134 Book Iii. L6oking unt8 1efm. Chap.l Sed:.~ it containes in it good newesofthe overthrow of Satans King. dome , and of mans freedome by the death of Chrift. But the obfcurity is fuch,that· Luther exceedingly complaines, the Tej.·t l'extut qui om· which of all men jhould rightly be kpown, i.r of no man tht:~t 1 11ibzu ~ebeb.1t k_now ( faith he ) e{pecia!ly and accurt:~tely unfolded : t:lmongft the tjfe no~iffimur, Antient.r there i.r n~r one that ht:~th explicated this Text 11ccordinu to .a nemtnc quod h d" . if . . o tgo lciam, dili- t e thgmty o }:/• h" h L d I k' d fi genter & accu- T e.occauon wast IS. T e or oo .mg own rom.heaven, rate expliwru, and feemg how Satan had prenlled agamft man, and m fome ($'&. Luther. fort undone the whole fabrickofthe creation, he refolves upon Satans ruine,and mans prcfervation;And the Lord Godft:~id unt9 the Serpent, btcaufe thou hll/f done this, thou art curfed. This liteGen·3· 14. !,';lily isunderftood of the Serpent, but fpiritually of the Dive!; both were a~ meanes to draw man unto fin, and therefore they ~re joyned as one in the punifhment ; the Lord cut offthe fm cj1he Se~pent (fay the Rabbies) and purfed him, andhecaft St:~m1t,.Eiiet (r.c.J4 'i'(Mel( the<JJivef) and his company out ofh.eavtn , and curfed them. Indeed man being in the: tranfgreffion muft alfo have his punifhment, a~it followesver. 17, 18,19. andyet thatGod might fllanifeft the riches of his grace, he encludes in the Serpents male· · diCtion this everlafting Gofp.el. I will put enmity betwee1:1 thee and the woma11,&c. For the fenfe of the words we fuall open thefe tel'mes as r. Who is the Serpent? 2. Who is the woman ? 3.What 1s ~he f;ed of the Serpent ? 4· What is the feed of the womao? 5. What is that Hn J in our Bible tranf1atedit ?J 6. What is the Serpents head, and the bruifing ofit? 7.What is the heel of the feed of the woman,and the bruiGng of it? 8. Amongft whom was the enrnii:y,or rather enmities? for in the text we find many armies,! wit put enmity bctweene thee and the woman , and bm;veene thy feed and herfeed &c. I. Who is the Serpent? Ifind diverlity of opinions among Interpr!ters: Some fay . it was onely the Serpent, and that which belongs unto Sathan is but myHically underftood : others fay, it was onely Sathan under the notion ofa Serpent, as fometimes he is calle4 the great Draggon, A nd thegreat Dr. ggon was caft · !.ev.t~., out, tha,t old Serpent called the Dive!, and J r · 1·t~n , wh>ch deceived the whole world. Others fay , it was both Sath~ ;1 and the Serpent; as men are fa.id to be poffeffed of Sathan , fo · was the Serpent · poffeffed
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