s7° tin Expofition of the C s e p,_$ . expofed untoMiferies, Aífliaions and Perfecutions, and at length to make bir (Cal an ,offering for fin yetbccaufe it was all for the Salvation of the children, be was con. tented with ir, and delighted in it. And how then ought we to be contented with the Difficulties, Sorrows, Affliftions and Perfecutlons, which for her falte.we are or may be expofed unto; When he on purpoft took our nature , that for oar faker he might be expofed and fubjcét unto much more than we are called unto. There yet remains in theft Verfir,the RAWof the Death of Chrill ; that he might de- fiery finand deliver : wherein we mull confider ( 1. ) Who it is that had the -Power of Death: ( 2. ) Wherein that Power of his did conidi : (3. ) How he was defiroyed; 4. ) How by the Death ofChrill : ( 5. )What was the Delivery that was obtained for the children thereby. a. He that had thePower of Death is deféribed by his name, ó holean&, the Devil; thegreatEnemy of our falvation; the great Calumniator, make-bate, and falte Ac- eider ; the firebrandof the creation. The Head and Captain of the Apo}ia{e from God, andof all defection of the Lawof the creation, The old Serpent; Prince of the o4 offate Angels, with all his Alfociates, who hrtf falfly accuCd God unto man, and continues to accule men fahly untoGod ; ofwhom before. 2. His Power in andover Death is varioully apprehended. What the yews conceive hereof, we have before declared ; and much of the Truth is mixed with their fables. And the Apoftle deals with them upon their Acknowledgement in general, that hehad the Power ofdeath, Properly in what fente, or in what refpea he is laid fo to have it; LearnedEepo fitors are not agreed. All content, f r. ) That the Devil hath no ab- folute or Soveraignfupream power over death. Nor ( 2. ) Any iZoola, or Autbo. riy about it, de jare, in his own Right, or on Grant, fo as to at lawfully and rightly about it according unto his own Will. Nor (3. ) Any judging or determiningpower as to the Guilt of death committed unto him; which is peculiar toGod the Jupream Reelor and Judge of all, Gen. 2. 17. Dead. 32. 39. Rev. t. 18. But wherein this Power ofSatandothpoftivey coniifl, they are not agreed. Some place it in hisTemptations untoSin, which bindunto death: Come in his Executionof the Sentence of death ; hehath the Power ofan Executioner. There cannot well be any doubt, but that the whole Interee i ofSatan in referenceunto Death is intend- ed in this Exprellion. This Death is that which was threat/ter/in the beginning, Gen. 2. 17. Death Dænaly to be inflicted in theway ofa Carfe, Deut. 27.26. Gal 3. co. that is, deathconhifliug in the Dislutionof foul andbody, with every thing tending poe- Wally thereunto, with the everlàfting Deftru6ion of body and foul. And there are fatuity things wherein the rsrd7Q, or Power ofSatan in reference unto this death doth conIft. As (1.)He was themeans of bringing it into the world. So is theOpini- on of the, ewr in this matter exprelfed in the Book ofWifdom, written as is molt probable, by one of them not long before this Epidile. They tell us, Chap. 1. r 3. ó Bias Unseat iii iaoíaoe ; God made not death, it belonged not unto the Original Con- fiitution of all things; but Chap. s. 24, Ors, sProaS .e Nár,p a of BEr Ás i xáeuov, by the Envy ofthe Devil deathmired into the world. And that exprefiion -of iwlAeer lie vir á6rpr, is trainedby the Apoftle, $óm. 5.12. Only he layes the Fend of it on the morally deferving caufe,the fin of man; as here it is laid on the efficientlyprocuring caufe,the Envyof theDevil. And herein cunfifted no (mall part of the Power of Satan with refpeet unto death. Being able to introduce fin, he had power tobring in death alto, which in the righteous judgement ofGod, and by the Sentence of the Law was in- feparablyannexed thereunto. And by a parity of Reafon, fofar -as he yet continu- eth tohave Power overfin, defining death, he hath Power over death it felt. 2. Sin and Death being thus entered into the world, and all mankind beingguilty of theone, and obnoxious unto the other, Saran became thereby to be their Prince; as being the Prince,or Author of that Bate and condition whereinto theyare brought Hence he is called the Prince of this world, John t a 32. and the God of it, 2 Cor. 4.4. Inafmuch as all the world is under the Guilt of that fin and death which he brought them into. 3. God having patted the fentenceof death againft fin, it was in the Power ofSa- tan, to terrific and affright theconfciences of men, with theExpee cation and dread of it ; fo bringing them into Bondage. And many God gives up unto him to be agi- tated and terrified as it were at his pleat-tire. To this end were Perlons excommu- nicate given up untoSatan to vex, r Tim. I. 20. He threatens them as an la: xecuti- oner, with thework that hé hath todo upon them. 4 God
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