The Christians End, Sermon 2
THE SECOND SERMON.
ROM. 14. 7, 8.
None of us liveth to himself, and none of us dyeth to himself, for whether we live, we live unto the Lord, and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lords.
FIrst, the general scope of the Apostle is, to take us off from our false ends, None of us liveth to himselfe, &c.
Secondly, to assigne us to the true object, to whom wee ought to dedicate our selves: that is, to the Lord.
Thirdly, the ground of all, Whether wee live or die, we are the Lords.
And then fourthly, the spring of all; Christ both died, and rose againe, that hee might be Lord both of quick and dead.
There is a conca…enation, and knitting together of divine truths. They following one another by a necessity of cōsequence. As from the body of the Sunne, there is a naturall issue of beames. And as in plants derivation from the root into the branch, so there is from Christ into all truths. Grant him to be the second Adam, and grant him Lord of the Living, and of the Dead, and it will follow, wee ought to live to him. If we grant, we ought to live to Christ, then wee must grant, wee ought not to live to our selves. For wee ought to live to Christ. Why to Christ? because hee is Lord both of life and death. Why is he Lord? because hee hath purchased it by his bloud. How doe wee know hee hath purchased it by his death satisfactorily? because hee is risen againe, and sitteth at the right hand of God to make all good for us. Things are best to us, when they are digested and made our own, by the presence of good principles. But here is the mischief. Sin is ready, and good principles are not ingraffed into us; but if divine truths were as neere as corruption is, then wee could withstand, and repell all temptations.
As Travellers have the end of their journy in their thoughts habitually,Simile. though not actually, for every step they take is in vertue of their end. So wee should consider that we are all Travellers in the way to Heaven, and every step of our life should be to that end.
The ignorance of this maketh the life of most men, to be but a digression from the mayne. As if they were brought into the world, onelyonly to satisfie base lusts, and to seek themselves, to serve Satan and sin, the professed enemies of God, which are not onelyonly digressions, but motives to hell, and eternall destruction. VVhat a pitifull thing is it, that Creatures should come into the world and live, some twenty, some forty, some moe yeers, and go out of the world again, not knowing wherfore they lived.
Good reason it is wee should live to Christ, acknowledge him in all our ways, live answerable to our knowledge, resigne up our selves to his government, and seek his glory in all things; that wee may make Christ known in the VVorld. That all, that see us may see Christ in us, and perceive our love to him, That hath called us out of darknesse, into his marvellous light.
And also to acknowledge him to be Lord of our life, and in death to resigne our selves to him, as a faithfull Creatour; knowing that hee taketh care of us in life and death.
For we are not our own, Wee are bought with a price, as the Apostle saith.
Again, Our selves are our greatest enemies. …here is no such flatterer, as the bosome flatterer. That enemy, selfe, that we have in our bosomes betrayeth us to Satan; else all the Devils in hell could not hurt us. Self is our own enemy, and Gods enemy. Nay, enemy is too easie, too good a word; the best thing in us, is enmity it self against God.
By wofull experiment wee finde that which hath brought all the misery,Self-will breeds our misery. that the world ever felt, hath beene self-will. Men will be turned upside down, rather than their wils shalbe crossed; but doth not this provoke God? Shall a piece of earth strive against him? and will not hee break it to powder? Surely God will set us as a mark to shoot at, and will triumph and get himselfe victory and glory over those creatures, that will have their wils. Hell is fit for such, God will be sure to have his will of them: when the creature shall set his wil against Gods wil; when an earthen pot shall set it self against a mace of brasse; which will have the worst, think you?
If we live to our selves, we lie open to Satan. But on the contrary part a man that liveth to God, is fit for any gracious motions whatsoever they be. Hee is fit for God, and a blessed communion of Saints.
Man is a reasonable creature, made for God. And if you grant there is a God, you must grant that man is to doe service to that God. God is the Creditour, and man the Debtor, and of necessity there must be an obligaiion.
Now to shew the nature of this living to Christ.
First, it imports a vitall operation, an exercise, that proceeds from life. Now as naturall life springeth from union of the body with the soule, so the union of the soule with Christ bringeth into the soule true principles of an holy and spirituall life: For Christ and the soule cannot touch one another, but presently hee infuseth a living principle. All artificiall motions proceed from something without. And such are the self-seeking Christians, that do only act a part in Religion; but these tha… truly live to God and Christ, they have an inward instinct that enclines them to holinesse.
Secondly, there is intyrenesse in a Christian course, so that he liveth to none, but Christ. Life is not onelyonly taken for the space of his being in the world, but for the improving of all the furtherances of our life to Christ.Every thing is to be improved to our last end. As to bestow our selves upon him, in all the civill relations wee have in the World, by being obedient to him, and to others in him, and for him, & in whatsoever callings we are, not onelyonly in our naturall life, but also in our civill life; to go on in a constant tenour all the whole course of our lives aiming at Christ; not to set our selves in our callings to get riches, (for those shalbe cast in by the way) God alloweth us riches, but not to be our ends) but that wee may serve him and honour him. There is no time to sinne, but a time for every thing else.
Thirdly, In our living to Christ there must be evennesse and uniformity, wee must not live to Christ for a fit, but constantly not to doe, now and then a good action, but to make it our course, our trade to live to Christ intirely, constantly, uniformly.
Fourthly, and then living to the Lord implye…h, The whole life of a Christian is to Christ.that all Christians counsel and advice is how to live to Christ. Heaven is alwayes before him, because his way is to God, and to Christ. Other men will rage, and swel, though the know wel enough, they are out of the way, when they be put in minde of it. But a gracious man is glad to have any Scripture opened that may give him more light either by a discovery of a sin or duty, because hee now knoweth an enemy and friend, which before hee knew not▪ and hath learned a duty which before hee was ignorant of, for it is his scope and endevour to set himself in the way of living to Christ.
Firftly, Hee that liveth to Christ, hath likewise this quality. He is not carried on his course by false windes, hee doth not sail by a false cōpasse. Though the world incourageth or discourageth him,Hee regards not the incouragement or discouragement of the world. all is one, hee regardeth it not; his care is wholy taken up in the service of his God. And with Ioshuah, think the world what it wil, He and his house will serve the Lord, and with holy David will resolve to be yet more vile for Gods glory. And though hee getteth disgrace in the world, he regardeth it not, but is willing to suffer it, so that his God may be honoured, knowing, he shall not be a looser by the bargaine.
Other men if so be they are disgraced, they are so shallow in Religion, that they are quickly taken off, because the truth hath no root in them, like the bad and naughty ground: and not only so, but they will speake contrary to the truth in their consciences; b…t, alas, one day they shall know, that God accounteth them as his enemies:
Sixtly, again, a true Christian will live to the Church of Christ,A true Christian liveth to the Church of the Christ. for we are members of Christ, we ought to labour for the advancement of the truth of his Religion, duplicate page duplicate page the Kingdome of Christ, and to be of the same spirit with good Nehemiah, that all may be well with us, when the Church of God prospereth, and groweth up in the world, getting victory over all her enemies.
Now carnall men live not at all to Christ,Carnall men live not at all to Christ. they care not whether Religion sinketh or swimmeth. Tel them of heavenly matters, tush, they are not for them, but God doth hate such persons, for as they regard not to serve God, or to owne Christ in their lives: so hee wil not owne them at their deaths. As in prosperity they are not on his side, neither wil owne his part, (which one day wil prove the best) so in times of trouble, they cannot expect or looke for any favour, or mercy from him.
And to adde one thing more,Christs glory and our salvation is joyned together. though it must be our chief aime to looke to Christ, yet God allows us to look also to our own salvation, how to be saved, and happy in another world God hath joined these two together, as one chief end and good. The one, that he might be glorified, the other that wee might be happy, and both these are attained by honouring and serving him. And this is no self-love, for wee cannot seek our salvation, but in honouring God, and yielding the means that he hath sanctified for us, which is to cast our selves on him for our salvation in his way. Thus our happinesse and Gods chiefe end agree together.Simile. As when there be two lines a…bout a Centre, one drawne within the other, a third Line cannot be drawne from the utmost Line to the Centre without cutting the Line within; because it is included within the other. So our salvation and happines is within the glory of God, and we live to Christ, not onelyonly in serving him, but in seeking our owne soules; and what a sweetnesse is this in God, that in seeking our own good, wee should glorifie him?
This likewise teacheth us to live to Christ in a way of humility and self-deniall. God will not deny to teach the humble and lowly soule his ways. And thus a gracious man is fit for all the counsel… of God,They finde themselves with joy, that lose themselves in God. as a carnal heart is fit for al the services of the Devil. Therfore le…us dedicate our selves & services to God, for happy are they that can lose themselves in God, and be swallowed up in the love of Christ. Certainly, there is never better finding of our selves, then when wee are thus lost. And therfore I beseech you, whatsoever our corruptions have been heretofore; let us now know it is heavenly wisdome to seeke Christs glory in the use of the blessed means fanctified for that end.
Surely, we have all been baptized, and what is our baptisme, but the renouncing of the world, the flesh and the Devit. Our life is for nothing, but to live unto God. And having entred into covenant in Baptisme, in the name of the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost, that wee intend seriously to lead a new life. Wee must not trifle with God, he wil not be dallied with. It is not onelyonly sufficient that we have spent our precious time amisse, but more then sufficient: For time wil come, if we belong to Christ, in which wee shal lament for spending our time in the pursuite of our owne vanities.
For if wee live according to our owne lusts, we are but Rebels under Gods livery. Wee are but traitors fighting under his Banner. And how can wee give account at the day of judgment of our lives, that have been nothing else but a constant service for Christs enemies under the colour of Religion. This would seriously be thought upon.
Therfore, as wee know a great deale, and are beholding to God for living in times, and places where there is abundance of the truth revealed, so wee ought to make it our life and course to honour him, to be vigorous in his service, and to stirre up the grace of God in us, to awaken our selves, and to live to Christ, and to put this quaere to our soules; whom doe I serve? my self? or Christ? him? or his enemies?
Out of the Text you may see that a Christian will learne how to carry himselfe, A Christian learneth how to carry himselfe not onelyonly to himselfe, but to Christ.not onelyonly to himselfe but to Christ. His carriage to himselfe is to live as a Christian exercised in his duty and calling. His carriage to Christ is, to live to him, and die to him. And for this end he taketh this course, to search out himselfe, what is unsound, and corrupt in him; and when hee hath found himself, then he abhorreth himselfe, and judgeth himselfe. And having found out corruption in his heart, he not onelyonly loatheth it, but crucifieth it, and this is the course that a Christian taketh with himself, in the searching and …iscovery of his sins.
And this being done, hee setteth up Christ in the place of selfe, (which ruleth in all men, till they be Christians indeed, eyther by way of admission, or covenant.) But when Grace hath once taken place in the heart, then the soule begins to live to Christ; and that conscionably, intyrely, and uniformly; consulting with all things how to helpe, and further that life. Other men consult how they may keepe their honours and reputations in the VVorld. But a Christian having other aymes, deviseth not onelyonly ways to live to Christ, but how to be better, more and more, how to get into Christ, and how to grow up in him; knowing that by living to Christ here, he shall live with him for ever hereafter. This is the course of a true Christian, that looketh to have benefit by Christ.