Christs Exaltation Purchased by Humiliation, Sermon
CHRISTS EXALTATION PVRCHAST BY HV MILIATION.
ROM. 14. 9.
For, for this end Christ both dyed, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
THe dependance of these words upon the former I take to be this; the scope of the Apostle in this Chapter, is to stay the ridged censures of other, concerning weaker Christians, especially about matters of indifferency, or at the least of a lesse nature, In the 6. verse, saith he, He that regards not a day, regards it not to the Lord, he that eates, eates to the Lord, and he that eates not to the Lord; he eates not, and gives God thankes, &c. His reason is this, they that in eating or in not eating, doe it with a religious respect to the Lord: if they eate, it is to the Lord, if they eate not, it is to the Lord, that is, in obedience to the Lord, they are to be borne withall, because they doe it with religious respects, though perhaps there may be a little errour in the matter, yet there be some things of such indifferencie that they not give denomination to the action, if it be to the Lord, howsoever the action bee not altogether to be excused, yet the person is to be excused, and is not to bee hardly censured: therefore considering that they that doe it, and they that doe it not, doe it to the Lord, be not hasty in your censures.
Quest. How doth hee proove that these holy Christians did eate, or not eate to the Lord?
Answ. From this because they were the Lords they that are the Lords, they live to him, and dye to him, and therefore they doe particular actions to him, No man, verse 7. lives to himselfe, nor no man dyeth to himselfe, which includes all particular actions, Whether we live, we live to the Lord, or whether we dye we dye to the Lord; whether we live therefore or dye, we are the Lords, he proves therefore that they doe eate, or not eate to the Lord, if they bee good Christians, because they are the Lords.
Those that are the Lords, live to the Lord, and doe all particular actions to the Lord, such must not be harshly censured, because they are the servants of the Lord.
Quest.In the third placē how doth he prove, that they are the Lords that live, and dye to him?
Ans.He prooves it from the maine ground in the text, For, for this end Christ both dyed and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. So you see the dependance of the reason, they eate, or eate not to the Lord: why? because they are the Lords.
But how is it they are the Lords? It is the end of the three actions of Christ here, Christ dyed, and rose againe, and revived, for this end that hee might be Lord of the dead and of the living: so you see the connexion of these words with the former.
In the words you have argumentum & argumenti ratio, the argument, and the reasoning from the argument, the ground and the inference from the ground, the ground is, Christ dyed and rose againe and revived; what is the inference from that? that he might be Lord, of the dead and of the living.
In the words therefore wee will consider the argument it selfe, the ground it selfe, and then the inference.
For, for this end Christ both dyed, and rose, and revived.
There are three branches of the ground.
Christ
Dyed.
Rose.
Revived.
Of the inference wee will speake afterwards, and shew how these grounds inforce that inference, that he should be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
Christ dyed.
First of all you must know that Christ dyed here as a publicke person, or else the inference were not good, Christ tooke upon him the person of no man, but the nature, for this end that he might be a publicke person; If Christ had taken the person of any body, there had beene two persons of Christ, he had dyed in one person and not in another; now having the nature that is common to all men, and not the person of Peter or Iames, &c. when he dyed the person dyed in that nature, wherein he might dye, so when it is sayd Christ dyed, wee must consider Christ as a publicke person, not taking the particular person of any man, but the generall nature of man into union with the second person, Christ dyed as a publicke person.
Secondly, Christ dyed as the second Adam; the spring of all misery and death was from the first Adam, but the second Adam was a quickning Spirit, he dyed as a publicke person, and the second Adam.
We must know moreover that he dyed as the great high Priest of the Church, offering to God the Father a sacrifice that made him Lord over all, as we shall see after: hee dyed as a Priest, as indeed he that was fore-signifyed by all the Sacrifices, and Priests, hee was both Priest and Sacrifice, Heb. 9. 14. By the eternall Spirit the Godhead, he offered himselfe to his Father.
Againe he dyed a voluntary death: for else he had not dyed in obedience, his death was violent in regard of them that forced it, but it was voluntary in regard of them that he offered himselfe for, as a sweete Sacrifice to his Father, that voluntarinesse made his death a sweete sacrifice: for whatsoever the Father did to him, he joyned with the Father in it, the Father gave him, he gave himselfe, the Father appointed him to bee so and so, and he joyned with the Father in all things, No man takes away my life from me saith hee himselfe. It was a voluntary death, in regard of his freedome, nay hee thirsted after it, as you have it in the Gospell, he longed after it, upon higher considerations, howsoever in a lower consideration, as it was a tormenting thing, and a bitter cup, hee had a desire that it might passe, but it was upon lower respects, upon hi her respects the will of his Father, and the Salvation of mankinde, hee thirsted to drinke of that cup.
A man may will, and nill the same thing upon presenting of different objects, and respects, and reasons, that which a man may decline as wee say, in this respect, looking to a particular end, that a man may desire looking to a higher end; because man is framed so, to yeeld to the stronger reason alway. Thereupon that is no objection, he seemed sometime a little unwilling? It was, looking upon something presented to him, that made him in that respect unwilling: but looking upon other respects, he gave himselfe willingly, the Father and he joyned together.
And therefore by the way, when they talke of the active and passive obedience; there was action, in all his passion; chiefly in his passion there was action; for if it had beene meere suffering without voluntary obedience, what obedience had that beene? a beast may so suffer, but against his will, but his voluntary obedience was the chiefe, in all his passion, He humbled himselfe to the death of the Crosse, as it is Phil. 2.
Yet further, as he dyed voluntarily, so he dyed as our surety, therefore hee dyed a cursed death due to us, Hee was made a curse for us, that hee might remove the curse from us, these, and such like conclusions must be observed in this, that the Apostle saith, to this end Christ dyed, because wee shall have use of them afterwards.
Here we might stay and admire, that life should dye! that glory should become shame for us: And that hee that is the Authour of all blessing should become a curse! Indeed it is a great mystery, that Christ being God, should stoupe so low that hee could joyne together the infinite Majesty of God, and that low degree of abasement, that he did condescend unto. Domine quo descendis, &c. Lord how farre goest thou? he could not goe lower, and be God. God to shew his love to us, shewed himselfe God in this, that he could be God, and goe so low as to dye, and not onelyonly to dye, but to dye a shameful and cursed death for us, but I passe to the particulars:
For this end Christ both dyed and rose, &c.
He rose againe, and indeed, it was impossible, but hee should rise againe, because he is the Lord of life. Now the Lord of life, and life it selfe could not long dye, it was but by dispensation that hee dyed, viz. to worke our salvation, but he could not be detained any longer by the sorrowes of death, he dyed therefore, and rose, he rose, even as he dyed, he rose a publicke person, and as a second Adam, to give and infuse spirituall life into all his branches, he rose as our surety in our roome, he rose in spight of the Iewes, that laboured to keepe him downe, all they could: By the way, this shewes that he will rise in his Church, and in his children, in his Religion, and in his cause, let the world, and all the devils in hell lay a stone upon Christ, upon his cause, and Church, and children, they will rise againe, even as his blessed body did, in spight of all the watchfullnesse of the Iewes.
Againe, as he rose, so he rose with many, not alone to shew (as I said before) that he rose as a publicke person, another man riseth as himselfe, the rest rise not with him, as caused by his rising. But Christ rose as a publicke person: Therefore, many rose with him, the graves were opened, to shew that he rose as a publicke person, as our surety, as a spirituall head, and as the second Adam, who could infuse life into others. What became of those bodyes that rose with him after? the Scripture saith nothing of it, nor what became of Moses body. They rose to doe God a service, and Christ an honour, which when they had done, they were content to be disposed of by God againe, and it is likely, to returne from whence they came: for if the head of the Church, himselfe was content to come from heaven into the Virgins wombe, and from thence to the crosse, and from thence to the grave, and to be abased for us, those that have the Spirit of Christ those blessed soules in heaven might well be content for a time to be abased, to take bodies, to doe a service for their Lord and master; who was content to foregoe heaven thirty foure yeares, and the glory due to him.
Therefore by the way, if God will use us (though we be never so great) for a particular service to the Church, shall wee stand upon it, when the blessed Saints in heaven, those blissefull soules were content to come, and take bodies for a time, to doe God service, and then to sleepe againe?
Againe, he rose on that day, which was ever after, and well may still be called the Lords day: for a new world beganne with his rising, therefore a new Sabbath; Saint Iohn saith, I was in the Spirit upon the Lords day. If a man be ever in the Spirit, it is upon the Lords day, when the Lord of the day doth honour his people, giving them to enjoy his Ordinances, and joyning effectually with them, maketh them full of the Spirit, and raiseth up our dead hearts after him.
And revived.
Why is this added to rising againe? Hee revived?
To shew that hee rose never to dye againe, and that indeede hee never meant to lay aside that body againe, as once he had, to dye for us. Consonant hereunto is that, Revel. 1. 18. Behold, I was dead, and am alive, and I live for evermore, I have the keyes of death, and of hell. Hee lives for evermore, as Heb. 7. Hee sits for evermore at the right hand of God, there making intercession for us. He dies no more.
Againe, this (revived) is added, to shew the kind of his life, differing from that life hee lived before, that life he lived, before he dyed, was supported with meate, and drinke, and refreshings: even as our poore lives are. It was a life subject to death, that he dyed in, but after his Resurrection, except it were for a particular dispensation to confirme the faith of his Disciples, he needed no more to eate, or drinke, or sleepe, or any naturall supports, and helpes, for he was enlivened immediately by the Spirit of God which flowed into him, he was full of the Spirit, and that did supply all other things whatsoever. Even as in heaven, God shall be all in all, that is, hee shall be so immediately to us, to supply all, as we shall neither eate, nor drinke, nor sleepe, nor have magistrates, nor ministers, but the Spirit of God will be all in all, so it was with this life of our blessed Saviour, when he revived, the Spirit supplyed the absence of all other supports whatsoever, that he used before he dyed. And indeed our Saviour Christ came to bestow that life upon us, that he lived after his Resurrection, not this naturall life of ours, that needes meate, and drinke, and refreshing, this is not that life, that Christ specially aimed at, when he came to dye, but that spirituall and eternall life, that he lived after the Resurrection, a life not subject to death, a spirituall life, not needing any created support whatsoever.
You see the grounds, the inference from these grounds, follow in these words, That he might bee Lord both of the dead and of the living. The ground hath three branches, death resurrection, and reviving, how all these doe flow, and give strength to this inference, I will touch in the particulars. First, then Christ dyed that hee might be Lord of the dead, and of the living.
Christ dyed, 1 Pet. 3. to offer himselfe a sacrifice to redeeme us by his precious blood, wee are not redeemed with Gold or Silver, but with the blood of Christ: hee could not be our Lord till hee had bought us, now his death was the price of our redemption, I say redemption, not emption, a thing may be bought, that was never sold away before: now we were sold to Sathan, and under a contrary government, now Christ satisfying divine justice, redeemes us, he buyes us againe, wee had subjected our selves to the devill, and put our selves under his regiment, till we were ransomed by Christ, now Christ shall have no right to us, till the price be paid to divine justice; for mercy must have justice satisfied, the attributes of God must not fight one against another. Christ therefore is Lord of us, because by death, he gave full content to divine justice, so that now notwithstanding justice, yet we are Christs, and are saved, nay now the justice of God helpes us, the most terrible attribute justice, is a ground of comfort: for it stands not with justice to have the same debt paid twice. For God is just and faithfull, saith the Apostle, so then you see there is a ground from death, why wee are the Lords, we are Christs because we cost him deare hee hath paid a price for us, that is worth more then the whole world. Now God shewed his love in nothing more then in this, that he parted with that that is next himselfe, the greatest, his Sonne, who being God, yet dyed in that nature, that could dye to redeeme us, and hereupon becommeth Lord.
Secondly, Hee rose againe, therefore he is Lord of the quicke and dead.
First, because his rising againe, was a manifestation that his death was a ful satisfaction to divine justice, or else our sinnes should have kept him in the grave still, hee being our surety: but our surety being out of prison, it is a signe hee hath fully discharged all our debt, and the price is paid. If the surety and the creditor be agreed, we know the debt is paid.
Secondly, in that hee rose againe, he is Lord: because in rising againe, he entred into the possession, and exercise of that Lordship, that he had purchased. The right is one thing, and the use and possession of the right is another. Christ was Lord of us before he dyed, he was Lord of us when he dyed: but hee did not enter into possession of this Lordship till he rose againe. Therefore he saith, All power is given to me, both in heaven and earth; when hee was ready to goe up to heaven, to shew that by his resurrection, the right hee had by death, was manifest.
Lastly, because his rising againe; shewed that the father was fully pacified, he obtained the gift of the Spirit, which next Christ himselfe, is the greatest gift, God gave his Sonne first; and then the Spirit that comes from the Father and the Sonne. The Spirit was not given till his resurrection and ascension, as it is Iohn 7. Why? because, till all enemies were fully subdued by his death, and witnessed to be subdued, by his resurrection, the Spirit could not be so fully given, the Spirit being a declaration of the good will of God that sent it. Now when the enemies of Christ were tryumphed over, and God had shewed by the raising of his Sonne againe, that he was fully satisfied. Then the Spirit comes, as the Son of Gods favour, which Spirit doth enable us to be subject to Christ, and makes us come under Christs Kingdome, which is a spirituall government. Wherefore, because he obtained the Spirit for his members upon his resurrection, thereupon is the inference good, he rose againe, therefore he is Lord of the quicke and of the dead.
Thirdly, Hee revived, therefore he is Lord of the quicke and of the dead? reviving and taking such a life, as is not subject to death any more: hee is now in heaven, to make good that he purchased on earth. He revived I say, to be a King, Priest, and Prophet, at the right hand of God for ever, there to rule his Church, and to overrule all the enemies of it, till he hath subdued all, till hee hath gathered all the Elect, and brought his Church out of the world, and made his enemies his footestoole. You see then the ground is good, and the inference is good. Christ dyed, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord of the quicke 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 ful, it is a right with possession, either in things or persons.
But what manner of Lordship is this?
Christ is an universall 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 sweetenes: So Christs government is with unspeakeable, with unconceiveable sweetenesse. 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 sweete governement. 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 happinesse, they injoy the head, and the subjects; Christ accounts himselfe happy in his Church, which is his fullnesse, the Church is the fulnesse of him that filleth all things. Ephe. 1. And more especially is the Church most happy in this governement, it is such a Lordship, as is indeed altogether for the good of the Subjects. To us a Childe is borne, to us a Sonne is given. He dyed, 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, hee 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 himselfe 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 Gods children are Kings, even the meanest servant that is any where in the world, in spirituall respects is a King, what a Lord and King is this, that makes all his servants Kings. You see therefore, as Christ is an universall Lord, and also he is a peculiar Lord over his Church.
Againe, hee is an independant 2. Independantly.Lord, onelyonly his Father joynes with him in all, he is subordinate to his Father as mediator, but hee is independant in respect of all humane authority whatsoever, all humane authority is derived from him, By me Princes raigne, &c. His government in regard of all those governements, is altogether independant, therefore hee is called the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, hee 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 manLord of the whole man, body and soule, he is a Spirituall Lord: He commands not the body onelyonly, but the Soule, he sits in the throne of conscience especially, and there he subdues the conscience and the soule to him; there he prescribes lawes to the conscience, and pacifies the conscience, and stablisheth conscience, and settles it against all feares and terrours whatsoever, he is Lord of body and soule, especially of the soule, he bowes the necke of the inward man, and brings it wholly to be subject to him, he layes his command upon the very soule it selfe.
And he is an eternall 4. An Eternall Lord.Lord, you see here he is Lord of the quicke and of the dead, all other Lords have nothing to doe with men, when they are dead they can doe them no more harme, they have some power indeed over their dead bodies, but alas that is senselesse; their government ends in death, because they are Lords over the outward man onelyonly: but Christs Lordship is when we are gone hence, and then more especially; for then wee are more immediately with him, wee are nearer the fountaine, when our soules 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 then hee is Lord, when wee 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, sutable vertues 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, hee 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 hee hath full authority, as it is Iohn 17. Thou hast given me power over all flesh, hee hath then authority. Secondly he hath all graces and vertues fit for a Lord and governour, hee hath Righteousnesse, Wisedome, bounty, affections, &c. we neede not make doubt of it, for he is the spring of all these in others; his scepter is a Scepter of righteousnesse. Thirdly, hee 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 fulnesse of all: These things premised, let us make some use of all.
But first let us see why its sayd 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 shew 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 shewing 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 dyed and rose againe, and revived, that he might be Lord of the quicke and of the dead.
God doth all to ends, it being a point of wisedome to prefixe an end, and worke to it: If God hath an end, and providence in the haires that fall from our heads, hath he not a farre greater in disposing of things for the good of the Church? His Sonne is given to death and raysed againe, it is for the greatest end in the world, being the greatest worke, the greatest worke hath the greatest end, such was this end, the Lordship of the Church; For this end (saith he) Christ dyed, and rose againe, that hee might be Lord of the dead, and of the living which is his Church.
And is this Christs end to be Lord of the living and of the dead, we must have it then our end too, to serve Christ, to live and dye to him, for being under him, our ends must be answerable to his, as wee shall see after.
For this end.
Againe where it is sayd Vse 2.he dyed, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord of the dead and of the living. It is a profitable course (I speake it onelyonly in generall) when wee thinke of the abasement of Christ, to thinke of the end why; so of his exaltation, its good to keepe these together to avoyd scandall, that might arise in our minds from either, though of by it selfe, that God should stoupe so low, least the thoughts of Christ dying and stouping so low should offend us, its good also to thinke of the end that he might bee Lord of quicke and dead, and if that dazell thee againe, to thinke of our Saviour now in glory, full of majesty in heaven, and how shalt thou have accesse to so glorious majesty: oh come downe againe! and thinke of God incarnate, God going up and downe in our flesh, of God dying, dying a cursed death, & rising againe, thus in your meditations inter. weave these thoughts to avoyd scandall, thinke of his glory, and that you may not be amazed at the glory, so as to be deterred from going boldly to him, thinke of bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, God dying in our nature, joyne these two together, For this end the Sonne of God both dyed, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead, and of the living.
Againe you see here in generall that the grand principall points of religion, have an influence into all the particulars, and there is a homogeniall deduction, (as we call it) of divine truths one from another, all depend one upon another, and all divinity: for howsoever divine truth bee contrary to carnall reason sometimes, yet there is strong reason in all divine truth, for one is the cause of another, and one depends upon another, as here, Christ dyed, and rose, and revived, one followes another: what from all this: to be Lord of quicke and dead, how then prooves he that he is Lord of all? because he dyed, and rose, and revived, one riseth from another, so that though carnall reason be one thing, and all divinity be another, yet there is reason, and deduction, issuing of one thing from another, in divinity most wisely and holily, and it is a part of wisedome to observe, how conclusions rise from principles, as branches and buds doe from rootes: indeede if we would enter into serious considerations of the grounds of religion, how they give life and rise unto their particulars, they would have an influence into the whole course of our life, as perhaps wee shall see in the particulars more clearely.
For this end, &c.
Againe in generall, when he saith Christ is Lord of the quicke and of the dead, we see thence the truth of the Catholike Church, from the first man living to the end of the Church, under one head Christ: Christ is the Saviour of those that were before the Law, under the Law, under the Gospell, Christ was the Saviour of all, he is the Saviour of the dead as well as of the living, all come under one head, which hath no further use than to informe us, in that one point of doctrine, to shew that Christ is yesterday as well as to day, to Morrow, and for ever, all that were saved before, that are saved now, and that shall be for ever, are saved by Christ, there is no other name under heaven, whereby wee can be saved, he is the Lord of the dead and of the living: Now therefore to come more particularly, Christ is Lord both of the dead and of the living, what a Lord we heard before?
This is a point of wondrous comfort, and likewise a point informing us of our duty, and withall shewing us that Christ will worke that duty in us, because he is a Lord, not onelyonly that should rule over us, that we should be subject to him, but to make us subject to him, it is a point of wondrous comfort, and of duty, and of this issue that we under the covenant of grace, shall bee inabled to performe that duty to our Lord. And then it is a point of wondrous security, in life, in death, as alas, sometime one thing amazeth us, sometime another, sometime wee are willing to dye, Elias was afraid to live, sometime wee are afrayd of-death, as we are all naturally: why, come life, or death, come what will come, we are under a Lord that is Lord of the dead, and of the living, so it is a point of wondrous security and quiet to a Christian in all passages, hee somtimes lives, and sometimes dyes, but his salvation is not at that hazzard to be off and on, but whether he live or dye, hee is sure to be saved, for he is under the Lord of the living, and the dead.
But to speake a little of the first; it is intended for comfort, as well as direction, to duty, and to be subject, to submit to the Lord, it is a comfort that we have a Lord that rules us for our good, while we are living, and when wee are dead, and for ever: and indeed wee cannot have a greater comfort beloved than this, that we are not our owne, but that wee are bought with a price, that we are under Christ, why what a comfort is this, will you say? homo non est natus, &c. as the naturall man sayd, a man is not borne to subjection but to honour, and governement, what comfort is this, to be under Christ, to be under a governour?
Answ.Oh beloved know that it is the greatest comfort, as the rule is, every thing is perfect if it be weake, by that whereby it is subject to a higher, the vine is perfect by leaning to the Elme, it would lye on the Simil.ground else, and be spoyled: the perfection of the weake creature the sheepe, is to have a shepheard, the perfection of a weake nature is to have a ruler for their good; the perfection of the ship, is the Pylate, it would dash on every rocke, and bee tossed with every wave else, and so it is our perfection that we are under a Lord, such a Lord as this is, cui servire regnare est, &c. to whom to serve is to reigne, for all his servants are so many Kings, it is our perfection to bee subject to him, therefore it is a wondrous comfort that Christ is become Lord of the living and of the dead: I beseech you therefore think of it in your meditations, all the Scripture aimes at this end to comfort, whatsoever is written, is written for our comfort, and this is a principle of divinity among the rest, that a Christian is not his owne man now but he is under Christ, and this is a comfort both in life, and death at all times, as the Psalmist saith, My times are in thy hands Lord, hee saith not my time, but my times are in thy hand; so wee may say our times are in Christs hands, our time of being borne, our time of living and dying, and when wee are dead, our time of rising againe; our time, the whole current of our time is in thy hands, not in the devills hands, not in our enemies hands, beloved, for they would make short worke with us then, but our times are in our Lords hands, Christ is the Lord of our times, the Lord of our life, and death, and when we are dead he is a Lord for ever, for he lives for ever, and therefore hee is for ever a Lord. Beloved wee doe not live and dye, at the devotion, and good pleasure of any man whatsoever, they cannot stirre so much as a hayre from our head without the will of this Lord, all the devills in hell cannot stirre a haire of our head, I say nor all men that are acted by the Spirit of the devill, they may threaten punishment, but alas they can doe no more, then this Lord of Lords, will give them leave, therefore it is a point of wondrous comfort.
Object.Oh but will a poore soule say, Christ indeed is Lord of the living, and of the dead, but I finde a great deale of corruption in me, &c. and I am a sinner.
Answ.Why he is Lord over thee, hee hath a sweete Lordship over thee, as well as a commanding Lordship, he is not onelyonly a King but a husband as it is Ephes. 5. He gave him. selfe to purge his Church, and to make his Church fit by little and little, thou hast sinne and corruption, but thou hast a mercifull husband that will beare with the weaker vessell, doth he command others to doe that, and will hee not practise that that hee enjoynes others? undoubtedly he will, and therefore it is a comfort, it is a sweete government and subjection, as of the husband over the wife, Christ purgeth, and clenseth his Church, hee doth not cast it away.
For I beseech you consider, he that dyed for his Church and children, when they were enemies, will he cast them away now they are poore friends, and desire to please him? as Saint Paul divinely reasoneth, Rom. 5. Much more shall wee be saved by his life, If he saved us by his death, much more now by his life, being in heaven, consider he rose and lives for ever, therefore will he cast us away for some imperfections, that dyed for us when we were enemies? hee that will not quench the smoaking flaxe, nor break the brused reede, will hee cast away his poore children that strive against their corruptions? hee will not, nay he hath promised where he hath begunne a good worke, hee will finish it to the day of the Lord, though it goe but slowly forward, yet that beginning is a pledge of proceeding, God will never remove his hand from his owne worke, till he have brought it to perfection; therefore let any soule comfort it selfe, that will come under this Lord in a word what greater comfort can wee have than this, that he is such a Lord over us, as is Lord over all things in the world besides: for hee could not be Lord of his Church, except hee were Lord over hell, and all power were subject to him, now being so hee is such a Lord of the Church as can restraine the power of all other creatures whatsoever, because else they might annoy the Church, and affront him in his government by opposition, if he were not Lord of all things, else as well as of the church, but this is the comfort of a Christian, hee is under a Lord, that is Lord of of all the enemies of the Church, and he is so Lord over them till by little and little, hee make them his footestoole, that that is begun in this world, shall bee consumate hereafter by that Lordship, nay he will make all the enterprizes of the very enemies of his Church whatsoever serviceable, to his poore Church, for as the Apostle saith, All things are yours because yee are Christs, he is such a Lord, as that besides himselfe, being ours, hee makes all the world ours, yea the devill is ours, for in spight of him whatsoever he doth, it is ordained to the salvation of the Church, the Churches enemies are the servants of the Church, the unvoluntary servants, for they waken the Church, and scoure it, God ray seth them up for the exercise of the Church, and when he hath done, you know what course he takes with them, so then he is Lord, not only over all, but hee overrules their actions, for the good of the Church, whatsoever they are, and hee makes all the indeavours, and plots of the enemy for the Churches good, all is yours, life, and death, though it bee death by tyrants, all kinde of death whatsoever, it is yours, what a comfort is this, that wee are under such a Lord as this?
Especially, what a comfort is this at the houre of death, when Christ; that hath ruled us all our life time before, will take then the government and possession, of that Iewell that he hath bought with such a price, our precious soule, that when wee must part with friends, and part with this sweete body, that the soule so much loved, and with the world, and all things in the world, then Christ wil owneus for his, when the world wil owne us no longer. Therefore mee thinkes Christians should be at a poynt, for life or death, hee never goes out of the dominion of Christ, nay hee is nearer Christ, hee is more Christs, if there bee any comparison to bee made, when hee is dead, then when hee is alive, Blessed are those that dye in the Lord.
To apply this a little to the present occasion, here in this Sacrament we are to have Communion with this Lord, of his death and resurrection. For what is the Sacrament but are presentation of his body broken, and of his blood powred out for us, that hee might be Lord over us? The more communion and fellowship you have with Christ, the more assurance you shall have that you are his, which is indeed the grand comfort of all, that wee are Christs, that Christ is ours, for then heaven and earth is ours, all is ours. Now God hath ordained these Sacraments for this end, the word is the Scepter of his Kingdome, whereby hee rules, the Sacrament is the seale of the word, therefore all good subjects that submit themselves to the Kingdome of Christ, must submit themselves to this sweet ordinance of Christ, that he hath ordained for our good, the word, and Sacraments, thereby we shall finde the effectuall working of his Spirit in us, subjecting the whole inward man to his graciovs governement, but having spoken of this subject at large heretofore, I only desire you to raise up your thoughts, to consider whom you have to deale with, with him that is Lord of the quicke, and of the dead, we have to deale 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 wee are to feast, and to deale, consider of these things, and then I hope that God will vouchsafe a blessing answerable to the intendment of his ordinance.