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thereupon is the inference good. Ho rose again, therefore he is Lord ' of the quick and of the dead.'
3. Tliirdly, He revived ; therefore ho is Lord of the quick and of the dead, lloviving and taking such a hfo as is not subject to death any more, ho is now in heaven to make good that he purchased on earth. He revived, I sa}', to be a king, priest, and prophet at the right hand of God for ever: there to rule his church, and to overrule all the enemies of it till he hath subdued all; till he hath 'gathered all the elect,' Mat. xxiv. 31, and brought his church out of the world, and made ' his enemies his footstool,' Ps. ex. 1. You see then the ground is good, and the inference is good. ' Christ died, and rose, and revived,' that he might be Lord of the quick and dead.' I come now to the thing proved.
' That he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.'
Christ is Lord both of the dead and of the living. For the better clearing of the point, let us see what is lordship.
' Lordship ' properly is jus in rem et perwitas. It is a right, and where it is full, it is a right v\itli possession cither in things or persons.
But what manner of ' lordship ' is this ?
1. Christ is an universal Lord of and over all, over all the world ; both over all the dead, and all the living ; but more especially, and in a peculiar manner, he is Lord of his church, even as a husband is lord over his wife, which is a lordship with sweetness. So Christ's government is with unspeakable, with unconceivable sweetness. He is Lord as the Elder Brother, as the first begotten is over the rest ; for he is the ' first begotten among the dead,' Rev. i. 5. This likewise is a sweet government. It is indeed a lordship of a king over his subjects, as his lordship is a branch of his kingly office ; but it is such a lordship as is for the good of his sub- jects. It is not a derived* happiness. They enjoy the head and the subjects. Christ accounts himself happy in his church, which is his fulness. The church is ' the fulness of him that filleth all things,' Eph. i. 23. And more especially is the church most happy in this government. It is such a lordship as is, indeed, altogether for the good of the subjects. ' To us a child is born, to us a Son is given,' Isa. ix. 6. He died, and rose, and revived, and all is for us. A Christian may say of Christ that he is totus in meos usm expensus, as one well said (o). He is all mine ; he is all expended for my use and profit. It is such a lordship as makes all his sub- jects kings. Therefore it is said, Rev. i. 5, ' He loved us, and gave himself for us ;' to purge his church, as it is Eph. v. 26, and likewise to ' make us kings and priests.' Where note, Christ hath a notable attendance upon him. He is served with none but kings. All God's children are kings. Even the meanest servant that is anywhere in the world, in spiritual respects is a king. What a Lord and King is this, that makes all his servants kings ! You see, therefore, as Christ is an universal Lord, so also he is a peculiar Lord over his church.
2. Again, He is an independent Lord ; only his Father joins with him in all. He is subordinate to his Father as Mediator, but he is independent in respect of all human authority whatsoever. All human authority is derived from him. 'By me princes reign,' &c., Prov. viii. 15. His government in regard of all those governments is altogether independent. Therefore he is called ' the Lord of lords,' and ' King of kings.' He is Lord Paramount, as we say, over all ; and they all are or should be dependent upon him.
* That is, = ' communicated.' — G.
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3. And likewise lie is a Lord of the iclwlc man, bod}' and sonl ; he is a spiritual Lord, He commands not the body only, but the soul. He sits in the throne of conscience especiall}', and there he subdues the conscience and the soul to him. There he prescribes laws to the conscience and pacifies the conscience, and stablisheth conscience and settles it against all fears and terrors whatsoever. He is Lord of body and soul, especially of the soul. He bows the neck of the inward man, and brings it wholly to be subject to him. He lays his command upon the very soul itself.
4. And he is an eternal Lord. You see here he is Lord of the ' quick and of the dead ;' all other lords have nothing to do with men when they are dead. They can do them no more harm. They have some power, indeed, over their dead bodies, but, alas ! •'•• that is senseless [d). Their govern- ment ends in death, because they are lords over the outward man only. But Christ's lordship is when we are gone hence, and then more especially. For then we are more immediately with him. We are nearer the fountain when our souls are gone to him that gave them. ' I desire,' saith St Paul, ' to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, which is best of all,' Philip, i, 23 ; especially then he is Lord, when we are gone hence.