Selected quad for the lemma: woman_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
woman_n	mean_v	seed_n	serpent_n	1,887	5	10.3579	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65924	A vindication of the doctrine of Gods absolute decree and of Christs absolute and special redemption. In way of answer to those objections that are brought against them by Mr. Tho: Pierce, in his treatise, entituled, The divine philanthropy. By Tho: Whitfeld, minister of the gospel.	Whitfield, Thomas, Minister of the Gospel.	1657 (1657)	Wing W2011A; ESTC R222306	60,986	90

whom the Father hath given him John 17.9 and the thing which he prayes for is That they may partake of the benefit of his death verse 21 24. The first and grand promise wherein Christ and the covenant of grace is held forth is not made to all Argument 7 but onely to the seed of the woman Gen. 3. The seed of the woman shall break the serpents head Whence ariseth this Argument All those for whom Christ died for them and in them he breaks the serpents head he overthrowes and destroyes Satans power rule and dominion But there are many in whom and for whom Satans power and dominion is never overthrown for they live and die in a state of darkness remaining under the power of Satan therefore there are many for whom Christ never died 2. The Serpents head is onely broken for in and by the seed of the woman namely true believers Ergo Christ died not for all 3. Against these onely Satan may be said most properly to exercise his enmity Ergo these onely and not all men are that seed by whom Satan is quelled Object By the seed of the woman is meant all mankinde and by the seed of the Serpent are meant evil spirits for the seed must be of the same nature with him from whom it proceeds Answ If seed be taken properly for natural seed so Satan hath none for Spirits do not propagate if figuratively or morally so wicked men are his seed Hence our Savior tells the wicked Jews that they were of their father the Devil John 8.44 because they did his works and the Apostle saith that he that committeth sin is of the Devil 1 John 3.9 Wicked men are called Satans seed not in regard of their substance but of those venemous qualities whereby they resemble him Object The promise of breaking the Serpents head is made to all upon condition that they will believe Answ There is no condition at all mentioned in the Text neither is there any thing spoken of mans duty what he should do but of Christs work and what he would do here is no exhortation but a promise 2. This promise should be made to no purpose if to such as are in no sort able to fulfil the condition yea to thousands who never heard of promise or condition 3. Infidelity is a principal part of Satans rule dominion then the promise should be made to free men from Satans rule and dominion upon condition that they were free already and to free them from infidelity upon condition that they were not unbelievers which is as if a Physitian should promise to procure health to a sick man upon condition that he were not sick A sick man indeed is not able to heal himself yet he is willing to be healed but a sick sinful man is so sick as he is also dead in sin and therefore doth not so much as desire to be healed which makes his disease so much more desperate If Christ did so desire the salvation of all men Argument 8 as to give his life to purchase it then he would take order that they might enjoy the means without which this cannot be obtained but he denies to a great many the means that are necessary for salvation No wise man that seriously desires the end will withhold the means when it is in his power to afford them but that the means which are absolutely necessary to salvation are denyed to many may thus appear 1. They are denyed to all those infants that are born without the Church whose Parents being without the covenant can convey no benefit of it to their children these never refused any offer for it was never made to them or if it had they are altogether uncapable of receiving any benefit by it How can it stand with good sense to say that Christ died to purchase salvation for thousands of Pagans and Infidels upon condition they would not reject and refuse him when he should be offered to them when there was never any such offer made or if it had been they never had any ability to understand or apprehend it Object They have rejected in their parents and progenitors Answ This is a vain dream which would make not onely the first sin of the first man who was the common root of all mankinde but the sin of every particular man to be imputed to his seed and posterity contrary to the Scripture which saith that the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father nor the father the iniquity of the son Ezek. 18.20 2. There are many thousands both before and since the coming of Christ that never heard of him How many at this day of those Savages both in East and West Indies and some parts of Africk that never heard any thing either of the Covenant of Grace or condition of it or of Christ himself And can it be said with any reason that Christ purchased salvation for these upon condition they would not reject him when he offered himself upon such or such conditions when he was never in any measure offered to them Object All Nations have had the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the works of Creation neither hath he left any of these without witness by giving them rain and fruitful seasons Acts 14.17 Answ It is not the knowledge of God as Creator but of Christ as Redeemer that is sufficient to bring men to salvation there is no name under heaven but onely that blessed Name of Jesus the blessed person of Christ by which men can be saved Acts 4.12 This is eternal life to know thee the onely very God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ John 17.3 There is no saving knowledge of God but that whereby we know him to be one God in three persons a God reconciling himself unto us in Christ that the Gospel knowledge onely and not that which comes by works of creation or providence is sufficient to bring men to salvation may thus be proved 1. The Apostle saith That the Gospel is the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 it is the onely powerful means to bring men to salvation And if the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost 2 Cor. 4.3 Hence it is called the salvation of God Acts 28.28 that without which we cannot be saved Now the Gospel is a mystery that hath been hid from all ages and generations Col. 1.26 no man can be saved but by faith and this faith comes by hearing Rom. 10.17 This is that immortal seed whereby we must be born again 1 Pet. 1.23 25. and unless we be born again we cannot enter into the kingdom of God Hence the Apostle speaking of those Gentiles that lived without the knowledge of the Gospel saith they were aliens from the promise they had no hope they were without God in the world Eph. 2.12 they were strangers from the life of God cap. 4.18 they were in darkness and under the power of Satan Acts 26.18 and can people

salvation is here fastened onely to believing and neither believing nor salvation to the man Object 6. Rom. 5.18 As by the offence of one man judgement came upon all to condemnation so by the righteonsness of one c. Here Christs righteousness is made of equal extent to Adams sin namely such as reacheth to all Answ 1. The Apostle doth here parallel Adams sin and Christs righteousness not in regard of their equal extent to all men in the world but to all their posterity As Adam by his sin conveyed sin and death to all his posterity so Christ by his Sufferings and Obedience conveys Righteousness and Life to all his posterity to all the faithful to all true believers who are called his seed Isa 59.21 and his children Heb 2.13 If there had been another generation of men that had not arisen out of Adams root they had not been involved in the guilt of Adams sin so there being a generation of men that never sprung out of Christs root that were never branches of that blessed Vine they shall never have part in those peculiar benefits which he hath purchased for his children for his seed and posterity for the members of his own body of whom onely he is the Savior Eph. 5.23 2. By this Argument all men should have Righteousness and Life and so all men in the end should certainly be saved for the Apostle saith expresly in this place that as by one mans sin condemnation is come upon all so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all to the justification of life Object 7. The covenant of grace is universal made with all mankinde therefore Christ died for all for he is the foundation of this covenant Answ 1. That the covenant of grace is universal can never be proved for how can Pagans and Infidels who never heard of Christ or covenant be said to be in covenant of whom the Apostle saith that they are without God in the world and are strangers from the covenant Eph. 2.12 2. In the first promise wherein the covenant of grace is held forth there is a direct distinction as hath been shewed betwixt the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent the promise being made onely to the seed of the woman namely to Christ and those that should be born of him Heb. 2.13 3. The Apostle saith that the promise wherein the covenant was comprehended was made to Abraham and his seed not to seeds as speaking of many but to thy seed as of one that is Christ Gal. 3.16 Now if the covenant be made onely with Christ mystical head and members as here it must be understood because the promise is made not onely to Christ but to Abraham it is not made with all men all men are not Abrahams seed all men are not members of Christs mystical body but onely believers both of Jews and Gentiles these onely make that one seed 4. In the covenant of grace the Lord promiseth all those with whom he makes this covenant that he will give them a new heart and a new spirit that he will put his laws into their inward parts and write them in their hearts and this promise is made absolutely and without condition and therefore shall certainly be fulfilled to all those to whom it is made but all men have not new hearts and spirits given unto them therefore all are not within covenant neither is the covenant made with all Object All that are visible members of the Church that have received the Seal of the Covenant and do still own it are in covenant but many of these are ignorant or prophane and wicked therefore all that are in covenant have not new hearts and spirits given unto them neither is the law of God written in their hearts Answ The covenant of grace may be considered two ways either in regard of the outward dispensation and outward priviledges attending it or in regard of those inward graces which are the proper effects of it In regard of the outward dispensation and outward priviledges belonging to it all visible members of the Church may be said to be in covenant but in regard of the inward graces which are the proper effects and priviledges he longing to the covenant of grace those cannot be said to be in covenant who alway remain destitute of them As Abraham had a carnal seed who received circumcision which was the Seal of the covenant and did partake of other outward priviledges belonging to the people of God and a spiritual seed namely such as were of the faith of Abraham so he hath still No man can be said to be in covenant further then he knows it and professeth conformity to the conditions of it wicked men may have the covenant made known to them and make outward profession of conformity to it and so have communion with the people of God in all outward ordinances and enjoy all outward priviledges together with them but they cannot properly be said to be in covenant not partaking of the most essential parts of it of those great graces of Justification Sanctification and of Salvation in the end Object 8. The Apostle Peter speaks of such as denied the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2.2 therefore Christ hath died for wicked men that perish in the end Answ The Scripture sometimes speaks of things not onely as they are but as they seem and appear to be as they are in the judgements and opinions of men Thus our Savior having said in one place that to him that hath shall be given and from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath Mat. 13.12 in another place shews his meaning saying That shall be taken away which he seemed to have Luke 8.18 and in this sense he speaks when he saith that the whole have no need of the Physitian but the sick and that he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance And thus it is said of king Ahaz that he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that smote him 2 Chr. 28.23 they did not so indeed but he thought they did so they seemed to him to do so and therefore the Scripture speaks of it accordingly and so it is spoken in this place these men had the knowledge of Christ and made outward profession of him and his Religion and therefore seemed to be such as were bought and redeemed by him but they were not so indeed FINIS