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. 15.

NOw he comes to the second end of Christs incarnation and death, that hee might deliver us from the divels hands: non liberaretur humanum genus, nisi sermo Dei factus esset hu∣manus, August.

Deliver them: set them free, quaking at the cogitation of death, in regard of eternall damnation which it brought with it for their innumerable sinnes, whereof their owne consciences accu∣sed them.

Deliverance is a comfortable thing, most welcome unto all: Galley-slaves and Prisoners are glad to heare of their deliverance.

Not some, but all: so many as imbrace his deliverance.

Not onely those which were bound, but subject to bondage: that had willingly subjected themselves to the Devill: which had bound themselves apprentises to him, Rom. 6.16. The Indentures were made betweene them and the devill: we will serve thee, thou shalt be our Master: this was our estate.

Why were we subject to him? what kept us in subjection? the feare of death all our life time: they were subject to bondage, that is, to the stroake of death, which they expected every moment. The devill threatned death to us all our life time, every houre: being sinners, we might looke for death every moment: not onely for a temporall death, but for an eternall in hell-fire. Death is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: we quaked at the mention of death: this kept us in bondage to the devill.

A miserable condition! but Christ hath delivered us out of it: he hath taken away the feare of death, that made us to shake, the fetter, wherewith the Devill kept us bound. Now death is but a sleepe, a passage to a better life: yea, it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as Basil speakes. Thus he hath rescued us out of the divels clawes, and made us free, Iohn 8.36. The devill, sin, and death, are left still ad agonem, to ex∣ercise us withall, as Antagonists to wrastle withall: but the victo∣ry through Christ is ours. We sin, we dye; and the devill like a roaring Lion, walkes up and downe, seeking how to devoure us: but none of these shall be able to prevaile over us. Sinne, though it re∣maines, yet it doth not reigne in us. 2. The guilt and the punish∣ment of it is taken away, so that it shall not condemne us, Rom. 8.1. The sting of death is gone. O death where is thy sting? Cogitur, non abesse, sed non obesse: hence the servants of God have wished for it, Phil. 1.23. I desire to be dissolved, &c. Neither can it separate us from the love of God in Christ Iesus. The malice of Satan, that shall turne to our good. GOD may suffer him to tempt and assault us; he walkes up and downe like a roaring Lion. 1. That wee should not be secure. 2. To stir us up to pray: but, 1. we are no longer in his jurisdiction. 2. we shall be conquerors over him, God will

tread him under our feet, Rom. 16.20. and will give us an issue with the temptation, 1 Cor. 10.13. Satan may plot against us, 1 Thes. 2.18. Luke 22.31. but God will confound him: he may make us sin, but he cannot make us continue in sin. Sin, the Divell, and Death, are three of the mightiest enemies that we have: all these are destroyed by Christ for us: therefore let us be thankefull to Christ, that hath wrought for us so great and gracious a deliverance.

Let us not stand in an immoderate feare of death. Death is a Serpent without a sting. Though he gripe us, yet he cannot hurt us. Damocles the Parasite extolled the magnificence of Dyonisius, affir∣ming that there was not an happier man in the world than he; wilt thou have a taste of my happinesse? I: he caused him to be set in a chaire of state, the Table furnished with all delicates, singing-men and women making melodie with voices and Instruments, noble attendants to wait on him: but therewithall he commanded a sharp naked sword to be hung over his head, by a slender Horse-haire; the which he espying, tooke no pleasure in that Paradise, but besought him earnestly to take him out of his happinesse againe. So though we have the world at will, though we be Gentlemen, &c. yet the sword of death hanging over our heads continually, must needs quaile the courage of the greatest Gallant.

O quàm pulchrum esset dominantibus hic dominari, Si mors non posset dominantibus insidiari!

It is appointed for all men once to dye: when, and how suddenly we know not: our breath may be stopped on the sudden, as Valen∣tinians, Luc. 12.20. We are all obnoxious to the feare of death: but Christ hath delivered us from a slavish feare of it.