Before I proceed to the explanation of this verse, I cannot but take notice of one great mistake which the author of the _Whole Duty of Man_ is guilty of, in making this verse contain a covenant between GOD and _Adam_, as though GOD now personally treated with _Adam_, as before the fall. For, talking of the second covenant in his preface, concerning caring for the soul, says he, “This second covenant was made with _Adam_, and us in him, presently after the fall, and is briefly contained in these words, _Genesis_ iii. 15. where GOD declares, ‘The seed of the woman shall break the serpent’s head;’ and this was made up, as the first was, of some mercies to be afforded by GOD, and some duties to be performed by us.” This is exceeding false divinity: for these words are not spoken to _Adam_; they are directed only to the serpent. _Adam_ and _Eve_ stood by as criminals, and GOD could not treat with them, because they had broken his covenant. And it is so far from being a covenant wherein “some mercies are to be afforded by GOD, and some duties to be performed by us,” that here is not a word looking that way; it is only a declaration of a free gift of salvation through JESUS CHRIST our LORD. GOD the Father and GOD the Son had entered into a covenant concerning the salvation of the elect from all eternity, wherein GOD the Father promised, That, if the Son would offer his soul a sacrifice for sin, he should see his seed. Now this is an open revelation of this secret covenant, and therefore GOD speaks in the most positive terms, “It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” The first _Adam_, GOD had treated with before; he proved false: GOD therefore, to secure the second covenant from being broken, puts it into the hands of the second _Adam_, the LORD from heaven. _Adam_, after the fall, stood no longer as our representative; he and _Eve_ were only private persons, as we are, and were only to lay hold on the declaration of mercy contained in this promise by faith, (as they really did) and by that they were saved. I do not say but we are to believe and obey, if we are everlastingly saved. Faith and obedience are conditions, if we only mean that they in order go before our salvation; but I deny that these are proposed by GOD to _Adam_, or that GOD treats with him in this promise, as he did before the fall under the covenant of works. For how could that be, when _Adam_ and _Eve_ were now prisoners at the bar, without strength to perform any conditions at all? The truth is this: GOD, as a reward of CHRIST’s sufferings, promised to give the elect faith and repentance, in order to bring them to eternal life: and both these, and every thing else necessary for their everlasting happiness, are infallibly secured to them in this promise; as Mr. _Boston_, an excellent _Scots_ divine, clearly shews, in a book entitled, “A view of the covenant of grace.”
This is by no means an unnecessary distinction; it is a matter of great importance: for want of knowing this, people have been so long misled. They have been taught that they must do so and so, as though they were under a covenant of works, and then for DOING this, they should be saved. Whereas, on the contrary, people should be taught, That the LORD JESUS was the second _Adam_, with whom the Father entered into covenant for fallen man; That they can now do nothing of or for themselves, and should therefore come to GOD, beseeching him to give them faith, by which they shall be enabled to lay hold on the righteousness of CHRIST; and that faith they will then shew forth by their works, out of love and gratitude to the ever-blessed JESUS, their most glorious Redeemer, for what he has done for their souls. This is a consistent scriptural scheme: without holding this, we must run into one of those two bad extremes; I mean, _Antinomianism_ on the one hand, or _Arminianism_ on the other: from both which may the good LORD deliver us!
But to proceed: By the seed of the woman, we are here to understand the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who, though very GOD of very GOD, was, for us men and our salvation, to have ♦a body prepared for him by the Holy Ghost, and to be born of a woman who never knew man, and by his obedience and death make an atonement for man’s transgression, and bring in an everlasting righteousness, work in them a new nature, and thereby bruise the serpent’s head, _i. e._ destroy his power and dominion over them. By the serpent’s seed, we are to understand the devil and all his children, who are permitted by GOD to tempt and sift his children. But, blessed be GOD, he can reach no further than our heel.
♦ duplicate word “a” removed