of base sinners, that they must be ruled by another; and indeed our happiness and security consists in being ruled by another higher than ourselves. We are not fit to be our own governors. St Paul saith to the Galatians, 'an heir in his non-age differeth little from a servant,' Gal. iv. 1. So it is with Christians. Till they be in heaven they differ little from servants; and therefore they must be under tutors and government.

And as it is a comfortable, so it is an honourable condition; for Christ's servants are so many kings. Christ is served of none but kings, and such kings as do not rule over slaves, but such kings as in Christ rule over the greatest and terriblest enemies of all. A Christian can think with comfort and encouragement upon those enemies that make the greatest tyrants of the world to quake; he can think of death, of sin, of damnation, of judgment, of the law of all these things Christ's kingdom is another manner of kingdom than the kingdom of the world. They are poor kingdoms; their monarch's head must lie as low as the basest subject they have. They know not how soon, and perhaps have a more terrible account to give than any other under them. It is not so in Christ's kingdom.

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Therefore those Christians that are afraid of death, they forget their dignity; they forget him on whom they depend, for Christ is Lord both of the quick and of the dead.' If so be Christ be their Lord when they die, what need they fear to die? And therefore let us comfort ourselves when God calls for us. He is our Lord as well when we die as while we live, and more too; for then our souls have more immediate communion with him. Can there be more comfort than this, that we have a Lord ever that died for us, that rose for us, and lives for ever, and doth immortalise his subjects too? Join these together, an ever-living Lord and ever-living subjects, co-existent, I mean, for the time to come. We indeed have a beginningChrist hath none as God-but we have an eternal state to be for ever, and an eternal Lord to rule us for ever, and to make us happy for ever. What comfort is more than this, that howsoever there be variety of conditions in this world, we live, we die, we are in prosperity, we are in misery; yet here is no variety in the state of salvation. Christ is not a Lord to-day and none to-morrow; but 'yesterday, to-day, and the same for ever,' Heb. xiii. 8.

2. Again, As it is a point of comfort, so it is also of duty. If Christ be our Lord in life and death, our duty is to look to him in life and death, to live and die to him. For our aim must answer his aim, if we ever intend to come to heaven; for we are understanding creatures, and have a communion with him in a poor measure. Therefore what he will make his end must be our end. His end was that whether we live or die he might rule over us. Our end should be, in life and death to be ruled by him.

How shall we live to Christ?

We live to Christ—this is a ground of all other duties that follow-when we know and acknowledge Christ hath a full interest in us, by being our head, by being our husband, by being our king, our elder brother. He hath all the sweet interest to us that any relation can inright* (g) him to; for all other relations among men are but shadows of that grand relation. There only is the reality of things. He is a true head, a true king, a true elder brother, a true husband to his church. All ours are but poor representations of those glorious things. Then know and acknowledge so much. That is the ground of all living to him.

Upon knowing and acknowledging issues all other obedience in our life to Christ. Those that thus acknowledge Christ, they must be directed by * That is, entitle by right. Leighton uses 'inrighted.' Cf. Note g.-G.

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his will, and not their own. As a servant as far as he is a servant, and a wife so far as she is a wife, they have no will of their own, so he that lives to Christ and acknowledgeth him to be a Lord, he must have no will of his own, but he must live according to the will of Christ, as you have it excellently set down, 1 Peter iv. 1, 2, Christ suffered for us in the flesh. Let us arm ourselves therefore with the same mind; for he that suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin, that he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh, to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.' It is a comment upon this place, 'Christ died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord of the quick and of the dead;' that is, that we might live according to his will, and not after our own. Do you think our Saviour Christ would so far deny himself to leave heaven, to take upon himself our base nature, and be so far abased in it, to let us live as we list? Oh no; we must live

the rest of our days, not according to the lusts of men, or our own lusts, but according to the will of God; and therefore as the apostle admonisheth, Rom. xii. 2, we must search what is the acceptable will of God in all things.' What is the end of our hearing sermons, of our reading, and all the pains we take in the means of salvation? Not only to know what God will do to us, but what he will have of us. He will have the directing of our lives; and therefore if we live to Christ, we must labour to know his good pleasure to us; what he means to do for us and so his good pleasure with us; what he will have us do again by way of thankfulness. Christ squared his life immediately according to his Father's will. It is written in the volume of thy book, that I should do thy will, O God,' Ps. xl. 7. So all that are Christ's must have the same spirit, to direct all their lives according to his will. Now the most grand things of his will-for his will is in the Scriptures-are that we repent. He commands all to repent. His will is that we believe in him. His will is our sanctification, as it is 1 Thes. iv. 23. His will is that we suffer, and in suffering submit ourselves to him; and the Scriptures is express in many other particulars, but these especially are named, to shew something wherein we must direct ourselves according to his will. But, not to insist upon particulars, in all things we must labour to direct our lives according to his will.

Secondly, That we may live to God, we must aim at the glory of Christ in all things, and at the credit of religion, not at our own credit. If Christ be Lord of the quick and dead, while we live we must not seek our own glory but his. The contrary to this the apostle complains of: All seek their own,' saith he, and not the things that are of the Lord Jesus Christ,' Phil. ii. 21. We must consider what is for the credit of religion and the honour of Christ; and not what is for our own advantage. Is it not good reason that we should seek the glory of him that is Lord over us? Naturally proud man is led with a spirit of self-love; and he seeks himself in all things, even in his religion. So far as it stands with his own lusts he will be religious, and no further. So long as God's will is not contrary to his, he will do God service; but if it cross his will once, then he will give God leave to seek him a servant.

Thus man makes himself an idol; he sets up himself in the room of God; he doth all things, as from himself, so for himself; nor indeed can he do otherwise, till he put off himself wholly, and deny himself—a man cannot go beyond himself but by grace, that raiseth a man above himself. It makes him have an eye to some excellency, out of himself, conformity whereto and interest whereinto will make him happy.

Now that we may aim at Christ in all things, it is good to call ourselves

to account for our aims. Wherefore we live and wherefore we have, are, or do anything, either in grace or nature, it is or should be, not only that we may be saved ourselves, but that Christ in all may be glorified. We need not sever these; for Christ joins them both together; and he that seeks his own salvation seeks the glory of God, because God will be glorified in saving us. The end hath a main influence into all actions; and as it differenceth man from other creatures, that though he do the same action as a beast, he eats and drinks and sleeps, all for another end, for an end beyond himself, because he is a reasonable creature, whereas other creatures rest in themselves. So it differenceth between natural men and Christians; they differ in their aims, not in their actions. Both do the same thing. One doth it for base ends of his own; keeps within the circle of those ends. The other having a light discovering excellencies better than the world can afford, and having another spiritual life above, he is thereby directed to further aims in all; yea, even in his civil actions.

Saint Paul gives a rule, that whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, we should do all to the glory of God,' 1 Cor. x. 31. Though the action be common and civil, not tending directly to the glory of God, as eating, &c., yet our aim should be in it, at Christ and at God, that the body thereby being refreshed may be fit to serve God.

And indeed there is not the commonest action of this life, but we may shew that we have a good end in it, and therein glorify God. Therefore in Scripture it is put as a kind of limitation: Obey in the Lord,' marry in the Lord,' do all things in the Lord; that is, in Christ. He shews that we should do all such things, intimating that as we must go about such enterprises with invocation of the name of the Lord, &c., so chiefly we should do them so far, and no farther, as they may stand with the favour and glory of Christ. In subordinate things, the rule of subordinate things is to do them so far as they may help to the main end. Now the service of all other is subordinate to the service of Christ, and all other bonds are serviceable to the main bond in marriage, or whatsoever may not prejudice the bond of marriage in the Lord; marry not rich, nor honourable, but in the Lord. All things must have their limitation to be done in the Lord; that is, so far as they may stand with pleasing the Lord. Thus we see what it is to live to the Lord with his good pleasure and likening.*

Now an assistant help-of living to the Lord-is a perpetual self-denial of our own wisdom, will, and affections in all things, else we shall live to ourselves, and to the Lord we shall never attain.

But you will say this is a hard saying. True. But consider this one thing, that we are the greatest enemies to ourselves of all; and we carry in ourselves a cursed enmity to all that is divine and supernatural. Naturally we are trained up to our own will, therefore we cannot endure the yoke of Christ without supernatural strength.

Again, Divine things perpetually cross the liking of the soul; whereupon there is an antipathy between us and Christ, and divine things. Therefore there must be self-denial of necessity. Now the knowledge of this will be a good means to enable us to the duty.

Another help to this, of living to Christ, is to complain of ourselves to Christ, as Saint Paul, Rom. vii. 24, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me?' &c.; to inform against our rebellions, that we live too much to the flesh and too little to the Spirit, too much to ourselves and too little to Christ, by reason of that principle of flesh and blood, and to * Qu.'liking'?-ED.

desire him to captivate all,* and bring all in subjection by his Spirit. This is alway a sign of a man led by the Spirit, that it directs him to Christ. The Spirit, as it comes from Christ, and the Father, so it directs to Christ, to the pleasing of the Father, and of Christ in all things.

Here I might take just occasion to reprove a company of men that live under the gospel, that will be saved by Christ forsooth, but will not have Christ a Lord to rule over them. They will be ruled by rules of state, or rules of flesh and blood, and their own lusts, by the rules of hell sometime, so that they may have their own aims, their own ambition satisfied, and raise themselves to their own pitch; a disposition cursed, and opposite to that religion which they profess. For our life should be a living to Christ, and under Christ a living to the church and state. But say they, 'Let us break their bonds, and cast their cords from us,' Ps. ii. 3. What! do they think we will be awed with a company of poor preachers? Away with them! We will have our own wills; let us break their bonds in sunder. Christ sits in heaven, and laughs them all to scorn, Ps. ii. 4. They shall know at length he will be no Saviour where he is no Lord. If he may not rule them by his Spirit and holy directions while they live, he will not own them when they die. For you see the text joins both here, 'he died,' and he is Lord.'

When he died there came water and blood out of his side, to shew that he came not only to shed his blood, to die, and to satisfy divine justice, but by water to cleanse us, and to fit us to be subject to his government. Therefore those that take him as a priest to die, and will not have him as a Lord, they rent his offices. I do but

touch these now.

We see what it is to live to Christ. Let us see what it is to die to the Lord?

(1.) To die to the Lord' is to know and acknowledge that Christ hath power over us when we die; thereupon to submit ourselves to him, and not to murmur and fret, when he comes to call for our life and soul, as if we were unwilling to part with them.

(2.) Then again, to die to Christ, is when upon any good occasion he calls for our lives in standing for a good cause for the church or state-to be ready to lay it down. There is not the least tittle of truth, but that it is better than a man's life. A man may not only die, in case of martyrdom, but in case of justice and truth, and so he must be willing to die if he will die to Christ.

(3.) Again, We die to the Lord when we carry ourselves so when death comes, as we may express some graces to glorify God, even in our very death; when we study to do all the good we can, that we may die fruitfully; out of this consideration, my time is short, I will labour to be sowing to the Spirit as much as I can, not to die like fools, but wisely, knowing that there is no further opportunity. Here is the time of seed; hereafter will be the time of reaping. Therefore there is no Christian that is master of himself at the hour of death, if some disease disable him not, but he studies how to shew himself as fruitful as he can at that time; as you see our Saviour when he was to die, what long chapters there are, three together, of his demeanour, how he strengthened his disciples, what an excellent prayer he made to God. See Moses, how he carried himself at his death, what excellent admonitions he gives; and good Jacob, what an excellent will he made; and St Peter, knowing he must put off his earthly taber

That is, = 'subdue.'-G.
† That is, ‘rend,' — divide.—G.

=

nacle, 2 Peter i. 14, he labours to put them in mind to glorify God,' as Saint Paul saith, 1 Cor. vi. 20.

A Christian ought to end his days in faith and obedience; in faith that God will take his soul, when he commits it to him, and he shall reign for ever in heaven. In obedience thereupon, because he believes, he dies in faith, he will die in obedience. I even offer myself to thee, because I believe thou wilt care for me when I am gone hence; for thou art the Lord of life and death, and thou art the Lord of me when I live, and when I am dead.

Well, as it implies duty, so it implies a gracious effect, that we shall be enabled to this duty. He indeed in himself is a Lord. We ought to acknowledge him so, nay, we shall have the Spirit if we be his, to cause us to acknowledge him. You have a notable place, 2 Cor. v. 15, to this purpose, The love of Christ constrains us, because we thus judge, if one died for all, then we are all dead.' If he died to redeem us from death, to what end did he die? He died for all, that they might not live to themselves, but to him that died, and rose again,' Cor. v. 15. It is nothing but this in the text, we should live to him.' Now this, that we should live to him, it is not an aim of ours only, but an effect that he works in us. He died 'that we might live to him.' For he died and rose that he might obtain the Spirit. By this Spirit he enableth us to live and die to God: as you have it, Rom. viii. 8, at large proved. Those that are Christ's have the Spirit of Christ, and are led with it.

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Beloved, it is a part of the new covenant, that whatsoever our duty is, we shall have ability to perform it by the Spirit of Christ; for all the gracious promises of the gospel are not only promises upon condition, and so a covenant, but likewise the covenant of grace is a testament and a will (a will is made without conditions; a covenant with conditions), that as he hath made a covenant what he would have us to do, so his testament is, that we shall have grace to do so; he will put his Spirit into us, and circumcise our hearts, or else, beloved, there would be no more strength of the covenant of grace than there was of that of nature in Adam. Why did Adam fall? He had not the Spirit to uphold him, nor had he the promise of it to keep him that he should not fall. Therefore the covenant of works was frustrate. But now the covenant of grace is this, that whatsoever God requires he will give his Spirit to enable us to do it, that the covenant may not be frustrate. If God should not make good our part as well as his, we should not be saved. Therefore, now in the covenant of grace we may boldly go to God and Christ; and allege unto him, when any duty is pressed upon us, and when we are about to perform any duty, and find want of strength, Lord, thou knowest I have no strength of myself, I am a barren wilderness; but thou hast entered into a covenant of grace with me, which covenant now is a testament, a free will, that thou wilt give what thou requirest, Lord, in the use of means that thou hast ordained; in attending upon thee, and looking up to thee, I desire that thou wouldst give me strength to submit to thee, to live and die to thee, to direct my course as I should.' This should be the course of a Christian, and not to set upon things in his own strength; but when duty is discovered, look to the promise of grace and of the Spirit, and put them into suit, and allege them to Christ in the use of sanctified means, as reading, hearing, holy conference, and the like; and he will enable us to do that that is our duty.

Therefore a man may know who is indeed under Christ's government by