Chap-•.Sccr.'2. Book Ill. G~ be brought againft us , was taken away, lS the leart [;)ill, or fcroll . .0 blefred riddle! Out ofthe Eater cameforth meat, and oltt ofthe frrpng came.forth Jweetneffe .. In refe~·ence to.the romife thou 01alt bmife his heel, Chnft IS fa1d to be the Lamb jlhm from ttJc foMtdau- Iudg. 14. '4· ~nofthr~~or/d. Here"s good newes becimes: . ' . 1\ev. L3· i . 8. Amongft whomwas the enraity, or rh1s holblc war? we find m the Text three Ho!ts, and three barrels: As-- ., 1 BerwixrSaranand the Woman; Fwi/1 put enmity between thee, and the woman; (i.e.) Bm~ixr thee rhe feducer, and her whom thou ha!tfeduced. Thisenmiry is oppofed to rhe amity and familiarity, which had been between the woman and rne Serpenr,, and upon that account the woman,and nor rhe man is named; nor bur that enmity mull: be betwixt rhe Devil and man, as well as betwixt the Devil and the wonun: bur becaufe the woman had more tampered with Satan, and being deceived by Satan was firfr in the rranfgrefilon, therefore is IJ>e onely named, I will put enmity between thee and the woman. 2 • Bmvixt Sarartsfeed, and the feed of the woman; I will pmevmfty, norondy between thee and the woman, but alfobenveen thy feed, and h.-rfefd, q.d. This enmity llull nor ceaf; with the death of the woman, but ir lhall continue t6 her feed, and to her feeds feed, even ro rfie end of the world. We fee to this day how the Serpent and Serpents feed are /hiving and warring againfl rhe Church; and a wonder it is (confidering the ma– lice of rhe enemy) that there is a Church upon earth , but onely rhat we have Chrills promife, thegaw of hell {hall not prevaile againft it ; and lo I 'am with yo1i alwayes, even to thee;;d ofthe world. · 3. Betwixt Chrill and the Serpent. 0 rhis a. bloody con/lid on both fides; heJhall bruife thy head, and thouJlia!t bruife his heel. I. He Jhall bmifethy head; Chrift fhall break rhy power; thypower, (i.e.) the power ofrhe ferpent, or of the Devil him– felf: he fights nor fo much with the feed, ·as with the Serpent; if Satan be overthrown, l1is feed cannot fiand. 2. Tho~tJh'"' bruife his heel; thou fhalt affiid him and his ; chou llJa! t call: out of thy mouth a flood of perfecurions ; thou fhalr mak,_e warre with him , and all them whichk§ep thcCom":andments of God, and~av;the tefti'!'ony •J {efmChrift. 1\ev. 11• '7• I have hdd you a while 10 the exphcauon of rh1s firft promtfe, and the rather becaufe · "'-t · ofthe darknefs ofir, and rhe much fweernefre that is contained in it; it is full of Gofpel-truths: flrike bur the flint, and there will fly our rhefe glorious fparkles. I. That aSaviour was promifed from the beginning ofrhe world. 2. That rhis Saviour fhould free all his Saints from fin, dearh,and hell; rhe head,and power ofthe Devil. 3. That to this end this Saviour fhould be a Mediator ; for God would nor gram an immediate pardon, but the promifed feed mufl firfi intervene. 4· That this Mediator Owuld be of the feed of rhe woman, that is, aman; and yet ftronger then the Devil; indued with a divine power , and fo he is God. 5. That this man- God fhould according to his Prieftly office be a facrifice for fin, the Serpent lhould bruife hi& heel, he 010uld fuffer and dye for the people ; and yet accordingly to his Kingly office he 010uld overcome Satan, for he.foould bruife hi& head , overthrow his Kingdome, and make us more then Conque– rors 10 lum that loved us. 6. That this promife of Chrift and of our juflification is free ; God ofmeer mercy, and free-grace brings forth rhis promife, there could be aow after thefall no merit in man; and even now he promiferhremiffion of fins, and life Eter– nal m,for, and through the Lord Jefus Chrifl. No queflion but in belief of this promife the Parnarchs and Fathers ofold obtained life, glory, and immortality: By faith the Elders.obtamcd ago•dreport : byfaith .Abetobtainedwimefsthat he was righteous: byft~ith Enochwas tranjlatedthat he fhould notfee death: byfai<h Ng~h became heir of the righte•uf– nefs o.f Chrift ; and how fhould it but revive us in rhefe laft rimes ro hear, rbar rhe fir!l thing that eve! God did after the world was fallen, ir was Ehis act ;fmercy , to make a prornife of C:hnfl , and to reconcile lofl man to himfelfthrough the fame J efus Chrifl? Turely he began to do that foon, which he meant ro be alwayes a doing, even to the end ofrhe world. Thus far of the promife, as it was manifefted from .Adam ro .Abraham. SECT.
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