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
his Members and in all degrees of nearnesse to him And because God in the second person hath done all therefore in the second person he ismore termed Lord than God the Father or the holy Ghost And therefore Acts 2. 36. God the father hath made him Lord and Christ. This is a poynt of wonderfull comfort and not onely a comfort but a direction how to carry ourselves It is not onely a poynt of dignitie and prerogative but a dutie First it is agrand coÌ„fort we are the Lords and the Lords in a peculiar manner as before The Divel is the Lords the Earth is the Lords All is the Lords but wee are the Lords by eternal donatioÌ„ by purchase by conquest by voluntary yeelding to him And therefore it is a most excellent condition What is the Lord If we be Christs we have him for Lord that is Lord of life Lord of glory Lord of grace that is Lord of Lords King of Kings He is an independent Lord none is above him the Father and he agreeing together if you know one you know both Hee is an absolute Lord a free Lord he hath no dependance at all upon any creature whatsoever An eternall Lord we have an eternall being in him for wee are when we are dead And therfore the Apostle divideth it Whether we live or dye wee are the Lords We have a substance when we be dead and a Lord of equall continuance with our selves a king for ever Therefore it is a poynt of wonderfull comfort But you will say Freedome is a sweet thing especially freedome from government so as to have no Lord to controule us therfore how can this be so excellent estate to have Christ our Lord Beloved wee are creatures wee are neither of our selves nor by our selves nor â—or ourselves Besides wee have enemies greater than our selves the powers of hell and therefore if we had not a better above us what would become of us but to bee totally subjected under the power of enemies It is the happines of the inferior to be in subjection to be the superior It is the happines of beasts to be under man that they may be kept from destruction It is the happines of the the weak to have tutors governers It is the perfection of inferiors to yeeld a gracious subjection to that that is better than themselves For every thing is perfected by being subject to that which is better And therfore we especially in our lapsed condition seeing wee are our owne greatest enemies God in love will not trust us with our selves since the fall but wil have our hapnes to be dependent subject to another to a God in our nature an excellent Lord and therefore an excellent Lord because besides what I spake before Christ hath all the authority in heaven earth committed to him not only over us but over our enemies that they shall not doe us harme And indeed he cannot bee Lord of the Chruch but he must be Lord of all creatures in heaven and earth that no creature may prejudice his Church Hee hath universall authoritie over all things and all for the Chruches cause And then he hath all the good qualities of a Lord not only authority but wisdome and strength power bounty and goodnesse and whatsoever may make him a gracious Lord. And therefore it is our perfection to be in subjection to this Lord. To set forth a little the excellencie of this Lord. He hath the sweetnesse of all superiours whatsoever as he hath taken the name of all superiority that is sweet and lovely so he hath the affections of all and eminently more than all hee is a Lord as a Husband hee loveth more than any husband can doe Hee is a Lord as a King he can do more for us than any king He hath all power in heaven and earth and hell over the divels themselves All knees bow to him of things in heaven and in earth and under the earth And he is Lord as an Head Whatsoever Superiority is neare deare that hee is to his Church He requires service I but hee is such a Lord as enableth us to serve him helpeth our infirmities by his Spirit without him we can doe nothing but in him wee can doe all And as hee enableth us to performe service so doth hee reward every service every good thought nothing is lost that is done for Christâ— sake not a cup of cold water Hee giveth strength to perâ—orme accepteth it as a worke of his Spirit and then rewardeth it He is so a Lord as he standeth for his so a Lord as he appeareth for us now in heaven against all accusations of Sathan Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods people for Christ maketh intercession for them He stood for his Disciples here on earth and upon any occasion was ready to defend them and hee is as ready in heaven to stand for his subjects and servants and will answer all accusations of a malitious world against his Chruch and children and will bring forth their righteousnesse to light as the noone day hee standeth for their credit and ingageth himselfe for the defence and protection of his Mount Sion his Church And to adde one thing more out of the text concerning the excellencie of this Lord he is an unchangeable Lord his love is as himselfe and his care as himselfe Eternall For whether we live or dye we are his What other people that are under a government can say so For all their governours love and care endeth in death In the meane time their mindes are variable their affections may dye before themselves as how many have beene cast off in their old dayes But God will not do so Forsake me not in my gray haires sayth David Hee is our Lord while wee live and he leaveth us not when wee leave to live but is our God to death in death and after death and for ever It is a relation that holds for eternitie As our Saviour Christ sayth of Abraham Isaac and Iacob He is the God of Abraham Abraham is dead Isaac and Iacob rotten in their graves I but their soules are in heaven and because he is their whole God their bodies shall be raised againe and united with their soules and bee for ever with the Lord. In all the vicissitude and entercourse of things in this world wee need something to sticke to and this the Christian hath to sticke to that never faileth him He is the Lords and the Lord is his hee is Christs and Christ is his Christ hath a love that is as himselfe unchangeable Whom the Lord loveth he loveth to the end The promises made in Christ are as Christ the promises of grace here and glory hereafter certain as his nature and love is unchangeable so the fruit of his love in his gracious promises is alwaies certain They are the everlasting portion of the Church
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
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
but mortification We are not debters to the slesh saith the Apostle Therefore when a proud vindictive motion ariseth say I owe no suite or service to the flesh VVhat should these doe in a heart dedicated to God consecrated to Christ I am not mine owne much lesse Satans or lusts which be objects of mortification but no way worthy of my service Absolute deniall is required here Of other things a deniall is required onely as they stand in competition with Christ. In that case a man must sacrifice Isaac not onely his sinful selfe but natural self also his life and bodily liberty the dearest thing in the world and whatsoever is sweet for Christ. He having taken us off from our selves assigneth us to a true Lord. Wee live to the Lord and die to the Lord. It had not beene enough to say Wee ought not to live to our selves or die to our selves if he had not told whom we must live to and die to For naturally man will never leave any thing though but an apparaÌ„t good til he knoweth something better A man wil not part with a bad Master til he hath a better service Therefore he sheweth where to bestow our selves namely upon Christ who hath care of us both in life and death This is to be laid down for a ground had we not a better being in Christ then in our selves hee would never take us from our selves for God never biddeth us to our losse We have a better condition in Christ then we can have in the VVorld It is our gaine and advantage to live and die to Christ though it be to the losse of naturall self of civill selfe and whatsoever else yet it is our advantage It is Mercatorium not a losse but a trading VVee have a better for worse No man ever parted with any thing for Religion or a publike good but God made it up in a better kind Though God should not make it up in this world in the same kinde yet in Religion there be all things better then in the world If we lose honour here wee have honour from God If wee lose riches wee have them made up in grace here in glory hereafter If wee lose liberty we have it in the inlargment of a good conscience If wee lose friends wee get a God for a friend who can make our enemies friedÌ„s If we lose life wee are put into possession of eternal life and therfore wee need not stand at the bargain Wee have a better being in Christ then in our selves VVater is not lost when it emptieth it self into the Sea for there it is in its proper element A Christian is not lost when he loseth himselfe in his God in his Saviour For in him he hath a better being then in himselfe Hee is brought neerer the fountain I desire to depart and to be with Christ which is the best of all saith the Apostle Religion is a most excellent condition for as hee that saveth his life shall lose it so hee that loseth his life shall save it All our comforts have a better being in Christ then inâ— our selves and therfore wee should labour to have communion with him and to strengthen our faith in Christ and be in love with our happy condition in him which yieldeth comfort in life and death And all by vertue of the death of Christ and the resurrection of Christ. As he saith afterward Christ both died and rose again that hee might be Lord both of the dead and of the living The resurrection of Christ is the consummation of all If Christ had not risen again where had our comfort bin But the very thought of it that we are ingraffed in one who hath not only purchased us by his death for we are the price of his bloud but to make it cleer that it is so is now in heaven as our head having overcome death and intending to bring al his body where he is as it was his will That where hee is wee should be also is a glorious thought The glory of Christian Religion is in the resurrection of Christ and to consider that we that are creeping here on earth shal be members of him that is glorious in Heaven Lord of heaven and earth who not onely died for us but is risen againe and wil make us all both in body and soule conformable to his glorious selfe as the Apostle saith to the Philippians cannot but infuse life and vigour into all our actions estates and conditions be they never so mean And have a wonderfull influence into the whole life of a Christian. THE SECOND SERMON ROM 14. 7 8. None of us liveth to himself and none of us dyeth to himself for whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord Whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords FIrst the general scope of the Apostle is to take us off from our false ends None of us liveth to himselfe c. Secondly to assigne us to the true object to whom wee ought to dedicate our selves that is to the Lord. Thirdly the ground of all Whether wee live or die we are the Lords And then fourthly the spring of all Christ both died and rose againe that hee might be Lord both of quick and dead There is a concaâ—enation and knitting together of divine truths They following one another by a necessity of coÌ„sequence As from the body of the Sunne there is a naturall issue of beames And as in plants derivation from the root into the branch so there is from Christ into all truths Grant him to be the second Adam and grant him Lord of the Living and of the Dead and it will follow wee ought to live to him If we grant we ought to live to Christ then wee must grant wee ought not to live to our selves For wee ought to live to Christ. Why to Christ because hee is Lord both of life and death Why is he Lord because hee hath purchased it by his bloud How doe wee know hee hath purchased it by his death satisfactorily because hee is risen againe and sitteth at the right hand of God to make all good for us Things are best to us when they are digested and made our own by the presence of good principles But here is the mischief Sin is ready and good principles are not ingraffed into us but if divine truths were as neere as corruption is then wee could withstand and repell all temptations As Travellers have the end of their journy in their thoughts habitually though not actually for every step they take is in vertue of their end So wee should consider that we are all Travellers in the way to Heaven and every step of our life should be to that end The ignorance of this maketh the life of most men to be but a digression from the mayne As if they were brought into the world onely to satisfie base lusts
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
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
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
his enemies Those that have the mark of the beast absolutely cannot bee Christs nor have communion with him but are enemies to Christ though under pretence of religion But where a man is truly Christs hee is none but Christs Satan is content with any part but Christ must have the whol heart Gods children have something in them that usurpeth some corruption in them which is not absolutely removed but it is but a rebell and they have an enemies minde to it all that is contrary to Christ is renounced whereas in them that bee carnall sin is as a Lord but in Gods children it is as a thiefe hee is there yet they owne him not but get strength against him he ruleth not there but as a Tyrant there is a renunciation of Lordship and dominion of sin though they have inclinations to this and that sin yet they have no liking to that liking no inclinations as spiritual to that inclination as carnall but make it an object of mortification They renounce all other Lords when all other men that have not the spirit of Christ are under the dominion of some reigning lusts And as it implyeth a possession so likewise an estimation as God esteemeth us so we esteem him above all And therfore God calleth his Church his Portion his Iewel and we call Christ our portion our treasure our pearle our all S. Paul counts all dung and drosse in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Christ. And all that belongeth to Christ he esteemeth And therefore the Church glorieth that God is their God and makes claime to him as S. Paul I live by the faith of the Sonne of God who loved mee and gave himselfe for mee And as Thomas My Lord my God This is the best evidence of a true Christian whose estate is no way knowne better than by his estimation Whom have I in heaven but thee or in â—arth in comparison of thee sayth David It implieth likewise a duty of resignation to Christ in life and death because we are not our owne and therefore are in all things to bee at his disposing to bee led what way hee pleaseth and to pursue his directions though to the crossing of our corrupt nature to be content to goe to heaven as he will lead us by faire wayes or foule wayes by faire death or bloudy death if by any meanes wee may attain to the resurrection of the dead as S. Paul sayth it Besides this wee must have a care to implead this and to improve it as the Apostle doth here Whether wee live or dye we are the Lords He will have care of us and therefore we ought to serve him It is a speciall after-part to bee able to make it good to God in all troubles and conditions whatsoever I am thine Lord save me I am thine Lord teach mee I am thine Lord protect me Avouch and make it good against the temptations of Satan urging thee to distrust I am not my owne I am Gods and Christs and therefore if thou hast any thing to say to mee goe to him that hath paid my debt Thus plead the goodnesse and graciousnesse of God Plead it against temptation to sin I am not mine owne I am bought with a price My body is not for uncleannesse but for the Lord. Plead it against our own Consciences in times of desertion search narrowly whaâ— we have of Christs in us and doe not cavill against our selves too much in times of temptation If wee have but desires of the soule to God lose not any thing that is good if I renounce my interest in Christ I am where the Divell would have me then hee can doe any thing with us And therefore plead it against our owne distastfull hearts in times of darknesse I give my selfe to him and my desires are to him my faith is little but yet something my love is litle but yet I love the Lord I believe help my unbeliâ—f We must take notice of any thing Christ hath wrought in our spirits that we may implead our interest on all occasions for if wee yeeld to despairing hearts in times of temptations we are gone Therefore say with Ioh If thou kill me I wil trust thee Lye at Christs feet if thou wilt damne me so it is I will lye here and wait here For if I have not present audience I shall have it God waiâ—eth to doe them good that wait for him Hee will try our spirits whether wee will take a seeming repulse therfore we must as the woman of Samaria grow on Christ and catch at his words And as the servants of Benhadad who retorted on Ahab presently Thy servant Benhadad And as we must implead our interest so we must improve it in the whole course of our life and in all conditions what soever if we have any losse or crosses yet the soul can say Christ is mine and I am Christs Though a man taking a journey lose things of lesse value yet if he hath a pearl left him he is content for hee hath that that will make him a man And therefore be not much disconsolate for any crosses They cannot take away my Christ my promises the comforts of the Spirit I have a Christ and in him all that shall be for my good Improve it in all opposition of flesh and bloud hell and the instruments of hell Satan and wicked men they are mine eâ—nemies but it Christ be my friend it matters not Christ can make our enemies our friends And all things are ours if we be Christs we have a general charter things to come are ours life ours death ours and therefore if wee be Christs make use of him As it is basenesse of spirit to rest in any thing in the world but Christ so it is basenesse of spirit for us that are Christs to bee dejected for any thing in the world wee have the treasure wee have the Mine wee have the Sunne what if we lose a beame we have a spring what if the streame bee dried up It Christ giveth us himselfe it is no matter what we lose But we are sure of him For in life and death wee are the Lords And therefore let us hence answere all objections Oh that we should have such grounds of comfort and stabilitie and yet make no more use of them Iâ— these things were fresh in our thoughts nothing would â—iscourage us If you askâ— how shal we know in particular that it is so indeed that wee are Châ—â—stâ— I answer if we have given our selves to him by a contract of our owne if wee bee married to him you know mariage must have consent of both parties Those that give not themselves up to Christ to bee his they are not his They that live under the power of any sin against conscience as their Lord that love any thing better than Christ and will not part with it for Christs sake Christ is not theirs
look principally to that which is his last and best and mayn end which is GOD and Vnion and Communion with God in Christ who is God in our nature God-man the best of all and therfore it is fit hee should be the last Hee communicateth all good to them that be his and preserveth all the good he communicateth Hee is for ever with them and cannot faile to doe them good as long as hee fails not to be good Hee is the originall causâ— and the communicating cause and the mayntâ—yning cause of all good Now it is the nature of the utmost and farthest end to stirre up to every action leading to that end for every deliberate rationall action that is done with advertisement and observation and is not an action of fancy or common nature must fall under the consideration of an end or else we cannot give account for it as wee must for every word desire and thought Now the end stirreth us up to all means leading to that end either immediatly as they are the services of God properly or else remotely As things that help reason and furtherances therunto as the Apostle willeth that whether wee eat or drink or whatsoever wee doe all should be done to the glory of God because these mayntayn us in health and strength and that health and strength inable us to Gods service And in this sence every action a Christian doth is a service of God for the end doth advance it and rayse it above it selfe and make it spirituall as recreation to cheere him to diligence in his calling the serving of his brother and the like Some actions are holy in the stuffe and matter of them others are such for the end to which they are directed for the meanest action becomes holy if an holy end be put upon it And therfore the actions of the second Table are the service of God as well as the first as they doe all agree in the end No man violateth a Magistrate in the second Table but he wrongeth God in the first No man stealeth or committeth adultery or disgraceth his neighbour by false witnesse which is prohibited in the second but it is for want of fear of God commanded in the first Duties of the second rightly performed are in vertue of the Commandements of the first When they are done not onely from humane and lower grounds as things good in themselves but also because God and Christ have commanded them and that is included in the generall words of living to the Lord for to live is comprehensive and includeth all our actions from the beginning to the end and closing up of our days Whatsoever actions fall within the term of life ought to be referr'd to God as the last end The Reason is Christ hath redeemed our persons and our times and all that we are or have or can do all our ability our whole posse is Christ's and not our own I must be fill'd up with actions sutable to Christ therefore if I could doe a thousand times more then I do it were all due to him my self my time my advantages my calling and all are his Againe as the end stirs up to actions of all kinds so it prescribeth a measure to those actions to doethem so farre as shall be advantagious to that end As hee that hath a race to runne will measure his dyet suitable to that end So hee that hath an ayme to live to Christ will use all things here as may serve that turne Hee will use the world as if he used it not will buy as if hee possessed not will marry as if hee married not Not that he will be slight or superficiall in these things But he will do them no further then may be advantagious to the enjoying of Christ here as comfortably as he can and for ever hereafter Indeed no man can set measures to his desire of happinesse that being a vast Ocean his mayn end cannot be desired too much For as it is his good and happines it is larger then himself yea his thoughts and desires are too short to reach it But though a man desires not health too much yet hee may desire too much physick The measure must be in our pursuite of inferiouâ— things because therin we are apt to exceed And that advantage a Christian hath in setting a right end Hee will not be drowned in the world nor live to recreations but to a farther ayme and which prescribes a measure and duration to all things else The end likewise maketh every thing that tendeth to the end lovely It maketh the Crosse lovely for by it we grow better and get more in large communion with Christ. Welcome is poverty or disgrace or whatsoever that maketh a man live more to Christ and die to himselfe Men call for Physick though in it self distastfull as it is in order to health an end which we desire without end So it is the disposition of a gracious soule it Christ bestow himself on him communicated his gracious spirit peace of conscience joy in the holy Ghost increase of the Image of God Let God lay upon us what he will yet it will appeare lovely It prescribeth likewise a right order to every duty for as the end sets one thing above another So a wiseman that looketh to his best end will doe the mayne work first and otherthings in the second place according to our Saviours counsell Seeke first seek the kingdome of God and his righteousnes and all other things shall be cast upon you Some indeed love to be all in by-works and in the mean time neglect and slight the mayn But our care should be so to use the world that we may not lose Christ or communion with him in better things So to look to things temporall as that wee lose not things eternall For as things are in themselves so they should be to us Now as some thing is better then another so wee should conceive of them and affect them as better then another and labour to do them before another as deserving the first place And that is the reason the Saints have so prized entertained communion with God Christ one thing I deâ—ire saith the Prophet That is to dwell in the house of the Lord for ever And one thing is necessary saith Christ other things be necessary in their order but to have communion with God is the mayn thing necessary Let us therefore often consider of the end of our life in this world And take shame to our selves that wee have let so much water run besides the Mill. That wee have let so much precious time and strength and dear advantages be lost too much strength hath beene spent in the service of sin and our base lusts which wee can give no account of How many scandalous blasphemous words are many guilty of which help onely to advantage their destruction if God be not mercifull Now
a little to shew the guise of the world and the difference of it from the actions of Gods children for these words imploy a restraint to Gods people as well as an extension The Christians whole life is onely to Christ but what is the life of a man out of Christ His first aimes being corrupt God is not in all his thoughts as the Psalmist speakes neither to have communion with him here in grace nor in glory hereafter Therefore whatsoever good hee doth a false end poysoneth it If a man misunderstanding of a thing be from a false principle he misunderstands it grosly As if an house be built upon a weake foundation such is all the fabrickâ— though otherwise never so costly if the principles be naught the conclusions drawn from thence must needs be naught also As in Physick if the first concoction be naught the second can never be good So if a mans ends are nought if hee seek himself or doth things onely from forreigne motives out of terrour of conscience or for vain glory or to be seen of men his corrupt ayme spoyleth all his actions yea hee reduceth Religion to himselfe because he will enjoy his pleasures the better hee wil act some part of Religion lest conscience should bark and clamour against him This self will moderate Religion and restrain it to such a measure as may stand with his lusts and sinfull customes If he loveth others it is in order to himselfe because he hath use of them as they comply with him in wicked courses and so help to bear him out the better And if any man stands in the wayes of his ends of honour or riches he removeth them by disgrace though it amounteth to slandering as undermyning and rising by others ruines because selfe his Idoll and mayn end must not be crossed He desireth to be some body in the flesh all things must be measured by that yea Religion and acquaintaince and all and whatsoever stands in the way it cryeth downe with them but however it killeth them in the esteeme of others that they themselves might be thought something and thus all is turned cleane contrary upside down But a gracious mans end and ayme is to get out of himselfe and his corrupt nature and to order all his actions in reference to that and all his acquaintance and communion with others as may help his communion with God And whatsoever is an impediment to that he laboureth to remove But to give you some directions how to live not to our selves but to live and die to the Lord. First we must have a spirituall life from him for life is but the issue of life We must live by faith from union with Christ by faith and then live to Christ. And againe wee must do it constantly and uniformly no part of our lives must be alienated from Christ all must be done in order to him even our recreations must have some good aymes in them Now do but consider wee are his wee are not our own but his and therfore wee ought to live to him bringing in all our strength all our advantages our callings that we may do service to him in our places wee are redeemed even from our selves A world of people thinke they be redeemed to live as they list But because God is mercifull and Christ a Saviour may you therfore live like libertines No you are redeemed from your selves not to your selves And to former rules delivered let me adde that this living to Christ though naturally we count it bondage because it is the acknowledging of a superiour is the most perfect liberty Deo servire est regnare For he that serveth that which is better and larger then himselfe that hath more goodnesse and ability then himselfe hee doth advance himselfe by his service and freeth himselfe from the service of all inferiours For the more dependant any man is on CHRIST in his service and in expectation of reward from him the more independant is hee upon the VVorld And indeed who is free in his thoughts and desires from base ingagements to the creature but hee that sets up Christ highest in his soule And suffers him to prescribe rules to him in his life which is freer in the world then they that have hearts freed from overmuch love of earthly things overmuch feare of earthly things overmuch delight in earthly things Hee useth them as helps to the mayne but is not ingaged or inthralled to any Quanto subjectior tanto liberior The more subject the more free is Saint Augustines rule And it is undoubtedly so you shal finde by experience that the soul is never at a more gracious liberty then when Christ is all in all Wee see it in the example of Zacheus when once he believed in Christ presently Halfe my goods I give to the poore Saint Paul that was all for the world and vain glory can say now My life is not deare to me so I may finish my course with joy In comparison of Christ all is dounge VVhen Moses had seen God that was invisible hee was freed from all base dependance on the favour of Pharaob nay he esteemed the reproches of Christ better then all the riches of Egypt And that makes mens stomacks inwardly to rise against Christians because they be not men to serve times and turns they will not prostitute their consciences and Religion for any mans pleasure wheras other men though naturally never so stout and strong in parts yet having base aymes and hearts fastned to the world will debase their very natures And when their end commeth in competition with honesty they love it more then goodnes As Christ telleth the Pharisies You cannot believe that seek honour one of another This is it that maketh a Christian better then his neighbour because he hath a better ayme All other men have narrow spirits whose hearts are not filled with the inlarging spirit of grace and of Christ. But the course of the Children of God is a course contrary to the streame of the VVorld Let others take what course they will it matters not they will looke to themselves It is good for them to draw neer to God and to be guided by his spirit A Christian seeks communion with him that is all in all with an infinite good with God in Christ and Christ God Man and happinesse Another man is straightned in his affections to some particular good that is meaner then himselfe which mamaketh him a base spirited man Hee that inlargeth his heart to seek out a condition that is larger and better then himselfe is both wise and happy One would require no more to Christianity but to have sanctified judgements that God is God and Christ is Christ and the Word is the Word â—nd rules that cannot be denyed are true unlesse hee will be an atheisticall beast below himselfe And therefore Lactantius saith well Religion is the true wisdome Let a man be judicious
for they bee ingaged another away Againe if we live to Christ we are sure wee are his if wee â—oe not live to Christ we are not his If Christ be ours as the life which we live is his so our course of living will bee to him wee shall direct all our courses to him making him our last end and therefore if we will know whether we be Christs what is the scope of our lives what is our aim if so be that Christ may be glorified by me I am content to part with any thing with life it selfe I may know that I am Christs He that will not deny all that hateth not father and mother for my sake is not worthy of mee sayth Christ. Self-deniall and haâ—red of all things in coÌ„parison of Christ argueth an interest in him Therfore it is a great deale of grace and the soule is much subdued before it can say I am Christs and Christ is mine For when sin and other withdrawings from Christ are to be diâ—â—erted first there is much adoe in the understanding with reason Have I reason to doe this well if my judgement say it is good yet my wil saith it is better to have my will than to yeeld to God though I hazard the ruine of my selfe Oh this is a fatall naughty disposition and a signe of ruine yet the reputed happinesse of many men consisteth in their chiefe misery Again good things first coming to the judgement are there repulsed But if they come to the will there they be more opposed And then the affections make a stirre and buâ—sle love and hatred and ingagements to worldly things and all to hinder our claime and interest to Câ—rist But hee must bee set up in place of selfe-love before hee can say Christ is mine and I am Christs and that is an hard matter Therefore let us consider what our aime and scope is In a word if we be Christs undoubtedly we will side with Christ Who is on my side who sayth Iehu In ill and doubtfull times Christs calls are for a partie and calleth our where is my party who standeth for me who owneth Christ and his truth and doctrine and good wayes honesty and religion who is on my side sayth Christ Why I am for the Lord as in the Prophet Isaiaâ— sayth the soule that can owne Christ. It Christ will owne us we shall own him if we be ashamed of him he will bee ashamed of us at the day of judgement They that for hope of preferment and to be some body in the world can crosse their own consciences Christ in their consciences by doing that which by his spirit he telleth them is naught are they Christs when they set up selfe as an Idoll above Christ and side with the world and the flesh against Christ Againe he that can say in truth of heart Christ is his and he is Christs he will solace himselfe delight himself and live upon this comfort it is a rich claime and there will bee spirituall wisedome where there is this interest to implead and improve it it is not given to lye dormant but grace is given with it to improve it and live upon it All that is Christs will please him that hath Christ his truth is sweet to him the Lords day the Lords work the Lords servants the Lords ordinances whatsoever hath the stampe of the Lord it is sweet to him because he is the Lords and the Lord is his This is contrary to the disposition of that generation that can cunningly despiâ—e persons and causes if they see any thing in them opposite to their own base courses and lusts But above all where Christ is any mans in truth the Spirit of Christ is in that mans heart a witnessing Spirit and a sanctiâ—ying Spirit The Spirit will witnesse an interest and fit and sanctifie the soule as a gracious vessell for Christs service here and for glory hereafter And though the Spirit witnesse not so lowd that hee is Christs yet he may know by the worke of the Spirit that Christ is his for the spirit frameth him 〈◊〉 a connaturall disposition to Christ and all that is Christs They love his wayes and government A gracious man would not bee under another government than Christs if hee were to choose He hath made his choyce indecd but if hee were to choose hee would have Christs government because he findeth a sweetnes in it and a suitablenesse to the dignitie of it A man never findeth himselâ—e more himselfe than when he is most gracious Carnall men though they submit to ourward meanes yet they cast away the bond of Christ they cannot endure the yoke but they that are Christs have a connaturall disposition to the government of Christ. And they complaine to Christ of other Lords Other Lords rule me this lust reignes in me Lord subdue it claime thine owne interest let nothing rule in me but thy Spirit I am weary of my inclinations to this and that lust And so there is a conflict ever maintained To stirre us up in a word to labour to be more under the government of Christ and to get assurance of it let us consider if we be not Christs whoâ—e are we There is but two kingdomes if Christ rules us not the Divel and the world must rule us And what kinde of subjection is it to bee subject to our owne lusts to a damned world and to Satan is it not to bee ruled by our enemies and base enemies Our lusts are baser than the divel himselâ— For the Divel is a substance and ruleth by them Now who would bee willing to serve an enemy nay to bee aservant of servants to bee under these tyrannicall enemies restlesse enemies that do incroach upon us more and more and all the fruits wee have by their service is shame and griefe at the best and shall wee serve those that will pay no better wages yet this is the condition of all that have not Christ for their Lord they serve some base lust and Satan a tyrannicall Lord that in stead of better rewards punisheth them with eternall destruction so that they serve him with the price of their owne soules I beseech you seriously consider of it and put this quâ—re to your soules I have lived in such and such a sin but what is the fruit of it The best is shame if I am not ashamed here it will end in eternall shame So that it is a sweet thing to be under the government of Christ. It is utile dominium a dominion for our good And lest we should be discouraged take heed of all tempâ—ations that withdraw us from the love of Christs government because our nature is opposite to this yoke If they seaze upon us wee shall be great losers by them in our reputation and in much of that comfort which otherwise we might have gotten Beloved you shall lose nothing by Christ. What we