A commentary vpon the Epistles of Saint Paul to Philemon, and to the Hebrewes together with a compendious explication of the second and third Epistles of Saint Iohn. By VVilliam Iones of East Bergholt in Suffolke, Dr. in Divinity, and sometimes one of the fellowes of the foundation of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge.

VERSE 11.

AS CHRIST had no beginning, so he shall have no ending. The heavens shall decay, but not he. Thus CHRIST is eternall, without beginning and ending: who as he is the beginning of the world, being before it had a beginning; So hee is the end of it, who shall continue when it hath an end.

2. He is immutable. They are young and old; so is not Christ: he remaines alwayes in the same estate and condition.

All garments in the world in the end waxe old, Deut. 29.5. So the whole fabricke of the world: there is not that cleerenesse of light, in the Sunne and Moone, that there was: not that force and strength in the Starres: the earth is not so lusty and lively.

Old things are not wont to be had in any price or estimation: who cares for an old paire of shooes that bee not worth the ta∣king up?

Who regards an old Coate that hath no strength in it, but is ready to be torne in pieces? Who will give much for an old house, the timber whereof is rotten, and it is ready to fall on his head? Now is the last age of the world, it hath continued many thousand yeeres, it is now as an old house, an old garment that cannot last long: therefore let us not be too much in love with it.

There was some reason, why in former times, when this buil∣ding was new and strong, when the coate and garment of the world was fresh, faire, and of good durance, that men should set their af∣fections on it: but now when the beauty and strength of it is gone, why should we be enamoured with it? Let us use it, as if we used it not: and let us long for that day, when both the heavens and the earth, and we our selves likewise shall be changed and be translated with CHRIST into the kingdome of glory: the heavens are most fitly resembled to a garment. Observe the similitude and dis∣similitude.

• 1. A garment covers a man: So doe the heavens.
• 2. The substance of a garment must be before, as Silke, Vel∣vet, Cloth, else you can make no garment: but CHRIST made the heavens of nothing.
• 3. A garment must have a forme or fashion: So has this an ex∣cellent one.
• 4. A garment stands in need of mending: we need be at no cost nor labour in mending of this garment; but CHRIST by the power of his providence upholds it.