other a Firebrand in hell So that a good man must not reckon his children by their number but by their grace and holinesse Those amongst them that are wicked are none of his The rest of the womans seed according to the flesh for the image of Satan which they beare and wherein they resemble him as a childe doth the Parents are termed his seed for the resemblance that they carry of his nature For under the seed of the Serpent that is of Satan in this place are comprehended not only all the divels who though they come not of Lucifer the Prince of devils by natural propagation yet resemble him in their disposition and may not improperly be termed his seed but besides all such wicked men as are drawen in by him to take part with him against God in hating and persecuting his servants and in submitting them selves to serve him and to be guided in all things by him to do and fulfil his Will Whence 22. OBSERVE Wicked men be the devils children in true account Observe 22 SO our Saviour calls the Jewes John 8.44 and the Apostle 1 John 3.10 termes all wicked men And St. Paul gives that name to Elymas in particular Acts 13.10 so indeed they may be judged to be 1. Because Satans seede abides in them that is those false principles which Satan hath infused into them and wherewith he strongly possesseth their hearts which the Apostle calls strong holds and high imaginations 2 Cor. 10.4 according to which they resemble his nature as children do the disposition of their Parents 2. Because they willingly serve him as a son either doth or ought to do his father Mal. 3.17 walking according to him Eph. 2.2 doing his works and fulfilling his will and lusts by which mark our Saviour proves the Jewes that persecuted him to be Satans children John 8.44 so that the condition of such persons must needs be extreamly both base and miserable which as it may justly move all wise men both to hate and avoid them as so many young devils so it ought to turne our envying at them to which we are too prone into mourning and lamenting for them as so many miserable wretches who instead of the Image of God have upon them the image of Satan which abaseth them below the basest of all creatures Between this bastard seed and the true seed of the woman God hath decreed perpetual enmity which neither can nor shall be ended but in the final destruction of Satan and his cursed feed who shall not leave to hate fight against the godly till they leave to be Whence 23. OBSERVE There is and shall be irreconcileable hatred and enmity between the godly and the wicked men of the world Observe 23 THey have alwayes been and shall be an abomination to the wicked as the wicked are unto the godly Prov. 27.27 See ver 1. Obs 2. in the Use 24. OBSERVE Enmity and malice against godly men is an evident mark of a childe of the devil Observe 24 THereby our Saviour convinceth the Jewes to be of their father the devil because they hated him that came from God John 8.40 and Saint John 1 John 3.10 tells us that this manifests men to be the children of Satan because they love not their brethren as Cain loved not Abel but hated and slew him upon no other quarrel but for goodnesse ver 12. as Davids enemies hated him for the same cause Psal 38.20 Indeed when they make the goodnesse of those whom they hate the ground of their hatred they expresse the image of Satan in them to the life I grant they pretend to hate no man for good or goodnesse but for some evil which they pretend they finde to be in them so the Jews excuse themselves to our Saviour Christ John 10.33 But when they neither hate nor avoid nor abhorre in themselves or other men that hypocrisie pride covetousnesse censorious spirits for which they pretend to hate the godly besides other fouler and grosser sins even against the light of Nature which either themselves live in or else they tolerate in their friends they do clearly convince themselves that the pretended causes of their hatred are but cloakes of their malice which is truly raised in them by the contrariety of their nature to that which is good which because they abhor they hate all those in whom they finde it We have hitherto taken notice of the enmity that God put between Satan and the woman and between his seed and the seed of the woman This inward enmity breaks out at last into open warres wherein Christ who is specially pointed at in the seed of the woman shewes himself on the behalf of his children and undertakes the quarel and for them subdues Satan and breaks and crusheth in pieces all his power yet not without some wounds received by the hand of Satan both in his own person and in the faithful who are his seed and members of his body This indeed happened to our Saviour in his own person in the dayes of his flesh when he took on him our nature and became the seed of the woman as he was indeed and is so termed by God himself in this place Whence 25. OBSERVE Christ is truly the womans seed Observe 25 MAde flesh John 1.14 Mediately through many descents of the seed of David Rom. 1.3 but immediately made only of a woman Gal. 4.4 not the natural way of generation after the manner of other men but by the Power of the Holy Ghost over-shadowing the blessed Virgin but in all other things sinne only excepted made like unto his brethren as the Apostle speaks Heb. 2.17 and thus far it pleased him to abase himself 1. That thereby being made under the Law which was given to the whole nature of man he might in our nature fulfil it for us Gal. 4.5 2. That he might in the same nature suffer and make satisfaction for our sins which as God he could not do becoming a curse for us Gal. 3.13 3. That he might take that is that we might be assured that he doth take compassion of our infirmities whereof he had experience in his own person Heb. 2.17 18. 4. That he might joyn us unto God by taking on him a middle Person and becoming both God and man 5. That in our nature he might conquer Satan death and hell and take possession of Heaven for us as himselfe affirmes he would do John 14.2 3. Christ now becoming the seed of the woman by taking the substance of his flesh from her body and therewithal uniting all the faithful with him into one body whereof he is the Head undertakes the war against Satan wherein as in all wars it happens there are wounds on both sides those of Christ and his members without danger as lighting only on the heele but Satans mortal Let us then consider them first as they light upon Christ in his own Person and then as they light upon his members And 26
gladnesse of heart Deut. 28 47. The whole tenor of this promise of God made to man in this place of the estate into which he should be restored by his free grace discovers a double difference between it and the estate in which he was first created 1. In respect of the present imperfection 2. Of the immutability of this renewed state into which he was now restored Of the former we shall speak anon As for the later it is intimated in this promise two wayes First in the means by which he shall be continued in the state of grace which is here promised which shall be the power of God As if God had said it shall not be with man hereafter as it hath been heretofore Then man having power in his own hand to stand or fall lost it quickly hereafter the power shall be in my hand and Satan shall not so far prevaile upon man as to win him to consent unto him and to fall away from God againe but there shall be a perpetual enmity between man and Satan Secondly this is farther manifested in the event wherein Satan having used the uttermost of his power should yet never be able to wound the head of the womans seed either Christ or any of his members to destroy either the one or the other Whence 11 OBSERVE The state of man into which he is now restored and established by grace is unchangeable Observe 11 SO it is promised it shall be Jer. 31.32 his life being now hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 and not left any longer in his own keeping That it might be so it pleased God to give his children unto Christ out of whose hand no man can take them by any power Joh. 10.29 neither can or will he lose any that is given him Joh. 6.39 having united them as members to his own body and that by the firmest band even his own Spirit so that they are now kept by his power to salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 This indeed is First a great honour to God when according to his unchangeable nature whom he loves he loves unto the end Joh. 13.1 so that his gifts and calling are without repentance Rom. 11.29 And secondly a ground of strong consolation to the godly who knowing whom they have beleeved and being well assured that both he is able to keep that which is committed to him to the last day 2 Tim. 1.12 and withal that he abideth faithful and cannot deny himselfe 2 Tim. 2.13 are thereby strongly encouraged unto all duties of obedience knowing that their labour is not in vaine in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 seeing they are assured they shall persist unto the end and having done the will of God shall receive the promise Heb. 10.36 The purpose of God as we have seen was to keep the holy seed hereafter from falling away from God now to this end he takes order that there shall be a perpetual enmity between man and Satan and all Satans seed and instruments that Gods children may be no more allured and intangled in their sins So that we may here discover the malice of the wicked against the godly when and whence it ariseth by whom it is appointed and directed and to what end all circumstances worthy our serious consideration We see then that when sinne came into the world then came in malice too Whence 12 OBSERVE Hatred and enmity is both it selfe a sin and withal the fruit of sin Observe 12 THe Devil being at the first an Angel of light became Satan that is an Hater only by sin Take away sin which shall be when Christs Kingdome is fully setled and all the creatures agree together Isa 11.6 7. and all with man ver 8. and one man with another ver 13. See Job 5.23 It is sin that makes us enemies to God Rom. 8.7 and 1.30 and him an enemy to man Psal 11.5 that makes the wicked hate the godly unjustly and them justly hated of the godly Prov. 29.27 It cannot be otherwise seeing God himselfe is love and consequently could not but infuse love into all his creatures which dwell in love as long as they dwel in God 1 John 4.16 So that hatred could be nothing else but sin by which the creature departed from God and the fruit of sin The greater shame is there to those who having themselves begotten this bastard lay it at the door of Religion and the Professors thereof as they have done in all ages Paul and Silas are charged to be the troublers of the City Act. 16.20 and Paul a mover of sedition Act. 24.5 The same slander was taken up and fastened upon the Churches in the Primitive times as all Histories record the less cause have we to mervaile that it should be charged upon us in our dayes how unjustly it will appeare 1. If we examine the principles of religion and the rules which the Doctrine thereof prescribes all of them tending to love meeknesse patience in wrongs readinesse to forgive nay to render good for evil 2. By observing the carriage of all that imbrace religion in sincerity both towards one another and towards all men It is true indeed that hatred and division usually accompanies Religion Mat. 24.9 10. But that we shall alwayes finde to be raised not by those that embrace it but by such as oppose it as there is trouble in robbing an house but it is caused by thieves that break in and steale not by the true man that maintaines the possession of his own goods Not the Apostles and their followers but their wicked enemies were they that caused all the stir in all places where they come Act. 13.45 50. and 14.2 4 5 19. and 17.5 and 18.12 and 19.23 24. There are indeed three things that evidently manifest that hatred and envy are the fruits of sinne although they be the companions of Religion 1. That we finde them reigning most amongst such as never knew Religion 2. That when the godly are parties in any contention they are usually therein the patients and not the agents 3. That if there happen any differences amongst the godly as it happens sometimes they are occasioned either by such as imbrace religion in outward profession and not indeed or by the remainder of those bitter roots of pride and self-love which are not wholly rooted out of the hearts of Gods dearest servants When sin began then enmity began but from whom did it first spring Satan out of meere malice and envy layes snares for the woman to entrap her who had never provoked him nor had ought to do with him so that he being the hater and enemy both of God and man was the first from whom all hatred and envy sprang Whence 13 OBSERVE Satan is the first author of all envy and malice especially against Gods children Observe 13 HE is the murtherer from the beginning John 8.44 and they that hate and persecute the godly do his deeds ver 41. and fulfil his will ver 44. and
are of him 1 John 3.12 The very consideration whereof should be a sufficient motive to make such persons vile and odious in all mens eyes agents of Satan employed by him for their destruction which must be the effect of hatred and malice at the last and should withal appale the hearts of all those in whom those sins reigne who therein bear the image of Satan are acted by his Spirit and serve him in fulfilling his will and therefore cannot expect any other then to receive his reward and to be made partakers of his plagues This enmity and malice of Satan against man was from himself which occasions on the other side the enmity of men against him whereof God professeth himself the Author Partly by his decree by which he appointeth that it shall be so and that also reacheth to Satans malice against man which though God infuse not into him yet he orders and moderates not according to Satans will but according to his own and partly by the effectual working of his own spirit in the hearts of the godly which moves them with a just hatred against Satan and all his instruments as being both their own and Gods enemies Whence 14 OBSERVE The malice and hatred between the godly and Satan and his instruments is by Gods appointment and decree Observe 14 WHerfore he is said to have an hand in many of the attempts of wicked men against his own children He hardens Pharaohs heart to follow after his people Ex. 14.8 17. Nay he turned the hearts of the Egyptians to hate his people Psal 105.25 He stirred up enemies against Solomon 1 King 11.14 23. And this he doth by ministring objects outwardly by which that malice which was before in their hearts is quickened and awaked and besides by directing that malice of theirs in that way that best pleaseth him for his own glory Much more is it true that God determines all the effects of wicked mens malice against his children not only when he employs them in a course of Justice to chastise his people for their sins As he sent Nebuchadnezzar to a dissembling Nation to scourge it as his rod so that the staffe in their hand was his indignation Is 10.5 But even then when they are unjustly moved out of malice to hate and persecute the godly their wayes and actions are directed by God to execute what he appoints as the Jewes did in crucifying our blessed Saviour Act. 4.28 It must needs be so seeing the counsel of God must stand in all ages Psal 33.11 and therefore they cannot hate where God wills they shall love much lesse can they out of malice effect any thing otherwise then God hath appointed Let all that are godly beare the malicious practices of men against them 1. As being determined by God 2. And so moderated that the wrath of man shall praise him Psal 76.10 and the remainder of it so restrained that it shall work to the good of those that love him Rom. 8.28 being the meanes of continuing strangnesse between them and wicked men lest by familiarity with them they might learn their wayes Prov. 22.25 and be entangled in their snares It is not to be passed by that the Lord in establishing this enmity between the woman and Satan especially hath this for his aime that the woman might for time to come be the better secured from that danger which she had fallen into by her familiarity with Satan who by that meanes had ensnared and seduced her which he should not have opportunity to do hereafter when there should be such enmity between them Whence 15 OBSERVE God directs and turnes the malice of Satan and his instruments against the godly to their good at the last Observe 15 FIrst by the hatred which they beare to the persons of wicked men who have such mischievous intentions against them they are moved the more to abhor and avoid their wayes 2. That enmity cutting off all familiarity with wicked men deprives them of the opportunity of corrupting the godly by their examples and alluring inticements 3. The more they are hatred and persecuted by wicked men the more is their reward increased hereafter Mat. 5.12 4. And Gods providence is the more clearly manifested in preserving and protecting those poore sheep amongst so many ravening wolves 5. And their sincerity the more appeares when they continue constant with God serving him in an holy course of obedience notwithstanding mens opposition against them as David implies Psal 119.51 85 161. Lastly it is an occasion of uniting the hearts of the godly in a firmer bond of love one towards another and of cleaving more close unto God when they finde themselves compassed about with so many enemies in the world This promise howsoever intended to both yet is directed as we see rather to the woman then to the man seeing she only is spoken to by name The reason whereof we may conceive to be as hath been intimated already either to apply the comfort the more unto her who had most cause to be dejected as being deepest in the transgression Or that the promise might be the more firme being made to the woman the weaker vessel of the two against whom if Satan could not prevaile there was little hope of prevailing against the man which was the stronger And if God were pleased to shew so much favour to the woman who had most offended much more might the man hope to finde favour in his eyes whose offence was lesse at least in some degree Whence 16 OBSERVE God usually supplies most comfort to those that most need it Observe 16 HE above all others healeth the broken in heart Psal 147.3 and sends Christ more especially unto such persons Esay 61.1 that as the sufferings of Christ abound in his children so the consolations might abound by Christ 2 Cor. 1.5 Thus Christ Jesus himself after his resurrection appeared first to his mother to Mary Magdalen and to Saint Peter the persons that were most dejected in Spirit either by the grief of Christs death or for their own sins And this he doth not only out of necessity lest otherwise the bruised reed might be broken but out of his delight to take compassion upon such as are distressed and lastly because comfort must needs do most good where men are best prepared to receive it Now considering that God makes this promise to the woman the weaker person of the two that she should stand out in a stiffe and perpetual enmity against Satan so that she should not be mastered by him 17 OBSERVE God is able and will strengthen the weakest of his servants against Satan and all his Power Observe 17 HIs strength is perfected that is manifested to be perfect in weaknesse as himself speaks 2 Cor. 12.9 And it is his glory to give power to the faint and them that have no might Isa 40.29 as 1. Easily he may having all power in his own hand and therefore is at liberty to bestow it
so much weakened in both those abilities The successe of this temptation with the lamentable Consequents that followed it with the miraculous meanes by which man was recovered after this fall which without Gods infinite mercy had wholly ruined him and his posterity after him we are now to take up these particulars as they are laid down unto us by Moses in the Narration ensuing But first it will not be amisse to take notice what the consideration in general of the several circumstances of this assault described in the five verses which we have already expounded may teach for our Instruction Verse 1. Out of the consideration of the time of this temptation which though it be not expresly set down yet must be questionlesse shortly after the placing of our first Parents in Paradise we may 1. OBSERVE It is the usual custome of Satan to attempt men before they be confirmed and setled in a course of godlinesse Observe 1 THus he assaulted the Churches of Judea and the parts adjoyning by sharp persecutions as soon as they were planted Acts 8.3 He stands before the woman to devoure her childe as soon as it was to be borne Rev. 12.4 troubles the Churches of Galatiâ— Corinth c. in their very insancy with dangerous errours schismes and corrupt doctrine as most of Saint Pauls Epistles wherein he complaines of those evils testifying to the world And unto this practice he is moved 1. By his envy both at mans happinesse and Gods glory neither of which he can endure not for a moment if he may finde meanes to hinder either of them 2. By the opportunity of effecting his intended mischief more easily and certainly as new planted trees are more easily plucked up at the first before they have taken roote and be thereby thoroughly fastened which his own vigilancy and industrious disposition to work mischief will not suffer him to omit Let all persons newly converted prepare for such trials and let all their friends watch over them carefully as mothers do after their new born children after Pauls example 1 Thes 2.7 and direction Acts 20.35 1 Thes 5.14 according to the patterne of Christ Isa 40.11 considering the dangerous assaults wherewith they are to encounter and the inability of those weak ones even to subsist of themselves much lesse to withstand the policies and power of Satan But the consideration of this circumstance of time wherein our first Parents were thus seduced offers unto us further the observation of Satans malice in setting thus upon man and practising his destruction before he had been any way provoked by him yea before he had ought to do with him nay perhaps before man so much as knew that there was a devil Whence 2. OBSERVE Satan conirives mischief even against such as never provoked him Observe 2 THus he dealt with God himself from whom he fell and whom he still opposeth although he had not only made him but made him the most excellent of all his creatures Thus he dealt with Christ by Herod his minister attempting to destroy him almost as soon as he was borne and when he had yet done neither good nor evil Thus he incensed Cain against his own brother Abel and that so far as to take away his life and that upon no other ground but because he was a goodman 1 John 3.12 and sets Davids enemies against him even when he sued unto them for peace Psal 120.7 nay when he did them good Psal 35.12 and prayed for them with fasting ver 13. Hope not for peace with wicked men who being Satans seed must needs resemble his nature as our Saviour testifies they do John 8.44 seeing a good mans peace with them is 1. Impossible because of the contrariety between good and evil men every way As 1. In their very disposition a good and wicked man are an abomination one to another Prov. 29.27 2. And are employed in the service of contrary Masters Christ and Belial 2 Cor. 6.15 3. They follow and are guided by contrary Rules the Law of sinne as the Apostle termes it Rom. 7.23 and the Law of Righteousnesse as Gods Law is termed Psal 119.172 4. And are carried in all their wayes and actions to contrary ends whence it necessarily follows that they must continually crosse one another in all the course of their conversation 2. If the peace of the godly with wicked men were possible yet it must needs be every way unprofitable seeing they have nothing common between them in which they might have commerce together or be helpful one to another the one aiming only at earthly the other especially at heavenly things 3. Such peace must of necessity prove dangerous to the godly seeing experience shews us how easily wicked mens words or conversation as the word in the Original may not improperly be rendered 1 Cor. 15.33 or at the least our commerce with wicked men must be troublesome and full of unquietnesse when a wicked mans ungodly conversation must needs be a grief and continual vexation to a good mans spirit as the wicked lives of the Sodomites were to Lots 2 Pet. 2.8 Indeed as much as in us lies we are commanded to have peace with all men Rom. 12.18 But for an unprofitable outward peace with such men So as 1. To swerve from the course of a godly life or to neglect such services or duties as we owe unto God or his Church which we can hardly performe as we ought being in their company as the Psalmist implies when he commands wicked men to depart from him that he might keep Gods Commandments Psal 119.115 2. Or to coole and slack our zeal for Gods glory 3. Or much more to conforme to any of their wicked practices which are the only termes on which ordinarily he may have and continue peace with them being contrary to the minde and Law of God these are things that lie not in our power Thus far only we may go but no further 1. To forbear provoking them without just cause 2. To endeavour to win them by outward courtesies rendering unto them good for their evil as we are directed Rom. 12.21 and by Christ himself Mat. 5. 3. To embrace peace when they offer it upon warrantable termes and to seek it too by lawful means Notwithstanding in enjoying this peace with them we must take heed of admitting them into our inward familiarity as we are forewarned Prov. 22.24 which David found to be dangerous Psal 55.13 14. 2. Let us not walk with them securely but always suspect and therefore arme our selves against all their dangerous practises with the wisdom of Serpents and innocency of Doves Mat. 10.16 The place of this temptation although it be not mentioned by Moses must necessarily be concluded to be Paradise in which also we may probably conceive that the woman at this time when Satan assaulted her was profitably employed in surveighing the fruits of this pleasant Garden their new Lordship so lately bestowed and that as well to