the unity of all the rest is reduced. Ye have overcome the evill one, 1 Joh. 2. 13. Rom. 16.20.
Luk. 11.21By bruising the Serpents head we must not only understand the deadly wound given to the actors person and his instruments, but the desolation of those workes, which the Tempter had by the fall planted in the nature of the fallen creature, as pride, vanity, ignorance, lust &c. 1 Joh. 3. 8. Ephes. 2. 15. Now the nature of the fallen creature is such, that if you continue his being, and remove off him the workes of the Serpent, you must necessarily bring in the contrary habits of Grace and goodnesse, as of knowledge, faith, love, feare and other Graces of the Spirit. So that under this one blessing is comprehended whatsoever is necessary to spirituall blessednes. For if Sathan be vanquished, the curse of the Law is removed, sinne is pardoned, the Image of God repaired, spirituall freedome and adoption obtained, and everlasting happinesse shall in due time be possessed. All these blessings, which concurre to make up perfect happinesse, are inseparably linked, and the possession of any one is an undoubted pledge of the rest in due season to be injoyed, So the Apostle saith, Tit. 1.2.
πρὸ χρόνων αιωνίων
Mead. in Ap. 14.6.God that cannot lie, promised eternall life before the world began, or rather, ante tempora sæcularia, that is, from the beginning of ages, scil. in that famous promise of the blessed seed. It seemes somewhat harsh to interpret the word promised, by decreed to promise: and therfore it is better to referre it to this promise made from the beginning of the world. And it is manifest, by this phrase πρὸ χρόνων αιωνίων, he meaneth nothing but what the same Apostle signifieth by χρόνοις αιωνίοις, Rom. 15. 25. and nothing is signified thereby, but what elsewhere the same Apostle doth intimate by this phrase, ἀπὸ τών ἀιωνων, Ephes. 3. 9. and ἀπὸ τών ἀιωνον, Jer. 28.8.Col. 1. 26. and that notes the same that ἀπὸ του ἀιῶνος, Act. 15. 18. as ἐις τον ἀιῶνα, Heb. 7. 24. and ἐις τοὺς ἀιώνας, Heb. 13. 8. are the same. But this phrase ἀπὸ του ἀιῶνος, in it owne force and propriety doth not signifie from eternity, Luk. 1. 70. Act. 3. 21.
But how must the Serpents head be bruised? even by Christs suffering death to satisfie revenging Iustice, which was offended by transgression under the former Covenant. This is expounded under this terme of bruising his heele by the Serpent and his seed: which worke and labour of love is typified in the blood of the Sacrifices, executed in his crosse and passion. The devill and all his instruments (the Scribes and Pharisees and Romanes whom Christcalleth
