There yet remain in these verses the effects of the death of Christ: “That he might destroy sin, and deliver,” ete.; wherein we must consider,—1. Who it is that had the power of death; 2. Wherein that power of his-did consist; 3. How he was destroyed; 4. How by the death of Christ; 5. What was the delivery that was obtained for the children thereby.
1. He that had the power of death is described by his name, 6 d:é- Boros, “the devil;’—the great enemy of our salvation; the great calumniator, make-bate, and false accuser; the firebrand of the crea- tion; the head and captain of the apostasy from God, and of all
448 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP, IL
desertion of the law of the creation; the old serpent, the prince of the apostate angels, with all his associates, who first falsely accused God unto man, and continues to accuse men falsely unto God: of whom before.
2. His power in and over death is variously apprehended. What the Jews conceive hereof we have before declared, and much of the truth is mixed with their fables; and the apostle deals with them upon their acknowledgment in general that he had the power of death. Properly in what sense, or in what respect, he is said so to have it, learned expositors are not agreed. All consent, (1.) That the devil hath no absolute or sovereign, supreme power over death; nor, (2.) Any eZove/a, or “authority” about it, “de jure,” in his own right, or on grant, so as to act lawfully and rightly about it accord- ing unto his own will; nor, (3.) Any judging or determining power as to the guilt of death committed unto him, which is peculiar to God, the supreme rector and judge of all, Gen. ii. 17, Deut. xxxii. 39, Rev. LOIS:
But wherein this power of Satan doth positively consist tate are not agreed. Some place it in his temptations unto sin, which bind unto death ; some, in his execution of the sentence of death,-—he hath the power of an executioner. There cannot well be any doubt but that the whole interest of Satan in reference unto death is intended in this expression. This death is that which was threatened in the beginning, Gen. 11. 17,—death penally to be inflicted in the way of a curse, Deut. xxvii. 26, Gal. iii. 10; that is, death consisting in the dissolution of soul and body, with every thing tending penally there- unto, with the everlasting destruction of body and soul. And there are sundry things wherein the xpdéros, or power of Satan in reference unto this death doth consist; as,—(1.) He was the means of bring- ing it into the world. So is the opinion of the Jews in this matter expressed in the book of Wisdom, written, as is most probable, by one of them not long before this epistle. They tell us, chap.i. 13,°O sds dvaroy odx éroince,—“God made not death,” it belonged not unto the original constitution of all things; but, chap. 11. 24, Bddv dsEdrov dvaros sioiAbev efg rbv x6040v,—“ By the envy of the devil death entered into the world.” And that expression of ¢/ojAdev sis rév xéomoy is re- tained by the apostle, Rom. v. 12; only he lays the end of it on the morally-deserving cause, the sin of man, as here it is laid on the efficiently-procuring cause, the envy of the devil. And herein con- sisted no small part of the power of Satan with respect unto death. Being able to introduce sin, he had power to bring in death also; which, in the righteous judgment of God, and by the sentence of the law, was inseparably annexed thereunto. And, by a parity of reason, so far as he yet continueth to have power over sin, deserving death, he hath power over death itself.
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(2.) Sin and death being thus entered into the world, and all mankind being guilty of the one and obnoxious unto the other, Satan came thereby to be their prince, as being the prince or author of that state and condition whereinto they are brought. Hence he is called “the prince of this world,” John xii. 31, and the “god” of it, 2 Cor. iv. 4; inasmuch as all the world are under the guilt of that sin and death which he brought them into.
(3.) God having passed the sentence of death against sin, it was in the power of Satan to terrify and affright the consciences of men with the expectation and dread of it, so bringing them into bondage. And many God gives up unto him, to be agitated and terrified as it were at his pleasure. To this end were persons excommunicate given up unto Satan to vex them, 1 Tim.i. 20. He threatens them as an executioner with the work that he hath to do upon them.
(4.) God hath ordained him to be the executioner of the sentence of death upon stubborn sinners unto all eternity; partly for the aggra- vation of their punishment, when they shall always see, and with- out relief bewail, their folly in hearkening unto his allurements; and partly to punish himself in his woful employment. And for these several reasons is Satan said to have the power of death. And hence it is evident that,—