a principle of divinity among the rest that a Christian is not his owne man now but he is under Christ and this is a comfort both in life and death at all times as the Psalmist saith My times are in thy hands Lord hee saith not my time but my times are in thy hand so wee may say our times are in Christs hands our time of being borne our time of living and dying and when wee are dead our time of rising againe our time the whole current of our time is in thy hands not in the devills hands not in our enemies hands beloved for they would make short worke with us then but our times are in our Lords hands Christ is the Lord of our times the Lord of our life and death and when we are dead he is a Lord for ever for he lives for ever and therefore hee is for ever a Lord. Beloved wee doe not live and dye at the devotion and good pleasure of any man whatsoever they cannot stirre so much as a hayre from our head without the will of this Lord all the devills in hell cannot stirre a haire of our head I say nor all men that are acted by the Spirit of the devill they may threaten punishment but alas they can doe no more then this Lord of Lords will give them leave therefore it is a point of wondrous comfort Oh but will a poore soule say Christ indeed is Lord of the living and of the dead but I finde a great deale of corruption in me c. and I am a sinner Why he is Lord over thee hee hath a sweete Lordship over thee as well as a commanding Lordship he is not onely a King but a husband as it is Ephes. 5. He gave him selfe to purge his Church and to make his Church fit by little and little thou hast sinne and corruption but thou hast a mercifull husband that will beare with the weaker vessell doth he command others to doe that and will hee not practise that that hee enjoynes others undoubtedly he will and therefore it is a comfort it is a sweete government and subjection as of the husband over the wife Christ purgeth and clenseth his Church hee doth not cast it away For I beseech you consider he that dyed for his Church and children when they were enemies will he cast them away now they are poore friends and desire to please him as Saint Paul divinely reasoneth Rom. 5. Much more shall wee be saved by his life If he saved us by his death much more now by his life being in heaven consider he rose and lives for ever therefore will he cast us away for some imperfections that dyed for us when we were enemies hee that will not quench the smoaking flaxe nor break the brused reede will hee cast away his poore children that strive against their corruptions hee will not nay he hath promised where he hath begunne a good worke hee will finish it to the day of the Lord though it goe but slowly forward yet that beginning is a pledge of proceeding God will never remove his hand from his owne worke till he have brought it to perfection therefore let any soule comfort it selfe that will come under this Lord in a word what greater comfort can wee have than this that he is such a Lord over us as is Lord over all things in the world besides for hee could not be Lord of his Church except hee were Lord over hell and all power were subject to him now being so hee is such a Lord of the Church as can restraine the power of all other creatures whatsoever because else they might annoy the Church and affront him in his government by opposition if he were not Lord of all things else as well as of the church but this is the comfort of a Christian hee is under a Lord that is Lord of of all the enemies of the Church and he is so Lord over them till by little and little hee make them his footestoole that that is begun in this world shall bee consumate hereafter by that Lordship nay he will make all the enterprizes of the very enemies of his Church whatsoever serviceable to his poore Church for as the Apostle saith All things are yours because yee are Christs he is such a Lord as that besides himselfe being ours hee makes all the world ours yea the devill is ours for in spight of him whatsoever he doth it is ordained to the salvation of the Church the Churches enemies are the servants of the Church the unvoluntary servants for they waken the Church and scoure it God ray seth them up for the exercise of the Church and when he hath done you know what course he takes with them so then he is Lord not only over all but hee over-rules their actions for the good of the Church whatsoever they are and hee makes all the indeavours and plots of the enemy for the Churches good all is yours life and death though it bee death by tyrants all kinde of death whatsoever it is yours what a comfort is this that wee are under such a Lord as this Especially what a comfort is this at the houre of death when Christ that hath ruled us all our life time before will take then the government and possession of that Iewell that he hath bought with such a price our precious soule that when wee must part with friends and part with this sweete body that the soule so much loved and with the world and all things in the world then Christ wil owneus for his when the world wil owne us no longer Therefore mee thinkes Christians should be at a poynt for life or death hee never goes out of the dominion of Christ nay hee is nearer Christ hee is more Christs if there bee any comparison to bee made when hee is dead then when hee is alive Blessed are those that dye in the Lord. To apply this a little to the present occasion here in this Sacrament we are to have Communion with this Lord of his death and resurrection For what is the Sacrament but are presentation of his body broken and of his blood powred out for us that hee might be Lord over us The more communion 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 wee are Christs 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 Scepter of his Kingdome whereby hee rules the Sacrament is the seale of the word therefore all good subjects that submit themselves to the Kingdome of Christ must submit themselves to this sweet ordinance of Christ that he hath ordained for our good the word and Sacraments thereby we shall finde the effectuall working of his Spirit in us subjecting the whole inward man to his graciovs governement but having spoken
rising therefore a new Sabbath Saint Iohn saith I was in the Spirit upon the Lords day If a man be ever in the Spirit it is upon the Lords day when the Lord of the day doth honour his people giving them to enjoy his Ordinances and joyning effectually with them maketh them full of the Spirit and raiseth up our dead hearts after him And revived Why is this added to rising againe Hee revived To shew that hee rose never to dye againe and that indeede hee never meant to lay aside that body againe as once he had to dye for us Consonant hereunto is that Revel 1. 18. Behold I was dead and am alive and I live for evermore I have the keyes of death and of hell Hee lives for evermore as Heb. 7. Hee sits for evermore at the right hand of God there making intercession for us He dies no more Againe this revived is added to shew the kind of his life differing from that life hee lived before that life he lived before he dyed was supported with meate and drinke and refreshings even as our poore lives are It was a life subject to death that he dyed in but after his Resurrection except it were for a particular dispensation to confirme the faith of his Disciples he needed no more to eate or drinke or sleepe or any naturall supports and helpes for he was enlivened immediately by the Spirit of God which flowed into him he was full of the Spirit and that did supply all other things whatsoever Even as in heaven God shall be all in all that is hee shall be so immediately to us to supply all as we shall neither eate nor drinke nor sleepe nor have magistrates nor ministers but the Spirit of God will be all in all so it was with this life of our blessed Saviour when he revived the Spirit supplyed the absence of all other supports whatsoever that he used before he dyed And indeed our Saviour Christ came to bestow that life upon us that he lived after his Resurrection not this naturall life of ours that needes meate and drinke and refreshing this is not that life that Christ specially aimed at when he came to dye but that spirituall and eternall life that he lived after the Resurrection a life not subject to death a spirituall life not needing any created support whatsoever You see the grounds the inference from these grounds follow in these words That he might bee Lord both of the dead and of the living The ground hath three branches death resurrection and reviving how all these doe flow and give strength to this inference I will touch in the particulars First then Christ dyed that hee might be Lord of the dead and of the living Christ dyed 1 Pet. 3. to offer himselfe a sacrifice to redeeme us by his precious blood wee are not redeemed with Gold or Silver but with the blood of Christ hee could not be our Lord till hee had bought us now his death was the price of our redemption I say redemption not emption a thing may be bought that was never sold away before now we were sold to Sathan and under a contrary government now Christ satisfying divine justice redeemes us he buyes us againe wee had subjected our selves to the devill and put our selves under his regiment till we were ransomed by Christ now Christ shall have no right to us till the price be paid to divine justice for mercy must have justice satisfied the attributes of God must not fight one against another Christ therefore is Lord of us because by death he gave full content to divine justice so that now notwithstanding justice yet we are Christs and are saved nay now the justice of God helpes us the most terrible attribute justice is a ground of comfort for it stands not with justice to have the same debt paid twice For God is just and faithfull saith the Apostle so then you see there is a ground from death why wee are the Lords we are Christs because we cost him deare hee hath paid a price for us that is worth more then the whole world Now God shewed his love in nothing more then in this that he parted with that that is next himselfe the greatest his Sonne who being God yet dyed in that nature that could dye to redeeme us and hereupon becommeth Lord. Secondly Hee rose againe therefore he is Lord of the quicke and dead First because his rising againe was a manifestation that his death was a ful satisfaction to divine justice or else our sinnes should have kept him in the grave still hee being our surety but our surety being out of prison it is a signe hee hath fully discharged all our debt and the price is paid If the surety and the creditor be agreed we know the debt is paid Secondly in that hee rose againe he is Lord because in rising againe he entred into the possession and exercise of that Lordship that he had purchased The right is one thing and the use and possession of the right is another Christ was Lord of us before he dyed he was Lord of us when he dyed but hee did not enter into possession of this Lordship till he rose againe Therefore he saith All power is given to me both in heaven and earth when hee was ready to goe up to heaven to shew that by his resurrection the right hee had by death was manifest Lastly because his rising againe shewed that the father was fully pacified he obtained the gift of the Spirit which next Christ himselfe is the greatest gift God gave his Sonne first and then the Spirit that comes from the Father and the Sonne The Spirit was not given till his resurrection and ascension as it is Iohn 7. Why because till all enemies were fully subdued by his death and witnessed to be subdued by his resurrection the Spirit could not be so fully given the Spirit being a declaration of the good will of God that sent it Now when the enemies of Christ were tryumphed over and God had shewed by the raising of his Sonne againe that he was fully satisfied Then the Spirit comes as the Son of Gods favour which Spirit doth enable us to be subject to Christ and makes us come under Christs Kingdome which is a spirituall government Wherefore because he obtained the Spirit for his members upon his resurrection thereupon is the inference good he rose againe therefore he is Lord of the quicke and of the dead Thirdly Hee revived therefore he is Lord of the quicke and of the dead reviving and taking such a life as is not subject to death any more hee is now in heaven to make good that he purchased on earth He revived I say 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 hee hath gathered all the Elect and brought his Church out of the
world and made his enemies his footestoole You see then the ground is good and the inference is good Christ dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord of the quicke 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 Ius in rem personas it is a right and where it is ful it is a right with possession either in things or persons But what manner of Lordship is this Christ is an universall 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 sweetenes So Christs government is with unspeakeable with unconceiveable sweetenesse He is Lord as the elder brother as the first begotten is over the rest for he is the first begotten among the dead this likewise is a sweete governement 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 Subjects It is not a derived happinesse they injoy the head and the subjects Christ accounts himselfe happy in his Church which is his fullnesse the Church is the fulnesse of him that filleth all things Ephe. 1. And more especially is the Church most happy in this governement it is such a Lordship as is indeed altogether for the good of the Subjects To us a Childe is borne to us a Sonne is given He dyed and rose and revived and all is for us a Christian may say of Christ that he is totus in meos usus expensus as one well said he is all mine hee is all expended for my use and profit It is such a Lordship as makes all his subjects Kings therefore it is said Rev. 1. He loved us and gave himselfe for us to purge his Church as it is Ephe. 5. 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 Gods children are Kings even the meanest servant that is any where in the world in spirituall respects is a King what a Lord and King is this that makes all his servants Kings You see therefore as Christ is an universall Lord and also he is a peculiar Lord over his Church Againe hee is an independant Lord onely his Father joynes with him in all he is subordinate to his Father as mediator but hee is independant in respect of all humane authority whatsoever all humane authority is derived from him By me Princes raigne c. His government in regard of all those governements is altogether independant therefore hee is called the Lord of Lords and King of Kings hee is Lord Paramount as we say over all and they all are or should be dependant upon him And likewise he is a Lord of the whole man body and soule he is a Spirituall Lord He commands not the body onely but the Soule he sits in the throne of conscience especially and there he subdues the conscience and the soule to him there he prescribes lawes to the conscience and pacifies the conscience and stablisheth conscience and settles it against all feares and terrours whatsoever he is Lord of body and soule especially of the soule he bowes the necke of the inward man and brings it wholly to be subject to him he layes his command upon the very soule it selfe And he is an eternall Lord you see here he is Lord of the quicke and of the dead all other Lords have nothing to doe with men when they are dead they can doe them no more harme they have some power indeed over their dead bodies but alas that is senselesse their government ends in death because they are Lords over the outward man onely but Christs Lordship is when we are gone hence and then more especially for then wee are more immediately with him wee are nearer the fountaine when our soules are gone to him that gave them I desire saith S. Paul to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all especially then hee is Lord when wee are gone hence 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 sutable vertues 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 hee purchased it and his Father gave it him he gave him the heathen for his possession and All power is given to me in heaven and earth and hee hath full authority as it is Iohn 17. Thou hast given me power over all flesh hee hath then authority Secondly he hath all graces and vertues fit for a Lord and governour hee hath Righteousnesse Wisedome bounty affections c. we neede not make doubt of it for he is the spring of all these in others his scepter is a Scepter of righteousnesse Thirdly hee hath strength 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 fulnesse of all These things premised let us make some use of all But first let us see why it s sayd 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 therefore he is Lord of those that were dead before as well as of those that are alive now and that shall dye after he is Lord of the dead and of the living Now for use first where he saith For this end It is a point wondrous pregnant and full of very comfortable use first shewing that the grounds of a Christians faith and comfort are very strong as you see how the holy Ghost dwells upon the argument For this end saith he Christ dyed and rose againe and revived that he might be Lord of the quicke and of the dead God doth all to ends it being a point of wisedome to prefixe an end and worke to it If God hath an end and providence in the haires that fall from our heads hath he not a farre greater in disposing of things for the good of the Church His Sonne is given to death and raysed againe it is for the greatest end in the world being the greatest worke the greatest worke hath the greatest end such was
of this subject at large heretofore I only desire you to raise up your thoughts to consider whom you have to deale with with him that is Lord of the quicke and of the dead we have to deale 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 wee are to feast and to deale consider of these things and then I hope that God will vouchsafe a blessing answerable to the intendment of his ordinance THE SECOND SERMON ON ROM 14. 9. For to this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived that he might be the Lord both of the dead and of the living I Shewed the dependance in the forenoone a Christian by the Spirit of God in him hee hath a blessed aime at all times howsoever hee may faile in particulars yet his ayme is right This doubt rose from difference of aymes whether he should please God or man his doubt rose in pleasing of God what might please him most and because hee sees not alwaies what might please him therefore he carries this honesty that whatsoever he doth he will doe it to the Lord and whatsoever he doth not he will not doe it to the Lord his ayme is for good at all times Now this is proved from the generall disposition of Christians they live and dye to the Lord therefore their particular actions must be to the Lord if their whole life and death bee to the Lord their actions must bee to him Now hee proves their whole life and death are to the Lord because they are the Lords how doth he prove that they are the Lords that is Iesus Christs because the Text saith here For this end Christ both dyed and revived that he might bee Lord both of the dead and of the living And surely he is Lord he will not misse of his end God never misseth of his end because hee can remove all impediments betweene him and his end Now it being Christs end to be Lord of the quicke and of the dead hee is Lord if he be Lord then those that are under him and led by his Spirit aime both in life and death to glorifie him in all things This in a word be spoken for the inference of the words To this end Christ both dyed 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 dyed and rose and revived That that riseth thence is that he might be Lord both of the dead of of the living In thē ground it selfe I told you how Christ dyed as a publicke person as the second Adam c. and now here you are to take notice likewise that hee rose againe as a publicke person as the second Adam c. And likewise hee rēvived not to dye againe as in his first life when hee beganne to live hee beganne to dye but when hee revived he did not dye againe he lives for ever to make intercession for us in heaven Christ never dyes againe Rom. 6. he rose to a life that shall never end for the divine nature doth flow into his humane nature and doth immediately inspire such a spirituall life into it as it lives for ever by vertue of the Spirit of Christ actuating and stirring and moving him as his naturall life did here when hee was upon the earth Christ dyed and rose and revived To what end is all this what is grounded hence that Christ therefore is Lord of quicke and dead this is inferred from all three Christ dyed that hee might reconcile us to God by his death satisfying justice and so justice being fully satisfyed hee might have his end in being Lord of his Church hee had a minde to marry us but he could not till hee had rescued us therefore to rescue us out of divine justice and from the tyranny of Sathan Gods gaoler he made satisfaction to divine justice As for Sathan hee brought us out of his kingdome by strong hand and so doth continually by the power of his Spirit Now hereupon it must needes bee that hee must be Lord of that hee paid so deare a price for And then he rose againe for this end that he might be Lord because howsoever hee had a title to be Lord of the Church by the union of the humane nature with the divine he was Lord alway yet in regard of the exercise of his Lordship it was deferred till his glorious resurrection and ascention then that that lay hid before Christs divine power majesty and Lordship that appeared and manifested it selfe as it is Rom. 1. He was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God by the resurrection from the dead he was the Sonne of God before but then it was a kinde of begetting because it was then manifest things are sayd in Scripture and Divinity to be when they are apparent to be so this day of the resurrection Christ was begotten because it was apparent then by raising himselfe from the dead that he was the onely begotten Sonne of God now that made way for his Lordship for after his resurrection God gave him power over all things in heaven and earth and then upon the resurrection he had the Spirit in more aboundance having conquered all enemies betweene God and us therefore he was fit to be Lord by that because he could give the Spirit to them over whom hee meant to rule But then in his owne person he rising triumphed over all opposite enemies whatsoever over death the last enemie and over Sathan sinne and the Law having cancelled all surely he hath over-ruled all for himselfe he will over-rule all for his Church and people and therefore hee rose againe to bee Lord of quicke and dead and he may well be because he is Lord of quicke and dead in his owne person hee is Lord over all in his owne person and therefore he is Lord over the Church and all the enemies of the Church so farre as the enemies seized upon his person so farre hee overcame them all he hath as much care of his misticall person the Church as he had on his owne body and more too for he gave that for the other And then he revived to be Lord over all that is he lives for ever to make good what hee hath gotten by his death hee will not lose the price of his owne blood he is in heaven to appeare before God and sits at the right hand of God and rules there till he have made all his enemies his footestoole till he draw his Church home to heaven to himselfe he lives for ever as the Apostle saith to make intercession hereupon it must needes bee that by living for ever he is fitly qualified to bee Lord over all the quicke now I proceede That he might be Lord both of quicke and dead Christ is Lord both of the dead and of the
glory of Christ thinke of us in him when we see him borne thinke he was borne for me when wee see him dye thinke wee dye with him when wee see him buried thinke our selves buried with him so in the state of exaltation when wee see him rise and sit at the right hand of God thinke he is there to prepare a place for me whatsoever hee hath or whatsoever he did he regards us in all therefore it somewhat obscures the glory and the love of Christ to us to conceive that he had a selfe-respect in these things when he saith in the text For this end Christ dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord of quicke and dead I beseech you consider whose good 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 not only our Lord but the Lord of Sathan of death and of all our enemies he is Lord over all saith the Apostle God over all blessed for ever therfore he is Lord over sinne over death over hell over all that we neede to feare it is for us therefore our good is intended though there be a redundance of glory in Christ in all these things yet thinke hee respects our good the best meditation of Christ is to thinke all is for us Beloved is it not a great mercy that hee should stop the issue and the beames of glory that should otherwise have come upon his humane nature that he should be content to be in the shape of a servant and bee eclipsed in regard of manifestation and abase himselfe to the death of the crosse 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 hee might have come thither himselfe but hee could not have helped us that way therefore he would goe to heaven by way of abasement and concealement and stopping that of his glory that he might helpe 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 mentioned but that it hath a speciall 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 ascention 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 you let us project for his glory for ever as much as we can he is our Lord when we are dead he is the Lord of our soules of our happines we are nearer him then than we are now hee that is my Lord both living and dying and for ever shall not I 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 lyeth in me lay a foundation for ever in his service that when I can serve him no longer my selfe then posterity may serve him It was a cursed wish of a Pagan Emperour when I am dead let heaven and earth be mingled if they will but a Christian thinkes Christ is mine and for my good both living and dying 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 by 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 houre of death that may bee nearer us then we are aware off that he is not onely Lord of the living but of those that are dead he hath the keyes both of hell and death that is he hath the government of death and therefore shall I be afraid to commit my soule to Christ what a ground is this comfortably to yeeld our soules to Christ Lord take the soule thatthou dyedst to purchase that thou didst rise againe-to justifie that thou dost live now in heaven to make intercession for that thou hast given thy holy Spirit in some measure to sanctifie take this soule to thee it is thy soule as much and more than mine I am not mine owne nor my soule is not my owne Into thy hands I commend even thy Spirit for thou hast redeemed me oh Lord of truth thou hast redeemed this soule of mine therefore now take this soule that thou by thy Spirit hast wrought in some poore measure to desire to please thee that soule that thou hast sprinkled with thy owne blood take that soule for thou art Lord both living and dying and what a comfort is it when death shall close up our eyes that we can looke forward and see then our selves nearer Christ for then we goe to Christ our husband as Paul saith I desire to be dissolved and to bee with Christ which is best of all when a Christian thinkes at death now I am changing for the better Christ will not leave me at the houre of death neither dying nor living butwill watch over my dust my dead body is a member of Christ death may separate body and soule but it cannot separate soule or body from him therefore take no thought for body or soule for my soule I know hee will receive it and my body as a good depositum is layd up in the dust hee watches over all the dust and ashes and every thing and will make the earth faithfull in giving up that depositum he is Lord of me dying as well as living shall I be afrayd to dye when in death I commend my soule to such a sweete Lord and goe to my husband and to my King And that is the end of the Sacrament for the Word and Sacrament are parts of the regiment of Christ whereby he rules his Church hee rules his Church outwardly by the Word and Sacraments and inwardly by his Spirit his holy Spirit makes good his owne good meanes and therefore as the subjects of Christ I beseech you let us come to the ordinance of Christ he is such a Lord as doth great things by despised meanes bread and wine poore meanes but consider what a mighty Lord useth them for our soules good and it is his glory to magnifie himselfe by base and weake meanes hee goes contrary to the course of the world that stands all upon outward excellency therefore let no man stumble at the meannesse of the meanes but consider what great things he workes by the foolishnesse of Preaching and the meannesse of his Ordinances the Sacraments he beates downe strong holds he builds us up in Christ to Salvation hee communicates himselfe and all his benefits to us therefore I beseech you come with faith come with this perswasion Christ will blesse his own Ordinance and come with comfort Christ communicates himselfe to us the nearer we come to the fountaine the more wee draw And come with preparation know with whom wee have to deale with him that is Lord of quicke and dead come with reverence but these things I have oft upon this occasion stood upon so much for this Text. FJNJS Quest. Ans. 2. Independantly 3. Lord in the whole man 4. An Eternall Lord. 5. An Excellent Lord. Why the dead are put before the living Vse 2. Answ. Simil. Object Answ. Object Answ.
of a true Christian as a Christian is most triumphant over he is a King over those things for every subject of this Prince is a King Christs manner of government is hid now there is more reallity in this then can be expressed therefore wonder not In a word Christ as our Lord binds himselfe to bring us to glory never to leave us till hee hath brought us to that place that he is in himselfe Father I will that where I am they be also and hee purgeth his Church Ephes. 5. That he may make it a glorious Church he takes upon him not onely to dye to redeeme us from hell and damnation and to set us in a state of favour with his father but to goē on in a course of fitting us till he have brought us to the glorions condition that he is in it lyes upon him to doe it therefore let us doe our duty as wee shall see after and let him alone with that that belongs to him For our selves beloved this is our honour that we are under such a King such a Lord both living and dying it was the honour of those that lived in Solomons time that they were under such a wise Prince the Queene of Sheba judged it so but what an honour is it to a Christian now that he is under such a blessed Prince as Christ is It is a great honour to be the Spouse of such a husband to be the subject of such a King to be members of such a head and therefore we should oft thinke of it to put honourable thoughts into us and I know no greater way to keepe us from sinne from base courses than to have our thoughts strayned to this high point to thinke of the dignity of a Christian what a condition he is now brought unto in Christ and what hee shall bee brought unto ere long this should make him honourable to himselfe to make him in a holy state to thinke himselfe too good to defile his soule or body that is so dearely bought and so highly advanced shall such a man as I flee saith Nehemiah oh looke to that shall such a man as I flee It is the honour beloved of a Christian that hee is Christs living and dying But you will say an honour it is an honour to be free the subject is bound non sumus nati c. as the heathen man sayd we are not borne to slavery but to honour and liberty and it is an appetite ingrafted in man to desire freedome above all things It is true In regno nati sumus Deo c. wee are borne in a Kingdome and to serve Christ is to reigne for where there is a subordination it is a prerogative to be under a better as for the body being baser than the soule it is for the good of it to be under the soule because it is more excellent it hath life and wisedome the body is a loathsome dead thing of it selfe the sheepe being a weake simple creature shiftlesse to bee guided by a sheepeherd who is of a superiour nature and wise to defend it it is its security and safety for the Vine that is a weak plant of it selfe to have support it is for the good of it for man that is in a subordination to a higher nature to God for him to be under the government of Christ God man of God in our nature it is a great honour as they could say in the Schooles every thing hath its perfection by being subject to a superiour except the highest of all which is not subordinate but independant whatsoever is dependant hath its perfection by dependance therefore it is an honour that we bee under Christ the greatest honour in the world especially if wee consider what manner of government Christs is it is a rationall government agreeable to our principles for he guides us as a Prophet he is not onely a King but a Prophet to teach us he saith not you shall doe this he stands not upon tearmes of will no he is a Prophet to teach us what wee should obey he convinceth us and then useth us that we would not but be der such a government and then when hee rules our will he doth it sweetly he drawes it with the cords of a man as the Prophet speakes that is by allurements he brings us to heaven by way of love and intisements what greater rewards can there be thought of than those that Christ leades us by and drawes us to subjection by and therefore hee workes upon our will sweetely by perswading us by allurements in that kinde In a word he is such a King as is a husband would you have a milder governement then that of a husband which though it be not a parity yet it comes as neare as can be such a governement is Christs as hee is a King so hee is a husband hee knowes how to beare with the infirmities of his Church he that bids the husband to favour the wife as the weaker vessell doth not hee practise his owne principles will not he favour his owne spouse as the weaker vessell think you that hath promised not to quench the smoking flax and breake the bruised reed undoubtedly he will Therefore it is an honour to bee under the governement of Christ so rationally and sweetely hee drawes us with the cords of a man it is the government of a husband and of a wise husband I doe but give a taste you may inlarge them in your owne meditations And as it is our honour so it is our security and safety to bee under him why because when wee come sweetely under Christs governement we need feare nothing he that feares Christ all things feare him since Christ hath taken our nature upon him the devill himselfe is afraid of mans nature he trembles to think God hath appeared in our nature now hee is afraid of a Christian God hath taken this nature Then hee is such a King as wee may be secure under him as a universall King over all things that he may be King over his Church for hee hath all power in heaven and earth Mat. 28. All power is given to mee in heaven and earth and all for the governement of his Church it is our security to bee under him that governes al things for the good of the Church he saith Iohn 17. Thou hast given mee power over all flesh Christ hath all power given to him in relation to his Church therefore hee hath power over the devill over hell and over all wicked men and all Monarches and opposite power is subject to him that they shall serve the Church when they doe scourge the Church they are but Christs rod they are but instrumentall to Christ they doe but his worke therefore it is a great security and we need to feare none if we be under Christ. Againe to goe on as it is our honour and security so it is a Spring of duty Christ is