' Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.'
THE christian's END. 307
hifercnce. This is the inference drawn from the former two generals, negative and affirmative. ' None of us liveth to ourselves, or dieth to our- selves.' And from thence it is inferred, ' whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.'
And as it is an inference raised from the former, so we may consider it as a cause why we must ' live to the Lord, and die to the Lord : for whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.'
The words are a certain bottom and foundation for a Christian's comfort in the uncertainty of his condition here, being between life and death. Sure he is of death, as of life ; but when to die, and how long to live, he is uncertain. But be that as it will be, this is certain, ' living and dying, he is the Lord's.'
So that, take the whole condition of a Christian, take him in all estate of life or death, which two divide the whole condition of man, for all men may be ranked into these two orders of ' quick and dead ;' I say, consider a Christian in either of them, Christ is Lord of both. Take him in a condi- tion ofhfe, while he Hveth 'he is the Lord's.' When he giveth up his breath, ' he is the Lord's.' So that, come of him what will in this uncertain condition, this is certain and sure, ' he is the Lord's.'
Now a Lord is he that hath dominnm* in rem et jiersonam. (ff), right to persons and things, and the disposing of them pro arhitrio, as it pleaseth himself; and so Christ ' is Lord both of life and death.'
1. First, In general, as he is Lord of all creatures by creatiou, God having given * all power into his hands, both in heaven and earth,' Mat. xxviii, 18,
2. Secondly, In a more particular manner and right. He is Lord of all those that be his by a peculiar gift from all eternity, God hath given us to Christ in his eternal electing love. ' Thine they were, and thou gavest them me,' saith Christ, John xvii, 6.
3. Thirdly, And then we are Christ's hij his own purchase. We are the price of his blood, ' We are bought with a price,' 1 Cor. vi. 20, * not of gold or silver, but with his precious blood,' 1 Peter i. 18 ; by that price God's justice is satisfied, God so gave us to Christ, that he gave him to redeem and shed his blood for us, that his justice might be no loser,
4. Fourthly, We are his hy conquest. For he being so excellent a per- son as God-man, hath rescued us from all our enemies, sin, Satan, death, hell, and whatsoever else. What have they to do with us, when God's justice is once satisfied ?
5. Fifthly, Those that are true believers are his in regard of a pecvliar interest betnren him and them. They give themselves over to him by a con- tract of marriage and covenant, and therefore he is Lord of them, by their yielding of themselves to him as a Lord, They take him for a Lord, as well as for a Saviour, and that is the foundation of the spiritual marriage and the covenant of grace on both sides, Christ giveth himself to us, and we by the Spirit of Christ have grace to give ourselves back again to him.
By our own voluntary contract, we have given up ourselves to him in our effectual calling, which is our answer to God's call, when he calleth on us to believe, to take him ; and the soul answers, ' Lord, I believe, and accept thee,' This by St Peter is termed the answer of a good conscience, 1 Peter iii. 16, and is, when we can say, I am thine, thou art mine, and I yield myself to thee, to be disposed of by thee. No Christian can claim Christ his Lord, but this contract hath passed between his soul and Christ.
* Qu. ' dominium ' ? — Ed.
808 THE cnmsTiAN's end.
So that if 3'ou look to God the Fatbcr, wc arc Christ's hy donation ; if you regard Christ himself, we are his by jnnxliase ; if we regard tlic cntmies we have, wo arc Christ's by coiqueat ; if we regard ourselves, we are his by voluntanj acceptance of the covenant of cf race, and by contract passed between him and us ; yea, and Christ is so our Lord, as that he is our hmband ; our Lord, as our Idncf ; our Lord, as our /lead. Wo owe to him a subjection, as subjects ; a subjection, as his spouse ; a subjection, as his disciples, to be taught by him our Lord and blaster.
Now the term of Lord is usually given to Christ, rather than to God the Father, both in the New Testament and the Old too.
And if there were no other reason for it, it is enough that God so styleth him.
But, secondly, God in the second person hath done those things that make him our Lord, more than the Father or Holy Ghost. For he in the second person hath taken our nature, and died and rose again for us ; and hath conquered all our enemies. He hath in the second person made us his spouse, his members, and in all degrees of nearness to him. And because God in the second person hath done all, therefore in the second person he is more termed Lord than God the Father or the Holy Ghost. And therefore, Acts ii. 3G, God the Father ' hath made him Lord and Christ.'