6. In a word, he is an excellent Lord, for he hath all things that a lord should have. A lord should have three things : authority, suitable virtues and abilities, power and strength answerable to all. Now the Lord Christ hath all these. And, first, he hath authority, for God the Father gave him power over all. He purchased it, and his Father gave it him, ' He gave him the heathen for his possession,' Ps. ii. 8 ; and ' All power is given to me in heaven and earth,' Mat. xxviii. 18 ; and he hath full authority, as it is John xvii. 2, ' Thou hast given me power over all flesh.' He hath then authority. Secondly, he hath all graces and virtues fit for a lord and governor. He hath righteousness, wisdom, bounty, affections, &c. We need not make doubt of it ; for he is the spring of all these in others. ' His sceptre is a sceptre of righteousness,' Ps. xlv. 6. Thirdly, hehathstreur/th answerable to his authority ; for he is a Lord that is God. Sometimes among men authority wants power or other qualifications ; but in Christ is all, the utmost and greatest fulness of all. These things premised, let us make some use of all.
But, first, let us see why it is said, ' He is Lord both of the dead and of the living,' prefixing the dead before the living ? To shew, I conceive, that Christ is Lord of those that were dead before, as well as of those that are alive now. Christ is the Lord of all from the beginning of the world, from Adam to the last man that shall stand upon the face of the earth ; there- fore he is Lord of those that were dead before, as well as of those that are alive now, and that shall die after. ' He is Lord of the dead, and of the living.' Now for use, first, where he saith,
' For this end.'
Use 1. It is a point wondrous pregnant, and fall of very comfortable use : first, shewing that the grounds of a Christian's faith and comfort are very strong, as you see how the Holy Ghost dwells upon the argument, ' For this end,' saith he, Christ died and rose again and revived, that he might be Lord of the quick and of the dead.'
God doth all to ends, it being a point of wisdom to prefix an end, and •work to it. If God hath an end and providence in the hairs that fall from our heads, hath he not a far greater in disposing of things for the good of
* One of tlie many examples of Sibbes's peculiar use of this interjection. Cf. page 334, line 5 from top, — G.
332 Christ's exaltation
the cluirch ? His Son is given to death, and raised agian. It is for tho greatest end in tho world, being tho greatest work. Tho greatest work hath tho greatest end. Such was this end, tho lordship of tho church : • For this ond,' salth he, ' Christ died, and roso again, that ho might bo Lord of tho dead, and of the living,' which is his church.
And is this Christ's end, to be Lord of the living and of the dead ? We iHiiat have it then our end too, to serve Cliri.st, tu live and die to Ai/tt ; for being under him, our ends must be answerable to his, as we shall see after.
'For this end.'
Use 2. Again, where it is said he died, and rose, and revived, ' that he might be Lord of the dead and of the living ' — It is a profitable course — I speak it onl}' in general — when we think of the abasement of Christ, to think of tlie end wlijj. So of his exaltation : it is good to keep these tot/etlier to avoid scandal'^ that might arise in our minds from either, thought of hi/ itself, that God should stoop so low. Lest the thoughts of Christ dying and stooping so low should ofl'end us, it is good also to think of the cud, that ' he might be Lord of quick and dead ;' and if that dazzle thee again, to think of our Saviour now in gloiy, full of majesty in heaven, and how shalt thou have access to so glorious majesty. Oh come down again, and think of God incarnate, God going up and down in our flesh, of God dying, dying a cursed death, and rising again. Thus in your meditations inter- weave these thoughts, to avoid scandal. Think of his glory ; and that you may not be amazed at the glory, so as to be deterred from going boldly to him, think of bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, God dying in your nature. Join these two together. ' For this end the Son of God died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.'
Use 3. Again, You see here in general tliat the grand j^rincijial points of religion have an influence into all the particulars ; and there is a homogeneal deduction, as we call it, of divine truths one from another. All depend one upon another, and all divinity ; for howsoever divine truth be contrary to car- nal reason sometimes, yet there is strong reason in all divine truth. For one is the cause of another, and one depends upon another, as here, ' Christ died, and rose, and revived.' One follows another. What from all this ? ' To be Lord of quick and dead.' How then proves he that he is Lord of all ? Because he died, and rose, and revived. One riseth fi'om another. So that, though carnal reason be one thing and all divinity be another, yet there is reason and deduction issuing of one thing from another in divinity, most wisely and holily ; and it is a part of wisdom to observe how conclu- sions rise from principles, as branches and buds do from roots. Indeed, if we would enter into serious considerations of the grounds of religion, how they give life, and rise unto their particulars, they would have an influence into the whole course of our life, as perhaps we shall see in the particulars more clearly.