Looking Unto Jesus, Book 3 · Chapter 1 · Section 2
SECT. II. Of the Covenant of promiſe as manifeſted to Adam.
THe Covenant of grace in this ſenſe is nothing elſe but a compact made betwixt God and man, touching reconciliation, and life Eternal by Chriſt. Now the firſt breaking forth of this gracious Covenant was to Adam and Eve, immediatly after the fall, expreſſed in theſe words, I will put enmity between thee and the woman, Gen 3 19.and between thy ſeed and her ſeed, it ſhall bruiſe thy head, and thou ſhalt bruiſe his heel.
This promiſe as it is the firſt; ſo the hardeſt to be underſtood: it contains in it good news of the overthrow of Satans Kingdome, and of mans freedom by the death of Chriſt. But the obſcurity is ſuch, that Luther exceedingly complains,Textus qui omnibus debebat eſſe notiſſimus, a nemine quod ego ſciam, diligentor & accurate explicatus, &c. Luther. Gen. 3.14. the Text which of all men ſhould rightly be known, is of no man that I know (ſaith he) eſpecially and accurately unfolded: amongſt the Antients there is not one that hath explicated this Text according to the dignity of it.
The occaſion was this. The Lord looking down from heaven, and ſeeing how Satan had prevailed againſt man, and in ſome ſort undone the whole fabrick of the creation, he reſolves upon Satans ruine, and mans preſervation; And the Lord God ſaid unto the Serpent, becauſe thou haſt done this, thou art curſed. This literally is underſtood of the Serpent, but Spiritually of the Devil; both were as means to draw man unto ſin, and therefore they are joyned as one in the puniſhment; The Lord cut off the feet of the Serpent (ſay the Rabbies) and curſed him; R. Eliezer. c. 14.and he caſt Samael (the Devil) and his company out of heaven, & curſed them. Indeed man being in the tranſgreſſion, muſt alſo have his punniſhment, as it follows verſ. 17, 18, 19. and yet that God might manifeſt the riches of his grace, he includes in the Serpents malediction this everlaſting Goſpel. I will put enmity between thee and the woman, &c.
For the ſenſe of the Words we ſhall open theſe termes, as, 1. Who is the Serpent? 2. Who is the woman? 3. What is the ſeed of the Serpent? 4, What is the ſeed of the woman? 5. What is that Hu [in our Bible tranſlated it?] 6. What is the Serpents head, and the bruiſing of it? 7. What is the heel of the ſeed of the woman, and the bruiſing of it? 8. Amongſt whom was the enmity, or rather enmities? for in the Text we find many Armies; I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy ſeed and her ſeed, &c.
1. Who is the Serpent? I find diverſity of opinions among Interpreters: Some ſay, it was onelyonly the Serpent, and that which belongs unto Satan is but myſtically underſtood: others ſay, it was onelyonly Sathan under the notion of a Serpent, as ſometimes he is called the great Dragon, And the great Dragon was caſt out, that old Serpent called the Devil, Rev. 12.9.and Satan, which deceived the whole world. Others ſay, it was both Satan and the Serpent; as men are ſaid to be poſſeſſed of Satan, ſo was the Serpent poſſeſſed of the Devil. Satan could not provoke our firſt parents to ſin by any inward temptation, as now he doth by the help of our corruption: nor could he enter into their bodies or minds, becauſe of the holineſs and glory that was in them; and therefore he preſumed to take a beaſt of the earth, and by diſpoſing of his Tongue he ſpeaks within him. But what? muſt the Serpent have puniſhment, that was only Satans inſtrument in the temptation? yes:
Such was Gods love to man, that he condemns both the Author and inſtrument of that that evil: as one that in anger breaks the ſword wherewith his ſon, or his friend was wounded; ſo Gods breaks Satans ſword: the Serpent is punniſhed according to the letter of the Text, and Satan is puniſhed in the ſpiritual meaning of the Lord.
Who is the woman? Some are all for Allegories, and thy will tell you, that the Serpent and the Woman are the ſuperiour & inferiour faculties of the Soul; and that ever ſince the Fall there hath been a continual War betwixt theſe: but I look at this Commentary as vain and trifling, though it be fathered on ſome of the Antients, and of no ſmall note; others ſay, this Woman is the Bleſſed Virgin, in relation to which, they read the laſt words thus, ſhe ſhall bruiſe thy head; this reading is not only allowed, but confirmed by the Councel of Trent, and in ſome of their Prayer-books, thy call her The Mother of the Lord, the Tree of Life, the breaker of the Serpents head, and the Gate of Heaven. But I look on this Commentary as ignorant & Idolatrous,Antiphona de domina noſtra ſecundum uſum Eccleſ Hildenſhem. and wholly derogatory to the Kingdom of Chriſt. Others are not ſo eaſily miſlead, and therefore ſay, that the Woman whereſoever mentioned in this Text, is Eve, and none but Eve; ſhe it was whom the tempter had ſeduced, and in juſt judgment for her familiarity with the tempter, God meets with her, I will put enmity (ſaith God) between thee and the Woman.
3. What is the Seed of the Serpent? in Scripture phraſe Seed is ſometimes taken collectively, for many at once; as when the Lord ſaid to Abraham, I will be thy God, and the God of thy Seed: Gen. 17 17, 18and to thee and thy Seed will I give this Land: and I will multiply thy Seed as the ſand of the Sea: and ſometimes it is taken ſingularly for one only perſon; thus Eve called her Son Seth, for God, ſaid ſhe, hath appointed me another Seed inſtead of Abel: Gen. 4.25 Gen. 22.18and ſo it is ſaid of Chriſt, in thy Seed ſhall all the Nations of the Earth be bleſſed. Now in this place the Seed of the Serpent is taken collectively, for all the families of Devils,Mat. 25.4 for the Devil and his Angels (as Chriſt calls them) and for all the Sons of the Devil (i.) for all reprobate men whoſe Father and Prince is the Devil; as Chriſt told the Jews, ye are of your Father the Devil, John 8 44and the luſts of your Father ye will do: and as John tells us,1 John 3 8, 10 he that committeth ſin is of the Devil — in this the children of God are manifeſt, and the children of the Devil: and thus both Devils and reprobates are reckoned as the ſeed of the Serpent.
4. What is the Seed of the Woman?—The Seed of the Woman is that poſterity of the Woman which do not degenerate into the Seed of the Serpent: that is the meaning of the firſt ſentence, I will put enmity;—and then it follows, between thy Seed and her Seed: and for this ſenſe we have theſe arguments. 1. The oppoſition of the Seeds, for as the Seed of the Serpent is taken collectively, ſo the Seed of the Woman muſt be taken collectively, that the oppoſition may be fit. 2. The enmities fore-ſpoken do ſtrongly evince it: now the enmities pertain both to Eve and to all her poſterity (if godly) to the end of the world; hence all that will live godly in Chriſt Jeſus ſhall ſuffer perſecution, ſaith the Apoſtle;2 Tim. 3.18. And I will put enmity (ſaith God) between thee & the woman; is that all? no, but alſo between thy Seed and her Seed: and who can deny but theſe enmities have been ever ſince betwixt Satans brood and the Saints? we are all wreſtlers againſt Principalities and Powers, and Rulers of the darkneſs of this World, Epheſ. 6.12:and againſt ſpiritual wickedneſſes in high places.
5. What is that Hu] in our Bible tranſlated, it?] it ſhall bruiſe thy head? Some obſerve this Hu, it] is of the maſculine gender; and Zera, Seed, is of the maſculine gender; & Jeſaphera, ſhall bruiſe, is of the maſculine gender, which confutes the Tranſlation, that renders it thus, ſhe ſhal bruiſe thy head: and which confirms our Tranſlation which is thus, he, or it, or that ſame Seed, (i.) one ſingular perſon of that ſame Seed, ſhall bruiſe thy head. Well then, who is this he? or what one is he?] even Jeſus the Son of the Living God. Here is the firſt hint of Jeſus that ever was read, or heard of in this world. This was the Proto-evangel, or firſt Goſpel that ever was publiſhed after the Creation. O bleſſed news, fit for Gods mouth to ſpeak, and to break firſt to the world now fallen! O dear parents! how would you have diſpaired, if before ſentence you had not heard this bleſſed tydings! O our firſt Parents upon Earth! where had you and we been, if this bleſſed Text had not been? Come, ſet a Star upon it, write it in letters of Gold, or rather write it on the very Tables of our Hearts: here is the bleſſedſt news that ever was, or ever ſhall be; but for this we had been all Fire-brands of Hell; yea, but for this, Adam and Eve, and all their Sons and Daughters that are now gone out of this World, had been ſmoaking and frying in Hell-fire. Away with all groſs miſtakes, Erroneous conceits, and as you love your Souls, yeild to this bleſſed ſenſe! This it] or he] is one of that ſame Seed, and this one of that ſame ſeed is Jeſus, and only Jeſus, and none but Jeſus; and for this ſenſe we have theſe arguments.
1. Some obſerve that this Sentence is ſeparated from the former with a Period or great ſtop: however God goes on to ſpeak of the Seed of the Woman, yet he ſays not, and that Seed ſhall bruiſe thy head, for ſo we might have thought he had ſpoken of that Seed collectively as he did before; but ſtopping there, and not repeating the ſame word again, he gives it thus; it or he ſhall bruiſe thy head; (i.) ſome individual perſon of that ſame Seed, ſome ſingular one of that ſame common Seed of the Woman ſhall bruiſe thy head; as David alone of all the Hoſt of Iſrael goes forth to fight with Goliah, and overcomes him; ſo Chriſt alone of all the Seed of the Woman was ſo to fight with the Serpent by his own power as to overcome him, and to bruiſe his head.
2. The Seventy in their Tranſlations of this place (with which agrees the Chaldee Paraphraſt) renders it foreign, he] which needs moſt denote ſome ſingular perſon, or Son of the woman; and the rather becauſe the Seed ſpoken of before is rendered foreign, to which if the relative had rightly agreed, it ſhould have been foreign, or foreign, and not foreign; Hereto we may add, that to this it] or he] the Seed of the Serpent is not oppoſed as it was in the former ſentence; but the Serpent it ſelf, one ſingular Antagoniſt; here is ſingularis foreign, a duel, or a combate of two, hand to hand, only Chriſtand the Serpent; he ſhall bruiſe thy head, and thou ſhalt bruiſe his heel.
3. The bruiſing of the head doth plainly diſcover this it, or he is Jeſus Chriſt: for non can bruiſe the Serpents head but only God: the God of peace (ſaith the Apoſtle) ſhall bruiſe Satan under your feet ſhortly. Now there was none of the Seed of the Woman,Rom. 16.10. that was ever God but only Chriſt, God-Man, Man-God, bleſſed for ever; and therefore it muſt needs be Chriſt; and only Chriſt that can bruiſe this Serpents head: O there's a Divine Power, a power and vertue of God in it to bruiſe the Serpents head; obſerve but the manner of this Duel: Chriſt treads on the Serpent; and by this means he comes to have a bruiſe in the heel, whilſt with his heel he bruiſeth the Serpents head; a wonderful thing that Chriſt ſhould lay at the Serpents head with no other weapon but only with his heel; it were much for any man to ſtrike at any common Serpent with a bare and naked foot: rather would he take a dart, or club, or any other Weapon; but with a foot to bruiſe Satans head (that great and fierce, and monſterous Serpent) this exceeds any mans power or any mans daring to attempt: hence it is that ſome one perſon of more than human ſtrength muſt do this deed, and who is that of the Seed of the Woman but only Jeſus Chriſt?
4. God himſelf in other places of Scripture doth expreſly declare that this Seed here promiſed is Chriſt, and only Chriſt: mark but where this promiſe is repeated to the Patriarches, as when the Lord ſaid to Abraham, Gen. 22.18.in thy Seed ſhall all the Nations of the Earth be bleſſed: and when the Lord ſaid to David, I will raiſe up thy Seed after thee, which ſhall be of thy Sons, and I will eſtabliſh his Kingdom; 1 Chro. 17.11.and you may ſee it clear that this Seed is Chriſt, and only Chriſt, concerning that promiſe to Abraham, the Apoſtle ſo interprets it, now to Abraham and his ſeed were the promiſes made; he ſaith not, Gal. 3.16and to Seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy Seed, which is Chriſt: and concerning that promiſe to David, the Prophet ſo interprets it, He ſhall ſit upon the Throne of David, Iſa. 9.6, 7and upon his Kingdom to order it, & to eſtabliſh it,—who is that? in the former verſe, his name is Wonderful, Counſellor, the mighty God, the everlaſting Father, the Prince of Peace, (i.) Chriſt and none but Chriſt; for unto us a Child is born, and unto us a Son is given, &c. and who is that but Jeſus Chriſt?
5. The accompliſhment of this Promiſe in Chriſt is expreſly and clearly made out in the New Teſtament. Was not Jeſus Chriſt of the Seed of the Woman, born of a Virgin? was not his heel bruiſed, himſelf Crucified? and did he not bruiſe the Serpents head, break the Power and Dominion of Satan? What ſaith the Goſpel?1 John 3.8 Luk 10 17, 18, 19. for this purpoſe the Son of God was manifeſted, that he might deſtroy the works of the Devil.—And the ſeventy returned again with joy, ſaying, Lord, even the Devils are ſubject unto us, through thy Name: and he ſaid unto them, I beheld Satan as Lightning fall from Heaven; behold I give unto you power to tread on Serpents, and Scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing ſhall by any means hurt you. Joh. 12.31 Heb. 2.14— And now is the judgment of this world, now ſhall the Prince of this world be caſt out. — And for as much as children are partakers of fleſh and blood, He alſo himſelf likewiſe took part of the ſame, that through death he might deſtroy him that had the power of death, that is the Devil. In theſe and many other places we find this very promiſe fulfilled in Chriſt, and only in Chriſt; and therefore he, and only he is the Seed of the Woman (that Hu, it, or he) that ſhall bruiſe the Serpents head. Yet I will not deny, but by way of participation this promiſe may pertain to the whole Body of Chriſt;Rom. 8 37 Through him that loved us we are more than Conquerours, ſaith the Apoſtle; we may Conquer Satan, though not in our own ſtrength, but Chriſts; and ſo in a ſecondary ſenſe, by way of communication with Chriſt, under this Seed all the faithful are and may be contained; 1. Becauſe the Head and Members are all one Body,Heb. 2.11 Iſa 53.10. both he that ſanctifieth, and they who are ſanctified are all one. 2. Becauſe the faithful are called the ſeed of Chriſt, when thou ſhalt make his Soul an offering for ſin, he ſhall ſee his ſeed. 3. Becauſe Sathan doth not only bruiſe the heel of Chriſt, but of all the faithful,2 Tim. ….12. Rom. 16.20. all that will live Godly in Chriſt Jeſus ſhall ſuffer perſecution. 4. Becauſe Satans overthrow by Chriſt our Head is diffuſed to all the Members, and the God of peace ſhall bruiſe Satan under your feet ſhortly. In this ſence many of the ancient and modern Divines do extend this ſeed to the whole Body of Chriſt: but primarily, originally, eſpecially, and properly, it belongs only to Chriſt, and to none but the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. He only is the ſeed by whom the promiſe is accompliſhed, though the faithful alſo are the ſeed to whom and for whom the promiſe was made.
6. What is the Serpents head, and the bruiſing of it? 1. For the Serpents head, it is the power, rage, reigne and Kingdom of Satan: It is obſerved that in the head of a Serpent lies the ſtrength, power, and life of a Serpent; ſo by a phraiſe of ſpeech fitted to the condition of this Serpent that was Satans inſtrument, God tels the Devil of the danger of his head, (i.e.) of his power and Kingdom: now this power and Kingdom of Satan conſiſts more eſpecially in ſin and death; for the ſting of death is ſin, and the power of death is in Satan. 2 Cor. 15.26 Heb. 2.14Hence ſin and death are uſually called the works and wages of Satan; they are his own, he owns them, and carries them at his girdle. 2. For the bruiſing of this head, it is the overthrowing of Satans power; he ſhall bruiſe thy head, (i.e.) Chriſt ſhall break thy power; Chriſt ſhall deſtroy ſin, and death, and him that had the power of death, that is the Devil. 1 Joh. 2.13.I ſay Chriſt ſhall do it, though as I have ſaid in a ſecondary ſenſe the faithful ſhall do it; Chriſt overcomes by his own power, and the faithfull overcome by the power of Chriſt; the victory is common to all the ſeed, but the Author of victory is only Chriſt the Head and chief of all the ſeed:Rom. 16.20. ye have overcome the evil one, but how? not of your ſelves, no, it is the God of peace that bruiſeth Satan. Well then, here is the ſenſe, the Serpents head is bruiſed, (i.e.) the Devil, and ſin, and death, and hell are overthrown; not only the Devil in his perſon, but the works of the Devil, which by the fall he had planted in our natures, as pride, vain glory, ignorance, luſt, &c. nor only Satans works, but the fruits and effects of his works, as Death and Hell; ſo that all the faithfull may ſing with Paul; O death where is thy ſting? O grave where is thy victory? thanks be to God which giveth us victory through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord.1 Cor. 15.5…, 57.
7. What is the heel of the ſeed of the woman, and the bruiſing of it? 1. For the heel, it is the humanity of Chriſt, according to which properly Chriſt hath an heel: Or (as others) it is the wayes of Chriſt, which Satan, by all the means he could poſſibly would ſeek to ſuppreſs. 2. For the bruiſing of his heel, it is the miſeries, mockings, woundings, Death and Burial of Chriſt, all which he endured in his heel (i.e.) in his humanity; or it extends further, to all the hurts, reproaches, afflictions, perſecutions of the faithful by the Devil and his agents: all which are but as a bruiſe in the heel, which cannot endanger the ſpiritual life of their ſouls. It is obſerved, that the Serpent hath but one head, but the ſeed of the woman hath two heels; ſo that the one may be ſome help, while the other is hurt; beſides, an hurt in the heel is far from the head and heart; and though it may be painful, it is not mortal. Indeed, Chriſts heel was bruiſed (i.e.) He was delivered to death, even to the death of the Croſs; yet he roſe again from the dead; neither had the Devil any advantage by his death; for as angry Bees ſtinging once, make themſelves droanes, ſo the Devil, now he may hiſs at us, but he cannot hurt us; by that wound which Chriſt received at his death, he wounded all his enemies irrecoverably; the very ſight it ſelf was Chriſts triumph; even then was the Kingdom of darkneſs utterly overthrown; ſin, death, and Satan were conquered, and taken captive, and whatſoever might be brought againſt us, was taken away, as the leaſt bill, or ſcroll. O bleſſed riddle!Judg. 14.14 Out of the Eater came forth meat, and out of the ſtrong came forth ſweetneſs. In reference to the promiſe, thou ſhalt bruiſe his heel, Rev. 13.8.Chriſt is ſaid to be the Lamb ſlain from the foundation of the World. Here's good news betimes.
8. Amongſt whom was the enmity, or this hoſtile war? we find in the Text three Hoſts, and three battels: As —
1. Betwixt Satan and the woman; I will put enmity between thee and the woman: (i.e.) Betwixt thee the ſeducer, and her whom thou haſt ſeduced. This enmity is oppoſed to the amity and familiarity, which had been between the woman and the Serpent, and upon that account the woman, and not the man is named; not but that enmity muſt be betwixt the Devil and man, as well as betwixt the Devil and the woman: but becauſe the woman had more tampered with Satan, and being deceived by Satan, was firſt in the tranſgreſſion, therefore is ſhe onelyonly named, I will put enmity between thee and the woman.
2. Betwixt Satans ſeed, and the ſeed of the woman: I will put enmity, not onelyonly between thee, and the woman, but alſo between thy ſeed, and her ſeed, q.d. This enmity ſhall not ceaſe with the death of the woman, but it ſhall continue to her ſeed, and to her ſeeds ſeed, even to the end of the World. We ſee to this day how the Serpent and Serpents ſeed are ſtriving and warring againſt the Church; and a wonder it is (conſidering the malice of the enemy) that there is a Church upon Earth, but onelyonly that we have Chriſts promiſe, The gates of Hell ſhall not prevaile againſt it; and lo I am with you alwayes, even to the end of the World.
3. Betwixt Chriſt and the Serpent. O this a bloody conflict on both ſides, he ſhall bruiſe thy head, and thou ſhalt bruiſe his heel. 1. He ſhall bruiſe thy head; Chriſt ſhall break thy power, thy power, (i.e.) the power of the Serpent, or of the Devil himſelf: he fights not ſo much with the ſeed, as with the Serpent; if Satan be overthrown, his ſeed cannot ſtand. 2. Thou ſhalt bruiſe his heel; thou ſhalt afflict him and his, thou ſhalt caſt out of thy mouth a flood of perſecutions: thou ſhalt make warre with him, Rev. 12.17.and all them which keep the Commandments of God, and have the teſtimony of Jeſus Chriſt.
I have held you a while in the explication of this firſt promiſe, and the rather becauſe of the darkneſs of it, and the much ſweetneſs that is contained in it; it is full of Goſpel-truths: ſtrike but the flint, and there will fly out theſe glorious ſparkles.
1. That a Saviour was promiſed from the beginning of the world. 2. That this Saviour ſhould free all his Saints from ſin, death, and hell; the head and power of the Devil. 3. That to this end this Saviour ſhould be a Mediator; for God would not grant an immediate pardon, but the promiſed ſeed muſt firſt intervene. 4. That this Mediator ſhould be of the ſeed of the woman, that is, a man; and yet ſtronger then the Devil, indued with a Divine power, and ſo he is God. 5. That this Man-God ſhould according to his Prieſtly office be a Sacrifice for ſin, the Serpent ſhould bruiſe his heel, he ſhould ſuffer and dye for the people; and yet accordingly to his Kingly office he ſhould overcome Satan; for he ſhould bruiſe his head, overthrow his Kingdom, and make us more than Conquerors in him that loved us. 6. That this promiſe of Chriſt and of our juſtification is free; God of meer mercy, and free-grace brings forth this promiſe, there could be now after the fall no merit in man; and even now he promiſeth remiſſion of ſins, and life Eternal in, for, and through the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. No queſtion but in belief of this promiſe the Patriarchs and Fathers of old obtained life, glory, and immortality: By faith the Elders obtained a good report: by faith Abel obtained witneſs that he was righteous: by faith Enoch was tranſlated that he ſhould not ſee Death: by faith Noah became heir of the righteouſneſs of Chriſt; & how ſhould it but revive us in theſe laſt times, to hear, that the firſt thing that ever God did after the World was fallen, it was this act of mercy, to make a promiſe of Chriſt, and to reconcile loſt man to himſelf through the ſame Jeſus Chriſt? ſurely he began to do that ſoon, which he meant to be alwayes a doing, even to the end of the World. Thus far of the promiſe, as it was manifeſted from Adam to Abraham.