might be a publicke person If Christ had taken the person of any body there had beene two persons of Christ he had dyed in one person and not in another now having the nature that is common to all men and not the person of Peter or Iames c. when he dyed the person dyed in that nature wherein he might dye so when it is sayd Christ dyed wee must consider Christ as a publicke person not taking the particular person of any man but the generall nature of man into union with the second person Christ dyed as a publicke person Secondly Christ dyed as the second Adam the spring of all misery and death was from the first Adam but the second Adam was a quickning Spirit he dyed as a publicke person and the second Adam We must know moreover that he dyed as the great high Priest of the Church offering to God the Father a sacrifice that made him Lord over all as we shall see after hee dyed as a Priest as indeed he that was fore-signifyed by all the Sacrifices and Priests hee was both Priest and Sacrifice Heb. 9. 14. By the eternall Spirit the Godhead he offered himselfe to his Father Againe he dyed a voluntary death for else he had not dyed in obedience his death was violent in regard of them that forced it but it was voluntary in regard of them that he offered himselfe for as a sweete Sacrifice to his Father that voluntarinesse made his death a sweete sacrifice for whatsoever the Father did to him he joyned with the Father in it the Father gave him he gave himselfe the Father appointed him to bee so and so and he joyned with the Father in all things No man takes away my life from me saith hee himselfe It was a voluntary death in regard of his freedome nay hee thirsted after it as you have it in the Gospell he longed after it upon higher considerations howsoever in a lower consideration as it was a tormenting thing and a bitter cup hee had a desire that it might passe but it was upon lower respects upon hi her respects the will of his Father and the Salvation of mankinde hee thirsted to drinke of that cup. A man may will and nill the same thing upon presenting of different objects and respects and reasons that which a man may decline as wee say in this respect looking to a particular end that a man may desire looking to a higher end because man is framed so to yeeld to the stronger reason alway Thereupon that is no objection he seemed sometime a little unwilling It was looking upon something presented to him that made him in that respect unwilling but looking upon other respects he gave himselfe willingly the Father and he joyned together And therefore by the way when they talke of the active and passive obedience there was action in all his passion chiefly in his passion there was action for if it had beene meere suffering without voluntary obedience what obedience had that beene a beast may so suffer but against his will but his voluntary obedience was the chiefe in all his passion He humbled himselfe to the death of the Crosse as it is Phil. 2. Yet further as he dyed voluntarily so he dyed as our surety therefore hee dyed a cursed death due to us Hee was made a curse for us that hee might remove the curse from us these and such like conclusions must be observed in this that the Apostle saith to this end Christ dyed because wee shall have use of them afterwards Here we might stay and admire that life should dye that glory should become shame for us And that hee that is the Authour of all blessing should become a curse Indeed it is a great mystery that Christ being God should stoupe so low that hee could joyne together the infinite Majesty of God and that low degree of abasement that he did condescend unto Domine quo descendis c. Lord how farre goest thou he could not goe lower and be God God to shew his love to us shewed himselfe God in this that he could be God and goe so low as to dye and not onely to dye but to dye a shameful and cursed death for us but I passe to the particulars For this end Christ both dyed and rose c. He rose againe and indeed it was impossible but hee should rise againe because he is the Lord of life Now the Lord of life and life it selfe could not long dye it was but by dispensation that hee dyed viz. to worke our salvation but he could not be detained any longer by the sorrowes of death he dyed therefore and rose he rose even as he dyed he rose a publicke person and as a second Adam to give and infuse spirituall life into all his branches he rose as our surety in our roome he rose in spight of the Iewes that laboured to keepe him downe all they could By the way this shewes that he will rise in his Church and in his children in his Religion and in his cause let the world and all the devils in hell lay a stone upon Christ upon his cause and Church and children they will rise againe even as his blessed body did in spight of all the watchfullnesse of the Iewes Againe as he rose so he rose with many not alone to shew as I said before that he rose as a publicke person another man riseth as himselfe the rest rise not with him as caused by his rising But Christ rose as a publicke person Therefore many rose with him the graves were opened to shew that he rose as a publicke person as our surety as a spirituall head and as the second Adam who could infuse life into others What became of those bodyes that rose with him after the Scripture saith nothing of it nor what became of Moses body They rose to doe God a service and Christ an honour which when they had done they were content to be disposed of by God againe and it is likely to returne from whence they came for if the head of the Church himselfe was content to come from heaven into the Virgins wombe and from thence to the crosse and from thence to the grave and to be abased for us those that have the Spirit of Christ those blessed soules in heaven might well be content for a time to be abased to take bodies to doe a service for their Lord and master who was content to foregoe heaven thirty foure yeares and the glory due to him Therefore by the way if God will use us though we be never so great for a particular service to the Church shall wee stand upon it when the blessed Saints in heaven those blissefull soules were content to come and take bodies for a time to doe God service and then to sleepe againe Againe he rose on that day which was ever after and well may still be called the Lords day for a new world beganne with his rising therefore a new Sabbath Saint
CHRISTS EXALTATION PVRCHAST BY HVMILIATION Wherein you may see Mercy and Misery meete together Very Usefull I. For Instructing the Ignorant II. For Comforting the Weake III. For Confirming the Strong By R. Sibbs D. D. and Preacher of Grayes-Inne London Published by T. G. and P. N. 1 Cor. 15. 45. The first man Adam was made a Living Soule the last Adam was made a Quickning Spirit LONDON Printed by Tho. Cotes and are to be sold by Iohn Bartlet at his shop at the Signe of the guilt Cup neere S. Austins gate 1639. The Contents THe Coherence of the Text. p. 1. 2. c. The Text divided p. 6. 7 Christs death was voluntary 10. 11 That Christ should dye is Admirable 14. 15 That Christ rose againe as a publicke person 16 What became of those that rose with him 18 The Spirit in heaven will supply all wants 22 Iustice must be satisfied 25 Why we are the Lords 26 Excellent inferences from Christs Resurrection 27. 28. c. What a Lord Christ is 32. c. ad 40. He is a Lord both of quicke and dead 41 God doth all to some good Ends. 42 Divine truths depend on one another 46 Christs Lordship full of security and comfort 50. 51. c. In the Lords Supper we have to deale with the Christ the Lord. 64 A Christian mans aime good 68 Christ rose to be Lord of the living 72. 73 He dyed to be Lord of his Church 74. c. And to be Lord of his Enemies 76 And to make good what by death he got 78. His Lordship eternall both over the living and the dead 80 How great a happinesse to be under the Lord Christ. 82. 83 Comforts against the feare of death 84 We must looke to Christ in life and death 86. 90 When we live to Christ. 88. 92. c. Directions for our ayming at Christ in all things 96. 97 Helpes to live to Christ. 100. 101. Diverse desire him as Iesus but not as Christ. 103. 104. 105. What it is to dye to Christ. 106. 107. Christs dying implies duty in us 110 Abilities to doe duties part of the covenant 113 A signe to know who is under Christs goverment 116. 117. Christs Lordship assurance of our perseverance 118. c. What will make us willing to dye 122. There is more than an exemplary good in Christs death 132 The scope of Christs humiliation and exaltation 134 The studdy of this scope is good 138 By what title Christ is Lord 141 Diverse comforts from this title of Christs Lordship 142. 143. c. ad 152 An honour to bee under Christs Lordship 153 It is great security to be under it 158 Christs Lordship a Spring of duties and that 1. One to another 2. To those that are not Christians 3. To Christ himselfe 160. 161. We must give up our selves to this Lord. 166. c. Christs Lordship a stoppe against Sinne. 170. 171. It is also a comfort in affliction 172. c. Whether Christ by dying merited for himselfe 178. 179. Christians must be alwayes projecting for his glory 188. c. Christs Lordship comfortable in the houre of death 190. 191. CHRISTS EXALTATION PVRCHAST BY HV MILIATION ROM 14. 9. For for this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living THe dependance of these words upon the former I take to be this the scope of the Apostle in this Chapter is to stay the ridged censures of other concerning weaker Christians especially about matters of indifferency or at the least of a lesse nature In the 6. verse saith he He that regards not a day regards it not to the Lord he that eates eates to the Lord and he that eates not to the Lord he eates not and gives God thankes c. His reason is this they that in eating or in not eating doe it with a religious respect to the Lord if they eate it is to the Lord if they eate not it is to the Lord that is in obedience to the Lord they are to be borne withall because they doe it with religious respects though perhaps there may be a little errour in the matter yet there be some things of such indifferencie that they not give denomination to the action if it be to the Lord howsoever the action bee not altogether to be excused yet the person is to be excused and is not to bee hardly censured therefore considering that they that doe it and they that doe it not doe it to the Lord be not hasty in your censures Quest. How doth hee proove that these holy Christians did eate or not eate to the Lord Answ. From this because they were the Lords they that are the Lords they live to him and dye to him and therefore they doe particular actions to him No man verse 7. lives to himselfe nor no man dyeth to himselfe which includes all particular actions Whether we live we live to the Lord or whether we dye we dye to the Lord whether we live therefore or dye we are the Lords he proves therefore that they doe eate or not eate to the Lord if they bee good Christians because they are the Lords Those that are the Lords live to the Lord and doe all particular actions to the Lord such must not be harshly censured because they are the servants of the Lord. In the third placē how doth he prove that they are the Lords that live and dye to him He prooves it from the maine ground in the text For for this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living So you see the dependance of the reason they eate or eate not to the Lord why because they are the Lords But how is it they are the Lords It is the end of the three actions of Christ here Christ dyed and rose againe and revived for this end that hee might be Lord of the dead and of the living so you see the connexion of these words with the former In the words you have argumentum argumenti ratio the argument and the reasoning from the argument the ground and the inference from the ground the ground is Christ dyed and rose againe and revived what is the inference from that that he might be Lord of the dead and of the living In the words therefore wee will consider the argument it selfe the ground it selfe and then the inference For for this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived There are three branches of the ground Christ Dyed Rose Revived Of the inference wee will speake afterwards and shew how these grounds inforce that inference that he should be Lord both of the dead and of the living Christ dyed First of all you must know that Christ dyed here as a publicke person or else the inference were not good Christ tooke upon him the person of no man but the nature for this end that he
Iohn saith I was in the Spirit upon the Lords day If a man be ever in the Spirit it is upon the Lords day when the Lord of the day doth honour his people giving them to enjoy his Ordinances and joyning effectually with them maketh them full of the Spirit and raiseth up our dead hearts after him And revived Why is this added to rising againe Hee revived To shew that hee rose never to dye againe and that indeede hee never meant to lay aside that body againe as once he had to dye for us Consonant hereunto is that Revel 1. 18. Behold I was dead and am alive and I live for evermore I have the keyes of death and of hell Hee lives for evermore as Heb. 7. Hee sits for evermore at the right hand of God there making intercession for us He dies no more Againe this revived is added to shew the kind of his life differing from that life hee lived before that life he lived before he dyed was supported with meate and drinke and refreshings even as our poore lives are It was a life subject to death that he dyed in but after his Resurrection except it were for a particular dispensation to confirme the faith of his Disciples he needed no more to eate or drinke or sleepe or any naturall supports and helpes for he was enlivened immediately by the Spirit of God which flowed into him he was full of the Spirit and that did supply all other things whatsoever Even as in heaven God shall be all in all that is hee shall be so immediately to us to supply all as we shall neither eate nor drinke nor sleepe nor have magistrates nor ministers but the Spirit of God will be all in all so it was with this life of our blessed Saviour when he revived the Spirit supplyed the absence of all other supports whatsoever that he used before he dyed And indeed our Saviour Christ came to bestow that life upon us that he lived after his Resurrection not this naturall life of ours that needes meate and drinke and refreshing this is not that life that Christ specially aimed at when he came to dye but that spirituall and eternall life that he lived after the Resurrection a life not subject to death a spirituall life not needing any created support whatsoever You see the grounds the inference from these grounds follow in these words That he might bee Lord both of the dead and of the living The ground hath three branches death resurrection and reviving how all these doe flow and give strength to this inference I will touch in the particulars First then Christ dyed that hee might be Lord of the dead and of the living Christ dyed 1 Pet. 3. to offer himselfe a sacrifice to redeeme us by his precious blood wee are not redeemed with Gold or Silver but with the blood of Christ hee could not be our Lord till hee had bought us now his death was the price of our redemption I say redemption not emption a thing may be bought that was never sold away before now we were sold to Sathan and under a contrary government now Christ satisfying divine justice redeemes us he buyes us againe wee had subjected our selves to the devill and put our selves under his regiment till we were ransomed by Christ now Christ shall have no right to us till the price be paid to divine justice for mercy must have justice satisfied the attributes of God must not fight one against another Christ therefore is Lord of us because by death he gave full content to divine justice so that now notwithstanding justice yet we are Christs and are saved nay now the justice of God helpes us the most terrible attribute justice is a ground of comfort for it stands not with justice to have the same debt paid twice For God is just and faithfull saith the Apostle so then you see there is a ground from death why wee are the Lords we are Christs because we cost him deare hee hath paid a price for us that is worth more then the whole world Now God shewed his love in nothing more then in this that he parted with that that is next himselfe the greatest his Sonne who being God yet dyed in that nature that could dye to redeeme us and hereupon becommeth Lord. Secondly Hee rose againe therefore he is Lord of the quicke and dead First because his rising againe was a manifestation that his death was a ful satisfaction to divine justice or else our sinnes should have kept him in the grave still hee being our surety but our surety being out of prison it is a signe hee hath fully discharged all our debt and the price is paid If the surety and the creditor be agreed we know the debt is paid Secondly in that hee rose againe he is Lord because in rising againe he entred into the possession and exercise of that Lordship that he had purchased The right is one thing and the use and possession of the right is another Christ was Lord of us before he dyed he was Lord of us when he dyed but hee did not enter into possession of this Lordship till he rose againe Therefore he saith All power is given to me both in heaven and earth when hee was ready to goe up to heaven to shew that by his resurrection the right hee had by death was manifest Lastly because his rising againe shewed that the father was fully pacified he obtained the gift of the Spirit which next Christ himselfe is the greatest gift God gave his Sonne first and then the Spirit that comes from the Father and the Sonne The Spirit was not given till his resurrection and ascension as it is Iohn 7. Why because till all enemies were fully subdued by his death and witnessed to be subdued by his resurrection the Spirit could not be so fully given the Spirit being a declaration of the good will of God that sent it Now when the enemies of Christ were tryumphed over and God had shewed by the raising of his Sonne againe that he was fully satisfied Then the Spirit comes as the Son of Gods favour which Spirit doth enable us to be subject to Christ and makes us come under Christs Kingdome which is a spirituall government Wherefore because he obtained the Spirit for his members upon his resurrection thereupon is the inference good he rose againe therefore he is Lord of the quicke and of the dead Thirdly Hee revived therefore he is Lord of the quicke and of the dead reviving and taking such a life as is not subject to death any more hee is now in heaven to make good that he purchased on earth He revived I say to be a King Priest and Prophet at the right hand of God for ever there to rule his Church and to overrule all the enemies of it till he hath subdued all till hee hath gathered all the Elect and brought his Church out of the
this end the Lordship of the Church For this end saith he Christ dyed and rose againe that hee might be Lord of the dead and of the living which is his Church And is this Christs end to be Lord of the living and of the dead we must have it then our end too to serve Christ to live and dye to him for being under him our ends must be answerable to his as wee shall see after For this end Againe where it is sayd he dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord of the dead and of the living It is a profitable course I speake it onely in generall when wee thinke of the abasement of Christ to thinke of the end why so of his exaltation its good to keepe these together to avoyd scandall that might arise in our minds from either though of by it selfe that God should stoupe so low least the thoughts of Christ dying and stouping so low should offend us it s good also to thinke of the end that he might bee Lord of quicke and dead and if that dazell thee againe to thinke of our Saviour now in glory full of majesty in heaven and how shalt thou have accesse to so glorious majesty oh come downe againe and thinke of God incarnate God going up and downe in our flesh of God dying dying a cursed death rising againe thus in your meditations inter weave these thoughts to avoyd scandall thinke of his glory and that you may not be amazed at the glory so as to be deterred from going boldly to him thinke of bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh God dying in our nature joyne these two together For this end the Sonne of God both dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living Againe you see here in generall that the grand principall points of religion have an influence into all the particulars and there is a homogeniall deduction as we call it of divine truths one from another all depend one upon another and all divinity for howsoever divine truth bee contrary to carnall reason sometimes yet there is strong reason in all divine truth for one is the cause of another and one depends upon another as here Christ dyed and rose and revived one followes another what from all this to be Lord of quicke and dead how then prooves he that he is Lord of all because he dyed and rose and revived one riseth from another so that though carnall reason be one thing and all divinity be another yet there is reason and deduction issuing of one thing from another in divinity most wisely and holily and it is a part of wisedome to observe how conclusions rise from principles as branches and buds doe from rootes indeede if we would enter into serious considerations of the grounds of religion how they give life and rise unto their particulars they would have an influence into the whole course of our life as perhaps wee shall see in the particulars more clearely For this end c. Againe in generall when he saith Christ is Lord of the quicke and of the dead we see thence the truth of the Catholike Church from the first man living to the end of the Church under one head Christ Christ is the Saviour of those that were before the Law under the Law under the Gospell Christ was the Saviour of all he is the Saviour of the dead as well as of the living all come under one head which hath no further use than to informe us in that one point of doctrine to shew that Christ is yesterday as well as to day to Morrow and for ever all that were saved before that are saved now and that shall be for ever are saved by Christ there is no other name under heaven whereby wee can be saved he is the Lord of the dead and of the living Now therefore to come more particularly Christ is Lord both of the dead and of the living what a Lord we heard before This is a point of wondrous comfort and likewise a point informing us of our duty and withall shewing us that Christ will worke that duty in us because he is a Lord not onely that should rule over us that we should be subject to him but to make us subject to him it is a point of wondrous comfort and of duty and of this issue that we under the covenant of grace shall bee inabled to performe that duty to our Lord. And then it is a point of wondrous security in life in death as alas sometime one thing amazeth us sometime another sometime wee are willing to dye Elias was afraid to live sometime wee are afrayd of-death as we are all naturally why come life or death come what will come we are under a Lord that is Lord of the dead and of the living so it is a point of wondrous security and quiet to a Christian in all passages hee somtimes lives and sometimes dyes but his salvation is not at that hazzard to be off and on but whether he live or dye hee is sure to be saved for he is under the Lord of the living and the dead But to speake a little of the first it is intended for comfort as well as direction to duty and to be subject to submit to the Lord it is a comfort that we have a Lord that rules us for our good while we are living and when wee are dead and for ever and indeed wee cannot have a greater comfort beloved than this that we are not our owne but that wee are bought with a price that we are under Christ why what a comfort is this will you say homo non est natus c. as the naturall man sayd a man is not borne to subjection but to honour and governement what comfort is this to be under Christ to be under a governour Oh beloved know that it is the greatest comfort as the rule is every thing is perfect if it be weake by that whereby it is subject to a higher the vine is perfect by leaning to the Elme it would lye on the ground else and be spoyled the perfection of the weake creature the sheepe is to have a shepheard the perfection of a weake nature is to have a ruler for their good the perfection of the ship is the Pylate it would dash on every rocke and bee tossed with every wave else and so it is our perfection that we are under a Lord such a Lord as this is cui servire regnare est c. to whom to serve is to reigne for all his servants are so many Kings it is our perfection to bee subject to him therefore it is a wondrous comfort that Christ is become Lord of the living and of the dead I beseech you therefore think of it in your meditations all the Scripture aimes at this end to comfort whatsoever is written is written for our comfort and this is
a principle of divinity among the rest that a Christian is not his owne man now but he is under Christ and this is a comfort both in life and death at all times as the Psalmist saith My times are in thy hands Lord hee saith not my time but my times are in thy hand so wee may say our times are in Christs hands our time of being borne our time of living and dying and when wee are dead our time of rising againe our time the whole current of our time is in thy hands not in the devills hands not in our enemies hands beloved for they would make short worke with us then but our times are in our Lords hands Christ is the Lord of our times the Lord of our life and death and when we are dead he is a Lord for ever for he lives for ever and therefore hee is for ever a Lord. Beloved wee doe not live and dye at the devotion and good pleasure of any man whatsoever they cannot stirre so much as a hayre from our head without the will of this Lord all the devills in hell cannot stirre a haire of our head I say nor all men that are acted by the Spirit of the devill they may threaten punishment but alas they can doe no more then this Lord of Lords will give them leave therefore it is a point of wondrous comfort Oh but will a poore soule say Christ indeed is Lord of the living and of the dead but I finde a great deale of corruption in me c. and I am a sinner Why he is Lord over thee hee hath a sweete Lordship over thee as well as a commanding Lordship he is not onely a King but a husband as it is Ephes. 5. He gave him selfe to purge his Church and to make his Church fit by little and little thou hast sinne and corruption but thou hast a mercifull husband that will beare with the weaker vessell doth he command others to doe that and will hee not practise that that hee enjoynes others undoubtedly he will and therefore it is a comfort it is a sweete government and subjection as of the husband over the wife Christ purgeth and clenseth his Church hee doth not cast it away For I beseech you consider he that dyed for his Church and children when they were enemies will he cast them away now they are poore friends and desire to please him as Saint Paul divinely reasoneth Rom. 5. Much more shall wee be saved by his life If he saved us by his death much more now by his life being in heaven consider he rose and lives for ever therefore will he cast us away for some imperfections that dyed for us when we were enemies hee that will not quench the smoaking flaxe nor break the brused reede will hee cast away his poore children that strive against their corruptions hee will not nay he hath promised where he hath begunne a good worke hee will finish it to the day of the Lord though it goe but slowly forward yet that beginning is a pledge of proceeding God will never remove his hand from his owne worke till he have brought it to perfection therefore let any soule comfort it selfe that will come under this Lord in a word what greater comfort can wee have than this that he is such a Lord over us as is Lord over all things in the world besides for hee could not be Lord of his Church except hee were Lord over hell and all power were subject to him now being so hee is such a Lord of the Church as can restraine the power of all other creatures whatsoever because else they might annoy the Church and affront him in his government by opposition if he were not Lord of all things else as well as of the church but this is the comfort of a Christian hee is under a Lord that is Lord of of all the enemies of the Church and he is so Lord over them till by little and little hee make them his footestoole that that is begun in this world shall bee consumate hereafter by that Lordship nay he will make all the enterprizes of the very enemies of his Church whatsoever serviceable to his poore Church for as the Apostle saith All things are yours because yee are Christs he is such a Lord as that besides himselfe being ours hee makes all the world ours yea the devill is ours for in spight of him whatsoever he doth it is ordained to the salvation of the Church the Churches enemies are the servants of the Church the unvoluntary servants for they waken the Church and scoure it God ray seth them up for the exercise of the Church and when he hath done you know what course he takes with them so then he is Lord not only over all but hee over-rules their actions for the good of the Church whatsoever they are and hee makes all the indeavours and plots of the enemy for the Churches good all is yours life and death though it bee death by tyrants all kinde of death whatsoever it is yours what a comfort is this that wee are under such a Lord as this Especially what a comfort is this at the houre of death when Christ that hath ruled us all our life time before will take then the government and possession of that Iewell that he hath bought with such a price our precious soule that when wee must part with friends and part with this sweete body that the soule so much loved and with the world and all things in the world then Christ wil owneus for his when the world wil owne us no longer Therefore mee thinkes Christians should be at a poynt for life or death hee never goes out of the dominion of Christ nay hee is nearer Christ hee is more Christs if there bee any comparison to bee made when hee is dead then when hee is alive Blessed are those that dye in the Lord. To apply this a little to the present occasion here in this Sacrament we are to have Communion with this Lord of his death and resurrection For what is the Sacrament but are presentation of his body broken and of his blood powred out for us that hee might be Lord over us The more communion and fellowship you have with Christ the more assurance you shall have that you are his which is indeed the grand comfort of all that wee are Christs that Christ is ours for then heaven and earth is ours all is ours Now God hath ordained these Sacraments for this end the word is the Scepter of his Kingdome whereby hee rules the Sacrament is the seale of the word therefore all good subjects that submit themselves to the Kingdome of Christ must submit themselves to this sweet ordinance of Christ that he hath ordained for our good the word and Sacraments thereby we shall finde the effectuall working of his Spirit in us subjecting the whole inward man to his graciovs governement but having spoken
living you see upon what ground he is Lord of all as well as of his Church he is an eternall Lord over the dead and the living he is a transcendent Lord above all other Lords whatsoever and he is independant he is not obnoxious to any all have power from him and in some sort indeed Christ hath redeemed even all other creatures they are Christs and in some sort even proud wicked men that live in the Church that have perhaps some parts which are the occasion of their damnation because of and by them they are proud and insolent they are redeemed by Christ thus farre to be serviceable to his Church to use their parts to his owne ends they goe a great way in salvation that so by their parts they may be fit to doe service to the Church so he is Lord not onely over the Church but of others for the service of the Church Now this point that Christ is Lord of the dead and of the living it yeelds many comfortable uses I spake of some things in generall and then wee came to some particulars as First seeing Christ is Lord of the quicke and of the dead wee may comfort our selves under the Soveraignty of Christ To be Solomons servant was accounted a great happynesse those that did observe the governement of Solomon did thinke so as the Queene of Sheba Alas what shall we thinke of those that are under Christ who is greater then Solomon A most great a most wise a most loving a most gracious and powerfull Lord over all therefore it is a most comfortable condition here in this life to adde a little to that point however it be service it is against the nature of man to serve a man yet not to serve a more noble to serve God is to reigne Besides while we live here such is our disposition such is the weakenesse of base sinners that they must be ruled by another and indeede our happinesse and security consists in being ruled by another higher than our selves we are not fit to bee our owne governours S. Paul saith to the Galatians an heire in his none-age differeth little from a servant so it is with Christians till they be in heaven they differ little from servants and therefore they must bee under tutors and government And as it is a comfortable so it is an honourable condition for Christs Servants are so many Kings Christ is served of none but Kings and such Kings as doe not rule over slaves but such Kings as in Christ rule over the greatest and terriblest enemies of all a Christian can thinke with comfort and incouragement upon those enemies that make the greatest tyrants of the world to quake he can thinke of death of sinne of damnation of judgement of the Law of all these things Christs Kingdome is another manner of Kingdome than the Kingdomes of the world they are poore Kingdomes their Monarchs heads must lye as low as the basest subject they have they know not how soone and perhaps have a more terrible account to give than any other under them it is not so in Christs Kingdome Therefore those Christians that are afraid of death they forget their dignity they forget him on whom they depend for Christ is Lord both of the quick and of the dead if so be Christ be their Lord when they dye what neede they feare to dye and therefore let us comfort our selves when God calls for us he is our Lord as well when wee dye as while we live and more too for then our soules have more immediate communion with him can there bee more comfort than this that we have a Lord ever that dyed for us that rose for us and lives for ever and doth immortalize his subjects too joyne these together an ever-living Lord and ever-living subjects coexistent I meane for the time to come we indeed have a beginning Christ had none as God but we have an eternall state to be for ever and an eternall Lord to rule us for ever and to make us happy forever what comfort is more than this that howsoever there be varietie of conditions in this world wee live wee dye we are in prosperity we are in misery yet there is no varietie in the state of Salvation Christ is not a Lord to day and none to morrow but yesterday to day and the same for ever Againe as it is a point of comfort so it is also of duty if Christ be our Lord in life and death our duty is to looke to him in life and death to live and dye to him for our ayme must answere his ayme if we ever intend to come to heaven for we are understanding creatures and have a communion with him in a poore measure therefore what he will make his end must be our end his end was that whether we live or dye hee might rule over us our end should be in life and death to bee ruled by him How shall we live to Christ We live to Christ this is a ground of all other duties that follow when we know and acknowledge Christ hath a full interest in us by being our head by being our husband by being our King our elder brother he hath all the sweete interest to us that any relation can inright him to for all other relations among men are but shaddowes of that grand relation there onely is the realty of things he is a true head a true King a true elder brother a true husband of his Church all ours are but poore representations of those glorious things then know and acknowledge so much that is the ground of all living to him Vpon knowing and acknowledging issues all other obedience in our life to Christ those that thus acknowledge Christ they must be directed by his will and not their owne as a servant as farre as he is a servant and a wife so farre as she is a wife they have no will of their owne so he that lives to Christ and acknowledgeth him to be a Lord he must have no will of his owne but hee must live according to the will of Christ as you have it excellently set downe 1 Pet. 4. Christ suffered for us in the flesh let us arme our selves therefore with the same mind for he that suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sinne that he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God It is a comment upon this place Christ dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord of the quicke and of the dead that is that we might live according to his will and not after our owne doe you thinke our Saviour Christ would so farre deny himselfe to leave heaven to take upon him our base nature and be so farre abased in it to let us live as wee list oh no we must live the rest of our dayes not according to the lusts of men or our owne lusts but
that thou wilt give what thou requirest Lord in the use of meanes that thou hast ordained in attending upon thee and looking up to thee I desire that thou wouldst give me strength to submit to thee to live and dye to thee to direct my course as I should this should be the course of a Christian and not to set upon things in his owne strength but when duty is discovered looke to the promise of grace and of the Spirit and put them into suite and alleadge them to Christ in the use of sanctified meanes as reading hearing holy conference and the like and hee will enable us to doe that that is our duty Therefore a man may know who is indeed under Christs governement by this for he that is actually under Christs government and acknowledgeth him to bee his Lord hee hath ability to live and dye to him in some comfortable measure to deny himselfe to goe out of himselfe to live and to dye to the glory of God The Spirit of God hath given him this victory and tryumph over his owne heart Last of all if this be so here see the wondrous secure state of a Christian Beloved that as Christ is his Lord both in life and death and it is his duty to subject himselfe so Christ wil give him grace so to direct his life Therefore let us doe our duty attend upon the meanes and lift up our hearts to God let God and Christ alone with all the rest let Christ alone with ruling us and with inabling us to be ruled by him hee is Lord not onely over us but in us by his Spirit But theSpirit breatheth where it listeth there must bee waiting upon God in his Ordinances till we finde ability to holy duties and those that have so much patience to honour God and Christ so farre as to attend in the use of good meanes till the good houre come till the Spirit come to subject their spirits to duty no doubt but God intends well to them but those that are so short spirited that if they finde not ability to deny themselves and to live to God and to breake off their course of sinne but give over in a kinde of base dispaire it is just with God to leave them to themselves that they shall even live and die to themselves that is they shall live without respect to Christ and dye without respect to Christ at all as if there were no Christ to take care for them Now out of this branch of holy security upon the care power and Lordship that Christ hath over us for the time to come it riseth that a Christian may be assured of his salvation of his perseverance because Christ is Lord of all he is Lord of his heart hee is Lord not onely of the things without us but of our spirits within us and hee will inable us to subject our selves to him that neither things present nor things to come or any thing shall ever be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ not onely from Gods love to us but from our love to God Beloved let this incourage us to come under the governement of Christ There is no security or safety but in his governement wee are sure of nothing in this world but we are sure of this that Christ if he be our Lord is our Lord for ever and that nothing in the world shall ever be able to separate us from him I will close with this you see Christ is ours whether wee live or dye hee is Lord of quicke and dead let us labour to live to him that hee may rule over us while we live else when wee come to dye though we never so much perhaps out of principles of selfe love desire him to be ours it is to no purpose while we live therefore let us submit to his government and if we live to him we shall easily dye to him if we doe not inure our selves by daily selfe deny all and practising of the duties of obedience to live to him how shall wee come to dye to him our life may bee snatched from us against our wills wee may dye with a kinde of fretting and indignation that we can live no longer that wee can enjoy our pleasures no longer but to dye meekely and quietly as to a Lord submitting our selves to him that is the Lord of life and death a man can never doe it that hath not lived to the Lord Therefore I beseech you every day be acquainted with the actions of living to the Lord whatsoever you doe to men doe it as to the Lord in the Lords strength to please him and as it may stand with his favour and no further And especially take the advantage of your younger yeares to roote out lusts that will grow to that head else that God in his judgement giving you up to your selves after long rebellion you shal never bee able to deny your selves to live to Christ and when death comes to dye to Christ therefore let us inure our selves to deny our selves in the practice of every holy duty as to the Lord betimes that so we may get the upper hand of our flesh in these holy performances that they may be easie and sweete to us as indeed the yoke of Christ is after it is worne a while the subjection of Christ is the sweetest subjection in the world it breedes the greatest peace and joy and love and contentment to the soule and which is more then all a blessed hope for the time to come he that is life is inured to holy duties and hath overcome the rebellions of his base flesh when he comes to dye he can say with Simeon Lord now let thy servant depart in peace that is thou Lord of life now thou wilt have me dye I am even content to dye to resigne my selfe to thee who can say so but he that makes Christ his Lord all his life time then when death comes he is content to yeeld unto him as a Lord else it will be just in the houre of death for Christ to say as it is Iudg. 10. doe you come to mee and commend your soules to me goe to the lords you have served you have served the humours of such a one you have alliena'ed your soules to such a one you have given your soules to sinne and to such men as are instruments of the devill you have denyed your honesty your faith your religion goe to him goe to the gods you have served they are your lords I am not your Lord I was not al your life time though these speeches be not uttered the effect of them will the soule will conclude I have served mine owne lusts and the humours of others all my life time how can I looke that the Lord should take my Soule therefore let it be our daily practise to live to the Lord to have the chiefe aime of our life in our eye to direct our actions so as
they may be serviceable to the maine else not to performe them Herein consists the maine happines of a Christian that whether hee lives or dies hee is not his owne but hee is his that can dispose of him better then ever he could of himselfe for if wee had the disposing of our selves as Adam had what would become of us what became of Adam when he was master of himselfe he lost himselfe and all The second Adam hath bought us with his blood and life to rule us for ever will hee then suffer us to bee disposed off by our selves No whether wee live or dye wee are his if we yeeld our selves sweetely to his governement in life and death THE THIRD SERMON ON ROM 14. 9. For to this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived that he might be the Lord both of the dead and of the living IN these words as you heard heretofore at large the Apostle labours to stay the thoughts and affections of men concerning the things of indifferency that they should not be hasty to censure anothers Servant who stands or falls to his owne Master as you have it in Verse 4. The reason is because whatsoever they do they doe it to the Lord He that regards a day regards it to the Lord hee that regards not a day regards it not to the Lord. Some things are of that nature that the right aime puts a qualification upon the actions a good end cannot qualifie many actions but some actions are of that nature that a good aime doth not altogether justifie it but it frees the person from some censure he doth it to God some upon some conceite may abstaine from a thing for religious ends and are not to bee censured some againe performe it and are not to be censured because they doe it to the Lord that is out of religious respects How doth he prove that they doe it to the Lord he proves it more generally ver 7. None of us live to our selves nor none of us dye to our selves which I spake of before Then he proves that we are the Lords because it was the end of Christs dying and rising and reviving that hee might be Lord both of the dead and of the living and if he be the Lord then we ought to live to this Lord of the quicke and dead We see Saint Paul here makes use of a generall truth of a grand principle that we are the Lords and therefore live to him and dye to him and doe particular actions to him or not doe them to him to shew that wee should have in minde information of sound general truths that are the ground of all particular practise as we shall see after For to this end Christ both dyed rose and revived c. The words they are Christs universall government of the dead and of the living inferred from the end of his death reviving and rising againe a comfortable inference from a strong ground We considered the particulars Christs death rising and reviving Christ dyed as a second Adam as a publicke person in whom dying all dyed when other men dyed particular men dyed when Paul was dead Paul dyed and there was an end onely there was an exemplary good in his death but there is more then an exemplary good in the death of Christ Christ dyed alone and singular in this respect because in him dying all dyed that were his that the Father gave him to dye for for they goe parallell Gods gift and Christs death hee did all by commission and hee would not transgresse his commission and he dyed a violent and cursed death because otherwise hee could not have saved us that were under a curse so as a second Adam hee rose and as a publike person therefore wee see in the resurrection of Christ many rose it is like enough they dyed againe it was for a particular dispensation to shew that Christ rose as a publicke person and it is not strange to thinke so that to honour God they should be content to live a wâ—â—â—e when Christ himselfe that was God was content to bee man and to be abased to death that grand mystery makes all other things credible he rose therefore as a publicke person to give life to all that he dyed for So hee revived that is more than to rise againe never againe to lay downe his life as you have it excellently set downe among other places Revel 1. 18. I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I live for ever more amen and he seales it too I have the keyes of hell and of death that is the dominion of hell and death for indeâ—â—â—hrist is life it selfe and life cannot dye as God he could not dye and therefore he tooke upon him that nature wherein he might dye for us and now having done that dispensation that office there is a perpetuall influence of life from the fountaine of life his Godhead to his humanity so he never dyes any more then here followes the scope and end of all That he might be Lord of the dead and of the living The three offices of Christ they have this order in regard of manifestation First he was a Prophet to instruct and teach his in himselfe and likewise by his ministery And then a Priest to dye for those that are his to make intercession now for ever in heaven and then a King first a Prophet then a Priest and then a King He was all at once the very union invested him in all these but in regard of manifestation he was first a Prophet to in struct us of the end of his comming into the world and then a Priest to doe that grand office that we have most comfort by and then a King to rule us he could not be otherwise for if he had manifested himselfe a King and a Lord in his glory where had beene his abasement if they had knowne him to be the Lord of glory they would never have curcified him onely some sparkles of his God head and Lordship and Kingdome and royalty over all flesh brake out in his miracles yea in his greatest abasement there were some sparkles I say even when he lay in the manger Kings came to adore him when he payd tribute he had it out of a fish by a command by majesty when he was on the crosse hee converted the good theese so somewhat brake out of him that he was a person more than ordinary but that was for speciall ends ordinarily hee went on in a course of abasement and all that he might performe the great worke of redemption therefore hee made a stoppe of his glory and Kingly office that hee might not manifest himselfe in that relation and office that he might doe the office of a Priest to dye for us therefore you have it here in the due order Christ dyed and rose againe as the high Priest of his Church that hee might he Lord of the dead and of the living he was
so before but he was not manifest before therefore he is sayd to be manifest to be God by the resurrection Rom. 1. 4. he was God from ēternity but he was borne then This day have I begotten thee it is spoken of the resurrection so you see here Christs offices the state and condition of his humiliation and of his exaltation and the use and end of all That he might be Lord of the dead and of the living And if we be any thing offended with that abasement that God should dye looke to his rising and reviving and Lordship over all both quicke and dead and if we bee dazelled with his glory looke backe againe to God in our flesh and God in our flesh abased even to the death of the crosse oh it is a sweete meditation beloved to thinke that our flesh is now in heaven at the right hand of God and that flesh that was borne of the Virgin that was layd in the manger that went up and downe doing good that was made a curse for us and humbled to death and lay under the bondage of death three dayes that this flesh is now glorious in heaven that this person is Lord over the living and the dead it is an excellent booke to studdy this beloved studdy Christ in the state of humiliation and exaltation That he might be Lord of the dead c. How is Christ Lord He is Lord of the dead those that dyed before he was borne and of the living those that are since he is yesterday that is to those that were before he was and to day that is when he was and to morrow and for ever the same therefore he saith of the dead and of the living of the dead that is in reference to former times Christ is the Lambe of God slaine from the beginning of the world By what title is hee Lord By a title beloved not as God but by a title of conquest as a redeemer for he dyed that he might be Lord we are a bloody spouse to Christ we are the price of his blood he dyed that he might bee Lord he must winne us before he could have us thereupon dying and purchasing us now hee is Lord of his Church and Children by marriage before he could marry us he must bee borne in our nature for the husband and wife must be of one nature and being in bondage to a contrary King to Sathan hee must redeeme and purchase us out of Sathans hands so he is a Lord by conquest and then he is a Lord in a nearer relation hee is a Lord as a husband He is Lord both of the dead and of the living But the point is sweetest in the use of it onely know for a ground that Christ is Lord of the dead and of the living as mediator God-man not as God but as God man God in our nature and hereupon wee have diverse sweete comforts as for example First of all it shewes what we may expect from Christ what Christ will doe to us and what wee ought to returne to him againe for relations are bonds especially when they are so founded as this of Christs is to bee Lord over us both in life and death it is founded upon redemption and upon our Spirituall marriage relations are bonds and therefore they tye on his part to shew what wee may expect from him he is Lord of the living and of the dead wee may expect on his part all that a gracious Lord should doe to provide for his Church and children we may expect that from him that wee can from none else that hee should not onely be Lord over us but that he should make us subject that hee should flow in to us by his holy Spirit for here is the prerogative of Christ that he is such a head as quickeneth dead members he is such a husband as makes his spouse beautifull he puts glory upon her no other husband can doe it Moses married a blacke woman but hee could not alter her hue much lesse her disposition it is not in the power of any man a King cannot alter his subjects but he is such a King as alters the nature of his subjects he makes them subject he takes them out of a contrary kingdome as being not borne his subjects but borne anew by the Spirit he doth all provision protection the changing of our natures the beginning of a good worke and where this Lord begins a good work hee finisheth it to his owne day for beloved know this for a ground that now in the second covenant we are not left as Adam was in the hands of our owne free will to stand or fall but now in the second covenant that is founded upon Christs death and satisfaction for us Christ gives grace he gives his holy Spirit to bring us within the compasse and performes both our part and his too he makes good his owne to be a gracious Saviour to us and he performes our part too or else the second covenant the covenant of grace should be frustrate as the first was if it were left to our freedome therefore that is that that we may expect from this Lordship of Christ the performance of the covenant of grace in writing his law in our hearts other Kings give lawes and write them in tables but they cannot write them in the hearts of their subjects but hee is such a Law giver as writes his owne will in the heart he teacheth the very heart obedience we are taught of God to love one another I will write my law in their bowels and in their inward parts that is they shall not onely know what they should doe but they shall know the doing the affecting and performing of the things they shall be able to doe the things so Christ is a Lord over us not onely teaching us what we should do and injoyning us in a kinde of superiority this is your duty and not this but inabling us to doe that that he commands he gives us the very doing the affections and loving he teacheth our hearts to love I say this we may expect from him in the use of meanes and subjecting to his ordinances which is a wondrous prerogative to those that will submit to his law We may expect againe from this Lord advancement he is such a Lord as makes all his subjects kings the meanest man that is a subject to Christ that hath the Spirit of Christ is a King Now he is a King over that that all others are slaves to that are not Christians they rule over others but they are in thraldome to their owne lusts but he is a spirituall King a King over hell and death and those things that the very greatest of men are afrayd off as who feares death most and hell most those that deserve it most by reason of their great place sinke most in sin and rebellion against God and contract more guilt than other men that that they are afraid