A discourse concerning the Redeemer's dominion over the invisible world, and the entrance thereinto

That Death is added, as contained also within the limits of our Lord's Dominion, doth expressly signify his custody of the passage from this Visible World to the Invisible; viz. as he commands the entrance into each distinct part of ⟨p. 20⟩Hades, the Invisible World, consisting of both Heaven, and Hell, so he hath power over Death too, which is the common out-let from this World, and the passage unto both.

That Death is added, as contained also within the limits of our Lord's Dominion, doth expresly signifie his custody of the passage from this Visible World to the Invisible; viz. as he commands the entrance into each distinct part of ⟨p. 20⟩Hades, the Invisible World, consisting of both Heaven, and Hell, so he hath power over Death too, which is the common out-let from this VVorld, and the passage unto both.

But it withal plainly implies, His very absolute Power over this Visible World of ours also: For it signifies he hath the power of measuring every ones time here, and how long each Inhabitant of this World shall live in it. If it belong to him to determine when any one shall die, it must by consequence belong to him to assign the portion and dimensum of time that every one shall live. Nor is there any conceivable moment in the time of any ones life, wherein he hath not this power of putting a period by death thereunto, at his own pleasure. He is therefore signified to have the ⟨p. 21⟩power of every man's life and death at once. And the Power of Life and Death is very high and great Power. He therefore herein implicitly claims, what is elsewhere expressly ascribed to him, Rom. 14.78, 9. None—lives to himself, (i.e. de jure, no man should) or dies to himself: For whether we live, we live unto the Lord, or whether we die, we die to the Lord; whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lords. For to this end Christ both died, and rose again, and revived, that he might be Lord, both of the dead and living.