(2c?.) For the other clause, ' Thou shalt bruise his heel,' Where — (1.) Note the intention of the serpent, who would destroy the kingdom of the Eedeemer if he could ; but he can only reach the heel, not the head. (2.) The greatness of Christ's sufferings ; his heel was bruised, as he endured the painful, shameful, accursed death of the cross.
Doct. That Jesus Christ, the seed of the woman, is at enmity with Satan, and hath entered the lists with him ; and though bruised in the conflict, yet he finally overcometh him, and subverteth his kingdom.
I. That Jesus Christ is the seed of the woman. That he is one of her seed is past doubt, since he was born of the Virgin, a daughter of Eve. That he is ' The seed,' the most eminent of all the stock, appeareth by the dignity of his person. God made flesh : John i. 14, ' The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us ; ' or, God manifested in the flesh,' 1 Tim. iii. 16. As also by his miraculous conception : Luke i. 35, ' The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee ; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.' So Mat. i. 23,
* A Virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emanuel, which, being interpreted, is God with us.' He that was God-man in one person, and thus wonderfully conceived, without a male or company of man, might well be looked upon as the seed of the woman here spoken of. Now, if you ask what necessity there was that the conqueror should be the seed of the woman, because the flesh of Christ is the bread of life, and the food of our faith ? I shall a little insist upon the conveniency and agreeableness of it.
1. That thereby he might be made under the law, which was given to the whole nature of man : Gal. iv. 4, ' God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.' He that came to repair our lost con- dition needed to subject himself to the precepts of God's law, that by obedience he might recover what by disobedience was lost, and might be to us a fountain and pattern of holiness in our nature ; and there- fore Christ in our nature truly subjected himself, and conformed him- self to the law of God, that general and moral law which all men are obliged unto. He performed the duties of the first table : Luke ii. 49,
* Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business ? ' He took all occasions to glorify God, And the duties of the second table, as to his natural and reputed parents : Luke ii. 51, ' He went down with them, and was subject to them.'
2. That he might in the same nature suffer the penalty and curse of
244 SERMON UPON GENESIS III. 15.
the law, as well as fulfil the duty of it, and so make satisfaction for our sins, which as God he could not do. He was ' made sin for us,' 2 Cor. V. 21, and was ' made a curse for us,' Gal. iii. 13 ; Phil. ii. 8, ' He became obedient to death, even the deatli of the cross.' There was a curse denounced against those who yielded not personal obedience ; and he came in the sinner's room to undergo it, that the justice of God might be eminently demonstrated, the lawgiver vindicated, and the breach that was made in the frame of government repaired, and God manifested to be holy, and an hater of sin, and yet the sinner saved from destruction.
3. That in the same nature which was foiled he might conquer Satan. As a tempter he conquered him hand to hand in a personal conflict, repelling his temptations, Mat. iv. As a tormentor, and one that had the power of death, so he conquered him by his death on the cross : Heb. ii. 14, ' Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.' Christ would stoop to the greatest indignities to free us from this enemy, and to put mankind again into a condition of safety and happi- ness, that he having conquered, they might also conquer.
4. That he might take compassion of our infirmities, having experi- mented them in his own person. Therefore he assumed human nature that he might have assurance of this : Heb. ii. 17, 18, ' Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining unto God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people ; for in that he him- self hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.' We have now assurance that he will pity us, more than one who is a stranger to our blood. He hath had trial of our nature and our miseries and temptations, and will be more sensible of the heart of a tempted man, and will mind and attend upon our business as his own.