t 8 The Chriflians Center, or Divifron. Explination. None of us livcth to himfclf. plcafing of God in his anions, as the rule ofthem. That he may prove this unto' us, that they ftand thus affcned, both ofthem, notwithhanding this difference, he bringeth in this as the general reafon, whereto every particular of their lives may be reduced : All their life is ordered by the Lord : they live to the Lord, they die to the Lord, fo that whetherthey live or die,tbey are the Lords; Therefore all their par- ticular anions are to the Lord. whether we live, we live to the Lord, andwhether we die, wedie to the Lord. Now this general reafon he propoundeth two wayes. Firlt, Negatively, None ofus living tohimfelf, and noman dieth to himfelf. Secondly Affirmatively : which conlifteth of two parts. Their duty to God. Gods acceptance of them, and protenionover them. Their duty to God, if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. Gods acceptance ofthem; Whether we live or dieweare theLords. That which we (hall now infili upon, is the former part, thenegative expreflion and propofal of this generalreafon ; none of zt1 liveth to himfelf, andno man dieth to himfelf. Now, when theApoftle afiirmeth this ofthe believers of thofc times, he therein intimateth thus much ; that it is the courfe ofbelievers in all times ; It is a duty be- longing to all others; of which they muff make account, not to live to themfelves, but to the Lord. Therefore though he (peaks generally here, yet there is in his fpeech a kind of particular univerfality : a generality with a reliraint. He faith none ofus : he faith not none in the world live to themfelves, for there are many in the.world liveto themfelves, andnot to the Lord: but none ofus : none of thofethat we rank our (elves with, that are iii the condition ofbelievers: noneof thole con- cerning whom we fpeak in this qucltion : none ofau live to ourflyer. Life in general,is nothing elfebut that power whereby we an or move. As we read, Gen. 2. God breathed into man the breath of life, and be became a livingfoul: j he gave him the power whereby heafted. The sling of this power is the excrcife of that life, wherether the anionbe of the mind, or of the body. And fo, as there is a double life, there are two forts of anions of life: there are natural anionsof a natural life, and there are fpiritual anions of a fpiritual life. When the Apoffle' (peaks of living,he intends boththeft. we live nos; that is, we donot the anions oflife, whethernatural or fpiritual, toourfelves, but to the Lord. Xoman liveth to himfelf. By himfelf, he meaneth not only a mans perfon, either foul or body : but all thofe advantages, thatconduce, to the well -beingofa man. Noman of us fo or- dereth the anions of his life,with reference and refpen to our felves,as theuttermofi end : we do not make our ownwell-being, or well-fare, the uttermoft end of our anions : none of its live to our[elves. You have the fenfe and meaning of the words; which being a pattern to other Chriftians : a thing which theApoftle fuppofeth, is orfhould be in every believer, it givethus this point of inftru&ion, whereupon we (hall infili at this time. That is, Obfervat. Ka Believer, none that are in Chrif, /hould make themfelvesthe end in their aftions. A believer is None fhould live ; that is, fpend their timeand ftrength and endeavour,aiming not to make at no higher end than themfelves. NoChriftian fhould fo fpend his time,asto feek himfelf the himfelfonly in theanions that he doth; None ofas liveth tohimfelf. end in his alti- But here itmay beobjened (forthe clearing of the point) Maynot a Chriftian ons. Y 1 g P ) Y Objeft. Peek himfelf, in the things that he loth ? When thekdo good things, that which God commandeth, that they may avoid the punifhtiìtnt : !ltihen,being incouraged by the promife of a reward, they perform the anionsofobedience, do they not herein leek themfelves? they Peek the avoiding of evil to themfelves, and the ob- taining ofgood for themfelves t and doingthus they live to themfelves. To
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