Commentary on Romans, Treatise · Chapter 14 · Dialogue 4
DIAL. IIII.
Verses 7, 8, 9. For none of vsus liueth to himselfe, neither doth any die to himselfe. For whether we liue, we liue vntounto the Lord, or whether we die, we die vntounto the Lord: whether we liue therfore or dye, we are the Lords. For Christ, &c.
Tim.
VVHat is it that Paule doeth in these Verses? How doe they sute and sort vvith the former?
Silas.
Paul resumeth and enlargeth the argument put down in verse 4. that all being seruants to one common Lorde (who with like good will, embraceth and ruleth ouer all his seruants with equall dominion, purchased by so great price as his own death) therefore they ought to dissent no longer, or mutually to condemne & iudge one another, especially seeing the glory of the Lorde is sought for by his seruants.
The scope and drift, is to teach and confirme all beleeuers,Scope. to whom and to what they must liue and dy; not to themselues, and to their owne priuate purposes and praise, but to Christ their Lord, that hee in our life and death may be glorified. He confirmes and comfortes the godly that liue in all ages, that they should be verie full of comfort and ioy, seeing they hauehave a lord, who taketh more care of them in life and death, then they could do of themselues, being both able and willing to preserue them during their life, and being dead, to restore them to a neuerdying life. For his power is omnipotent, ouercomming death in himselfe, beeing vniuersall Iudge of all; and for his will, he is so affected to all faithfull ones as to his owne redeemed, dearely purchased to bee his peculiar.
The order of these words is this. First, a proposition that no man liueth or dyeth to himselfe, verse 7. Secondly, a reason, because our life and death is to another, euen to the Lord Christ, verse 8. Thirdly, a cause of this in the same verse, because we are the Lords in life & death, therefore must liue and dye to him onelyonly. Fourthly, an answere to a secret Obiection, if one should aske, How came Christ by this right and power in vsus, and ouer vsus? it is answered verse 9. By his death and resurrection, the end whereof, was to giuegive him Lordship ouer his church. In his death was paide the ransome, in his resurrection he possessed his dominion. For being dead so long, hee could not be Lord and Conqueror, but by rising againe he obtained it: and that he might for euer exercise this dominion, hee must both rise from death and reuiue, or continue aliue to continue an eternal Lord, as it is written, I was dead, and am aliue; and Behold I liue for euer & euer. Reuel. 1, 18. Rom. 6, 9. Christ being dead, dieth no more, death hath no more dominion ouer him. The sum of all is, that not onelyonly in indifferent things, but in all our Christian actions we must like good seruants seeke the honour of Christ our generall and rightfull Lord, and therefore must lay aside our diuisions and discords, which are neither after his pleasure, nor to his praise and glory.
Tim.
Interpret the words, and tell vsus what it is [to liue to our selues and to dye to our selues?]
Silas.
To liue to himselfe hath a two-fold signification, first ciuill, which is double: First, to depend on no man, but to liue of himselfe, without helpe from others, to bee beholden to no man: as Abraham would not take a shoolachet from the foure Kings which warred with him, Gen. 14, 23. Elisha would not at any hand take a guist from Naaman the Syrian, 2. Kings 5, 15, 16. Also in a ciuill sence it may import to care for none but for our selues, onelyonly to minde our owne benefit, with neglect and contempt of all others: As in couetous misers, many vnmarried batchellors, and all worldlings doe, hauing a care of themselues and theirs alone, as if they were borne for none other.
The other sence wherein the Apostle vseth these words, is theologicall and Gospell-like, namely to liue after our owne minde, lust, and pleasure, doing our owne will, and seeking our owne praise, like to that Rom. 8, 5. 1. Cor. 10, 2. also 2. Cor. 5, 15. Our life when it is referred not to Christ, but to our owne commodities and honour, then we liue to our selues. Also when there bee none to grieue, mourne, and lament our death; which is the case of many widdowes, single persons, sole liuers, poore people, with whose death nōe is affected; this is ciuily to die to himself: but euangelically one dyeth to himselfe, when he findeth himselfe desolate, and there is none to care for him being dead, as if he were forelorne and cast off of Christ, this is the meaning heere.
Tim.
What may now be our lesson from hence?
Silas.
First, all wicked and vnregenerate men liue and dye to themselues, to their owne pleasure and praise. When Paul saith none of vsus, hee meaneth that others doe so: the reason heereof is, first, they hauehave no other ground and beginnings of their actions, but their owne will or lust, nor other end of them but their owne glory, or the pleasing of themselues and other men.
Tim.
Tell vsus the vse of this point?
Silas.
It serues to reproue not onelyonly heathenish people, but among Christians, the couetous, vsurers, Cornemongers, oppressors, extortioners, &c. which minde their owne profite onelyonly, without respect of pleasing God or their neighbour: Also idle Ministers which seeke their owne things and not Christs, Phil. 3. and Magistrates which referre their authority to their priuate vse, soreslowing the weale publike: Also it is a checke and a sore one to our young gallants, swash-bucklers, Tauerne-haunters, gamesters, &c. which wholy intend their pleasure, ease, and carnall delight; they doe what they ought not, and as godlesse men doe, liuing to themselues, let these looke to dye to themselues. For as they neglected God in their lise, so it is right that he neglect them in their death, and leaue them without comfort on their death bed, who in the dayes of their health and strength forgot and forsooke him.
Tim.
What other lesson from verse 7?
Silas.
All beleeuers are taught their duty not to liue to themselues, after their owne lusts, and for their own praise and purposes; for how can they liue to themselues which hauehave in baptisme and profession denyed themselnes, euen all carnal affections (which are as deare to men naturall as themselues?) better neuer to hauehave vowed this then not to keepe our vow, Eccle. 5, 7.
Tim.
What is the vse heereof?
Silas.
It serues to warne the faithful to stoppe their eares (as a Serpent doth) against the voice of sinfull pleasures, & profites, selfe-louelove, and vaine glory, charme they neuer so wisely: And to suffer thēselues to be led by the inspiration and the gouernment of the holy Spirite by which they areRom. 8, 5. sanctified; then ye shal dye not to your selues, but find God in your sicknes ready to make your bed, and to take care … you dying, sithence liuing yee did thinke and studie how to please and glorifie him. How can he leaue you in your death, which did cleaue to him in your life? How can he not refresh you at the last dying houre, & receiue you at the last dreadful day, whose chiefe intent and endeauour was to renounce your owne desires and wayes, for his will and glory sake?
Tim.
Proceede to the eight verse, and shew what it is [To liue to the Lord, and to dye to the Lord?]
Silas.
Each of these containe these foure seuerall distinctWhat it is to liue to Christ things: [To liue to the Lord] is first to acknowledge our selues not to be our owne, or vnderunder our own power at our owne hands (as Iourneymen and Freemen) but to be Christs, as his proper and peculiar. No flocke is so much the Shepheards, or inheritance so much the Owners, or Seruants their Lords, as we Christs. Secondly, it signifies, to render vp our selues to him, to doe not our owne, but his will. As seruants doe his will which hath ransommed them and freed them; with whom they hauehave made a Couenant, and from whom they hauehave taken wages and protection, 1 Sam. 22, 7. so we are bound to attend and obey the will of Christ, to whom we are bound by solemne couenant, and from whom wee hauehave had alreadie many good things, and doe looke for more and greater, whose wil also is most holy. Thirdly, as seruants make their Lorde their refuge, so to flye to Christ in all our distresses and dangers: so Iacob, so Dauid, so Ezekiah, so Peter fled to Christ, Saue Lord or … perish, Mat. 14. Lastly,What it is to dye vntounto the Lord. to seeke his glory to the vtmost end of our life. Now, [To die to him] is to confesse him to be the onelyonly Lorde of death, hauing it in his owne hand and power. Secondly, to submit with patience to the decree of death, after Christs example, Math. 26. Thirdly, to study how to glorifie him in our death, by hope, patience, contentment, repentance, and feruent prayer to God, for our selues & ours, and his whole Church; and by our counsels & comfortable speeches to such as stand about vsus, (namely) our Children, &c. as Iacob, Dauid, Christ & others hauehave done. Fourthly, to giuegive vp our spirites to God, as Steuen, Acts 7. in a good hope and assurance of a bessed resurrection, after the example of Iob, Iob 19, 23. I know my Redeemer liueth.
Tim.
What learne we from hence, that wee are the Lords whether we liue or dye?
Silas.
First, that wee hauehave matter of much comfort in whatsoeuer kinde of death we dye, for wee hauehave a Lord that will in death looke to vsus, our teares are put vp in his bottle, Psal. 56, 8. Our death is precious to him, Psal. 116. 15. Let all men neglect, nay dishonour vsus in our death, cast vsus out, drag vsus through streetes, hang our bodies on …, giuegive our flesh to be meate to the Fowles of the ayre, as they complaine in the Psalme 79, 2. As the two witnesses, Reuel. 11, 8. And as the Admirall of France was dealt withall in Paris, & Marlorate at Roane in Normandy: Yet Christ is their Lord and will be their Patron and auenger. Secondly, let such as liue to the Lord by obedience to his will, and zeale of his glory, free their hearts from feare of Purgatory faigned fire, yea and of truely tormenting hell fire, sithence they being purged by the bloud of their Lord, are deliuered thereby from all torments, and restored to life eternall.
Lastly, see the wonderfull dignity of a true Christian by faith ioyned to Christ; he hath a good and a great Lord. If they be happy which might alwayes bee about Salomon to heare his wisedome; how blessed are they rather which belong to a Lord greater then Salomon? whoe are in such sort the Lords as they be lords, euen freemen, friends, and brethren to Christ, fellow-heires, Priests & Kings to their God, through Christ, Reueh 1, 6.
Tim.
From the ninth verse which (as you said) doth set downe the acquisition, or how Christ got his vniuersall dominion oner all the faithfull, what things doe ye collect thence for our instruction?
Silas.
I collect these doctrines: First, that Christ dyed truly and indeede, hauing his soule for a time violently separated from his body, whereof as the Sacrifices and Sacraments of the old Testament, namely the Paschall Lambe was a Type, 1 Cor. 5, 7. So the Lords Supper a Sacrament of the new, is a liuely representation in distributing the bread apart from the Wine, and in the breaking of the bread, there is a signification of his painfull passion. Secondly, it was not so necessary that he should die to satisfy diuine Iustice, according to Gods eternall appointment, and most iust threatning, Thou shalt dye the death, Gen. 2, 17. and to fulfil the prophesies & types of his death, and Legall sacrifices: but it was as needfull he should raise himselfe from the dead, because his death had not otherwise profited vsus, either by merit or efficacy. For by this meanes he both declareth himselfe to be absolued from our sinnes, which he bare that hee might iustisy vsus, Rom. 4, 25. and to be conqueror of death and graue, yea and to become fit to exercise that dominion and victory which his death had purchased. For being dead, he could not be victorious, so long as himselfe seemed to be conquered, neyther could he rule ouer the liuing, except he had beene made aliue; and he liueth for euer, that he may for euer gouerne his people, which are heere distributed into two sorts or rankes, 1. [the dead,] that is such as had departed this life from Adam vntounto Christ, and 2. [by liuing] such are vnderstood as then did liue, or should liue from thenceforward to the end of the world.
Now, albeit Christ being risen, hauehave absolute power which he practiseth generally ouer all men good & bad, euen ouer the diuels, as it is written, All power in heauen and earth is giuen mee, Math. 11, 27. and 28, 18. which agreeth with Phil. 2, 9, 10. yet Paul extends his dominion in this place, no further then to beleeuers, ouer whome Christ doth rule for their saluation in a peculiar manner by his word and Spirite, as ouer his owne peculiar people, whose comfort and instruction the Apostle in this Text purposely intendeth.
Heere is then the thirde Doctrine of this verse, that Christ dyed and rose not in vaine, but to this end, and to this very cause, to get a soueraignty ouer all the Electe, which either had liued, or did then, or should afterward liue in the world; all which, by good right, are subiect to him, as to their Lord, to be ruled and kept vntounto saluation in heauen. Which as it teacheth the Church of both Testaments to be but one, vnderunder one Lord of both: and that it comprehends vniuersally the Saintes before the law, vnderunder the law, & vnderunder grace; all which make one bodie, and one family, whence the Church is intituled Catholike: so withall we learne, that the benefits of this Lord, as remission of sinnes, righteousnesse, adoption, saluation, &c. reach no lesse to such as wer before Christ, thē to them, who since Christ do liue, Ro. 3 25. Hebr. 9, 15. And moreouer, that they which be alreadie dead in his Faith, shall certainly be raised to heauenly glory, for so much as Christ is not Lord of the dead (as they bee dead) but as they are appointed to be aliue, for he is the Lord of all the liuing, Math. 22, 32.
Furthermore, that there is great comfort vntounto all the true seruants of God, inasmuch as both in life and death they hauehave a mighty and louing lord to care for them, to preserue and safegard them till hee hauehave crowned them. And finally, by this consideration they ought to keepe themselues from mutual discords and dissentions, liuing together in a peaceable and brotherly fashion: which as it is agreeable to the minde and will of their Lord, so it will tend much to his honour, and to the credite of our Christian profession: and that especially, if remembring that they are vnderunder his authority and rule, they take not leaue to liue as they list, but to his will and honour who hath brought them out of the power of darknes, to whō for sin by the righteous iudgment of God, they were enthralled and captiuated, Acts 26, 16. Let them studye to serue him whose they are, after Pauls example, Acts 24, 23. and follow his counsell, 2 Cor. 5, 5. Hee died and rose again, that henceforth we should liue, not to our selues, but after his will that dyed for vsus.