Think, therefore, of this one thing, that we are his, that hath a command in heaven and earth, to whom all knees bow with subjection ; his that is Lord of lords, and King of kings, that is Lord pammoiDit ; who will not suffer anything to befall his church, or any particular Christian, that shall not be for their good, for he hath all power in heaven and earth for that purpose, and for ever. What a comfort is it in life and death, in the midst of opposi- tions here, or from the powers of hell, that wc have a Lord that is commander « Cf. note i, Vol. I. page 29i.— G.
814 TiiK christian's knd.
of all, ' Lord of life or dcalh.' IJo ' bath the keys of hell and death.' Him- Belf hath conquered all, and he will conquer all in us by little and little. AVhat happiness is it, I say, to be under such a Lord !
THE FIFTH SERMON.
For none of us livctk to himself, mid no man dieth to himself. For ivhether tie live, xi'e live unto the Lord ; and whether we die, v:e die unto the Lord : whether we live therefore, or die, %ve are the Lord's. — Rom. XIV. 7, 8.
There is nothing more available to the living of a Christian's life than to have the eye of the soul on his main end and scope. And then to be furnished with some maxims and principles to direct our lives to that scope. Where the parts are most noble and large, there the aim and scope is most excel- lent. Now a true Christian, being raised above others, hath an end and scope above other men ; and that indeed maketh him a Christian in good earnest, when God by his Spirit discovers an higher excellency than the world can afford, and setteth our hearts towards it.
Now the apostle setteth down the scope of our whole condition, both of life and death. First, negatively, ' No man liveth to himself ; ' ' no man dieth to himself.'
Then, affirmatively, * We live to the Lord, and die to the Lord.'
And he giveth the ground of both : ' Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.'
If w^e live to the Lord, we shall have a being after life. A Christian is, when he is not ; when he is not here, he hath a being in heaven ; and suitably to his several conditions he hath a Lord to own him in all. Now he liveth, yet cannot build on life, nor anything below, because life is short and uncertain. But this he may build on : ' Whether he liveth or dieth, he is the Lord's.'
Now Christ is said in Scripture to be Lord oftener than God, because God in the second person hath appeared in our nature, overcome all our enemies, hath triumphed, and is now in heaven in our nature ; and because Lord is a word of authority and sovereignty. And God hath made him governor of quick and dead.
He is a Lord in regard of God the Father, by donation. God hath given the elect to him before all worlds.
He is Lord in regard of himself, by conquest over the enemies of our salvation.
And then by ransom. He hath paid a price to divine justice for us. For though God gave Christ to us from all eternity, and us to Christ, yet on these terms, that he should ransom us. God will not have his justice a loser ; therefore Christ must pay a price to divine justice. Such was his mercy, and the glory of his mercy, to find out such a way to satisfy justice, that God should die.
No attribute of God must be a loser ; he must have the honour of all his attributes ; and therefore of his justice. And here is the glory of his wisdom, in contriving a way that mercy may triumph and justice may be satisfied.
And then he is Lord by our voluntary submission to him ; for we set a crown upon his head when we subject ourselves to him.
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He is our Lord in all estates, * living or dying;' at all times, without limitation ; in all conditions, whether it be a life of prosperity or adversity, let us die by what manner of death soever.
And so I shewed we are the Lord's in a double sense : in regard of our carriage to him, and in regard of his care over us ; both must be included. We are not the Lord's only for that he taketh care of us, and without our service ; nor that we do him service without his care of us ; but he is so our Lord, that we have grace to acknowledge him, and he hath grace, and love, and mercy to protect and acknowledge us both in life and death.
It is no prejudice to a Christian's estate that he is another's. It is the happiness of the weak to be under a stronger ; of those that be deficient, to be under fulness. Now there is all-sufficiency in Christ. Therefore to be under him is our happiness.
Give me leave to illustrate this. Everything is beautiful in its own place. Things that are highest, it is fit they should be highest ; things that are lowest, it is fit they should be lowest. If the head were not in its own place, there would be deformity in the body. And so it is fit Christ should be our Lord, being God-man and the glory of our nature. And it is our happiness, our beauty and comeliness, our safety and perfection, to be under Christ, and to be only under him. He is only* larger than the soul; he is of equal continuance with the soul ; he is only suitable to the soul, being a Spirit, he only is eternal ; and therefore being every way so abun- dantly satisfactory to the soul, it is the happiness of the soul to have him for its Lord, especially considering what a Lord he is — a Lord independent ; Lord of lords, that hath all other lords at command; a bountiful and gracious Lord.