Beloved, all this was for us; and then after the dispensation was finished for us, after God's justice was satisfied for us, there was no more stop or stay of his glory. But then his divine nature did flow into his human nature ; and then his human nature became glorious, so glorious as it was capable of what he did for us. Therefore it is good to think of the love of Christ, that he considered us and not himself in that his abasement, as the Scripture runs in that strain : ' To us a Son is given, for us a child is born,' Isa. ix. G. He died for us. He gave himself for us. He rose for us. He ascended for us. He sits at the right hand of God for us. Him- eelf indeed hath glory, but together with us. And therefore when we think of the glory of Christ, think of us in him. When we see him born, think he was born for me ; when we see him die, think we die with him ; when we see him buried, think ourselves buried with him. So in the state of exaltation, when we see him rise, and sit at the right hand of God, think he is there to prepare a place for me. Whatsoever he hath, or whatsoever he did, he regards us in all; therefore it some- what obscures the glory and the love of Christ to us, to conceive that he had a self-respect in these things, when he saith in the text, ' For this end Christ died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord of quick and dead.' I beseech you, consider whose goods he respects in this lordship. Is it not a profitable lordship for us ? Is it not for our good that he is our Lord in life and in death ? and not only our Lord, but the Lord of Satan, of death, and of all our enemies. He is Lord over all, saith the apostle, ' God over all, blessed for ever,' Bom. ix. 5. Therefore he is Lord over sin, over death, over hell, over all that we need to fear. It is for us. Therefore our good is intended. Though there be a redundance of glory in Christ, in all these things, yet think he respects our good. The best meditation of Christ is to think all is for us.
Beloved, is it not a great mercy that he should stop the issue and the beams of glory, that should otherwise have come upon his human nature, that he should be content to be in the shape of a servant, and be eclipsed in regard of manifestation, and abase himself to the death of the cross, and all for our redemption, when he might have gone to glory another way ? But as one of the ancients saith well, ' If he had gone to heaven another way, he might have come thither himself, but he could not have helped us that way ; therefore he would go to heaven by way of abasement and con-
VOL. V. z
854 Christ's kxaltation
ccalmont, and stopping,' that of his f^lory that ho mij^lit help us and pay the price to God for us and reconcile us ' (»/). I beseech you, let us see his love to us in all this. Enough for that question, which I would not have men- tioned, but that it hath a special use and comfort, and may be an incentive to kindle love to Christ regarding us in his birth and life and death, in his resurrection, in his ascension, in his glory, in all.
To draw to a conclusion therefore ; Christ is our Lord both in life and death. It is for ever. Oh beloved, therefore I beseech thee, let us pro- ject for his glory for ever as much as we can. He is our Lord. When we are dead, he is Lord of our souls, of our happiness. Wo are nearer him then than we are now. He that is my Lord both living and dying and for ever, shall I not labour that when I am dead there may be a church here ? that when I am dead posterity may serve him, and be subject to him ? Shall he for ever be Lord for my good, and shall not I as much as lieth in me, lay a foundation for ever in his service, that when I can serve him no longer myself, then posterity may serve him ?
It was a cursed wish of a pagan emperor, When I am dead, let heaven and earth be mingled if they will (»). But a Christian thinks, Christ is mine, and for my good both living and d^'ing ; nay, I have more good by him when I am dead than alive ; therefore I will labour that he may have glory in his church bj'' me and mine, and all my counsels and projects shall be that it may be for ever and ever, world without end. Therefore they desire that God may be served and glorified in the church for ever, as he is their Lord living and dying.
And let it be our comfort in the hour of death — that may be nearer us than we are aware of — that he is not only Lord of the living, but of those that are dead. He hath the keys both ' of hell and death ;' that is, he hath the government of death ; and therefore shall I be afraid to commit my soul to Christ ? What a ground is this comfortably to yield our souls to Christ ! Lord, take the soul that thou diedst to purchase, that thou didst rise again to justify, that thou dost live now in heaven to make intercession for, that thou hast given thy Holy Spirit in some measure to sanctify ; take this soul to thee ! It is thy soul as much and more than mine ; I am not mine own, nor my soul is not my own. ' Into thy hands I commend even thy spirit ; for thou hast redeemed me, 0 Lord of truth,' Acts vii. 59. Thou hast redeemed this soul of mine, therefore now take this soul, that thou by thy Spirit hast wrought in some poor measure to desire to please thee : that soul that thou hast sprinkled with thy own blood ; take that soul, for thou art Lord both living and dying. And what a comfort is it, when death shall close up our eyes, that we can look forward and see then our- selves nearer Christ ; for then we go to Christ our husband, as Paul saith, ' I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, which is best of all,' Philip, i. 23. When a Christian thinks at death, Now I am changing for the better ; Christ will not leave me at the hour of death, neither dying nor living, but will watch over my dust. My dead body is a member of Christ. Death may separate body and soul, but it cannot separate soul or body from him ; therefore take no thought for body or soul. For my soul I know he will receive it ; and my body, as a good depositiim, is laid up in the dust. He watches over all the dust and ashes and everything, and will make the earth faithful in giving up that depositum. He is Lord of me dying as well as living. Shall I be afraid to die, when in death I commend my soul to such a sweet Lord, and go to my husband and to my king ? And that is the end of the sacrament, for the word and sacrament are