Saint Pauls Triumph, Collection · Sermon 4
THE FOVRTH SERMON,
VponUpon ROMANS … the two laſt Verſes.
For I am perſwaded, (or I am ſure,) that neither Death, nor life, nor Angels, &c.
AS the Lord hath beene pleaſed to enable vsus, we hauehave entred into the handling of theſe verſes: and ſhewed the dependance of them with the former, and the meaning of the ſeuerall tearmes of words that the Apoſtle declares himſelfe vponupon: then I laide you downe ſeauen heads, whereunto the whole force of the Apoſtles ſpeech might be reduced; the firſt was implyed, and that was, that there is a Communion betwixt God, & all true beleeuers. Secondly, the Apoſtle ſhewes the Bond of this Communion, & that is the louelove of God. Thirdly, he ſhewes the ground of this Communion, and of the bond of it, and that is Ieſus Chriſt. Fourthly, the Apoſtle declares the neere intereſt that the faithfull hauehave to Chriſt, by a note of ſpeciall reference, our Lord. And this is the point we are now come vntounto, and if God ſhew vsus ſtrength in weakeneſſe, it ſhall be our meditation at this time.
Chriſt Ieſus our Lord: The Doctrine hence is this:Doctrine.
That there is a very neere and ſpeciall reference betwixt Chriſt Ieſus and all the faithfull; whereby hee is interreſſed in them, & they in him; He is our Lord, ſaith the Apoſtle, and conſequently, wee are his ſubiects and ſeruants, for this is a terme of mutuall relation, intending his right in vsus, and ours in him; his ſuperiority ouer vsus, and our ſubiection vntounto him; hee is our Lord, and we are his ſubiects and ſeruants. According to our manner, we will ſpeake ſomewhat of this by way of Explication:Explication. And therein wee are to conſider of two things: Firſt, of the Title, Lord. Secondly, how it doth ſute with the preſent purpoſe of the Apoſtle. Firſt of the Title, Our Lord, or the Lord of the faithfull, or the Lord ouer his Church: Chriſt is our Lord: A Lord, is a name both of honour, and alſo of authority, and power; therefore when the Apoſtle ſaith, Chriſt Ieſus our Lord, we muſt vnderſtand that he is the owner, and alſo the guider and ruler of the faithfull, hee gouernes vsus by his lawes, and guides vsus by his Spirit, and keepes vsus in his protection, and imployes vsus in his ſeruice: The Lordſhip of Ieſus Chriſt ouer the Church, or ouer the faithfull, is to be conceiued vnderunder theſe termes; Firſt, that he is our ſpeciall Lord; ſecondly, that he is our ſpirituall Lord: thirdly, that he is our ſauing Lord; and fourthly, that he is our abſolute and onelyonly Lord. Firſt, Chriſt is our ſpeciall Lord; God the Father, and God the holy Ghoſt, as well as God the Sonne is our Lord; and yet there is but one Lord, as there is but one God, but this is in a generall ſence: But Chriſt is our Lord, not onelyonly in reſpect of the Godhead, as the other perſons are, but in a ſpeciall manner, as hee is our Mediator, Acts 2.36. God hath made him both Lord and Chriſt: that is, God hath put this office and honour vponupon him, God hath appointed him to be our Lord in a ſpecial manner, as he is our Mediator. Secondly, he is our ſpirituall Lord; he is not the Lord of our bodies onelyonly, but of our ſoules and our conſciences, and this Lordſhip which he hath ouer vsus, he exerciſeth not in any worldly ſtate or outward pompe, but in a ſpirituall ſtate, as a heauenly Lord, Iohn 18.36. My Kingdome is not of this world; as who ſhould ſay, I am a King, but not an earthly King; a Lord, but not a worldly Lord; but I am a ſpirituall King, and a heauenly Lord. Thirdly hee is our ſauing Lord, he is the Lord of the whole world; of the wicked, as well as of the faithfull in a generall ſence: but to them he is a deſtroying Lord, to vsus hee is a ſauing Lord, 2 Pet. 2.18. Laſt, and grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt; Chriſt is ſo our Lord, as he is alſo our Sauiour; and that not onelyonly with a temporall ſaluation, to ſaue vsus temporally, for ſo, as the Prophet ſpeakes, hee ſaues both man and beaſt; but as our eternall Sauiour, to giuegive vsus euerlaſting ſaluation both in grace and glory. Fourthly, he is our abſolute and onelyonly Lord, ruling vsus meerely by his owne will, freeing vsus from all forraigne powers and authority whatſoeuer: If any creature hauehave any Lordſhip or authority ouer vsus, as Kings, Princes, Magiſtrates, Parents, and Miniſters hauehave, it is as ſubordinate to our Lord Ieſus Chriſt; And whatſoeuer they doe to vsus, they muſt doe it as vnderunder him; and whatſoeuer we do to them, we muſt doe it as vntounto Chriſt, Col. 3.23.24. Whatſoeuer ye doe, doe it heartily, as vntounto the Lord, and not men, knowing that of the Lord ye ſhall receiue the reward, for yee ſerue the Lord Chriſt: It is in him, and by him that they rule ouer vsus, and it is in him, and for him, that we doe ſeruice to them, for ſo is the rule in that place.
The ſecond point for Explication is, how this Title ſutes here with the preſent purpoſe of the Apoſtle: Surely it ſutes very fitly with it, for it is a point very materiall to the cauſe in hand, that is, to proue the ſtability of the faithfull in the ſtate of grace: For ſome happily might obiect and ſay; What if the louelove of God be ſet vponupon vsus in Chriſt, how come wee to fare the better for it? Yes, ſaith the Apoſtle, the ſame Chriſt in whom God loues vsus, is himſelfe our Lord, and we are his ſeruants, & therfore his care & reſpect for vsus is ſuch, that looke whatſoeuer louelove God doth intend and beare to vsus in him, himſelfe being our Lord, will faithfully mannage the ſame at all times, for our beſt ſafety and greateſt good: The Apoſtle had named mighty aduerſaries, as Death, Life, Angels, &c. and for our better encouragement againſt them all hee ſets out our Captaine and deliuerer in a high and glorious title: He is a Lord, and therefore farre aboue all our enemies; he is our Lord, and therefore can and will deliuer vsus from them all.
Proofes.We come to the proofes: There is nothing more frequent in the new Teſtament then this, that Ieſus Chriſt is called our Lord; and no maruell, for this is the very ſumme of the Goſpel, the Apoſtle makes it to be ſo, Rom. 1.1.3. Paul an Apoſtle of Ieſus Chriſt, called to be an Apoſtle, put a part to preach the Goſpel of God: Concerning his Sonne Ieſus Chriſt our Lord. I will onelyonly ſerue my ſelfe vponupon ſuch places of Scripture where Chriſt is called our Lord in ſome ſpeciall ſignificancy, that is, with ſome ſpeciall reference to ſome notable worke, whereby he hath ſhewed himſelfe to be our Lord. 1 Cor. 8.6. VntoUnto vsus there is but one God, euen that Father, of whom are all things, and we in him, and one Lord Ieſus Chriſt, by whom are all things, and we by him: Hee had ſhewed before, that there are many Gods, and many Lords, to others; but to vsus, that is to the faithful, there is but one God & Father, & one Lord Ieſus Chriſt. Mark how ſignificantly the Apoſtle applies this Title, Lord, to Ieſus Chriſt, in reſpect of the Soueraigne Lordly power he hath ouer all things, eſpecially ouer the faithfull. Chriſt Ieſus hath ſupreame authoritie ouer all things; all things are by him, and we by him; and therefore he is our Lord, and our onelyonly Lord, we hauehave but one Lord. Rom. 7.25. I thanke God, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord. The Apoſtle had complained before of the bitter combate which he felt within himſelfe, betwixt the fleſh and the ſpirit; and finding himſelfe ouer-matched with the luſts of the fleſh, in the 24. verſe, hee cryes out for helpe, Oh wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliuer mee! and preſently he thinkes vponupon Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, and vponupon him he ſets downe his reſt, I thanke God through, Ieſus Chriſt our Lord: as if he ſhould ſay, it is Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, that hath appointed me to this combate; It is Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, that giues me ſtrength in the combate; and it is Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, that in due time will deliuer me, and giuegive me victory in this combate; though I be ouermatched with theſe enemies, yet he will ouermatch them. Who ſhould a man flie to in his diſtreſſe, but to his Lord? So the Apoſtle here, flyes to Chriſt Ieſus, as to his Lord, 1 Cor. 15.57. Thanks be vntounto God, who hath giuegive vsus victory through our Lord Ieſus Chriſt; The Apoſtle ſpeakes there of Chriſt and of his Reſurrection from the dead, whereby he hath ouercome death, not for himſelfe onelyonly, but for the faithfull, and in that reſpect he calls him our Lord: For wherein did euer Chriſt Ieſus ſhew himſelfe more plainely to be the Lord, then by his Reſurrection? And wherein may he Lord it more, then in giuing his ſubiects and ſeruants victory ouer Death and Hell, and all their enemies? To proceed yet a little further in the proofe of this point, according to this generall proportion of Chriſt being our Lord, that is, the Lord of all the faithfull; wee ſhall finde that particular beleeuers hauehave laide particular claime to Chriſt, eueryevery one of them as to his Lord, Luke 1.43. And whence commeth it that the mother of my Lord ſhould come vntounto me? A ſtrong faith in a weake woman, to confeſſe Chriſt Ieſus to be her Lord, euen whileſt he was in his mothers wombe; My Lord, that came downe from heauen for me; My Lord, that tooke fleſh of the bleſſed Virgine, my neere and deare Kinſwoman, euen for my ſake, to redeeme mee. Iohn 20.13. They hauehave taken away my Lord, &c. She ſpeakes it as a woman weeping and mourning, but not out of a womaniſh paſſion, but out of a ſpirituall and heauenly affection: My Lord, that hath forgiuen mee ſo many ſinnes; My Lord, that hath caſt out ſeauen Diuels out of me: My Lord, that hath ſtood it out manfully on the Croſſe, againſt all the powers of darkneſſe, for the redemption of my poore ſinfull ſoule: Oh, they hauehave taken him away, and I know not where they hauehave laid him? If I could tell where they hauehave laid him, I would ſurely goe to him; I would goe through thicke and thinne, that I might enioy my Lord, but alaſſe, they hauehave taken away my Lord. Iohn 20.28. My Lord and my God; It is the ſpeech of Thomas, he ſaw in our Sauiours hands the print of the nailes, whereby he was faſtened on the Croſſe, and in his ſide he ſaw the wound of the Souldiers Speare, and vponupon ſight thereof, he cryes out, my Lord and my God, as who ſhould ſay, Oh my Lord, theſe wounds thou haſt receiued for my ſinnes and trangreſſions; Oh my Lord, &c.
The Reaſons: Firſt, Chriſt is our Lord, becauſe Reaſon 1 he made vsus: EueryEvery free agent is Lord and Maſter of the worke of his owne hands: He made vsus, therefore he is our Lord. Col. 1.16. By him all things were made; Yea, but ſo he is the Lord of the wicked, hee made them too; yea, but he is our ſpeciall Lord, hee made vsus not onelyonly to be Creatures, which is common to the wicked; but to be new Creatures, which is peculiar to the faithfull onelyonly. 2 Cor. 5.17. If any man be in Chriſt, let him be a new Creature. Hee transformes and new moulds vsus, and makes vsus new Creatures if we beleeue in him: Our Lord Chriſt, as he makes vsus Creatures, ſo he makes vsus new Creatures; Chriſt Ieſus hath made vsus both Creatures and new Creatures too, and therefore he muſt needes be our abſolute and ſpeciall Lord.
Secondly, he is our Lord, becauſe we were giuen Reaſon 2 to him of God. Iohn 17.6. Thine they were, and thou haſt giuen them me. God hath giuen vsus to his Sonne Chriſt, and therefore wee are his in the beſt and ſureſt right that may be. What better right can we hauehave, then to that which is giuen to vsus freely? And marke in what termes God hath giuen vsus to Chriſt, and by what right we are Chriſts; Thine they were, and thou haſt giuen them mee: In the ſame propinquity that we were Gods, in the ſame propinquity we were giuen vntounto Chriſt; but we were Gods as he is our Lord, and therefore we are Chriſts ſo too: And marke further here, how hee ſhewes himſelfe to be their Lord, and they to be his ſeruants, I hauehave declared thy word to them: that is, I as their Lord hauehave ſet them their taske, what they muſt doe, that they may be ſaued; And they hauehave kept thy Word, ſaith our Sauiour, that is, as good and faithfull ſeruants to their Lord they hauehave followed my direction.
Reaſon 3 Thirdly, he is our Lord, becauſe he hath deliuered vsus from all our enemies, Sinne, Sathan, &c. Luke 1.71. A temporall deliuerer from a temporall bondage, deſerues iuſtly to be Lord ouer thoſe whom he doth deliuer; and this the Law and light of Nature taught among the Heathen; for looke who it was deliuered another from any bondage; his Lord hee was: Our Lord Ieſus Chriſt deliuered vsus from the ſpirituall and eternall bondage and ſlauery of Sinne, Sathan, Curſe, Death, Hell, and Eternall damnation; And therefore he muſt needes bee our Lord much more. And this Reaſon may be yet further confirmed, if we conſider the intendment of Chriſt in our deliuerance, and that was, that we his ſeruants, might ſerue him all the dayes of our life, Luk. 1.74.
Fourthly, he is our Lord, becauſe he hath bought Reaſon 4 vsus, 2 Pet. 2.1. Denying the Lord that he hath bought them. Naturall reaſon teacheth vsus this: Shall not a man be Lord of that he hath bought, and truely and dearely paide for? But Chriſt hath bought vsus and paide dearely for vsus, not ſiluer and gold, but his owne pretious bloud; therefore he hath moſt ſoueraigne right ouer vsus, as our Lord, and we are moſt ſtrictly bound to him as his ſeruants: It is the Apoſtles reaſon in the 1 Cor. 6.2…. Yee are bought with a price, therefore glorifie God in your bodies, and in you ſpirits, for they are Gods.
This Doctrine is full of Vſe, the firſt Vſe is, concerning Chriſt himſelfe▪ the ſecond is, concerning vnbeleeuers; and the third is, concerning the faithfull.
The firſt Vſe is concerning Chriſt himſelfe, He is Vſe 1 our Lord: This is an euident proofe of his Godhead, he is our Lord, and therefore our God: Chriſt is ſometime called the Lord, and that intends his Soueraigne power and authority ouer all things; ſometime our Lord, and this intends his Soueraigne power and ſupreame authoritie ouer the Church, eueryevery way the name Lord proues him to be God: For to hauehave Soueraigne power, and ſupreame authority ouer all things, or ouer the Church, cannot be giuen to any but to God: Remember the termes before mentioned, vnderunder which wee are to conceiue Chriſt to be our Lord, and eueryevery one of them will neceſſarily conclude that Chriſt our Lord is Chriſt our God: Firſt, hee is our ſpeciall Lord, as hee is our Mediator, and he muſt be God as well as man, that he may be Mediator betwixt God and man. Againe, hee is our ſpirituall Lord, he is Lord ouer our ſoules and conſciences, and a conſcience well rectified acknowledgeth none ouer it but God. Againe, he is our ſauing Lord, and none can challenge this but God himſelfe: Saluation belongs to God alone. Laſtly, hee is our abſolute Lord, to be obeyed without queſtioning, without controule, and without reſiſting, in all things whatſoeuer he commands: and this none can challenge but God onelyonly. I hope there is none here preſent, that will either deny or doubt of Chriſts Godhead: but there are many of vsus that in prayer and conference name Chriſt our Lord, but yet neuer thinke of his Godhead, which is the life of his Lordſhip, both in himſelfe, and vntounto vsus: Chriſt Lord, without Chriſt God, is no Lord at all.
Vſe 2 The ſecond Vſe is concerning the wicked and vngodly vnbeleeuers. If Chriſt be our Lord, that is, the Lord of the faithfull, and of his Church; then the wicked and vnbeleeuers hauehave nothing to doe with him, that is, as a ſauing Lord: What a deſperate, wretchleſſe, and wofull caſe are they in? Ieſus Chriſt is none of their Lord to ſaue them, nor they are none of his ſeruants, they yeeld him no homage nor obedience, and therefore can expect no comfort nor ſaluation from him: Conſider both their life and their death: In their life they goe vp and downe doing their owne wils, and not Chriſts will, neither are they ruled by his Lawes, but like Lordleſſe and Maſterleſſe men, they goe about, ſaying, What Lord ſhall controule vsus? If they doe ſerue, or be ruled by any Lord at all, it is the Diuell, his word is their Law, they are ruled by his will, and are at his becke: Let him bid a wicked man ſweare, or lye, or prophane the Sabboth, be drunke, ſteale, &c. ſtraight way he will doe it, he is led by the Diuell, at his will, as the Apoſtle ſaith: Oh, that the faithfull would and could performe ſuch true ſeruice to their Lord Ieſus Chriſt, as theſe doe to their Lord the Diuell! It is a foule ſhame to vsus that wee yeeld not ſuch true ſeruice to Chriſt, as they doe to their Lord the Diuell; and it is a foule ſhame in them, that they yeeld ſuch true ſeruice to the Diuell. So at their death, when they are on their death-beds, doe they pray? no, ſaith Iob, the wicked pray not at all times; No, they curſe, and rage, and diſpaire, or at the beſt they are like to Naball, their hearts are dead as a ſtone within them, there is no ſpirituall life nor comfort in them; they hauehave neuer a Lord in heauen to commit their ſoules vntounto, but the Lord whom they ſerued in their life, the Diuell ſtands by them ready at their death to carry away their ſoules to hell, when they part from their bodies, as he did the rich mans, and then this curſed Lord and Maſter that ſet them on worke, and to whom they hauehave done ſuch true ſeruice here, ſhall truely pay them their full wages in euerlaſting torments: They hauehave ſinned with the Diuell and his Angels here, and therefore it is iuſt with God to giuegive them their part and portion, and to damne them with the Diuell and his Angels for euer: And then this our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, whom they neglected and oppoſed in their life, and would not acknowledge to be their Lord, hee ſhall ſhew himſelfe to be a mighty Lord againſt them, and then hee ſhall exerciſe his Lordly power and authority ouer them in wrath and vengeance, to their eternall condemnation. And then the very thought of the Lord Ieſus ſhall be as terrible to them, as the torment they endure, to thinke that Chriſt ſhould come downe from heauen to ſaue them, and that they ſhould be ſuch wretches, to ſerue the Diuell rather then him.
Vſe 3 The third Vſe is for the faithfull; this toucheth them in many reſpects. Firſt, here is the honour of the faithfull, in that they ſerue this great Lord; Chriſt Ieſus is their Lord, and they his Seruants: When ſundry Ambaſſadors meete together from ſundry places, in a ſtrange Country, he that ſerues the greateſt Prince amongſt them, hath the precedency of place and honour before the reſt, becauſe hee ſerues the greateſt Lord: We all liue here as Seruants to Kings, or Nobles, or Magiſtrates, or Maſters; but the faithfull, howſoeuer they ſerue other Lords, yet their ſpirituall Lord, is the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and by how much he is greater then other Lords, ſo much the more is their honour aboue all other Seruants whatſoeuer: It was that which the Apoſtle Paul and other of the Apoſtles boaſted of, and ſo much comforted themſelues in, as we may ſee in their Epiſtles, that they were Seruants to this Lord: Paul a Seruant of Ieſus Chriſt: Iames the Seruant of Ieſus Chriſt, and ſo others. A man when hee ſends an Epiſtle, graceth himſelfe with the greateſt title he can; the Apoſtles grace themſelues in their Epiſtles with this Title, the Seruants of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, as the greateſt title they can hauehave; Nay, the very Angels in heauen take delight and comfort in it, Reuel. 22.9. I am thy fellow ſeruant, (ſaith the Angell to Iohn) the ſeruant of the Lord Chriſt as well as thou. Some thinke it a ſhame to be counted Chriſts Seruants; What? ſhall we be aſhamed of that which is our greateſt glory and honour with God? God forbid: In trouble, and in perſecution, let vsus acknowledge him to be our Lord, that will giuegive vsus full content both in grace and glory. Let carnall and prophane worldlings reproach vsus (as in theſe dayes it is too common) that wee are too preciſe, and that we are zealous for the Lord of hoſts, that we make conſcience of our wayes, and that we keepe our ſelues from the corruptions of the times, and that we will not runne with them into exceſſe of riot, this is the ſcandall of the Croſſe in theſe times, that the faithfull will not company and ſymbolize with the wicked in their ſinnes: no, we will not ſerue your ſinnes, wee ſerue the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and if you reproach vsus for it, we will weare that reproach as our Crowne: The glory of the wicked is their ſhame; but the ſhame that the wicked lay vponupon vsus, is our greateſt glory; though this be a ſhame with men, yet it is honour with Chriſt, hee will take knowledge of vsus as his Seruants.
Secondly, this is matter of comfort to Gods Children; and they ſtand in great neede of comfort in theſe vncomfortable times; why this, that Chriſt is our Lord, if we be ſure of that, it will ſupport and cheere vp our hearts in all our diſtreſſes, againſt deſertions of men, when men, when friends, yea, when our Parents forſake vsus, our Lord Chriſt wil neuer forſake vsus, Pſal. 27.10. Though my Father and Mother ſhould forſake me, yet the Lord would gather me vp. It comforts vsus againſt all oppoſitions of men; they are many, great, and ſtrong, they rage, and plot, and they band themſelues together againſt the Lord, and againſt his Chriſt, but yet here is our comfort, hee that dwelleth in heauen ſhall laugh, our Lord ſhall hauehave them in deriſion. Pſal. 2.2.4. So it may comfort vsus againſt all our wants, Chriſt is our Lord, and therefore wee ſhall want nothing, Pſal. 28.1. The Lord is my Shepheard, I ſhall not want. Againe, it may comfort vsus againſt weakeneſſe and infirmities, Chriſt is our Lord, and his grace is all-ſufficient for vsus, as the Apoſtle ſaith, 2 Cor. 1.9. Againe, it may comfort vsus againſt all dangers preſent, imminent, and future. Chriſt is our Lord, therefore we will not feare, The Lord of hoſts is with vsus, the God of Iacob is our refuge, Pſal. 46.1.2.3. So it may comfort vsus againſt all Sathans temptations, the fierceſt, greateſt, and fearefulleſt that Sathan can aſſault vsus withall. Chriſt is our Lord and Maſter, and can a Lord or Maſter ſee a faithfull Seruant of his wronged and oppreſſed by his enemy, and not ſtretch forth his hand to helpe and reſcue him? If men will, yet our Lord Chriſt will not, nor cannot, but the more fiercely wee are aſſaulted by our enemies, the more ready will hee be to helpe vsus. Therefore in the depth of temptation retire thy ſelfe to this ſure Hold, to Chriſt, as to thy Lord, and ſay vntounto him, Oh my Lord, ſeeſt thou how I am oppreſſed with thy enemy and my enemy? Wilt thou ſee me trodden vnderunder feete? Vp Lord I pray thee, fight for me, ſuffer not my ſoule to be a prey to ſuch a curſed enemy. And ſurely if thou doeſt thus, the Lord will be very ready to heare thee; & the God of peace will tread Satan vnderunder thy feet ſhortly. Laſtly, it may comfort vsus againſt death it ſelfe: whoſoeuer thou art that haſt ſerued the Lord Chriſt in truth in thy life, thou maiſt boldly put thy ſelfe vponupon him, as thy Lord at thy death; hee whom thou haſt ſerued all thy life, will ſurely comfort thee at thy death, and in death, and after death: therefore be not diſcouraged at death, it is terrible and fearefull to Nature, but let vsus arme our ſelues for it before hand: let vsus before hand goe to Chriſt, and let him be our Lord, and then we may ſay to our ſoules at our death; Oh my ſoule, thou haſt ſerued the Lord Ieſus Chriſt thus many yeares, be not now afraid to goe to thy Lord and maſter home to his owne houſe: and we may turne to the Lord and ſay, Oh my Lord, thou haſt beene my protector many yeares, now Lord helpe me, for now I ſtand in more neede of thy helpe then euer I did before: Lord receiue my ſoule now into thy mercifull hands; and if thou doeſt thus, aſſure thy ſelfe thou ſhalt not be more ready to commend thy ſoule to him, then he will be ready to receiue it into his hands.
The third Vſe is for matter of dutie, teaching vsus Vſe 3 that ſeeing Chriſt is our Lord, we muſt cary our ſelues to him, as to our Lord, in all dutie, as good and faithfull ſeruants; he that doth ſo, is the right ſeruant of Ieſus Chriſt, the true and ſound Chriſtian. The duties we are to performe to him are many, we will reduce them to theſe two heads: Doing, and Suffering. In both theſe we muſt conforme our ſelues to Chriſt as to our Lord. In doing; Firſt, if Chriſt bee our Lord, we muſt beleeue in him, truſt in him, and reſt vponupon him. Iſa. 26.4. Truſt in the Lord for euer, for in the Lord God is ſtrength for euermore: and therfore let vsus be confident in him, & rowle our ſelues vponupon him, and know whom it is that wee hauehave truſted and hazzarded our ſoule▪ vponupon him. Let vsus truſt in the Lord, when we ſee nothing in the world but deſolation; he is a Lord, and therefore can doe for vsus what he will; and he is our Lord, and therefore he will doe for vsus what he can: And if he can do for vsus what he will, by his abſolute power, and will doe for vsus what he can of his meere grace and goodneſſe, why ſhould wee not beleeue in him, and reſt vponupon him both in life and death?
Secondly, if he be our Lord, then wee muſt reuerence him as our Lord. Mal. 1.6. If I be a Lord, where is my feare. Pſal. 2.11.12. Serue the Lord in feare, and reioyce in him with trembling. Kiſſe the Sonne, &c. Let vsus therefore reuerence him in his Nature, Perſon, Word, Ordinances, in our hearts, liues, and all our courſes: Let this feare be alwayes before our eyes, that wee may neuer ſinne againſt him. It is a fault to be taxed in many Chriſtians, that they come to the Word, and to the Sacraments, with little reuerence to God, none at all to man: God will be honoured with an orderly zeale.
Thirdly, if Chriſt be our Lord, then wee muſt louelove him as our Lord. Deut. 6.5. Thou ſhalt louelove the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoule. Our louelove muſt be ſuch to him, as his louelove was to vsus, that is, not colde or little, but maruellous great; ſo that he ſhed his bloud for vsus. Hath our Lord loued vsus thus dearely, to lay downe his life for vsus, then let vsus louelove him as dearely, let vsus lay downe our liues, if we be called to it, for him.
Fourthly, if Chriſt be our Lord, we muſt imitate him, Iohn 13.13.14. Yee call me Lord and Maſter, and yee ſay well, for ſo I am; if I then your Lord and maſter hauehave waſhed your feete, yee ought alſo to waſh one anothers feete: and verſe 15. For I hauehave giuen you an enſample, &c. Thus we ſhould imitate Chriſt in louelove and humilitie, and other graces: wee are much wanting in theſe Duties now in theſe dayes, but if Chriſt be our Lord, wee muſt ſhew our louelove and humility as Chriſt did, thinke ſcorne of nothing that is to be done for the Children of God: EueryEvery ſeruant will follow his Lord, if it be but in an ill faſhion; then let vsus imitate Chriſt in his graces, and conforme our ſelues to his faſhions.
Fiftly, if Chriſt be our Lord, wee muſt ſerue and obey him as our Lord, wee muſt doe what hee commands, and nothing elſe, and we muſt doe it, as hee commands it to be done, and we muſt leaue vndone that he forbids: We muſt not be ſeruants to men, (wee muſt ſerue other Lords as vnderunder our Lord Chriſt, and in his name) much leſſe muſt wee ſerue our owne luſts, or the world. Chriſt is our Lord, and wee will ſerue him, and not the world, nor our owne ſinfull luſts.
Secondly, in our ſufferings we muſt conforme our ſelues to Chriſt: Let vsus know for certaine that wee muſt looke for affliction. The ſeruant is not aboue his maſter, Matth. 10.24. It is the niceneſſe of many Chriſtians, that their finger muſt not ake, they muſt not endure one temptation, they would fain flie from afflictions, but we muſt looke for them: Did Chriſt goe from the Croſſe to heauen, and ſhall not wee goe the ſame way? we muſt take vp our Croſſe and follow him. Secondly, as we muſt looke for them, ſo we muſt carry our ſelues with patience as he did in them, who when he was reuiled, reuiled not againe, when he ſuffered, he threatned not, &c. 1 Pet. 2.23. Leauing vsus an example (ſaith the Apoſtle) that wee ſhould follow his ſteps, verſe 21. And therefore let vsus labour to be patient in the leaſt affliction, for hee is thy Lord that puts thee to it. And let them be our owne afflictions, and then we ſhall the better beare greater afflictions, & Chriſts afflictions. Chriſt ware a Crowne of thornes, and was ſtroke vponupon that Crowne, to adde affliction to his afflictions; ſo we muſt looke for many thornes, many afflictions, and for affliction to be added to affliction: But yet be of good cheere, Chriſt will recompence all with a Crowne of Glory. Let vsus apply this to the Sacrament: We come heere to the Lords Table, this is a great honour to vsus, therefore let vsus be thankefull for it: Secondly, let it comfort vsus, that if we come in repentance, we ſhall hauehave our comfort ſealed vp vntounto vsus, to our hands, to our mouthes, and to our hearts. Againe, we profeſſe Chriſt to be our Lord, then let vsus examine whether we feare him, louelove him, and obey him as our Lord. Alaſſe, wee muſt all confeſſe we come ſhort in theſe duties; let vsus acknowledge this vntounto him, and let vsus ſay, Lord though we deſerue not to be thy ſeruants, yet thou art our Lord, and let vsus come with more faith and feare, and louelove, and with more reſolution, to obey him better then euer we hauehave done. If this Sacrament Seale vntounto vsus that Chriſt is our Lord; it muſt alſo ſeale vntounto vsus that we are his ſeruants, and then we muſt not honor him for an houre, while we are here, but all our life time. If thou be the ſeruant of Chriſt, he is thy Lord, but if thou ſerue the world, or thy belly, or thy pleaſure, or any thing elſe, and not the Lord Ieſus in the truth of thine heart, then he is none of thy Lord, nor thou art none of his ſeruant. And therefore when thou ſhalt come and knocke, & ſay, Lord, Lord, open vntounto me, he will anſwere thee, away from me, thou art none of my ſeruant: therefore let vsus ſubiect our ſelues vntounto him, in all obedience, both in doing, and ſuffering, as vntounto our Lord, and ſo he will recompence vsus with grace here, and with glory hereafter.
FINIS.