to death in death and after death and for ever It is a relation that holds for eternitie As our Saviour Christ sayth of Abraham Isaac and Iacob He is the God of Abraham Abraham is dead Isaac and Iacob rotten in their graves I but their soules are in heaven and because he is their whole God their bodies shall be raised againe and united with their soules and bee for ever with the Lord. In all the vicissitude and entercourse of things in this world wee need something to sticke to and this the Christian hath to sticke to that never faileth him He is the Lords and the Lord is his hee is Christs and Christ is his Christ hath a love that is as himselfe unchangeable Whom the Lord loveth he loveth to the end The promises made in Christ are as Christ the promises of grace here and glory hereafter certain as his nature and love is unchangeable so the fruit of his love in his gracious promises is alwaies certain They are the everlasting portion of the Church

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 ●desires our language and members that they may be all weapons of righteousnesse Wee have nothing our owne much lesse ●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 Idol●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 pa●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 ●o m●ch in the world and brings many to h●ll Defile●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 de●●le this body of mine my body is not mi●e it is th● 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 swea●ing and blasphe●ing a●d idle ●alke consider that their tongues are not their owne and yet for whom doe they imploy their tongues as an instrument but for Sa●●● 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 Lord● 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 i● wee have grace to doe i● 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 ●●●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