Mather - Houston-Packer Collection BS478 .M3 1705

Tej lament, in divers planners. 25 live upon, waiting and longing for the coming of that Befi'ed Seed, that viaoriov,s Seed, that f1^ould flay the Dragon, and defiroy the Works of the Devil ; as I Yob. 3.8 It is thought, that Eve did hope to have feen him in her days, and that the her felf thould have been the immediate Mother ofthe IvlefJìah: And thence the called her firft Son Cain,po(reJJion thinking fhe had now got the Promife in poffellionand pei formance ; But afterwards perceiving her miftake and difappointment, fhe called her next Son Abel, Vanity As it is a common error we are apt to rim into, in theexcercife of Faith upon the Promifes ; we are apt to ante-date the time of performance, which is from a fecret mixture and working of unbelief; for be that believeth (hall not make hafte, Ifai. 28. 16. 2. To this promife the Lord added fome outward and vifible Signs and 'Tokens for thefarther help ofFaith. In all times ever finte God made Man, he bath given him force outward and fenfible things, to be Signs and Reprefentations of fpiritual things, as being fuitable to the Nature of Inch a Creature, Man confifting both of Soul and Body. Even before the Fall there were two Sacramental Trees, the Tree of Life, and the Tree ofKnowledge of good and evil : And now under the Gofpel, we have two Sacraments, Baptifm and the Lord's Supper. So in thefe firft times after the Fall, they had fomething of the like nature : The fignal inftance hereof is, the Sacrifices, or the flan ing of clean Beafts, andoffering them and other things up to God tQ make atonement. For it is exprefl'ed that Cain and Abel did it, Gen. 4. 3, q.. and Noah afterwards. Which to have done without Order fromGod, had been deteftable and abominable. Therefore there is no noubt, but as they were taught by their Parents ; fo their Parentswere inftrailed from the Lord about it. And in Noah's time, we find there was a difinétion of Beafts into clean and unclean, Gen. 7. 2. that is, clean for- Sacrifice. For it cloth not appear, that any of them were ufed for Food before the Flood. What this aimed at, the Scripture is plain, Heb. 9. 22. Without ¡bedding of Blood, there is no RemijJïon of Sins : and Chrift is Paid to have -given himfelf a Sacrifice for us, Ephef. 5. 2. therefore they did look at Chrift. Before Sin there was no need of any Sacrifice for Expiation of Sin. Hence among the Gentiles they had a cuftom of facrificing, from force fender Fame remaining among them of fuch an Inftitution : For it was no part of the Light of Nature ; tho' they were ignorant of the true God, the true ObjeEt to whom to prefent their Sacrifices. Hither alfo force refer that pa Page, Gen. 3. 21. Vnto Adam alfo, and to his Wife, did the Lord God make Coats ofSkins, and clothed them. This is thought to have a further Myftery included and aimed at in it. For there

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