Faith and Experience, Part 2
2. Branch. That becauſe of it, it is his duty while he lives not to live to himſelfe but to the Lord.
In the opening and handling of this, I will doe theſe three things.
1. I wil shew you, how a man may be ſaid to live to himſelfe, and what that meanes.
2. I will ſhew you, how it is the beleevers duty to live unto God, and what that meanes.
3. I will ſhew you, how the conſideration of this that a beleever while he lives is the Lords, layeth an engagement upon his heart, while he lives, not to live to himſelfe but to the Lord.
Of all theſe briefly, and firſt of the firſt.
How may a man be ſaid to live to himſelfe, and what doth that phraſe meane?
A man may be ſaid to live to himſelfe, either in a Civill or in a divine and Theologicall ſenſe, in a Civill ſenſe a man may bee ſaid to live to himſelfe, When he is free from all relations, when he trades for himſelf, and lives upon his owne hand as we ſay; thus queſtionleſſe the beleever may live to himſelfe. Or 2. Civilly, a man may be ſaid to live to himſelfe, that is ſuo commodo, to his own back and belly meerly, that as we ſay none eates of his meat nor drinks of his cup, nor is a penny the better for him, thus a beleever will hardly live to himſelfe. Or 3. Civilly a man is ſaid to live to himſelfe, in reſpect of Communion, when he is nulli comes, a companion fit for none, either in regard of the moroſity, or ſullenneſſe of his temper. But none of theſe hits the ſenſe of the text, which (queſtionleſſe) is not to be underſtood of a privacy of civill life, but in a divine ſenſe; and ſo a man may live to himſelfe two wayes, none of both which are competent to a beleever. Not
Formally; not to pleaſe himſelf; not following the corrupt dictates of his owne fleſh, as the baſe prophane wretch, to whom the Devill doth but ſay goe, and he goeth; or come, and he cometh; and his baſe heart ſayes but doe this, and he doth it: this is often called in Scripture living to the fleſh, and living to ſin. Thus the beleever lives not to himſelfe. Nor
Finally; a man may be ſaid to live to himſelfe, when all the actions of his life purſue but his owne worldly intereſts of greatneſſe, and wealth, and honour. The beleever in his life drives on Gods intereſts, trades for glory, and acts for his Maſter; himſelfe is but a factor here in a ſtrange country: whether he eates, or drinkes, or ſleeps, or trades, or whatever he doth, he doth it for the glory of God, whoſe factor he is. Phil. 1. 21. To me to live is Chriſt, and to dye is gaine, or (as others read it) [to me both in life and death, Chriſt is gain.] Thus I have explaned the firſt particular, and by opening of this, I have alſo given ſome light to the other, and in part ſhewed you what it is for a Chriſtian to dye to himſelfe, which I ſhall further enlarge my ſelfe upon by and by.
The ſecond thing to be opened is what it is for a beleever to live to God, and how a beleever may be ſaid to live to the Lord.
I will open it in three or four particulars. 1. A beleever may be ſaid to live to the Lord Ratione Iuris, by way of Right, owning, and acknowledging God to be his God, as a Sonne lives to his Father, and a Servant to his Master: wearing Chriſts livery, and acknowledging himſelfe to be Chriſts Servant. Proclaming with David. Pſal. 116. 16. Truly Lord I am thy Servant, I am thy Servant, and the Sonne of thy handmaid: for thou hast looſed my bonds. Yea and this he will doe in all places, and companies: if Jeſus Chriſt be named, he is not aſhamed to ſay (with M. Herbert) My Lord, and Maſter. He every where acknowledgeth his ſubjection, and duty to God, by his ſervice as his Maſter, by his homage as to his Soveraigne, by his dutifull feare as to his Father, according to that of the Prophet. Mal. 1. 6. If I be a father where is my honour, and if a maſter where is my feare? He every where honours God as his Father, and feares him as his Maſter.
Secondly, The beleever lives to God formally. He followes the dictates of his word, and the motions of his ſpirit. He is come into the world to doe his will, he knowes that for this end he was borne, and readily in the whole motion of his life ſayes, I delight to do thy will O my God. If God in his word or by his ſpirit ſayes to him Goe, he goes, Come, he comes, doe this, he doth it. He diſputes not the rebellion of his owne will, nor private intereſts of his owne ſpirit, againſt the will of God once revealed unto him.
Thirdly, The beleever lives unto God finally. The whole end of his life, of all his actions, words, tradings, recreations, is to glorify God, and he doth nothing but he prefaceth this queſtion to it, how may God have glory? what ſhall God get by this Action? this is the deſigne he drives, the intereſt he purſues, every of his arrowes are levelled at this white, and all his actions ordered to this end, it is his work to glorify God both in his body, and ſpirit, according to the Apoſtles exhortation. 1 Cor. 6. 20.
Laſtly, He lives unto God dependently. Indeed this is rather a living upon God, but yet it is a living unto God too: The life which he now lives is by faith upon the Son of God. Gal. 2. 20. He cleaves unto God in all the Conditions, and all the Relations of his life; Thus he lives not to himſelfe but to the Lord. Yea and Thirdly,
The third branch, It is his duty therefore while he lives not to live to himſelfe, but to the Lord: becauſe while he lives he is the Lords.
Which is the third thing.
This is plaine if you doe but conſider what I ſaid before in the particular explanation of the firſt branch of the Doctrine, viz. How far the beleever while he lives is the Lords.
1. Becauſe he is the Lords purchaſe. What? ſhall I buy a ſervant, and ſhall he ſerve another Maſter? Shall I buy an houſe, and ſhall it rent to another Landlord?
2. Becauſe he is the Lords poſſeſſion. See the Apoſtle preſſing this duty from both theſe Arguments 1 Cor. 6. 19, 20. What? know ye not, that your body is the temple of holy Ghoſt which is in you, and which you have of God, and you are not your owne, for yee are bought with a price, therefore glorify God, in your body and your ſpirit which are Gods. Yea and thirdly,
3. Becauſe we are the Lords in ſo neare Relation. Would you take it well that your children, or apprentices which you maintaine ſhould live to themſelves? And trade for themſelves? or others? and not live to you and trade for you? That your wife ſhould live to another? Either formally or finally, and not to you, whoſe ſhe is? And is there not as great an engagment (Chriſtians!) lyes upon you to live to the Lord? you are his Children, his ſpouſes, his ſervants, nay nearer yet, his members: There is all reaſon in the world that you ſhould not live to your ſelves, but unto him. And thus I have done with the ſecond Branch of the Doctrine, viz.
That when the beleever lives he lives not to himſelfe but to the Lord, and it is his duty ſo to do, becauſe while he lives he is the Lords.
I paſſe to the third Branch.