For if we live according to our own lusts, we are but rebels under God's livery ; we are but traitors fighting under his banner. And how can we give account at the day of judgment of our lives, that have been nothing else but a constant service for Christ's enemies under the colour of religion ? This would* seriously be thought upon.
Therefore, as we know a great deal, and are beholding to God for living in times and places whei'e there is abundance of the truth revealed, so we ought to make it our life and course to honour him, to be vigorous in his service, and to stir up the grace of God in us ; to awaken ourselves and to live to Christ, and to put this qiucre to our souls, Whom do I serve ? myself or Christ ? him or his enemies ?
Out of the text you may see that a Christian will learn how to carry him- self, not only to himself, but to Christ. His carriage to himself 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 himself what is unsound and corrupt in him ; and when he hath found himself, then he abhorreth himself, and judgeth himself. And having found out corruption in his heart, he not only loatheth it, but cruci- fieth it ; and this is the course that a Christian taketh with himself in the searching and discovery of his sins.
And this being done, he setteth up Christ in the place of self, which ruleth jn all men till they be Christians indeed, either by way of admission or covenant. But when grace hath once taken place in the heart, then the soul begins to live to Christ, and that conscionably,t entirely, and uniformly ; consulting with all things how to help and further that life. Other men consult how they may keep their honours and reputations in the world. But a Christian having other aims, deviseth not only ways to * Qu. ' should ' ?—G. t Thatis, 'couscientiously,' — G,
oOO THE christian's END.
live to Christ, but how to be better more and more, how to get into Christ, ami 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.
THE THIRD SERMON.
None of us liveth to himself, and none of us dieth to himself. For whether we live, xve live unto the Lord ; and ivhether we die, we die unto the Lord : whether xve live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. — Rom. XIV. 7, 8.
We have heard from the apostle's general negative, that self must be removed out of the way, before we can live or die to Christ. Self, indeed, will come in everything till the Spirit of Christ be all in all in us. It is like Esau, that came first out of the womb. It will appear first in all con- sultations. And therefore it is the method of our blessed Saviour ; Whosoever will be my disciple, let him deny himself, and take up my cross,' Mat. xvi. 24. And it will be easy so to do when we have denied ourselves.
From the apostle's general afiirmative, we have shewed that to live to the Lord is to acknowledge ourselves to be his, and him to be ours ; and answerably to do him service, to resign up ourselves to him, to seek his glor}^ and honour, and credit in all things, and to be well persuaded that he will stick to us. So that it is a comfort as well as a duty.
To die to the Lord is to be willing to give up ourselves to him when the time cometh, and to submit to him for the manner of our death, whether be w-ill call us home to himself by a quiet or troublesome death, by a bloody or dry death, with confidence that he will receive our souls.
That we may be directed to pitch upon a right end, we may know by the principles of nature a man is not for himself; and from the order that God hath placed him in, all things below are for him, but he is for some- thing above himself. He is not of himself, and therefore not to himself. God only is of himself, by himself, and to himself. Everything under God is of God, and by God, and therefore to God. As Saint Augustine saith, ' Thou hast made us for thee, and our hearts rest not till we come to thee ;' * as the rivers never rest till they discharge themselves into the ocean.
And being not his own end, it is his wisdom and understanding to look principally to that which is his last and best and main end, which is God, and union and communion with God in Christ, who is God in our nature, God-man, the best of all, and therefore it is fit he should be the last. He communicateth all good to them that be his, and preserveth all the good he communicateth. He is for ever with them, and cannot fail to do them good, as long as he fails not to be good. He is the original cause, and the communicating cause, and the maintaining cause of all good.