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 14.

THerefore he proceeds to the Apodosis. Where, 1. The sacri∣fice of Christ. 2. The end of it.

Not equally, but much more.

Then the bloud of a beast.

The which he illustrateth by diverse circumstances.

1. By the Person that offered this bloud: he was Sacerdos & victima.

2. By the Party or power by the which he offered it.

Some by the eternall Spirit understand the Holy Ghost: as by him he was conceived in the Virgins wombe, by him lead into the wildernesse to bee tempted, Mat. 4.1. So through his assistance he offered up himselfe: but by the eternall Spirit is rather meant, the eternall deity of our Saviour Christ, 1 Pet. 3.18, 19. As hee was man consisting of flesh and bloud: So he was also God, an eternall and incomprehensible spirit.

From this his infinite and unspeakeable deity the bloud of CHRIST received a power to make satisfaction for our sinnes. Whereupon it is called the bloud of God, Acts 20.28. The bloud of none that was a meere man could doe it: if CHRIST's bloud had not beene offered up by his eternall spirit, it could not have purchased our redemption. The bloud of Martyrs was offered up by the assistance of the HOLY GHOST: yet it was not merito∣rious:

it was not that, but the power of the deity, that made Christ's bloud meritorious.

3. By the thing offered: not any brute Creature, not a man, an Angell, but Himselfe.

4. By the quality of the thing offered: even in respect of his humanity: and for that cause his bloud was more forcible.

5. To whom: to God. As a full satisfaction for the sins of the world.

Then he comes to the efficacy of the bloud of Christ, deduced out of the former: the bloud of Goats and Bulls did purge the flesh and outward man: this the conscience and inward man.

In some Greeke copies it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, our consciences: All stand in need of purging.

We have a double benefit by the bloud of Christ: justificati∣on and sanctification from dead workes, that is, sins. Now from these dead workes that lay as an heavy loade on our consciences, the bloud of Christ purgeth us.

Sinnes are called dead workes.

• 1. Because they come from dead men, 1 Tim. 5. Verse 6. Eph. 2. Verse 1.
• 2. Because they engender death, Rom. 6. ult.

The bloud of CHRIST purgeth our consciences from all sinnes: so as our consciences cannot accuse and condemne us for sinne, because it is washed away in the bloud of CHRIST, Hebr. 10.2. Rom. 8.1.

The second fruit issuing from the former is our sanctification: that being thus justified, wee may be sanctified in soule and body to serve the living God, Luk. 1.74.

He is stiled the living God.

• 1. Because he lives of himselfe, and that for ever.
• 2. Because hee makes us by his spirit to live a spirituall life in this world.
• 3. Because hee will raise us up from a corporall death at the latter day, and cause us to live with him for ever in the world to come.

1. Grievous is the sting of Conscience. This chest worme gnaweth sore: this made Iudas to cry out, I have sinned in betraying innocent bloud. This made Iosephs brethren to condemne themselves, when no man laid any thing to their charge: verily wee have sinned, in that wee saw the anguish of his soule,* 1.1 when hee besought us, and wee would not heare. This made those Iohn 8. that seemed holy men to the eye of the world, to depart out of the Temple one by one, be∣ing convicted of their owne consciences. This was truly said to be mille testes. Now how shall wee stoppe the mouth of these thousand witnesses? We are all miserable sinners, our consciences accuse us of innumerable sinnes: but here is our comfort, the bloud of Christ sprinkled on our consciences, purgeth us from all sinne: being justified by faith wee have peace with God. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of

God's Elect? it is CHRIST that hath dyed, yea rather that is risen againe, that with his owne bloud hath entred into the holy place, and hath made an eternall expiation of our sinnes. Let us all entreat the Lord to apply the force of this bloud to our consciences dayly more and more.

2. There bee living workes, a reverent using of the name of GOD, a cheerefull and reverent hearing of his word; tem∣perance, chastitie, sobriety, liberality, &c. these come from us, when wee live by faith in the Sonne of GOD: there bee also dead workes, blasphemie, swearing, lying, covetousnesse, pride, oppression, envie, hatred, malice; and these are to bee abhorred of us all.

1. Dead things stincke. If wee meete with a dead carkasse by the way, wee hold our noses: even so sinnes, blasphemie, prophanations, pride, envie, hatred, malice, covetousnesse; these stincke in the nostrills of God Almighty: therefore let them be de∣tested by us.

2. Dead men are forgotten. I am as a dead man out of minde. So let not our mindes run on these dead workes, on the profits of the world, the pleasures of the flesh: let these dead things bee no more remembred.

3. That which is dead must be buryed: give me a place to bury my dead out of my sight, as Abraham said to the sons of Heth, Gen. 23.4. Idolatry, blasphemy, all sins, are dead things, therefore let them be buryed.

4. Dead things are abhorred of us. We shun dead things by the way, we will not come neere them: so let these dead workes be ab∣horred of us. Wee decline those things that bee deadly: wee will drinke no poyson, because it will kill us; we will not goe where the plague is, least wee dye. All sins are deadly: they will bring us to everlasting death: therefore beware of them. If wee meet with a dead body by the way, wee decline it: yet the savour that comes from it can but kill our bodies: the filthy stincke that issues out of these dead carkasses of sin will kill both body and soule: therefore let them be detested by us.

These dead workes of sinne will poyson us all: therefore have nothing to doe with them, as wee love our life, which is most deere to us all: skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life: so let us avoide these dead workes that deprive us of eternall life in the world to come.

5. Dead things are heavy: a dead man. So these lye heavy on our consciences. Caine, Iudas: they were not able to beare that intollerable burden.

Sins may very well be termed dead workes.

1. Laedunt vitam naturae: they make our naturall life more un∣pleasant to us: in the end they cut the threed of it; for the wages of sinne is death: if we had never sinned against God, we should never have dyed.

2. Carent vita gratiae: So long as we are dead in our sins, we are out of the favour of God.

3. Auferunt vitam gloriae: they deprive us of the kingdome of heaven in the life to come: therefore they are worthily termed dead workes.

Thirdly, the end of our redemption is to serve God: we are re∣deemed from our old conversation, not to our old conversation: we are bought with the bloud of Christ, not to serve the Devill, our selves, the flesh, the world: we have served them too much already: but from henceforth we must serve God.

And how must we serve him?

1. Integraliter, in soule and body: not in body alone, as hypo∣crites doe, that draw neere to GOD with their lippes, but their hearts are farre from him: nor in soule alone, as some fearefull Christi∣ans doe, which say they have a good heart to God-ward, and yet give their bodyes to the service of the Devill. As God by Iesus Christ hath redeemed both soule and body: so we must glorifie him with them both.

2. Wee must serve God peculiariter: him and him alone. I am a jealous God. Thou shalt have no other Gods besides me. We must not make our belly our God, as Epicures doe: our money our God, as co∣vetous misers doe: but wee must serve God alone: hee must have all our service, Matth. 4.10.

3. Perseveranter. not a while, but continually, to our lives end: bee faithfull to the end, and I will give thee the Crowne of life. If wee persevere not in his service to our dying day, wee shall loose our re∣ward.

4. Totaliter: all the time of our whole life. Wee must serve him, not only when wee bee old, drie and withered; but in our fresh and flourishing yeeres: wee must beare the yoke of the LORD, when wee are young: hee must have the first fruits of our service.

But alas! though wee professe that wee are redeemed by CHRIST: yet wee serve our owne lusts and affections: wee serve not the living GOD, as wee ought to doe. Let us have a care to serve the living GOD in this short and transitory world, that we may live eternally with this everliving GOD in the world to come.

There is no fishing to the Sea: no service to the Kings: nor no service to the King of Kings.

1. Some Masters are poore, and cannot reward their servants: our master is rich, heaven and earth are his. Hester though a poore mayde: yet because she served him, he made her a Queene.

2. Some masters are churlish; and will not reward their ser∣vants, as Nabal was: wee have a kinde and loving master: not the least service we doe, if we give but a cup of cold water in his name, but he will reward it.

3. Earthly Masters give but earthly rewards: they may give

good wages, while yee be with them, and peradventure bestow a farme on you: but our master will give us a kingdome.

4. Earthly masters dye. Gentlemen, Knights, Noblemen dye: yea Kings themselves dye: and then their servants seeke abroad: but our master lives for ever. Therefore let us serve him with all cheerefulnesse: let us serve him in this life, and we shall enter into the joy of our Master. Will the Son of Iesse give you all Vineyards?* 1.2 Our Master will give us all a kingdome. We are servants here: we shall bee Kings there, have palmes in our hands, and Crownes on our heads, and raigne with him for ever.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gen. 42.21.
• * 1.2

  1 Sam. 22.7.