12.0 TheCbrifiews Center, or it self.- When a man tnercfoie propounds himfelf as his end, he is faid in that to make himfelf God. Thofe falle Apoffles, Phil. 3. zo. it is Paid of them, that they made their belly their God ; becaufe this they propounded as their end, how mightadvantage tt emfclves in the World , how they might feed and delight them. felves,ardexai themfelves,and ferve not God. This is CO bring God below a mans felf, m: king God an Idol, and himfelf God. I fay therefore it is the higheft difho. Rea/ a hour that cbe creature can do toGod. Ir is io¡urious Secondly, It is the greateft injury that he cán dó to Clirifl, to live to himfelf. to Chri(t. Chins may fay truly , and more properly, and fitly to us, then Saint Pau! could Phil.ver,i9. (ay co Philemon, thou owe? thyfelt tame. We owe our felves to him by all rights, erpeci lly by that. great sighs of purchafe ; hebought us to himfelf, he redeemed us I Cor ó.ao. to himfelf; Tulare bought with aprice (faith the Apalle) thereforeglortfîe God isyour fp;rits, and bodies for theyare gods. They are his, and not your own , becaufe he bought them; bought them when you were ¡laves, and had enthralled your felves, therefore you owe your felves to him, he hathpurchafed you to him- .elf. In theold Law, the rule was, that if a man had bought another, either out of captivity, or the like, he was to demand all the work and fervice that this man could! do, all his .ime and flrength belonged unto him that bought him, for he was his money, therefore he might era& of him the uttermoft hecould do for his fervice, for he bought him. M ch moreChrift, that hachbough: us from a worfeflavery, from a flavecy underthe power of darknefs ; and bought us with the greatelf price, even r Pet.I.aR. with theeffufion of his own bloud ; He hatlredeemed us (faith SaintPeter) not with filver andgold, but withhis own precious blond a a price far above that, if a man fhould give all his wealth. Now when Chrift hash bought us for himfelf, we are become, not his money, but his blood ; therefore all that we have, and are, is due to him becaufe we are his. If we have any good in the World, in things prefent ; if there be any good to the Soul, in things to come, all is by Chrilt, therefore all muff be unto him. _ If a man have a fervant , if he be either bound tohim , fuppofe an Apprentice; or ifhe be hired to him, fuppofe a Workman or Artificer; if he live by him , and have maintenance fromhim; every man expe&s that histime be to his Mailer, and his Work for his Mafters advantage. Ifa Day- labourer come at night and demand pay; the Mailer will ask him, what work he did ? fuppofe the man fhould tell hiss hehad been buildinghimfelf a cottage, or mending his own apparel , or had been doing fuch and fuctt work for himfelf; but what haft thou done for me, faith the Maffei.? Dota thou think tolive by nie, and not work tome? Do we think to live Luke 1.74. by Chrift, and not ferve Chriff ? This is the very end why he bath delivered us from the hands ofour enemies, that we might fervehim in holinefd and righteosof- nefl, all the day, of oar life. Mark ir, we mutt ferve him, for he bath delivered us; that is, we mui do him fervicej do his work, not fame piece of the day, and the work of another, another part of the day ; do fomewhac with refpeet to God, and fomewhac with refpe& to our felves; but we muff ferve him all the days of ourlift. The ole time of the hireling is for his M:hers fervicr, and the whole time of a Chriffian, for the fervice of Chrift, for he bath bought us with the price ofhis own blond. Then it is an injury to the Lord Chrift, hecaufe he bath ran- fomed us at fuch a price for himfelf, if we do things to our felves, and not to him. TLtaf.3. Thirdly, Alit isa difhonour to God, and injurious to Chriff, that men fhould Itisdangeeous live to themselves, fo it is dangerous to a mtns felt. and that will appear by to amans felt; comparing what we lofe by it, with what we gain by ir. Compare our lofs andour gain together, and we (hall fee then, that we do our felves the greateft mifchief s. A mania when we feek our felves moll. Confider fiat what we lofe by it ; Our happinefs., fell. bard, What is the happinefs of thecreature, but theenjoying of God r We lofe our end loferh his happinefs. and perfe&ion. What is the ble(fednefsof thecrcature,but toobtain hisem..? What is the end of the creature, but the glory of the Creator? Then the creature cons. eth to perfe&ion, and bleffednefs , and happinefs, when it is molt empty of him, fell,
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