Opinions of thepewsabout theirTraditions, and although he acknowledge that Rabbi Saadias Haggaon;andRabbi iSarttuel Ben Hophni, withothers, (that is indeed their Targums, and Talmuds, and all their antient Wri= ters ) saftitmSatan to be intended, yet he contends for the %spent only, on the weak pretencesthat Satan goetb not on his Belly, nor eatetb Du¡t, which things in the letter are confeffed to belong unto the Inftrument that he riled: And hereon they would have it that theSerpent was deprivedof voice and underftanding which before he had, 'fo making him a rationalfubfiftenee, who is cxprefly reckoned amongft theBealts of the Field. The Rootof all Evil alto they would have to lye in the matter whereof we were originally made; an impoffible figment, invented to retied the guilt of all fin on Him that madeus. Thus every thing feems right to men that will ferve the prefent turns, whileft theyPhut their Eyes againft theTruth. Butwe have the confent of the An- tienteft, Belt, and Wifelt of themin thismatter ; as alfounto the Deliverance herepro- mifed. Thetwo Targums,ofVzzielides and that called ferufalem, both agree, that thole words contain a Remedy of the Effe&s of Satans Temptation, and that to be wrought by the Meab, or as they fpeakin his dayes. And hence they have a common laying, that in the laft dajes, ( which is the Old TeftamentPeriphrafis of the Dayes of theMef iah ) all things /hall be healedbutthe Serpent and the Gibeonites ; by whom they underftand all Hypocrites and Unbelievers. Satan therefore is to be conquered by the bMUifing oflris Head; and conqueredhe is not, nor can be, unlefs his work be defiroyed: In the defirudion of his work, confitts the Deliveryofmankind from the twofold evil mentioned. And this is.to be effe&ed by thefeed of the, Woman, tobe brought forth into the world nntò that end and purpofe. For when the Produ&ion of this Seed is re- lirained unto theFainilyand PollerityofAbraham, it is Paid exprefly, that in, or by all the Kindreds of the earth fhould beblefd; which they couldnot be, without a re- moval and takingaway of the Curfe. Wernay now therefore take the fumm of this Difcourfe, and of the'whole matter ti6. that wehave infifted on, about the Entrance of fin into the world, and the Remedy provided in theGrace and WifdomofGod againft it. ' It appears upon our Enquiry; Firjt,That the Sin of our Fiefs Parents, was the Occafion and Cafe ofall that Evil which is in the world, of all that is felt or juftly feared bymankind. For as thofewho knew not, 'or receivednot the Revelation of the Truth in thefe things made unto us in the Scripture, could never affign any other carafe of it, that Fright be fatisfaétory unto an ordinary rational Enquiry, fo the Teftimontes of the Scripture make it molt evident, and efpecially that ruffled on. Secondly, It hath beenevinced, that mankind could not re.cdver; or deliver themfelves from under the power of their own innate corruption'and diforder, nor from the effects of the.Ceerfe and Wrath of God that came upon them. Neither is there any groundof Expe&ation of Relief from any other part of Gods Creation. But -yet that God for the pralfeof the glory of his Grace, Mercy and Goodncfs, would effe& it and bring it about. Thirdly, That this Relief and Deliverance is firft intimated and declared , in thole words of Godunto the Serpent ; I will put Enmity between thee- and the Woman , and between thy feed and her feed , it fhall bruife thy head , and thou Jhalt bruifi his heel, Which app pears, Firft, Becaufe in and with theSerpent, Satan who was the Head of all Apoftafie fromGod, and bywhom our tuft Parents were beguiled, is intended in thefe words: This we have made evident from the Confelfion of the Jews with whom in this matter principallywe have todo. And to what hath been already obferved unto that purpofe, we may add theTettimonies of fome other ofthem to the fame Purpofe, , Rabbi Bechai, he whom they call TPi 1413, Bechai the Elder, inhis Comment on the Law unto thefe words, Gen. 3. v. 15. fpeaks to this purpofe. We have no more enmity with the Serpent than withother creeping things. Wherefore the Scripture Myfticallyfigniftes him who-was bid in the Serpent. For the body of the crafty Serpent was a fit inftrumentfor that fora, or vertue , that joyned its felf tberewithall. That was it which made Eve to ,fin, whence death came on all ber Po}erity. And this is the Enmity between the Serpent and the feed of the Woman. And this is the Myfferieofthe Holy Tongue, that the Serpent ir. fometimes called Saraph, according to the name ofan Angel, who is a called Saraph. Anti-now thou knoweft that the Serpent is Satan, and the evil Figment, and the' Angel of Death. And Rabbi Judah ; in1p)'73. Many Interpreters fay; that the Evil Figment bath: all its force from the Old Serpents or Satan, To the fame purpofe, the Author ofr Ill `IWto7, CaphtorVaperacbt The Devil and the Serpent are called by one' rimier, Lind
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