To apply this a little to the present occasion. •;- Here in this sacrament we are to have communion with the Lord, of his death and resurrection. For what is the sacrament but a representation of his body broken, and of his blood poured out for us, that he might be Lord over us ? The more com- munion and fellowship you have with Christ, the more assurance you shall have that you are his, which is indeed the grand comfort of all, that we are Christ's, that Christ is ours; for then heaven and earth is ours, all is ours. Now God hath ordained these sacraments for this end. The word is the sceptre of his kingdom whereby he rules. The sacrament is the seal of the word. Therefore all good subjects, that submit themselves to the khigdom of Christ, must submit themselves to this sweet ordinance of Christ, that he hath ordained for our good, the word and the sacraments. Thereby we shall find the effectual working of his Spirit in us, subjecting the whole inward man to his gracious government. But having spoken of this subject at large heretofore, I only desire you to raise up your thoughts to consider whom you have to deal with ; with him that is Lord of the quick and of the dead. We have to deal with the mighty Monarch of heaven and earth, Christ. Therefore come, as with faith, because he hath ordained these things to strengthen faith ; so come with reverence, knowing with whom we are to feast and to deal. Consider of these things ; and then I hope that God will vouchsafe a blessing answerable to the intendment f of his ordinance.
THE SECOND SERMON.
For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be the Lord both of the dead and of the living. — Rom. XIV. 9.
I shewed the dependence in the forenoon ; a Christian, by the Spirit of God in him, he hath a blessed aim at all times. Howsoever he may fail in particulars, yet his aim is right.
This doubt rose from difierence of aims, whether he should please God or man. His doubt rose in pleasing of God, what might please him most ; and because he sees not always what might please him, therefore he carries this honesty, that whatsoever he doth he will do it to the Lord, and what- soever he doth not he will not do it to the Lord. His aim is for good at all times. ♦That is, celebration of the sacrament. — G. t That is, 'intention' = ' design.'— G.
83G cnnisT's exaltation
Now tliia is proved from Uio f,'cncral disposition of Christians. They live and die to the Lord. Tlioreforo their particular actions must be to the Lord. If their whole life and death bo to the Lord, their actions must be to him.
Now he proves their whole life and death arc to the Lord, because they are the Lord's. How doth he prove that they are the Lord's — that is, Jesus Christ's ? Because the text saith here, ' For this end Christ both died, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.'
And surely he is Lord. He will not miss of his end. God never missctii of his end, because he can remove all impediments between him and his end. Now it being Christ's cud to be Lord of the quick and of the dead, he is Lord. If he be Lord, then those that are under him, and led by his Spirit, aim both in life and death to glorify him in all things. This in a word be spoken, for the inference of the words.
' To this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived.'
Here you have a ground and an inference ; an argument and a reasoning from it.
The argument or ground is, * Christ died, and rose, and revived.'
That that riseth thence is, ' That he might be Lord both of the dead and of the livi)i(/.'
In the gx'ound itself I told you how Christ died as a public person, as the ' second Adam,' &c. ; and now here you are to take notice likewise that he rose again as a public person, as the ' second Adam,' &c.
And likewise he revived, not to die again, as in his first life. When he began to live, he began to die ; but when he revived he did not die again. He lives for ever to make intercession for us in heaven. Christ never dies again, Kom. vi. 8, seq. He rose to a life that shall never end ; for the divine nature doth flow into his human nature, and doth immediately inspire such a spiritual life into it, as it lives for ever, by virtue of the Spirit of Christ actuating, and stirring, and moving him, as his natural life did here, when he was upon the earth.
* Christ died, and rose, and revived.'
To what end is all this ? What is grounded hence ? That Christ therefore is Lord of quick and dead ? This is inferred from all three.
* Christ died,' that he might reconcile us to God by his death, satisfying justice ; and so justice being fully satisfied, he might have his end in being Lord of his church. He had a mind to marry us, but he could not till he had rescued us. Therefore to rescue us out of divine justice, and from the tyranny of Satan, God's jailor, he made satisfaction to divine justice. As for Satan he brought us out of his kingdom by strong hand ; and so doth continually by the power of his Spirit. Now hereupon it must needs be that he must be Lord of that he paid so dear a price for.