CHRIST'S EXALTATION PURCHASED BY HUMILIATION. Wherein you may see Mercy and Misery meet together. Very Useful 

I. For Instructing the Ignorant.  
II. For Comforting the Weak.  
III. For Confirming the Strong.   By R. Sibbs D. D. and Preacher of Grays-inn, London.  
Published by T. G. and P. N.  1 Cor. 15. 45. The first man Adam was made a Living Soul, the last Adam was made a Quickening Spirit. 
LONDON Printed by Tho. Cotes, and are to be sold by john Bartlet at his shop, at the Sign of the guilt Cup, near S. Augustine's gate. 1639.   

The Contents.  

THe Coherence of the Text. p. 1. 2. etc.  
The Text divided. p. 6. 7  
Christ's death was voluntary. 10. 11  
That Christ should dye is Admirable. 14. 15  
That Christ rose again as a public person. 16  
What became of those that rose with him. 18  
The Spirit in heaven will supply all wants. 22  
justice must be satisfied. 25  
Why we are the Lords. 26  
Excellent inferences from Christ's Resurrection. 27. 28. etc.  
What a Lord Christ is. 32. etc. ad 40.  
He is a Lord both of quick and dead. 41  
God doth all to some good Ends. 42  
Divine truths depend on one another. 46  
Christ's Lordship full of security and comfort. 50. 51. etc.  
In the Lord's Supper we have to deal with the Christ the Lord. 64  
A Christian man's aim good. 68  
Christ rose to be Lord of the living. 72. 73  
He died to be Lord of his Church. 74. etc.  
And to be Lord of his Enemies. 76  
And to make good what by death he got. 78.  
His Lordship eternal both over the living and the dead. 80  
How great a happiness to be under the Lord Christ. 82. 83  
Comforts against the fear of death. 84  
We must look to Christ in life and death. 86. 90  
When we live to Christ. 88 92. etc.  
Directions for our aiming at Christ in all things. 96. 97  
Helps to live to Christ. 100 101.  
Divers desire him as jesus, but not as Christ. 103. 104. 105.  
What it is to dye to Christ. 106. 107.  
Christ's dying implies duty in us. 110  
Abilities to do duties, part of the covenant. 113  
A sign to know who is under Christ's government. 116. 117.  
Christ's Lordship, assurance of our perseverance, 118. etc.  
What will make us willing to dye. 122.  
There is more than an exemplary good in Christ's death. 132  
The scope of Christ's humiliation and exaltation. 134  
The study of this scope is good. 138  
By what title Christ is Lord 141  
Divers comforts from this title of Christ's Lordship. 142. 143. etc. ad 152  
An honour to be under Christ's Lordship. 153  
It is great security to be under it. 158  
Christ's Lordship a Spring of duties and that 

1. One to another.  
2. To those that are not Christians.  
3. To Christ himself. 160. 161.    
We must give up ourselves to this Lord. 166. etc.  
Christ's Lordship a stop against Sinne. 170. 171.  
It is also a comfort in affliction. 172. etc.  
Whether Christ by dying, merited for himself. 178. 179.  
Christian's must be always projecting for his glory. 188. etc.  
Christ's Lordship comfortable in the hour of death. 190. 191.    

CHRIST'S EXALTATION PURCHASED BY HV MILIATION.  ROME 14. 9 For, for this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 
THe dependence 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 less nature, In the 6. verse, saith he, He that regards not a day, regards it not to the Lord, he that eats, eats to the Lord, and he that eats not to the Lord; he eats not, and giveth God thanks, etc. His reason is this, they that in eating or in not eating, do it with a religious respect to the Lord: if they eat, it is to the Lord, if they eat not, it is to the Lord, that is, in obedience to the Lord, they are to be borne withal, because they do it with religious respects, though perhaps there may be a little error in the matter, yet there be some things of such indifferency that they not give denomination to the action, if it be to the Lord, howsoever the action be not altogether to be excused, yet the person is to be excused, and is not to be hardly censured: therefore considering that they that do it, and they that do it not, do it to the Lord, be not hasty in your censures.  
Quest. How doth he prove that these holy Christians did eat, or not eat 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 do particular actions to him, No man, verse 7. lives to himself, nor no man dyeth to himself, which includes all particular actions, Whether we live, we live to the Lord, or whether we die we dye to the Lord; whether we live therefore or dye, we are the Lords, he proves therefore that they do eat, or not eat to the Lord, if they be good Christians, because they are the Lords.  
Those that are the Lords, live to the Lord, and do all particular actions to the Lord, such must not be harshly censured, because they are the servants of the Lord.  

Quest.  In the third place how doth he prove, that they are the Lords that live, and dye to him?  

Ans.  He proves it from the main ground in the text, For, for this end Christ both died and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. So you see the dependence of the reason, they eat, or eat 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 died, and rose again, and revived, for this end that he 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 died and rose again and revived; what is the inference from that? that he might be Lord, of the dead and of the living.  
In the words therefore we will consider the argument itself, the ground itself, and then the inference.  For, for this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived. 
There are three branches of the ground.  
Christ 

Dyed.  
Rose.  
Revived.    
Of the inference we will speak afterwards, and show how these grounds enforce that inference, that he should be Lord both of the dead and of the living.  Christ died. 
First of all you must know that Christ died here as a public person, or else the inference were not good, Christ took upon him the person of no man, but the nature, for this end that he might be a public person; If Christ had taken the person of any body, there had been two persons of Christ, he had died in one person and not in another; now having the nature that is common to all men, and not the person of Peter or james, etc. when he died the person died in that nature, wherein he might dye, so when it is said Christ died, we must consider Christ as a public person, not taking the particular person of any man, but the general nature of man into union with the second person, Christ died as a public person.  
Secondly, Christ died as the second Adam; the spring of all misery and death was from the first Adam, but the second Adam was a quickening Spirit, he died as a public person, and the second Adam.  
We must know moreover that he died 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: he died as a Priest, as indeed he that was fore-signifyed by all the Sacrifices, and Priests, he was both Priest and Sacrifice, Heb. 9 14. By the eternal Spirit the Godhead, he offered himself to his Father.  
Again he died a voluntary death: for else he had not died in obedience, his death was violent in regard of them that forced it, but it was voluntary in regard of them that he offered himself for, as a sweet Sacrifice to his Father, that voluntariness made his death a sweet sacrifice: for whatsoever the Father did to him, he joined with the Father in it, the Father gave him, he gave himself, the Father appointed him to be so and so, and he joined with the Father in all things, No man takes away my life from me saith he himself. It was a voluntary death, in regard of his freedom, nay he thirsted after it, as you have it in the Gospel, he longed after it, upon higher considerations, howsoever in a lower consideration, as it was a tormenting thing, and a bitter cup, he had a desire that it might pass, but it was upon lower respects, upon high her respects the will of his Father, and the Salvation of mankind, he thirsted to drink 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 we 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 yield to the stronger reason always. 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 himself willingly, the Father and he joined together.  
And therefore by the way, when they talk of the active and passive obedience; there was action, in all his passion; chiefly in his passion there was action; for if it had been mere suffering without voluntary obedience, what obedience had that been? a beast may so suffer, but against his will, but his voluntary obedience was the chief, in all his passion, He humbled himself to the death of the Cross, as it is Phil. 2.  
Yet further, as he died voluntarily, so he died as our surety, therefore he died a cursed death due to us, He was made a curse for us, that he might remove the curse from us, these, and such like conclusions must be observed in this, that the Apostle saith, to this end Christ died, because we 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 he that is the Author of all blessing should become a curse! Indeed it is a great mystery, that Christ being God, should stoop so low that he could join together the infinite Majesty of God, and that low degree of abasement, that he did condescend unto. Domine quo descendis, etc. Lord how far goest thou? he could not go lower, and be God. God to show his love to us, showed himself God in this, that he could be God, and go so low as to dye, and not only to dye, but to dye a shameful and cursed death for us, but I pass to the particulars:  For this end Christ both died and rose, etc. 
He rose again, and indeed, it was impossible, but he should rise again, because he is the Lord of life. Now the Lord of life, and life itself could not long dye, it was but by dispensation that he died, viz. to work our salvation, but he could not be detained any longer by the sorrows of death, he died therefore, and rose, he rose, even as he died, he rose a public person, and as a second Adam, to give and infuse spiritual life into all his branches, he rose as our surety in our room, he rose in spite of the jews, that laboured to keep him down, all they could: By the way, this shows 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 again, even as his blessed body did, in spite of all the watchfulness of the jews.  
Again, as he rose, so he rose with many, not alone to show (as I said before) that he rose as a public person, another man riseth as himself, the rest rise not with him, as caused by his rising. But Christ rose as a public person: Therefore, many rose with him, the graves were opened, to show that he rose as a public person, as our surety, as a spiritual head, and as the second Adam, who could infuse life into others. What became of those bodies that rose with him after? the Scripture saith nothing of it, nor what became of Moses body. They rose to do God a service, and Christ an honour, which when they had done, they were content to be disposed of by God again, and it is likely, to return from whence they came: for if the head of the Church, himself was content to come from heaven into the Virgin's womb, and from thence to the cross, and from thence to the grave, and to be abased for us, those that have the Spirit of Christ those blessed souls in heaven might well be content for a time to be abased, to take bodies, to do a service for their Lord and master; who was content to forego heaven thirty four years, 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 we stand upon it, when the blessed Saints in heaven, those blissful souls were content to come, and take bodies for a time, to do God service, and then to sleep again?  
Again, he rose on that day, which was ever after, and well may still be called the Lords day: for a new world began with his rising, therefore a new Sabbath; Saint john saith, I was in the Spirit upon the Lord's day. If a man be ever in the Spirit, it is upon the Lord's day, when the Lord of the day doth honour his people, giving them to enjoy his Ordinances, and joining 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 again? He revived?  
To show that he rose never to dye again, and that indeed he never meant to lay aside that body again, 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 keys of death, and of hell. He lives for evermore, as Heb. 7. He sits for evermore at the right hand of God, there making intercession for us. He dies no more.  
Again, this (revived) is added, to show the kind of his life, differing from that life he lived before, that life he lived, before he died, was supported with meat, and drink, and refresh: even as our poor lives are. It was a life subject to death, that he died in, but after his Resurrection, except it were for a particular dispensation to confirm the faith of his Disciples, he needed no more to eat, or drink, or sleep, or any natural supports, and helps, 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, he shall be so immediately to us, to supply all, as we shall neither eat, nor drink, nor sleep, 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 supplied the absence of all other supports whatsoever, that he used before he died. And indeed our Saviour Christ came to bestow that life upon us, that he lived after his Resurrection, not this natural life of ours, that needs meat, and drink, and refreshing, this is not that life, that Christ specially aimed at, when he came to dye, but that spiritual and eternal life, that he lived after the Resurrection, a life not subject to death, a spiritual life, not needing any created support whatsoever.  
You see the grounds, the inference from these grounds, follow in these words, That he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. The ground hath three branches, death resurrection, and reviving, how all these do flow, and give strength to this inference, I will touch in the particulars. First, than Christ died that he might be Lord of the dead, and of the living.  
Christ died, 1 Pet. 3. to offer himself a sacrifice to redeem us by his precious blood, we are not redeemed with Gold or Silver, but with the blood of Christ: he could not be our Lord till he 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 Satan, and under a contrary government, now Christ satisfying divine justice, redeems us, he buys us again, we had subjected ourselves to the devil, and put ourselves 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 Christ's, and are saved, nay now the justice of God helps 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 faithful, saith the Apostle, so than you see there is a ground from death, why we are the Lords, we are Christ's because we cost him dear he hath paid a price for us, that is worth more than the whole world. Now God showed his love in nothing more than in this, that he parted with that that is next himself, the greatest, his Son, who being God, yet died in that nature, that could dye to redeem us, and hereupon becometh Lord.  
Secondly, He rose again, therefore he is Lord of the quick and dead.  
First, because his rising again, was a manifestation that his death was a full satisfaction to divine justice, or else our sins should have kept him in the grave still, he being our surety: but our surety being out of prison, it is a sign he 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 he rose again, he is Lord: because in rising again, he entered 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 died, he was Lord of us when he died: but he did not enter into possession of this Lordship till he rose again. Therefore he saith, All power is given to me, both in heaven and earth; when he was ready to go up to heaven, to show that by his resurrection, the right he had by death, was manifest.  
Lastly, because his rising again; showed that the father was fully pacified, he obtained the gift of the Spirit, which next Christ himself, is the greatest gift, God gave his Son first; and then the Spirit that comes from the Father and the Son. The Spirit was not given till his resurrection and ascension, as it is john 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 triumphed over, and God had showed by the raising of his Son again, that he was fully satisfied. Then the Spirit comes, as the Son of God's favour, which Spirit doth enable us to be subject to Christ, and makes us come under Christ's Kingdom, which is a spiritual government. Wherefore, because he obtained the Spirit for his members upon his resurrection, thereupon is the inference good, he rose again, therefore he is Lord of the quick and of the dead.  
Thirdly, He revived, therefore he is Lord of the quick and of the dead? reviving and taking such a life, as is not subject to death any more: he 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 he hath gathered all the Elect, and brought his Church out of the world, and made his enemies his footstool. You see then the ground is good, and the inference is good. Christ died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord of the quick and dead. I come now to the thing proved.  That he might be Lord both of the dead, and of the living. 
Christ is Lord, both of the dead and of the living, for the better clearing of the point, let us see what is Lordship?  
Lordship properly is Ius in rem & personas, it is a right, and where it is full, it is a right with possession, either in things or persons.  
But what manner of Lordship is this?  
Christ is an universal Lord of and over all, over all the world, both over all the dead, and all the living, but more especially, and in a peculiar manner, he is Lord of his Church; even as a husband is Lord over his wife, which is a Lordship with sweetness: So Christ's government is with unspeakable, with unconceivable sweetness. He is Lord, as the elder brother, as the first begotten is over the rest, for he is the first begotten among the dead, this likewise is a sweet government. It is indeed a Lordship, of a King over his subjects, as his Lordship is a branch of his Kingly office, but it is such a Lordship as is for the good of his Subjects, It is not a derived happiness, they enjoy the head, and the subjects; Christ accounts himself happy in his Church, which is his fullness, the Church is the fullness of him that filleth all things. Ephe. 1. And more especially is the Church most happy in this government, it is such a Lordship, as is indeed altogether for the good of the Subjects. To us a Child is borne, to us a Son is given. He died, and rose, and revived, and all is for us, a Christian may say of Christ, that he is totus in meos usus expensus, as one well said, he is all mine, he is all expended for my use and profit. It is such a Lordship, as makes all his subjects Kings, therefore it is said, Rev. 1. He loved us, and gave himself for us, to purge his Church, as it is Ephe. 5. and likewise to make us Kings and Priests; where note, Christ hath a notable attendance upon him; he is served with none but Kings: All God's children are Kings, even the meanest servant that is any where in the world, in spiritual respects is a King, what a Lord and King is this, that makes all his servants Kings. You see therefore, as Christ is an universal Lord, and also he is a peculiar Lord over his Church.  
Again, he is an independent 
2. Independantly.  Lord, only his Father joins with him in all, he is subordinate to his Father as mediator, but he is independent in respect of all humane authority whatsoever, all humane authority is derived from him, By me Princes reign, etc. His government in regard of all those governements, is altogether independent, therefore he is called the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, he is Lord Paramount as we say, over all, and they all are, or should be dependant upon him.  
And likewise he is a 
3. Lord in the whole man  Lord of the whole man, body and soul, he is a Spiritual Lord: He commands not the body only, but the Soul, he sits in the throne of conscience especially, and there he subdues the conscience and the soul to him; there he prescribes laws to the conscience, and pacifies the conscience, and stablisheth conscience, and settles it against all fears and terrors whatsoever, he is Lord of body and soul, especially of the soul, he bows the neck of the inward man, and brings it wholly to be subject to him, he lays his command upon the very soul itself.  
And he is an eternal 
4. An Eternal Lord.  Lord, you see here he is Lord of the quick and of the dead, all other Lords have nothing to do with men, when they are dead they can do them no more harm, they have some power indeed over their dead bodies, but alas that is senseless; their government ends in death, because they are Lords over the outward man only: but Christ's Lordship is when we are gone hence, and then more especially; for than we are more immediately with him, we are nearer the fountain, when our souls are gone to him, that gave them: I desire (saith S. Paul) to be dissolved and to be with Christ, which is best of all, especially than he is Lord, when we are gone hence.  
In a word, he is an excellent Lord, for he hath 
5. An Excellent Lord.  all things that a Lord should have: a Lord should have three things, authority, suitable virtues and abilities, power and strength answerable to all: Now the Lord Christ hath all these; and first he hath authority, for God the Father gave him power over all, he purchased it, and his Father gave it him, he gave him the heathen for his possession, and All power is given to me, in heaven and earth; and he hath full authority, as it is john 17. Thou hast given me power over all flesh, he hath then authority. Secondly he hath all graces and virtues fit for a Lord and governor, he hath Righteousness, Wisdom, bounty, affections, etc. we need not make doubt of it, for he is the spring of all these in others; his sceptre is a Sceptre of righteousness. Thirdly, he hath strength answerable to his authority, for he is a Lord that is God; sometimes among men authority wants power, or other qualifications, but in Christ is all: the utmost, and greatest fullness of all: These things premised, let us make some use of all.  
But first let us see why it's said He is Lord both of 
Why the dead are put before the living.  the dead and of the living, prefixing the dead before the living? To show I conceive that Christ is Lord of those that were dead before, as well as of those that are alive now. Christ is the Lord of all from the beginning of the world, from Adam to the last man that shall stand upon the face of the earth; therefore he is Lord of those that were dead before, as well as of those that are alive now, and that shall dye after, he is Lord of the dead, and of the living: Now for use, first where he saith,  For this end. 
It is a point wondrous pregnant, and full of very comfortable use: first showing that the grounds of a Christians faith and comfort, are very strong, (as you see how the holy Ghost dwells upon the argument) For this end (saith he) Christ died and rose again, and revived, that he might be Lord of the quick and of the dead.  
God doth all to ends, it being a point of wisdom to prefix an end, and work to it: If God hath an end, and providence in the hairs that fall from our heads, hath he not a far greater in disposing of things for the good of the Church? His Son is given to death and raised again, it is for the greatest end in the world, being the greatest work, the greatest work hath the greatest end, such was this end, the Lordship of the Church; For this end (saith he) Christ died, and rose again, that he might be Lord of the dead, and of the living which is his Church.  
And is this Christ's 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 we shall see after.  For this end. 
Again where it is said 
Use 2.  he died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord of the dead and of the living. It is a profitable course (I speak it only in general) when we think of the abasement of Christ, to think of the end why; so of his exaltation, its good to keep these together to avoid scandal, that might arise in our minds from either, though of by itself, that God should stoop so low, lest the thoughts of Christ dying and stooping so low should offend us, it's good also to think of the end that he might be Lord of quick and dead, and if that dazzle thee again, to think of our Saviour now in glory, full of majesty in heaven, and how shalt thou have access to so glorious majesty: oh come down again! and think of God incarnate, God going up and down in our flesh, of God dying, dying a cursed death, & rising again, thus in your meditations inter. wove these thoughts to avoid scandal, think of his glory, and that you may not be amazed at the glory, so as to be deterred from going boldly to him, think of bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, God dying in our nature, join these two together, For this end the Son of God both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead, and of the living.  
Again you see here in general that the grand principal points of religion, have an influence into all the particulars, and there is a homogenial deduction, (as we call it) of divine truths one from another, all depend one upon another, and all divinity: for howsoever divine truth be contrary to carnal 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 died, and rose, and revived, one follows another: what from all this: to be Lord of quick and dead, how then proves he that he is Lord of all? because he died, and rose, and revived, one riseth from another, so that though carnal 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 wisdom to observe, how conclusions rise from principles, as branches and buds do from roots: indeed 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 we shall see in the particulars more clearly.  For this end, etc. 
Again in general, when he saith Christ is Lord of the quick and of the dead, we see thence the truth of the Catholic 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 Gospel, 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 inform us, in that one point of doctrine, to show 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 we 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 withal showing us that Christ will work that duty in us, because he is a Lord, not only 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 be enabled to perform 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 we are willing to dye, Elias was afraid to live, sometime we are afraid ofdeath, 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, he sometimes lives, and sometimes dies, but his salvation is not at that hazard to be off and on, but whether he live or dye, he is sure to be saved, for he is under the Lord of the living, and the dead.  
But to speak 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 we are dead, and for ever: and indeed we cannot have a greater comfort beloved than this, that we are not our own, but that we are bought with a price, that we are under Christ, why what a comfort is this, will you say? homo non est natus, etc. as the natural man said, a man is not borne to subjection but to honour, and government, what comfort is this, to be under Christ, to be under a governor?  

Answ.  Oh beloved know that it is the greatest comfort, as the rule is, every thing is perfect if it be weak, by that whereby it is subject to a higher, the vine is perfect by leaning to the Elm, it would lie on the 
Simil.  ground else, and be spoilt: the perfection of the weak creature the sheep, is to have a shepherd, the perfection of a weak nature is to have a ruler for their good; the perfection of the ship, is the Pilot, it would dash on every rock, and be 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, etc. to whom to serve is to reign, for all his servants are so many Kings, it is our perfection to be 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 aims 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 own 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, he saith not my time, but my times are in thy hand; so we may say our times are in Christ's hands, our time of being borne, our time of living and dying, and when we are dead, our time of rising again; our time, the whole current of our time is in thy hands, not in the devil's hands, not in our enemy's hands, beloved, for they would make short work 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 he is for ever a Lord. Beloved we do not live and dye, at the devotion, and good pleasure of any man whatsoever, they cannot stir so much as a hair from our head without the will of this Lord, all the devils in hell cannot stir a hair of our head, I say nor all men that are acted by the Spirit of the devil, they may threaten punishment, but alas they can do no more, than this Lord of Lords, will give them leave, therefore it is a point of wondrous comfort.  

Object.  Oh but will a poor soul say, Christ indeed is Lord of the living, and of the dead, but I find a great deal of corruption in me, etc. and I am a sinner.  

Answ.  Why he is Lord over thee, he hath a sweet Lordship over thee, as well as a commanding Lordship, he is not only a King but a husband as it is Ephes. 5. He gave him. self to purge his Church, and to make his Church fit by little and little, thou hast sin and corruption, but thou hast a merciful husband that will bear with the weaker vessel, doth he command others to do that, and will he not practise that that he enjoins others? undoubtedly he will, and therefore it is a comfort, it is a sweet government and subjection, as of the husband over the wife, Christ purgeth, and cleanseth his Church, he doth not cast it away.  
For I beseech you consider, he that died for his Church and children, when they were enemies, will he cast them away now they are poor friends, and desire to please him? as Saint Paul divinely reasoneth, Rom. 5. Much more shall we 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 died for us when we were enemies? he that will not quench the smoking flax, nor break the bruised reed, will he cast away his poor children that strive against their corruptions? he will not, nay he hath promised where he hath begun a good work, he will finish it to the day of the Lord, though it go but slowly forward, yet that beginning is a pledge of proceeding, God will never remove his hand from his own work, till he have brought it to perfection; therefore let any soul comfort itself, that will come under this Lord in a word what greater comfort can we have than this, that he is such a Lord over us, as is Lord over all things in the world beside: for he could not be Lord of his Church, except he were Lord over hell, and all power were subject to him, now being so he is such a Lord of the Church as can restrain 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, he 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, he make them his footstool, that that is begun in this world, shall be consummate hereafter by that Lordship, nay he will make all the erterprises of the very enemies of his Church whatsoever serviceable, to his poor Church, for as the Apostle saith, All things are yours because ye are Christ's, he is such a Lord, as that beside himself, being ours, he makes all the world ours, yea the devil is ours, for in spite of him whatsoever he doth, it is ordained to the salvation of the Church, the Church's enemies are the servants of the Church, the unvoluntary servants, for they waken the Church, and scour it, God rayseth them up for the exercise of the Church, and when he hath done, you know what course he takes with them, so than he is Lord, not only over all, but he overrules their actions, for the good of the Church, whatsoever they are, and he makes all the endeavours, and plots of the enemy for the Churches good, all is yours, life, and death, though it be death by tyrants, all kind of death whatsoever, it is yours, what a comfort is this, that we are under such a Lord as this?  
Especially, what a comfort is this at the hour of death, when Christ; that hath ruled us all our life time before, will take then the government and possession, of that jewel that he hath bought with such a price, our precious soul, that when we must part with friends, and part with this sweet body, that the soul so much loved, and with the world, and all things in the world, than Christ will owneus for his, when the world will own us no longer. Therefore me thinks Christians should be at a point, for life or death, he never goes out of the dominion of Christ, nay he is nearer Christ, he is more Christ's, if there be any comparison to be made, when he is dead, then when he is alive, Blessed are those that die 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 poured out for us, that he 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 we are Christ's, 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 Sceptre of his Kingdom, whereby he rules, the Sacrament is the seal of the word, therefore all good subjects that submit themselves to the Kingdom 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 find the effectual working of his Spirit in us, subjecting the whole inward man to his gracious government, but having spoken of this subject at large heretofore, I only desire you to raise up your thoughts, to consider whom you have to deal with, with him that is Lord of the quick, and of the dead, we have to deal with the mighty Monarch of heaven, and earth, Christ; therefore come, as with faith, because he hath ordained these things to strengthen faith, so come with reverence, knowing with whom we are to feast, and to deal, consider of these things, and then I hope that God will vouchsafe a blessing answerable to the intendment of his ordinance.   

THE SECOND SERMON ON  ROME 14. 9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be the Lord, both of the dead and of the living. 
I showed the dependence in the forenoon, a Christian by the Spirit of God in him, he hath a blessed aim at all times, howsoever he may fail in particulars, yet his aim is right.  
This doubt rose from difference of aims, whether he should please God or man? his doubt rose in pleasing of God, what might please him most, and because he sees not always what might please him, therefore he carries this honesty, that whatsoever he doth, he will do it to the Lord, and whatsoever he doth not, he will not do it to the Lord, his aim is for good at all times.  
Now this is proved from the general disposition of Christians, they live, and dye to the Lord, therefore their particular actions must be to the Lord, if their whole life and death, be to the Lord, their actions must be to him.  
Now he proves their whole life, and death are to the Lord, because they are the Lords, how doth he prove that they are the Lords? that is jesus Christ's, because the Text saith here, For this end Christ both died, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead, and of the living.  
And surely he is Lord, he will not miss of his end; God never misseth of his end, because he can remove all impediments between him and his end: Now it being Christ's end to be Lord of the quick, and of the dead, he is Lord, if he be Lord, than those that are under him, and led by his Spirit, aim both in life and death, to glorify him in all things. This in a word be spoken, for the inference of the words.  To this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived. 
Here you have a ground and an inference: An argument and a reasoning from it.  
The argument or ground is, Christ died, and rose, and revived.  
That that riseth thence is, that he might be Lord both of the dead of of the living.  
In them ground itself, I told you how Christ died as a public person, as the second Adam, etc. and now here you are to take notice likewise that he rose again as a public person, as the second Adam, etc.  
And likewise he renvived, not to dye again, as in his first life, when he began to live, he began to dye, but when he revived he did not dye again, he lives for ever to make intercession for us in heaven, Christ never dies again, Rom. 6. he rose to a life that shall never end, for the divine nature doth flow into his humane nature, and doth immediately inspire such a spiritual life into it, as it lives for ever, by virtue of the Spirit of Christ, actuating, and stirring and moving him, as his natural life did here, when he was upon the earth.  Christ died, and rose, and revived. 
To what end is all this, what is grounded hence, that Christ therefore is Lord of quick, and dead, this is inferred from all three.  
Christ died, that he might reconcile us to God by his death, satisfying justice, and so justice being fully satisfied, he might have his end in being Lord of his Church, he had a mind to marry us, but he could not till he had rescued us, therefore to rescue us out of divine justice, and from the tyranny of Satan, God's gaoler, he made satisfaction to divine justice. As for Satan he brought us out of his kingdom by strong hand, and so doth continually by the power of his Spirit. Now hereupon it must needs be that he must be Lord of that he paid so dear a price for.  
And then he rose again, for this end that he might be Lord, because, howsoever he had a title to be Lord of the Church by the union of the humane nature with the divine, he was Lord always, yet in regard of the exercise of his Lordship, it was deferred till his glorious resurrection, and ascension, then that that lay hid before Christ's divine power, majesty and Lordship, that appeared, and manifested itself, as it is Rom. 1. He was mightily declared to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead, he was the Son of God before, but than it was a kind of begetting, because it was then manifest: things are said in Scripture and Divinity, to be when they are apparent to be, so this day of the resurrection, Christ was begotten, because it was apparent then by raising himself from the dead, that he was the only begotten Son of God, now that made way for his Lordship, for after his resurrection God gave him power over all things in heaven and earth, and then upon the resurrection he had the Spirit in more abundance, having conquered all enemies between God and us, therefore he was fit to be Lord by that, because he could give the Spirit to them over whom he meant to rule.  
But then in his own person he rising, triumphed over all opposite enemies whatsoever, over death the last enemy, and over Satan, sin, and the Law, having canceled all, surely he hath overruled all for himself, he will overrule all for his Church and people, and therefore he rose again, to be Lord of quick and dead: and he may well be, because he is Lord of quick and dead in his own person, he is Lord over all in his own person; and therefore he is Lord over the Church, and all the enemies of the Church, so far as the enemies seized upon his person, so far he overcame them all, he hath as much care of his mystical person the Church, as he had on his own body, and more too, for he gave that for the other.  
And then he revived to be Lord over all, that is, he lives for ever to make good what he hath gotten by his death, he will not lose the price of his own blood, he is in heaven to appear before God, and sits at the right hand of God, and rules there till he have made all his enemies his footstool, till he draw his Church home to heaven, to himself, he lives for ever as the Apostle saith, to make intercession, hereupon it must needs be that by living for ever he is fitly qualified to be Lord over all the quick: now I proceed.  That he might be Lord both of quick and dead. 
Christ is Lord both of the dead and of the living, you see upon what ground he is Lord of all, as well as of his Church, he is an eternal Lord over the dead and the living, he is a transcendent Lord, above all other Lords whatsoever, and he is independent, 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 Christ's, 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 far to be serviceable to his Church to use their parts to his own ends, they go a great way in salvation, that so by their parts, they may be fit to do service to the Church, so he is Lord, not only 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 yields many comfortable uses, I spoke of some things in general, and then we came to some particulars, as  
First, seeing Christ is Lord of the quick and of the dead, we may comfort ourselves under the Sovereignty of Christ: To be Solomon's servant, was accounted a great happiness, those that did observe the government of Solomon, did think so, as the Queen of Sheba: Alas, what shall we think of those that are under Christ, who is greater than Solomon? A most great, a most wise, a most loving, a most gracious and powerful Lord over all, therefore it is a most comfortable condition, here in this life, (to add 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 reign.  
Besides while we live here, such is our disposition, such is the weakness of base sinners, that they must be ruled by another, and indeed our happiness and security consists in being ruled by another higher than ourselves, we are not fit to be our own governor's, S. Paul saith to the Galatians, an heir in his noneage differeth little from a servant, so it is with Christians till they be in heaven, they differ little from servants, and therefore they must be under tutors, and government.  
And as it is a comfortable, so it is an honourable condition, for Christ's Servants are so many Kings, Christ is served of none but Kings, and such Kings as do not rule over slaves, but such Kings as in Christ rule over the greatest, and terriblest enemies of all, a Christian can think with comfort and encouragement upon those enemies, that make the greatest tyrants of the world to quake; he can think of death, of sin, of damnation, of judgement, of the Law, of all these things: Christ's Kingdom is another manner of Kingdom than the Kingdoms of the world, they are poor Kingdoms, their Monarch's heads must lie as low as the basest subject they have, they know not how soon, and perhaps have a more terrible account to give, than any other under them: it is not so in Christ's Kingdom.  
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 die, what need they fear to dye, and therefore let us comfort ourselves when God calls for us, he is our Lord as well when we dye, as while we live, and more too: for then our souls have more immediate communion with him, can there be more comfort than this, that we have a Lord ever, that died for us, that rose for us, and lives for ever, and doth immortalize his subjects too? join these together, an everliving Lord, and everliving subjects, coexistent I mean for the time to come, we indeed have a beginning, (Christ had none as God) but we have an eternal state to be for ever, and an eternal Lord to rule us for ever, and to make us happy forever, what comfort is more than this, that howsoever there be variety of conditions in this world, we live, we die, we are in prosperity, we are in misery, yet there is no variety 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.  
Again 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 look to him in life and death, to live and dye to him: for our aim must answer his aim if we ever intent to come to heaven: for we are understanding creatures, and have a communion with him in a poor measure; therefore what he will make his end must be our end, his end was that whether we live or dye, he might rule over us, our end should be in life and death to be 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 sweet interest to us, that any relation can inright him to, for all other relations among men are but shadows of that grand relation, there only 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, poor representations of those glorious things, then know and acknowledge so much, that is the ground of all living to him.  
Upon 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 own, as a servant as far as he is a servant, and a wife so far as she is a wife, they have no will of their own; so he that lives to Christ, and acknowledgeth him to be a Lord, he must have no will of his own, but he must live according to the will of Christ, as you have it excellently set down, 1 Pet. 4. Christ suffered for us in the flesh, let us arm ourselves therefore with the same mind: for he that suffered in the flesh, hath ceased from sin 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 died and rose and revived, that he might be Lord of the quick and of the dead, that is, that we might live according to his will, and not after our own, do you think our Saviour Christ would so far deny himself, to leave heaven, to take upon him our base nature, and be so far abased in it, to let us live as we list? oh no, we must live the rest of our days, not according to the lusts of men, or our own lusts, but according to the will of God; and therefore as the Apostle admonisheth, Rom. 12. we must search what is the acceptable will of God in all things: what is the end of our hearing Sermons, of our reading, and all the pains we take in the means of Salvation? not only to know what God will do to us, but what he will have of us, he will have the directing of our lives, and therefore if we will live to Christ, we must labour to know his good pleasure to us, what he means to do for us, and so his good pleasure with us, what he will have us do again by way of thankfulness, Christ squared his life immediately according to his father's will (It is written, in the volume of thy book that I should do thy will oh God) so all that are Christ's must have the same Spirit, to direct all their lives according to his will; now the most grand things of his will (for his will is in the Scriptures) are that we repent, he commands all to repent: his will is that we believe in him, his will is our sanctification, as it is 1 Thes. 4. his will is that we suffer, and in suffering submit ourselves to him, and the Scripture is express in many other particulars, but these especially are named, to show something, wherein we must direct ourselves according to his will, but (not to insist upon particulars) in all things we must labour to direct our lives according to his will.  
Secondly, that we may live to God, we must aim at the glory of Christ in all things, and at the credit of religion, not at our own credit; if Christ be Lord of the quick, and dead, while we live we must not seek our own glory but his: the contrary to this the Apostle complains of, All seek their own, saith he, and not the things that are of the Lord jesus Christ, we must consider what is for the credit of religion, and the honour of Christ, and not what is for our own advantage: is it not good reason that we should seek the glory of him that is Lord over us, naturally proud man is lead with a Spirit of self-love, and he seeks himself in all things, even in his religion, so far as it stands with his own lusts he will be religious and no further, so long as God's will is not contrary to his, he will do God Service, but if it cross his will once, than he will give God leave to seek him a servant.  
Thus man makes himself an Idol, he sets up himself in the room of God, he doth all things, as from himself, so for himself, nor indeed can he do otherwise, (till he put off himself wholly, and deny himself) a man cannot go beyond himself but by grace, that rayseth a man above himself, it makes him have an eye to some excellency, out of himself, conformity whereto, and interest whereinto will make him happy.  
Now that we may aim at Christ in all things, it is good to call ourselves to account for our aims, wherefore we live, & wherefore we have are, or do any thing, either in grace or nature, it is or should be, not only that we may be saved ourselves, but that Christ in all may be glorified, we need not sever these, for Christ joins them both together, and he that seeks his own Salvation, seeks the glory of God, because God will be glorified in saving us, the end hath a main influence into all actions, and as it differenceth man, from other creatures, that though he doth the same action as a beast, he eats, and drinks and sleeps, all for another end, for an end beyond himself, because he is a reasonable creature, whereas other creatures rest in themselves, so it differenceth between natural men, and Christians, they differ in their aims not in their actions, both do the same thing, one doth it for base ends of his own, keeps within the circle of those ends, the other having a light discovering excellencies better than the world can afford, and having another Spiritual life above, he is thereby directed to further aims in all, yea even in his civil actions.  
Saint Paul gives a rule, that Whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, we should do all to the glory of God: though the action be common and civil not tending directly to the glory of God, as eating, etc. yet our aim should be in it, at Christ and at God, that the body thereby being refreshed may be fit to serve God.  
And indeed there is not the commonest action of this life, but we may show that we have a good end in it, and therein glorify God, therefore in Scripture, it is put as a kind of limitation, Obey in the Lord, marry in the Lord, do all things in the Lord, that is in Christ, he shows that we should do all such things, intimating that as we must go about such erterprises with invocation of the name of the Lord, etc. so chiefly we should do them so far and no farther, as they may stand with the favour and glory of Christ: In subordinate things, the rule of subordinate things is to do them so far as they may help to the main end: Now the Service of all other is subordinate to the Service of Christ, and all other bonds are serviceable to the main bond in marriage, or whatsoever we may not prejudice the bond of marriage in the Lord, marry not rich, nor honourable, but in the Lord, all things must have their limitation to be done in the Lord, that is, so far as they may stand with pleasing the Lord, thus we see what it is to live to the Lord with his good pleasure and likening.  
Now an assistant help (of living to the Lord) is a perpetual selfe-deniall of our own wisdom, will, and affections in all things, else we shall live to ourselves, and to the Lord we shall never attain.  
But you will say this is a hard saying; True, but consider this one thing, that we are the greatest enemies to ourselves of all, and we carry in ourselves a cursed enmity to all that is divine, and supernatural, naturally we are trained up to our own will, therefore we cannot endure the yoke of Christ without: supernatural strength.  
Again divine things perpetually cross the liking of the soul, whereupon there is an antipathy between us and Christ, and divine things, therefore there must be selfe-deniall of necessity. Now the knowledge of this will be a good means to enable us to the duty.  
Another help to this, of living to Christ, is to complain of ourselves to Christ, as Saint Paul Rom. 7. Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me, etc. To inform against our rebellions, that we live too much to the flesh, and too little to the Spirit; too much to ourselves, and too little to Christ, by reason of that principle of flesh and blood, and to desire him to captivate all, and bring all in subjection by his Spirit, this is always a sign, of a man lead by the Spirit, that it directs him to Christ, the Spirit as it comes from Christ, and the father, so it directs to Christ to the pleasing of the Father, and of Christ in all things.  
Here I might take just occasion, to reproove a company of men that live under the Gospel, that will be saved by Christ forsooth, but will not have Christ a Lord to rule over them, they will be ruled by rules of state, or rules of flesh, and blood, and their own lusts, by the rules of hell sometimes, so that they may have their own aims, their own ambition satisfied and raisethemselves, to their own pitch a disposition cursed, and opposite to that religion which they profess, for our life should be a living to Christ, and under Christ a living to the Church and state: But say they Let us break their bonds, and cast their coards from us, what do they think we will be awed with a company of poor preachers, away with them, we will have our wills, let us break their bonds in sunder. Christ sits in heaven, and laughs them all to scorn, Psal. 2. they shall know at length he will be no Saviour, where he is no Lord, if he may not rule them by his Spirit and holy directions while they live, he will not own them when they die, for you see the text joins both here, he died, and he is Lord, when he died there came water and blood out of his side, to show that he came not only to shed his blood, to dye, and to satisfy divine justice, but by water to cleanse us, and to fit us to be subject to his government, therefore those that take him as a Priest to dye and will not have him as a Lord they rend his offices, I do but touch these now.  
We see what it is to live to Christ, let us see: what is it to dye to the Lord?  
To dye to the Lord is to know and acknowledge that Christ hath power over us when we dye, thereupon to submit ourselves to him, and not to murmur and fret, when he comes to call for our life and soul, as if we were unwilling to part with them.  
Then again to dye to Christ is when upon any good occasion, he calls for our lives, in standing for a good cause, for the Church or state, to be ready to lay it down; there is not the least tittle of truth, but it is better than a man's life, a man may not only dye, in case of martyrdom, but in case of justice and truth, and so he must be willing to do, if he will dye to Christ.  
Again we die to the Lord when we carry ourselves so when death comes, as we may express some graces to glorify God, even in our very death, when we study to do all the good we can, that we may dye fruitfully, out of this consideration, my time is short, I will labour to be sowing to the Spirit, as much as I can, not to dye like fools but wisely, knowing that there is no further opportunity, here is the time of seed, hereafter will be the time of reaping: therefore there is no Christian, that is master of himself at the hour of death, if some disease disable him not, but he studies how to show himself as fruitful as he can at that time; as you see our Saviour when he was to dye, what long chapters there are three together, of his demeanour how he strengthened his Disciples, what an excellent prayer he made to God, see Moses how he carried himself at his death, what excellent admonitions he gives; and good jacob what an excellent Will he made, and S. Peter knowing he must put of his earthly tabernacle, he labours to put them in mind to glorify God as Saint Paul saith.  
A Christian ought to end his days in faith, and obedience; in faith that God will take his soul, when he commits it to him, and he shall reign for ever in heaven: In obedience thereupon, because he believes, he dies in faith, he will dye in obedience, I even offer myself to thee, because I believe thou wilt care for me when I am gone hence, for thou art the Lord of life and death and thou art the Lord of me when I live, and when I am dead.  
Well, as it implies duty, so it implies a gracious effect, that we shall be enabled to this duty, he indeed in himself is a Lord, we ought to acknowledge him so, nay, we shall have the Spirit if we be his, to cause us to acknowledge him, you have a notable place, 2 Cor. 5. 15. to this purpose, The love of Christ constrains us, because we thus judge, If one died for all, than we are all dead, if he died to redeem us from death, to what end did he dye? he died for all, that they that live, might not live to themselves, but to him that died, and rose again: It is nothing but this in the Text, we should live to him. Now this that we should live to him, it is not an aim of ours only, but an effect that he works in us, he died that we might live to him, for he died, and rose, that he might obtain the Spirit; by this Spirit he enableth us to live, and dye to God, as you have it, Rom. 8. at large proved, those that are Christ's, have the Spirit of Christ, and are led with it.  
Beloved, it is a part of the new Covenant, that whatsoever ourduty is, we shall have ability to perform it, by the Spirit of Christ, for all the gracious promises of the Gospel, are not only promises upon condition, and so a covenant, but likewise the covenant of grace is a te stament, and a will, a will is made without conditions, a covenant with conditions, that as he hath made a covenant what he would have us to do, so his testament is, that we shall have grace to do so, he will put his Spirit into us, and circumcise our hearts, or else beloved, there would be no more strength of the covenant of grace, than there was of that of nature in Adam, why did Adam fall? he had not the Spirit to uphold him, nor had he the promise of it, to keep him that he should not fall, therefore the covenant of works was frustrate, but now the covenant of grace is this, that whatsoever God requires, he will give his Spirit, to enable us to do it, that the covenant may not be frustrate, if God should not make good our part as well as his, we should not be saved. Therefore, now in the covenant of grace, we may boldly go to God, and Christ, and allege unto him, when any duty is pressed upon us, and when we are about to perform any duty, and find want of strength, Lord thou knowest I have no strength of myself, I am a barren wilderness, but thou hast entered into a covenant of grace with me, which covenant now is a testament, a free will, that thou wilt give what thou requirest Lord, in the use of means 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 own strength, but when duty is discovered, look to the promise of grace, and of the Spirit, and put them into suit, and allege them to Christ, in the use of sanctified means, as reading, hearing, holy conference and the like, and he will enable us to do that that is our duty.  
Therefore a man may know, who is indeed under Christ's government, by this, for he that is actually under Christ's government, and acknowledgeth him to be his Lord, he hath ability to live, and dye to him, in some comfortable measure, to deny himself, to go out of himself, to live and to dye to the glory of God. The Spirit of God hath given him this victory, and triumph over his own 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 himself, so Christ will give him grace, so to direct his life. Therefore let us do our duty, attend upon the means, and lift up our hearts to God, let God and Christ alone with all the rest, let Christ alone with ruling us, and with enabling us to be ruled by him; he is Lord not only over us, but in us, by his Spirit. But theSpirit breatheth where it listeth, there must be waiting upon God in his Ordinances, till we find ability to holy duties, and those that have so much patience to honour God and Christ, so far as to attend in the use of good means, till the good hour 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 find not ability to deny themselves, and to live to God, and to break off their course of sin, but give over in a kind of base despair, 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, he is Lord not only of the things without us, but of our spirits within us, and he will enable us to subject ourselves 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 only from God's love to us, but from our love to God.  
Beloved, let this encourage us, to come under the government of Christ: There is no security or safety, but in his government, we 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 we live or dye, he is Lord of quick and dead, let us labour to live to him, that he may rule over us while we live, else when we come to dye, though we never so much (perhaps out of principles of self 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 do not enure ourselves by daily self deny all, and practising of the duties of obedience to live to him, how shall we come to dye to him? our life may be snatched from us against our wills, we may dye with a kind of fretting and indignation, that we can live no longer, that we can enjoy our pleasures no longer, but to dye meekly, and quietly, as to a Lord, submitting ourselves to him that is the Lord of life and death, a man can never do 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 do to men, do it as to the Lord, in the Lord's strength, to please him, and as it may stand with his favour and no further: And especially take the advantage of your younger years, to root out lusts, that will grow to that head else, that God in his judgement, giving you up to yourselves, (after long rebellion) you shall never be able to deny yourselves to live to Christ, and when death comes to dye to Christ, therefore let us enure ourselves, to deny ourselves, 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 easy and sweet to us, as indeed the yoke of Christ is after it is worn a while, the subjection of Christ is the sweetest subjection in the world, it breeds the greatest peace, and joy, and love, and contentment to the soul, and which is more than all, a blessed hope, for the time to come, he that is life, is enured 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 resign myself 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 yield unto him as a Lord, else it will be just in the hour of death for Christ, to say as it is judg. 10. do you come to me, and commend your souls to me? go to the lords you have served, you have served the humours of such a one, you have alliena'ed your souls to such a one, you have given your souls to sin, and to such men as are instruments of the devil, you have denied your honesty, your faith, your religion, go to him, go to the gods you have served, they are your lords, I am not your Lord, I was not all your life time, though these speeches be not uttered, the effect of them will, the soul will conclude, I have served mine own lusts, and the humours of others all my life time, how can I look that the Lord should take my Soul, therefore let it be our daily practice, to live to the Lord, to have the chief aim of our life in our eye, to direct our actions so, as they may be serviceable to the main, else not to perform them.  
Herein consists the main happiness of a Christian, that whether he lives or dies he is not his own, but he is his, that can dispose of him, better than ever he could of himself, for if we had the disposing of ourselves, as Adam had, what would become of us? what became of Adam, when he was master of himself? he lost himself, and all. The second Adam hath bought us with his blood, and life, to rule us for ever, will he then suffer us to be disposed off by ourselves? No, whether we live or dye, we are his, if we yield ourselves sweetly to his government, in life and death.   

THE THIRD SERMON ON  ROME 14. 9 For to this end Christ both died, 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 another's Servant, who stands or falls to his own Master, as you have it in Verse. 4.  
The reason is, because whatsoever they do, they do it to the Lord, He that regards a day, regards it to the Lord, he that regards not a day, regards it not to the Lord. Some things are of that nature, that the right aim puts a qualification upon the actions, a good end cannot qualify many actions, but some actions are of that nature, that a good aim doth not altogether justify it, but it frees the person from some censure, he doth it to God, some upon some conceit, may abstain from a thing for religious ends, and are not to be censured, some again perform it, and are not to be censured, because they do it to the Lord, that is, out of religious respects.  
How doth he prove that they do it to the Lord? he proves it more generally, ver. 7. None of us live to ourselves, nor none of us dye to ourselves, which I spoke of before.  
Then he proves that we are the Lords, because it was the end of Christ's dying, and rising, and reviving, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living, and if he be the Lord, than we ought to live, to this Lord of the quick and dead.  
We see Saint Paul here makes use of a general truth, of a grand principle, that we are the Lords, and therefore live to him, and dye to him, and do particular actions to him, or not do them to him, to show that we should have in mind, information of sound general truths, that are the ground of all particular practice, as we shall see after.  For to this end Christ both died, rose, and revived, etc. 
The words, they are Christ's universal government of the dead, and of the living, inferred from the end of his death, reviving, and rising again, a comfortable inference, from a strong ground.  
We considered the particulars, Christ's death, rising, and reviving.  
Christ died as a second Adam, as a public person, in whom dying all died, when other men died, particular men died, when Paul was dead, Paul died, and there was an end, only there was an exemplary good, in his death, but there is more than an exemplary good, in the death of Christ, Christ died alone, and singular in this respect, because in him dying, all died that were his, that the Father gave him to dye for, for they go parallel, God's gift, and Christ's death, he did all by commission, and he would not transgress his commission, and he died a violent and cursed death, because otherwise he could not have saved us, that were under a curse, so as a second Adam, he rose, and as a public person, therefore we see in the resurrection of Christ, many rose, it is like enough they died again, it was for a particular dispensation, to show that Christ rose as a public person; and it is not strange to think so, that to honour God they should be content to live a w●●●e, when Christ himself that was God, was content to be man, and to be abased to death, that grand mystery makes all other things credible, he rose therefore as a public person, to give life to all that he died for.  
So he revived, that is more than to rise again, never again to lay down his life, as you have it excellently set down among other places, Revel. 1. 18. I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold I live for ever more, amen, and he seals it too, I have the keys of hell and of death, that is, the dominion of hell and death, for inde●●●hrist is life itself, and life cannot dye, as God he could not dye, and therefore he took upon him that nature, wherein he might dye for us, and now having done that dispensation, that office, there is a perpetual influence of life, from the fountain of life, his Godhead, to his humanity, so he never dies any more; then here follows 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 himself, and likewise by his ministry: 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, than 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 struck us of the end of his coming into the world, and then a Priest to do 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 himself a King, and a Lord in his glory, where had been his abasement, if they had known him to be the Lord of glory they would never have curcified him; only some sparkles of his God. head, and Lordship, and Kingdom, and royalty over all flesh, broke 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 paid tribute, he had it out of a fish, by a command, by majesty, when he was on the cross he converted the good thief; so somewhat broke out of him, that he was a person more than ordinary, but that was for special ends, ordinarily he went on in a course of abasement, and all that he might perform the great work of redemption, therefore he made a stop of his glory and Kingly office, that he might not manifest himself, in that relation and office; that he might do the office of a Priest to dye for us: therefore you have it here in the due order; Christ died and rose again, as the high Priest of his Church, that he might he Lord of the dead and of the living, he was so before, but he was not manifest before: therefore he is said to be manifest to be God by the resurrection, Rom. 1. 4. he was God from eternity, but he was borne then, This day have I begotten thee, it is spoken of the resurrection, so you see here Christ's 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, look to his rising, and reviving, and Lordship over all, both quick and dead, and if we be dazelled with his glory, look back again to God in our flesh, and God in our flesh abased, even to the death of the cross; oh it is a sweet meditation beloved, to think that our flesh is now in heaven, at the right hand of God, and that flesh that was borne of the Virgin, that was laid in the manger, that went up and down doing good, that was made a curse for us, and humbled to death, and lay under the bondage of death three days, that this flesh is now glorious in heaven, that this person is Lord over the living and the dead, it is an excellent book to study this, beloved study Christ in the state of humiliation and exaltation.  That he might be Lord of the dead etc. 
How is Christ Lord? He is Lord of the dead, those that died 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 Lamb of God slain from the beginning of the world.  
By what title is he Lord?  
By a title beloved, not as God, but by a title of conquest as a redeemer: for he died that he might be Lord, we are a bloody spouse to Christ, we are the price of his blood, he died that he might be Lord, he must win us before he could have us; thereupon dying and purchasing us, now he is Lord of his Church and Children by marriage, before he could marry us he must be borne in our nature, for the husband and wife must be of one nature: and being in bondage to a contrary King, to Satan; he must redeem and purchase us out of Satan's hands, so he is a Lord by conquest, and then he is a Lord in a nearer relation, he 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, only 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 we have divers sweet comforts: as for example.  
First of all it shows what we may expect from Christ, what Christ will do to us, and what we ought to return to him again, for relations are bonds, especially when they are so founded, as this of Christ's is, to be Lord over us both in life and death, it is founded upon redemption, and upon our Spiritual marriage, relations are bonds, and therefore they tie on his part to show what we may expect from him, he is Lord of the living, and of the dead, we may expect on his part, all that a gracious Lord should do, to provide for his Church and children, we may expect that from him, that (we can from none else that) he should not only be Lord over us, but that he should make us subject that he 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 beautiful, he puts glory upon her, no other husband can do it, Moses married a black woman, but he could not alter her hue, much less her disposition, it is not in the power of any man, a King cannot alter his subjects, but he is such a King as altars the nature of his subjects, he makes them subject, he takes them out of a contrary kingdom, 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 work, and where this Lord begins a good work, he finisheth it to his own 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 own free will, to stand or fall, but now in the second covenant that is founded upon Christ's death, and satisfaction for us, Christ gives grace, he gives his holy Spirit to bring us within, the compass, and performs both our part and his too; he makes good his own to be a gracious Saviour to us, and he performs 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 freedom, 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 laws and write them in tables, but they cannot write them in the hearts of their subjects, but he is such a Law giver as writes his own 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 only know what they should do, but they shall know the doing, the affecting, and performing of the things; they shall be able to do the things, so Christ is a Lord over us, not only teaching us what we should do, and enjoining us in a kind of superiority, this is your duty, and not this, but enabling us to do 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 means, and subjecting to his ordinances, which is a wondrous prerogative to those that will submit to his law.  
We may expect again 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 thraldom, to their own lusts, but he is a spiritual King, a King over hell, and death, and those things, that the very greatest of men are afraid off; as who fears death most? and hell most? those that deserve it most, by reason of their great place, sink most in sin and rebellion against God, and contract more guilt than other men that that they are afraid of a true Christian as a Christian, is most triumphant over, he is a King over those things, for every subject of this Prince is a King.  
Christ's manner of government is hid now, there is more reality in this, then can be expressed therefore wonder not: In a word Christ as our Lord binds himself to bring us to glory, never to leave us till he hath brought us to that place that he is in himself, Father I will that where I am they be also, and he purgeth his Church, Ephes. 5. That he may make it a glorious Church, he takes upon him not only to dye, to redeem us from hell, and damnation, and to set us in a state of favour with his father, but to goen on in a course of fitting us till he have brought us to the glorions condition that he is in, it lies upon him to do it, therefore let us do our duty, as we shall see after, and let him alone with that that belongs to him▪  
For ourselves beloved this is our honour, that we are under such a King, such a Lord both living and dying; it was the honour of those that lived in Solomon's time, that they were under such a wise Prince, the Queen of Sheba judged it so, but what an honour is it to a Christian now, that he is under such a blessed Prince as Christ is: It is a great honour to be the Spouse of such a husband, to be the subject of such a King, to be members of such a head: and therefore we should oft think of it, to put honourable thoughts into us, and I know no greater way to keep us from sin, from base courses, than to have our thoughts strained to this high point, to think of the dignity of a Christian, what a condition he is now brought unto in Christ, and what he shall be brought unto ere long, this should make him honourable to himself, to make him in a holy state, to think himself too good to defile his soul, or body, that is so dear bought, and so highly advanced shall such a man as I flee? saith Nehemiah, oh look to that, shall such a man as I flee. It is the honour beloved of a Christian, that he is Christ's living and dying.  

Object.  But you will say an honour, it is an honour to be free, the subject is bound, non sumus nati, etc. as the heathen man said, we are not borne to slavery, but to honour and liberty, and it is an appetite engrafted in man, to desire freedom above all things.  

Answ.  It is true, In regno nati sumus Deo, etc. we are borne in a Kingdom, and to serve Christ is to reign, for where there is a subordination, it is a prerogative to be under a better: as for the body being base than the soul, it is for the good of it to be under the soul, because it is more excellent, it hath life, and wisdom, the body is a loathsome dead thing of itself: the sheep being a weak simple creature, shiftless, to be guided by a shepherd, who is of a superior nature, and wise to defend it, it is its security and safety, for the Vine that is a weak plant of itself, to have support, it is for the good of it, for man that is in a subordination to a higher nature to God, for him to be under the government of Christ God man, of God in our nature, it is a great honour: as they could say in the Schools, every thing hath its perfection, by being subject to a superior, except the highest of all, which is not subordinate, but independent, whatsoever is dependant hath its perfection by dependence, therefore it is an honour that we be under Christ, the greatest honour in the world, especially if we consider what manner of government Christ's is, it is a rational government agreeable to our principles: for he guides us as a Prophet, he is not only a King but a Prophet, to teach us, he saith not you shall do this, he stands not upon terms of will, no he is a Prophet to teach us, what we should obey, he convinceth us, and then useth us, that we would not but be der such a government: and then when he rules our will, he doth it sweetly, he draws it with the cords of a man as the Prophet speaks, that is, by allurements, he brings us to heaven by way of love and enticements, what greater rewards can there be thought of than those that Christ leads us by, and draws us to subjection by, and therefore he works upon our will sweetly, by persuading us by allurements in that kind.  
In a word, he is such a King as is a husband, would you have a milder government then that of a husband, which though it be not a parity, yet it comes as near as can be, such a government is Christ's, as he is a King, so he is a husband, he knows how to bear with the infirmities of his Church, he that bids the husband to favour the wife as the weaker vessel, doth not he practise his own principles? will not he favour his own spouse as the weaker vessel think you? that hath promised not to quench the smoking flax, and break the bruised reed, undoubtedly he will: Therefore it is an honour to be under the government of Christ, so rationally, and sweetly he draws us with the cords of a man, it is the government of a husband, and of a wise husband, I do but give a taste, you may enlarge them in your own meditations.  
And as it is our honour, so it is our security, and safety to be under him, why? because when we come sweetly under Christ's government, we need fear nothing, he that fears Christ, all things fear him, since Christ hath taken our nature upon him, the devil himself is afraid of man's nature, he trembles to think God hath appeared in our nature, now he is afraid of a Christian, God hath taken this nature. Then he is such a King as we may be secure under him, as a universal King over all things, that he may be King over his Church; for he hath all power in heaven and earth, Mat. 28. All power is given to me in heaven and earth, and all for the government of his Church, it is our security to be under him that governs all things for the good of the Church, he saith john 17. Thou hast given me power over all flesh. Christ hath all power given to him, in relation to his Church, therefore he hath power over the devil, over hell, and over all wicked men, and all monarchs, and opposite power is subject to him, that they shall serve the Church, when they do scourge the Church, they are but Christ's rod, they are but instrumental to Christ, they do but his work, therefore it is a great security, and we need to fear none, if we be under Christ.  
Again, to go on, as it is our honour and security, so it is a Spring of duty, Christ is our Lord, he is Lord of all. Therefore it teacheth us our duty every way.  
Our duty 


One to another.  
To those that are not Christians.  
To Christ himself.     
It teacheth us in all standings, how to carry ourselves. To give a taste of this, the Apostle presseth it oft, that Christ is our Lord, and will be our judge.  
Therefore, for others we ought not to be hasty in judging or censuring, we ought to love them, because we have all one Lord, this must force love: We have all one Lord, one baptism, etc. We are many in our severals, but we are all one under this bond, being all under one Lord.  
Then again, it teacheth us how to carry ourselves to men, otherwise affected not to be servants to the humours of men, Christ rules over us, both living and dying, therefore be not the servants of men, but according to the scriptures limitation, Marry in the Lord, obey in the Lord, walk in the Lord, do all in the Lord, that is, so far as it may stand in the will and pleasure of him, that is the Lord of Lords: For when the authority of any superior doth countermand against the will of this Lord, it ceaseth to bind, when they command any thing in subordination, that may stand with the pleasure of the Lord, than the authority is divine, we obey Christ, in obeying them. As Christ said to his own mother, when she commanded things, that she had no authority to do, he calls her mother no longer, but Woman, she stretching then beyond her compass.  
Again, to go on, this should teach us, in that Christ is the Lord of the living and of the dead, to account ourselves not our own, it should teach us perfect self denial in matters of religion, especially not to be overwhelmed of our own conceits, in the great mysteries, that Saint Paul cries out of, Oh the depth, you have many that quarrel with those things, and would bring them to reason, they will go no further in religion than they can see reason, whereas one saith, I believe, because it is impossible, and too far above reason, therefore I the rather believe it, it is oft times good to stand at a stay in God, as if we were at a nonplus, to admire at him in the mysteries of Christ's governing the Church, why he suffers some part of the Church, that perhaps is better than other parts, (that are quiet and exempt from the cross) to be exercised, with afflictions, and others not, not to scandal at this, and to be overbusy, in searching out the reason of this, Christ is our Lord and he is infinite in wisdom, and it is his prerogative to do such things, as he is not liable to give a reason of to us, so God will have mercy, upon whom he will have mercy. In great mysteries, remember the sovereignty of this our Lord he is Lord of quick and dead, let this stop our judgements, and teach us to deny ourselves, when we cannot give a reason of them, in a holy admiration, say with Saint Paul, Oh the depth.  
And so for our will, he is Lord of quick and dead, we say of a wife, she hath no will, and a servant is not a distinct person, as it were in law, he is another's wee are Christ's servants, his subjects, & his spouse, and when we begin to be Christ's, we have lost our own wills, we resign them up to Christ, thy will shall be mine in all things, if thou wilt have me do this, I will do it, if thou wilt have me suffer, I will suffer, if thou wilt honour thyself with my goods, and with my life, thou shalt have them: Of thee I had this body, this soul, this state, this reputation; I have whatsoever I have from thee, it is maintained by thee, thou art mine, and I am thine; therefore I give up all to thee back again, it is a ground of perfect resignation, that Christ is Lord of the quick and of the dead, therefore stand not upon terms with Christ, when he calls for any thing, in case of suffering and sealing the truth, let him have it, it is not lost, we have a better foundation in him, than we have in ourselves, when we give any thing to him, life, or state, or credit, or whatsoever, we have a better life, a better state and condition in him, because all is more eminently in him, the primitive fountain, then in the derivation, and beams from him, when we lose any thing, it is but a beam from the Sun, and whatsoever we lose in particulars, we have in the whole, in the fountain, again, in Christ, therefore faith would help all this; in case of suffering, and trial, what, is the cause good, or no? then I will resign myself, and all that I have, and am to Christ, he is Lord both of the quick and of the dead.  
We must know beloved that we are redeemed from ourselves, and therefore make this use of it, when we are tempted to any sin, Christ is my Lord, I am redeemed from my base lusts, what have I to do with this anger? what have I to do with this ambition? I am no debtor to the flesh, I am under Christ, I am under grace, he hath redeemed me from my vain conversation, I owe it nothing but mortification, and deny all, therefore in all solicitations of corruption, learn this lesson, fetch arguments hence, Christ hath done great matters for me, he lived and died, and lives for ever, that is Lord of me living and dying, there is no greater slave, than he that is a slave to his own flesh, and to his own lusts, therefore when we are stirred to any thing by our base nature, which must dye, or else we shall never live eternally, we must kill it more and more daily, and death is the sum and accomplishment of mortification, when we are stirred to any thing, go to Christ and complain to him, blessed Saviour, thou didst dye, and rise, and revive, that thou mightst be Lord of the living and of the dead, I beseech thee claim thine own interest in me, bring all into captivity, to thine own Spirit, what hath this base affection to do with me? what have I to do with it? I am freed from it, I am redeemed from myself, what have I to do with myself, but deny all? I am thine altogether, therefore take thine own interest in me, possess me, fill me with thy Spirit, be all in all in me, let pride, and ambition, and such things have no footing in me. It is good pouring out the soul to God, to that purpose, to complain to Christ, when it is thus with us, because it is his office to rule us. Now Lord jesus do thine office, thy office is to be King, to rule in me, other lords would fain rule in me, pride, and lust, and base covetousness would fain rule, as the Prophet saith, but what hath other lords to do with me? thou art my Lord, and hast right to me, living and dying.  
It is a point of wondrous comfort likewise to us, in all afflictions whatsoever, especially such, as concern the state of the Church, we are now in ill times, if we look about us, however God continues better to us than we deserve, we are as the three young men in the fiery furnace, untouched, when all is in a combustion round about us, where is Christ's ruling now? his poor Church is thus used, and trampled upon in France, in the Palatinate, in Bohemia, and the Princes of Germany.  
Beloved, it is our faults, perhaps we waken not Christ, as the Disciples, they awaked Christ, when there was a mighty storm, and moved him to rebuke the winds, and the waves, and there followed a calm, so should we. Christ loves to be awaked by our prayers, and if the Church would join in forces, one Church with another, altogether they might work wonders, let us offer a holy violence to Christ by prayer, and the use of holy means; he is Lord still of the Church, and take things at the worst as they are, he is but carrying things to his own ends. Beloved, if we consider things aright, it can hardly be otherwise with the Church than it is, if we consider the former security, and dullness, and want of prising the great things of Christ, the ministry of the word, and the Sacraments, we live under the Gospel, in such deadness and such sins, as a Turk would scarce commit, we are no more affected with it, than a jew, or a Turk, that hath not the means, will Christ endure this that we should come to be careless whether we have the Gospel, the blessed truth of God, or no? and grow sinful, and have less conscience than a Turk or a jew, will Christ continue his blessed prerogatives, and privileges to such? Therefore, if we do but look to the ordinary dispositions of most men, a man would think it impossible, but that judgement should come, will there be a reformation of these men without a Spirit of fire, without some purging flame.  
Then again, Christ is humbling his Church for the advancement of it, and suffers the enemies to triumph for their further abasement, he is compassing a blessed work, there is a great wheel a going, but we do not see the issue of things, all this great wheel the Lord rules and governs and moves, you shall see at length what it will drive to, we see in a clock there are many wheels one contrary to another, but all helps the clock to strike, all join in that, so there is a stroke, there is somewhat that will come out of all these troubles, that seem contrary one to another, some up, and some down, but all these wheels, will help to bring out some stroke, some glorious thing, that posterity perhaps may see that is now a working. Therefore let none take scandal, Christ rules now in the midst of his enemies. We must not catch at pieces of Christ's workmanship, as in a poem, we judge not by a piece, but look to the Catastrophe, we look to the upshot, and closure of all though all was in a combustion, there we see all things brought to an excellent and wise issue: Therefore I beseech you suspend your judgements a while, and then you shall see with a spirit of faith, all the enemies overthrown, even as if we did see it with our eyes of sense, and in the mean time persuade ourselves, that Christ is about a blessed work, as he is King of his Church.  
One question the Papists move upon such Texts as this, that I will assoil briefly, because it may trouble some, though it be of no great moment: It is said here that Christ died, and rose again, and revived, that he might be Lord of the dead, and of the living. Hence, not only Papists, but some others, move this question, which I will give a little light unto.  
Whether Christ by his dying and abasement did merit any thing for himself? because it is said here; he did this that he might be Lord of the dead, etc.  
He abased himself to the death of the cross. Therefore, God gave him a name above all names, Phil. 2.  
The Papists they fall upon Calvin, that saith, he did not, (and that makes me the rather to touch it) Calvin, as he was a very holy man, so out of his holiness, he avoided curious questions, as much as he might, therefore gives an excellent answer, saith he, whether he did or no, it is curious to search, it is rash to define. For satisfaction, take these grounds and all is well.  
First of all, that Christ is perfectly glorious now in heaven, both body and soul, there is no question of that, and that he came to this glory, both of body and soul, and the manifestation of it, after his abasement by his humiliation, first, he must dye, and suffer, and then enter into glory.  
Again remember this for a ground that Christ as man merited not the grace of Union or unction, for how could he merit before he was? could Christ merit to be united to the second person, that was the greatest grace that ever was? No, nor the grace of unction, habitual grace in Christ whereby the humane nature was filled with all grace, it was upon unction, presently they follow one another, there was no meriting of that thing, because from the beginning of his incarnation it was by union of his nature, these things being thought upon, for other things they are not material, only it is best and safest, to think that he did not for himself merit any thing: for if so be all glory was due to him by virtue of union, which he had by grace, and by virtue of unction, if he had died presently, he might have gone to heaven presently indeed without dying if there had not been a dispensation laid upon him to dye for us, and therefore by virtue of union and unction that was free, heaven was due to him presently, and all that glory that he had afterward.  
Why was there a stop of that glory? that his body being united to the divine nature, was not presently glorified, as now it is in heaven, so that he lived in abasement, and died a most cursed death.  
Beloved all this was for us, and then after the dispensation was finished for us, after God's justice was satisfied for us, there was no more stop or stay of his glory, but then his divine nature did flow into his humane nature, and then his humane nature became glorious, so glorious as it was capable of what he did was for us, Therefore it is good to think of the love of Christ, that he considered us and not himself, in that his abasement as the Scripture runs in that strain, To us a Son is given, for us a child is borne, he died for us, he gave himself for us, he rose for us, he ascended for us, he sits at the right hand of God for us, himself indeed hath glory, but together with us, and therefore when we think of the glory of Christ, think of us in him, when we see him borne, think he was borne for me, when we see him dye, think we dye with him, when we see him buried, think ourselves buried with him; so in the state of exaltation, when we see him rise, and sit at the right hand of God, think he is there to prepare a place for me, whatsoever he hath, or whatsoever he did, he regards us in all; therefore it somewhat obscures the glory and the love of Christ to us, to conceive that he had a selfe-respect in these things, when he saith in the text, For this end Christ died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord of quick and dead, I beseech you consider whose good he respects, in this Lordship: is it not a profitable Lordship for us? is it not for our good, that he is our Lord in life and in death? & not only our Lord, but the Lord of Satan, of death, and of all our enemies, he is Lord over all saith the Apostle, God over all, blessed for ever therefore he is Lord over sin, over death, over hell, over all that we need to fear, it is for us, therefore our good is intended, though there be a redundance of glory in Christ, in all these things, yet think he respects our good, the best meditation of Christ, is to think, all is for us.  
Beloved is it not a great mercy, that he should stop the issue, and the beams of glory that should otherwise have come upon his humane nature, that he should be content to be in the shape of a servant? and be eclipsed, in regard of manifestation, and abase himself to the death of the cross, and all for our redemption, when he might have gone to glory another way? but as one of the ancients saith well, if he had gone to heaven another way, he might have come thither himself, but he could not have helped us that way, therefore he would go to heaven by way of abasement, and concealment, and stopping that of his glory, that he might help us, and pay the price to God for us, and reconcile us: I beseech you let us see his love to us in all this; enough for that question, which I would not have mentioned, but that it hath a special use and comfort, and may be an incentive, to kindle love to Christ, regarding us in his birth, and life, and death in his resurrection; in his ascension, in his glory, in all.  
To draw to a conclusion therefore, Christ is our Lord both in life and death, it is for ever, oh beloved therefore I beseech you, let us project for his glory for ever as much as we can, he is our Lord, when we are dead, he is the Lord of our souls, of our happiness, we are nearer him than, than we are now, he that is my Lord both living and dying, and for ever, shall not I labour that when I am dead there may be a Church here? that when I am dead posterity may serve him? and be subject to him, shall he for ever be Lord for my good, and shall not I as much as lieth in me, lay a foundation for ever in his service? that when I can serve him no longer myself, than posterity may serve him.  
It was a cursed wish of a Pagan Emperor, when I am dead let heaven and earth be mingled if they will: but a Christian thinks Christ is mine, and for my good both living and dying, nay I have more good by him when I am dead than alive, therefore I will labour that he may have glory in his Church by me and mine, and all my counsels, and projects shall be, that it may be for ever and ever world without end, therefore they desire that God may be served and glorified in the Church for ever, as he is their Lord living and dying.  
And let it be our comfort in the hour of death (that may be nearer us than we are aware off) that he is not only Lord of the living but of those that are dead, he hath the keys both of hell and death, that is, he hath the government of death, and therefore shall I be afraid to commit my soul to Christ? what a ground is this, comfortably to yield our souls to Christ, Lord take the soul, thatthou died'st to purchase, that thou didst rise againe-to justify, that thou dost live now in heaven to make intercession for, that thou hast given thy holy Spirit, in some measure to sanctify, take this soul to thee, it is thy soul as much and more than mine I am not mine own, nor my soul is not my own, Into thy hands I commend even thy Spirit, for thou hast redeemed me oh Lord of truth, thou hast redeemed this soul of mine, therefore now take this soul, that thou by thy Spirit hast wrought in some poor measure, to desire to please thee, that soul that thou hast sprinkled with thy own blood, take that soul, for thou art Lord both living and dying, and what a comfort is it when death shall close up our eyes, that we can look forward and see then ourselves nearer Christ, for than we go to Christ our husband, as Paul saith, I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ, which is best of all, when a Christian thinks at death: now I am changing for the better, Christ will not leave me at the hour of death, neither dying nor living, butwill watch over my dust, my dead body is a member of Christ, death may separate body and soul, but it cannot separate soul or body from him, therefore take no thought for body, or soul for my soul I know he will receive it, and my body as a good depositum is laid up in the dust, he watches over all the dust and ashes, and every thing and will make the earth faithful in giving up that depositum, he is Lord of me dying as well as living, shall I be afraid to dye, when in death I commend my soul to such a sweet Lord, and go to my husband and to my King?  
And that is the end of the Sacrament, for the Word and Sacrament are parts of the regiment of Christ, whereby he rules his Church, he rules his Church outwardly by the Word and Sacraments, and inwardly by his Spirit, his holy Spirit makes good his own good means, and therefore as the subjects of Christ, I beseech you let us come to the ordinance of Christ, he is such a Lord as doth great things by despised means, bread and wine, poor means, but consider what a mighty Lord useth them for our souls good, and it is his glory to magnify himself by base and weak means, he goes contrary to the course of the world, that stands all upon outward excellency, therefore let no man stumble at the meanness of the means, but consider what great things he works, by the foolishness of Preaching, and the meanness of his Ordinances the Sacraments, he beats down strong holds, he builds us up in Christ to Salvation, he communicates himself and all his benefits to us, therefore I beseech you come with faith, come with this persuasion Christ will bless his own Ordinance, and come with comfort, Christ communicates himself to us, the nearer we come to the fountain, the more we draw. And come with preparation, know with whom we have to deal, with him that is Lord of quick and dead, come with reverence; but these things I have oft upon this occasion stood upon: so much for this Text.  
FJNJS.