Selected quad for the lemma: woman_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
woman_n	bruise_v	heel_n	serpent_n	2,564	5	9.8176	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53678	A continuation of the exposition of the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews viz, on the sixth, seventh, eight, ninth, and tenth chapters : wherein together with the explication of the text and context, the priesthood of Christ ... are declared, explained and confirmed : as also, the pleas of the Jews for the continuance and perpetuity of their legal worship, with the doctrine of the principal writers of the Socinians about these things, are examined and disproved / by J. Owen ...	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1680 (1680)	Wing O729; ESTC R21737	1,235,588	797

that Death was the Wages of Sin For although there was allowed in them a Commutation that the Sinner himself should not dye but the Beast that was Sacrificed in his stead which belonged unto their Second end of leading unto Christ yet they all testified unto that Sacred Truth that it is the Judgment of God that they who commit Sin are worthy of Death And this was as the whole Law an Ordinance of God to deterr Men from Sin and so put bounds unto Transgressions For when God passed by Sin with a kind of Connivance winking at the Ignorance of Men in their iniquities not giving them continual warnings of their Guilt and the consequents thereof in Death the World was filled and covered with a Deluge of Impieties Men saw not Judgment speedily executed nor any Tokens or Indications that so it would be therefore was their Heart wholly set in them to do Evil. But God dealt not thus with the Church He let no Sin pass without a Representation of his displeasure against it though mixed with Mercy in a direction unto the Relief against it in the Blood of the Sacrifice And therefore he did not only appoint these Sacrifices on all the especial occasions of such Sins and Uncleanness as the Consciences of particular Sinners were pressed with a sense of but also once a year there was gathered up a Remembrance of all the Sins Iniquities and Transgressions of the whole Congregation Levit. 16. 2. They were added as the Teaching of a School-master to lead unto Christ. By them was the Church taught and directed to look continually unto and after that Sacrifice which alone could really purge and take away all Iniquity For God appointed no Sacrifices until after the Promise of sending the Seed of the Woman to break the Head of the Serpent In his so doing was his own Heel to be bruised in the suffering of his Humane Nature which he offered in Sacrifice unto God which these Sacrifices did represent Wherefore the Church knowing that these Sacrifices did call Sin to remembrance representing the displeasure of God against Sin which was their First end and that although there was an Intimation of Grace and Mercy in them by the commutation and substitution which they allowed yet that they could not of themselves take away Sin it made them the more earnestly and with longing desires look after him and his Sacrifice who should perfectly take away Sin and make peace with God wherein the principal exercise of Grace under the Old Testament did consist 3. As unto their especial nature they were added as the great instruction in the way and manner whereby Sin was to be taken away For although this arose originally from Gods meer Grace and Mercy yet was it not to be executed and accomplished by Soveraign Grace and Power alone Such a taking away of Sin would have been inconsistent with his Truth Holiness and Righteous Government of Mankind as I have elsewhere at large demonstrated It must be done by the Interposition of a Ransome and Attonement by the substitution of one who was no Sinner in the room of Sinners to make satisfaction unto the Law and Justice of God for Sin Hereby they became the principal direction of the Faith of the Saints under the Old Testament and the means whereby they acted it on the original promise of their Recovery from Apostasie These things do evidently express the Wisdom of God in their Institution although of themselves they could not take away Sin And those by whom these ends of them are denyed as they are by the Jews and Socinians can give no account of any end of them which should answer the Wisdom Grace and Holiness of God This Objection being removed I shall proceed unto the Exposition of the words in particular And there are Four things in them as a Negative Proposition 1. The Illative Conjunction declaring its respects unto what went before 2. The subject matter spoken of The Blood of Bulls and Goats 3. What is denyed concerning it it could not take away Sin 4. The Modification of this Negative Proposition it was impossible they should do so 1. The Illative Conjunction For declares what is spoken to be introduced in the Proof and Confirmation of what was before affirmed And it is the closing Argument against the Imperfection and Impotency of the Old Covenant the Law Priesthood and Sacrifices of it which the Apostle maketh use of And indeed it is comprehensive of all that he had before insisted on yea it is the Foundation of all his other Reasonings unto this purpose For if in the Nature of the thing it self it was impossible that the Sacrifices consisting of the Blood of Rulls and Goats should take away Sin then however whensoever and by whomsoever they were offered this effect could not be produced by them Wherefore in these words the Apostle puts a Close unto his Argument and reassumes it no more in this Epistle but only Once or Twice makes mention of it in the way of an Illustration to set forth the excellency of the Sacrifice of Christ as v. 11. of this Chapter and Chap. 13. 10 11 12. 2. The subject spoken of is the Blood of Bulls and Goats The reason why the Apostle expresseth them by Bulls and Goats which were Calves and Kids of the Goats hath been declared on Chap. 9. ver 11 12. And some things must be observed conceruing this Description of the Old Sacrifices 1. That he makes mention of the Blood of the Sacrifices only whereas in many of them the whole Bodies were offered and the Fat of them all was burned on the Altar And thus he doth for the ensuing Reasons 1. Because it was the Blood alone whereby Attonement was made for Sin and Sinners The Fat was burned with Incense only to shew that it was accepted as a sweet savour with God 2. Because he had respect principally unto the Anniversary Sacrifice unto the Consummation whereof and Attonement thereby the carrying the Blood into the Holy Place did belong 3. Because Life Natural is in an especial manner in the Blood which signified that Attonement was to be made by Death and that by the effusion of Blood as it was in the Sacrifice of Christ. See Levit. 17. 11 12. And in the shedding of it there was an Indication of the Desert of Sin in the Offerer 2. He recalls them by this Expression of their Sacrifices the Blood of Bulls and Goats unto a due consideration of what effect might be produced by them They were Accompanied with great Solemnity and Pomp of Ceremony in their Celebration Hence arose a great Esteem and Veneration of them in the Minds of the People But when all was done that which was Offered was but the Blood of Bulls and Goats And there is a Tacit Opposition unto the matter of that Sacrifice whereby Sin was really to be Expiated which was the precious Blood of Christ as Chap. 9. 13 14. 3. That which

so deported himself as that he might not be unmeet to receive the succeeding mercies whereof he was to be made partaker And this is the method of Gods communicating his Grace unto sinners His first Call and Conversion of them is absolutely gratuitous He hath no consideration of any thing in them that should induce him thereunto Neither is there any thing required unto a condecency herein God takes men as he pleaseth some in one condition and posture of mind some in another some in an open course of sin and some in the execution of a particular sin as Paul And he indeed at the instant of his call was under the active power of two of the greatest hinderances unto Conversion that the heart of man is obnoxious unto For first he was zealous above measure of the Righteousness of the Law seeking earnestly for Life and Salvation by it and then he was actually ingaged in the persecution of the Saints of God These two qualifications constant resting in Legal Righteousness with rage and madness in persecution than which there are not out of Hell more adverse principles unto it were all the preparations of that Apostle unto converting Grace But after that this Grace which is absolutely free and Soveraign is received there is an order in Gods Covenant which for the most part he observeth in the communication of ensuing Graces and Priviledges namely that Faith and Obedience shall precede the increase and enlargement of them Thus was it with Abraham who received his last great signal Promise and Priviledge Gen. 22. upon that signal Act of his Faith and Obedience in offering up his Son upon Gods Command As it was with Abraham so is it with all those who in any Age are made partakers of Grace or spiritual Priviledges Secondly The Promise here intended as to the spiritual part of it may be considered with respect unto all Believers of whom Abraham was the Representative And two things are contained therein 1. The giving and sending of the Son of God to take on him the Seed of Abraham This was the life and soul of the Promise the ancient and first expressed regard of Divine Grace unto sinners In thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed that is the Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head The Incarnation of the Son of God promised from the Foundation of the world shall be fulfilled in thy Seed he shall take on him the Seed of Abraham So our Apostle argues Gal. 3. 16. Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made he saith not unto Seeds as of many but as of one and thy Seed which is Christ. For the Promise which is made concerning Christ in one sense is made unto him in another As to the benefit and effects of the coming of Christ it was made concerning him unto Abraham and all his Seed but as unto the first grant intention and stability of the Promise it is made unto Christ himself with respect unto that Everlasting Covenant which was between the Father and him in his undertaking the work of Mediation Or the Lord Christ may be considered either as the undertaker of the Covenant with God and so the Promise was made unto him or as the Accomplishment of the terms of it for us so the Promise was concerning him 2. The nature of the benefit which is to be received by Christ thus promised and that in general is a Blessing in thy Seed shall they be blessed And two things are comprised in this Blessing as the Springs of other mercies innumerable The Promise of Christ himself was the fountain and all other Promises were particular streams from it especial Explications and Applications of that Promise 1 The removal of the Curse of the Law which was come on all men by reason of sin The Curse could not be removed but by a Blessing and that which doth it is the greatest of Blessings as that was the greatest of Curses and Miseries 2 The bringing in of a blessed Righteousness on the account whereof we might be accepted with God See Gal. 3. 13 14 15. Before we proceed we may observe two things in general concerning this Promise 1 That this was the Life of the Church of the Old Testament the Spring of its continuance unto its appointed season which could never be dried up How many times were that whole people the posterity of Abraham at the very brink of Destruction For sometimes they fell generally into such terrible provoking sins as that their utter casting off might have been justly expected by Angels and men sometimes they were in the just Judgement of God given up unto such wasting Desolations in their Captivities as that they were wholly like dry bones on the face of the Earth without hopes of a Resurrection Yet mercy patience and power wrought through all and preserved them in a Church state until this Promise was accomplished This it was alone or the Faithfulness of God therein whence all their healing and recoveries did proceed And when this Promise was once fulfilled it was beyond the power of all the world to keep them unto their former condition All depended on the issue of this Promise in whose fulfilling all things were to be cast into a new mold and order 2 This was that which preserved the Spirits of true Believers among them from ruining Despondencies in the times of the greatest Apostasies Calamities and Desolations of the People They had this Promise still to plead and rested therein notwithstanding all the Interveniencies which oft-times seemed to render the case of that people very desperate See their Faith expressed Micah 7. 18 19 20. Isa. 7. 13 14 15. chap. 5. 3. Luke 1. 70 71 72 73. And I would hope there is mercy lies treasured in the Bowels of this Promise not yet brought forth toward the remainders of the Posterity of Abraham according to the Flesh. Who knows but that by virtue of the ingaged Love and Faithfulness of God declared in this Promise these withered Branches may revive and these dead bones rise again Our Apostle placeth the Hopes of it on this ground alone that as touching the Election they were beloved they were beloved for the Fathers sake Rom. 11. 28. As to Profession they were then vsibly falling off but as to Election as to Gods purpose concerning them the Love which he bare to their Fathers ingaged unto Abraham in this Promise will one day find them out and bring them in unto a plentiful share in this Blessing Wherefore on all accounts the Instance chosen by the Apostle was of singular use unto the Hebrews and singularly suited unto their present condition For as they received many Advantages from his personal Priviledges who was their Father according to the Flesh so they succeeded unto him in the spiritual part of the Promise and therefore as the like Duties of Faith and Obedience and Perseverance were required of them as of him so they in