Chapter I: Front Matter (1)

The Works of the Reverend
George Whitefield, M.A.

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THE WORKS OF THE
REVEREND GEORGE WHITEFIELD, M.A.

Late of PEMBROKE-COLLEGE, OXFORD,

And Chaplain to the Right Honourable,
the Countess of HUNTINGDON.

CONTAINING

All his SERMONS and TRACTS
Which have been already published:

WITH

A SELECT COLLECTION of LETTERS,
Written to his most intimate Friends, and Persons of
Distinction, in _England_, _Scotland_, _Ireland_, and
_America_, from the Year 1734, to 1770, including the
whole Period of his Ministry.

ALSO

Some other PIECES on IMPORTANT SUBJECTS,
never before printed; prepared by Himself for the Press.

To which is prefixed,

An ACCOUNT of his LIFE,
Compiled from his Original PAPERS and LETTERS.

VOLUME V.

LONDON:

Printed for EDWARD and CHARLES DILLY, in the Poultry;
and Messrs. KINCAID and CREECH, at Edinburgh.

MDCCLXXII.

CONTENTS¹.

¹ The ♦Sermons marked with a *, are now first published from
the Author’s own Manuscripts.

♦ “Seamons” replaced with “Sermons”

⭘ SERMON I. The Seed of the Woman, and the Seed of the Serpent.

GENESIS iii. 5. _And I will put enmity between thee and the
woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise
thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel._

⭘ SERMON II. Walking with God.

GENESIS v. 24. _And Enoch walked with God, and he was not,
for God took him._

⭘ SERMON III. Abraham’s offering up his Son Isaac.

GENESIS xxii. 12. _And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the
lad, neither do thou any thing unto him; for now I know
that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy
son, thine only son from me._

⭘ SERMON IV. The great Duty of Family-Religion.

JOSHUA xxiv. 15. _As for me and my house, we will serve the
Lord._

⭘ SERMON V. Christ the best Husband: or, an earnest Invitation
to Young Women to come and see Christ. Preached to a Society
of Young Women, in Fetter-Lane.

PSALM xlv. 10, 11. _Hearken, O daughter, and consider,
and incline thine ear: forget also thine own people, and
thy father’s house: so shall the King greatly desire thy
beauty; for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him._

⭘ SERMON VI. Britain’s Mercies, and Britain’s Duty. Preached at
Philadelphia, on Sunday, August 24, 1746, and occasioned by
the Suppression of the late unnatural Rebellion.

PSALM cv. 45. _That they might observe his statutes and keep
his laws._

⭘ SERMON VII. Thankfulness for Mercies received, a necessary
Duty. A Farewel Sermon, preached on board the Whitaker, at
Anchor near Savannah, in Georgia, Sunday, May 17, 1738.

PSALM cvii. 30, 31. _Then are they glad, because they are
at rest, and so he bringeth them unto the haven where they
would be. O that men would therefore praise the Lord for
his goodness, and declare the wonders that he doeth for
the children of men!_

⭘ SERMON VIII. The Necessity and Benefits of Religious Society.

ECCLESIASTES iv. 9, 10, 11, 12. _Two are better than one,
because they have a good reward for their labour. For if
they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe be to
him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another
to help him up. Again if two lie together, then they have
heat; but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail
against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord
is not quickly broken._

⭘ SERMON IX. The Folly and Danger of not being righteous enough.

ECCLESIASTES vii. 16. _Be not righteous over-much, neither
make thyself over-wise: why shouldst thou destroy thyself?_

⭘ SERMON X. A Preservative against unsettled Notions, and want
of Principles, in regard to Righteousness and Christian
Perfection. Being a more particular Answer to Doctor Trapp’s
four Sermons upon the same Text.

ECCLESIASTES vii. 16. _Be not righteous over-much, neither
make thyself over-wise: why shouldst thou destroy thyself?_

⭘ SERMON XI. The Benefits of an early Piety. Preached at Bow
Church, London, before the Religious Societies.

ECCLESIASTES xii. 1. _Remember now thy Creator in the days
of thy youth._

⭘ SERMON XII. Christ the Believer’s Husband.

ISAIAH liv. 5. _For thy Maker is thy husband._

⭘ *SERMON XIII. The Potter and the Clay.

JEREMIAH xviii. 1‒6. _The word which came to Jeremiah from
the Lord, saying, Arise and go down to the potter’s house,
and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went
down to the potter’s house, and behold, he wrought a work
on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was
marred in the hands of the potter, so he made it again
another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, O house of
Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the
Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are
ye in mine hand, O house of Israel._

⭘ SERMON XIV. The Lord our Righteousness.

JEREMIAH xxiii. 6. _The Lord our righteousness._

⭘ *SERMON XV. The Righteousness of Christ an everlasting
Righteousness.

DANIEL ix. 24. _And to bring in everlasting righteousness._

⭘ SERMON XVI. The Observation of the Birth of Christ, the Duty
of all Christians; or the true Way of keeping Christmas.

MATTHEW i. 21. _And she shall bring forth a son, and thou
shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people
from their sins._

⭘ *SERMON XVII. The Temptation of Christ.

MATTHEW iv. 1‒11. _Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into
the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil, &c._

⭘ SERMON XVIII. The Heinous Sin of profane Cursing and Swearing.

MATTHEW v. 34. _But I say unto you, Swear not at all._

⭘ SERMON XIX. Christ the Support of the Tempted.

MATTHEW vi. 13. _Lead us not into temptation._

⭘ SERMON XX. Worldly Business no Plea for the Neglect of Religion.

MATTHEW viii. 22. _Let the dead bury their dead._

⭘ SERMON XXI. Christ the only Rest for the Weary and Heavy Laden.

MATTHEW xi. 28. _Come unto me, all ye that are weary and
heavy laden, and I will give you rest._

⭘ SERMON XXII. The Folly and Danger of parting with Christ for
the Pleasures and Profits of Life.

MATTHEW viii. 23, to the End. _And when he was entered into
a ship, his disciples followed him, &c._

⭘ *SERMON XXIII. Marks of a True Conversion.

MATTHEW xviii. 3. _Verily, I say unto you, except ye be
converted, and become as little children, ye shall not
enter into the kingdom of heaven._

⭘ SERMON XXIV. What think ye of Christ?

MATTHEW xxii. 42. _What think ye of Christ?_

⭘ SERMON XXV. The wise and foolish Virgins.

MATTHEW xxv. 13. _Watch therefore, for ye know neither the
day nor the hour in which the Son of man cometh._

⭘ SERMON XXVI. The Eternity of Hell-Torments.

MATTHEW xxv. 46. _These shall go away into everlasting
punishment._

⭘ SERMON XXVII. Blind Bartimeus.

MARK x. 52. _And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith
hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his
sight, and followed Jesus in the way._

⭘ SERMON XXVIII. Directions how to hear Sermons.

LUKE viii. 18. _Take heed, therefore, how ye hear._

⭘ SERMON XXIX. The Extent and Reasonableness of Self-Denial.

LUKE ix. 23. _And he said unto them all, If any man will
come after me, let him deny himself._

⭘ *SERMON XXX. Christ’s Transfiguration.

LUKE ix. 28‒36. _And it came to pass about an eight days
after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James,
and went up into a mountain to pray, &c._

⭘ SERMON XXXI. The Care of the Soul urged as the one thing
needful.

LUKE x. 42. _But one thing is needful._

SERMON I.

The Seed of the Woman, and the Seed of the Serpent.

GENESIS iii. 15.

_And I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman, and between
thy Seed and her Seed; it shall bruise thy Head, and thou
shalt bruise his Heel._

ON reading to you these words, I may address you in the language of the holy angels to the shepherds, that were watching their flocks by night; “Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy.” For this is the first promise that was made of a Saviour to the apostate race of _Adam_. We generally look for CHRIST only in the New Testament; but christianity, in one sense, is very near as old as the creation. It is wonderful to observe how gradually GOD revealed his Son to mankind. He began with the promise in the text, and this the elect lived upon, till the time of _Abraham_. To him, GOD made further discoveries of his eternal council concerning man’s redemption. Afterwards, at sundry times, and in divers manners, GOD spoke to the fathers by the prophets, till at length the LORD JESUS himself was manifested in flesh, and came and tabernacled amongst us.

This first promise must certainly be but dark to our first parents, in comparison of that great light which we enjoy: And yet, dark as it was, we may assure ourselves they built upon it their hopes of everlasting salvation, and by that faith were saved.

How they came to stand in need of this promise, and what is the extent and meaning of it, I intend, GOD willing, to make the subject-matter of your present meditation.

The fall of man is written in too legible characters not to be understood: Those that deny it, by their denying, prove it. The very heathens confessed, and bewailed it: They could see the streams of corruption running through the whole race of mankind, but could not trace them to the fountain-head. Before GOD gave a revelation of his Son, man was a riddle to himself. And _Moses_ unfolds more, in this one chapter (out of which the text is taken) than all mankind could have been capable of finding out of themselves, though they had studied to all eternity.

In the preceding chapter he had given us a full account, how GOD spoke the world into being; and especially how he formed man of the dust of the earth, and breathed into him the breath of life, so that he became a living soul. A council of the Trinity was called concerning the formation of this lovely creature. The result of that council was, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. So GOD created man in his own image, in the image of GOD created he him.” _Moses_ remarkably repeats these words, that we might take particular notice of our divine Original. Never was so much expressed in so few words: None but a man inspired could have done so. But it is remarkable, that though _Moses_ mentions our being made in the image of GOD, yet he mentions it but twice, and that in a transient manner; as though he would have said, “man was made in honour, GOD made him upright, ‘in the image of GOD, male and female created he them.’ But man so soon fell, and became like the beasts that perish, nay, like the devil himself, that it is scarce worth mentioning.”

How soon man fell after he was created, is not told us; and therefore, to fix any time, is to be wise above what is written. And, I think, they who suppose that man fell the same day in which he was made, have no sufficient ground for their opinion. The many things which are crouded together in the former chapter, such as the formation of _Adam_’s wife, his giving names to the beasts, and his being put into the garden which GOD had planted, I think require a longer space of time than a day to be transacted in. However, all agree in this, “man stood not long.” How long, or how short a while, I will not take upon me to determine. It more concerns us to enquire, how he came to fall from his stedfastness, and what was the rise and progress of the temptation which prevailed over him. The account given us in this chapter concerning it, is very full; and it may do us much service, under GOD, to make some remarks upon it.

“Now the serpent (says the sacred historian) was more subtile than any beast of the field which the LORD GOD had made; and he said unto the woman, Yea, hath GOD said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”

Though this was a real serpent, yet he that spoke was no other than the devil; from hence, perhaps, called the old serpent, because he took possession of the serpent when he came to beguile our first parents. The devil envied the happiness of man, who was made, as some think, to supply the place of the fallen angels. GOD made man upright, and with full power to stand if he would: He was just, therefore, in suffering him to be tempted. If he fell, he had no one to blame except himself. But how must satan effect his fall? He cannot do it by his power, he attempts it therefore by policy: he takes possession of a serpent, which was more subtile than all the beasts of the field, which the LORD GOD had made; so that men who are full of subtilty, but have no piety, are only machines for the devil to work upon, just as he pleases.

“And he said unto the woman.” Here is an instance of his subtilty. He says unto the woman, the weaker vessel, and when she was alone from her husband, and therefore was more liable to be overcome; “Yea, hath GOD said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” These words are certainly spoken in answer to something which the devil either saw or heard. In all probability, the woman was now near the tree of knowledge of good and evil; (for we shall find her, by and by, plucking an apple from it) perhaps she might be looking at, and wondering what there was in that tree more than the others, that she and her husband should be forbidden to taste of it. Satan seeing this, and coveting to draw her into a parley with him, (for if the devil can persuade us not to resist, but to commune with him, he hath gained a great point) he says, “Yea, hath GOD said, ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden?” The first thing he does is to persuade her, if possible, to entertain hard thoughts of GOD; this is his general way of dealing with GOD’s children: “Yea, hath GOD said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? What! hath GOD planted a garden, and placed you in the midst of it, only to teaze and perplex you? hath he planted a garden, and yet forbid you making use of any of the fruits of it at all?” It was impossible for him to ask a more insnaring question, in order to gain his end: for _Eve_ was here seemingly obliged to answer, and vindicate GOD’s goodness. And therefore,――

Verse 2, 3. The woman said unto the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, GOD hath said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”

The former part of the answer was good, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, GOD has not forbid us eating of every tree of the garden. No; we may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden (and, it should seem, even of the tree of life, which was as a sacrament to man in a state of innocence) there is only one tree in the midst of the garden, of which GOD hath said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” Here she begins to warp, and sin begins to conceive in her heart. Already she has contracted some of the serpent’s poison, by talking with him, which she ought not to have done at all. For she might easily suppose, that it could be no good being, that could put such a question unto her, and insinuate such dishonourable thoughts of GOD. She should therefore have fled from him, and not stood to have parleyed with him at all. Immediately the ill effects of it appear, she begins to soften the divine threatning. GOD had said, “the day thou eatest thereof, _thou shalt surely die_;” or, dying thou shalt die. But _Eve_ says, “Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, _lest ye die_.” We may be assured we are fallen into, and begin to fall by temptation, when we begin to think GOD will not be as good as his word, in respect to the execution of his threatnings denounced against sin. Satan knew this, and therefore artfully

“Said unto the woman, (verse 4.) Ye shall not surely die,” in an insinuating manner, “Ye shall not surely die. Surely, GOD will not be so cruel as to damn you only for eating an apple, it cannot be.” Alas! how many does Satan lead captive at his will, by flattering them, that they shall not surely die; that hell-torments will not be eternal; that GOD is all mercy; that he therefore will not punish a few years sin with an eternity of misery? But _Eve_ found GOD as good as his word; and so will all they who go on in sin, under a false hope that they shall not surely die.

We may also understand the words spoken positively, and this is agreeable to what follows; You shall not surely die; “It is all a delusion, a mere bugbear, to keep you in a servile subjection.”

For (verse 5.) “GOD doth know, that in the day ye eat thereof, then shall your eyes be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”

What child of GOD can expect to escape slander, when GOD himself was thus slandered even in paradise? Surely the understanding of _Eve_ must have been, in some measure, blinded, or she would not have suffered the tempter to speak such perverse things. In what odious colours is GOD here represented! “GOD doth know, that in the day ye eat thereof, ye shall be as gods,” (equal with GOD.) So that the grand temptation was, that they should be hereafter under no controul, equal, if not superior, to GOD that made them, knowing good and evil. _Eve_ could not tell what Satan meant by this; but, to be sure, she understood it of some great privilege which they were to enjoy. And thus Satan now points out a way which seems right to sinners, but does not tell them the end of that way is death.

To give strength and force to this temptation, in all probability, Satan, or the serpent, at this time plucked an apple from the tree, and ate it before _Eve_; by which _Eve_ might be induced to think, that the sagacity and power of speech, which the serpent had above the other beasts, must be owing, in a great measure, to his eating that fruit; and, therefore, if he received so much improvement, she might also expect a like benefit from it. All this, I think, is clear; for, otherwise, I do not see with what propriety it could be said, “When the woman saw that it was good for food.” How could she know it was good for food, unless she had seen the serpent feed upon it?

Satan now begins to get ground apace. Lust had conceived in _Eve_’s heart; shortly it will bring forth sin. Sin being conceived, brings forth death. Verse 6. “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband, and he did eat.”

Our senses are the landing ports of our spiritual enemies. How needful is that resolution of holy _Job_, “I have made a covenant with mine eyes!” When _Eve_ began to gaze on the forbidden fruit with her eyes, she soon began to long after it with her heart. When she saw that it was good for food, and pleasant to the eyes, (here was the lust of the flesh, and lust of the eye) but, above all, a tree to be desired to make one wise, wiser than GOD would have her be, nay, as wise as GOD himself; she took of the fruit thereof, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. As soon as ever she sinned herself, she turned tempter to her husband. It is dreadful, when those, who should be help-meets for each other in the great work of their salvation, are only promoters of each other’s damnation: but thus it is. If we ourselves are good, we shall excite others to goodness; if we do evil, we shall entice others to do evil also. There is a close connection between doing and teaching. How needful then is it for us all to take heed that we do not sin any way ourselves, lest we should become factors for the devil, and insnare, perhaps, our nearest and dearest relatives? “she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.”

Alas! what a complication of crimes was there in this one single act of sin! Here is an utter disbelief of GOD’s threatning; the utmost ingratitude to their Maker, who had so lately planted this garden, and placed them in it, with such a glorious and comprehensive charter. And, the utmost neglect of their posterity, who they knew were to stand or fall with them. Here was the utmost pride of heart: they wanted to be equal with GOD. Here’s the utmost contempt put upon his threatning and his law: the devil is credited and obeyed before him, and all this only to satisfy their sensual appetite. Never was a crime of such a complicated nature committed by any here below: Nothing but the devil’s apostasy and rebellion could equal it.

And what are the consequences of their disobedience? Are their eyes opened? Yes, their eyes are opened; but, alas! it is only to see their own nakedness. For we are told (verse 7.) “That the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.” Naked of GOD, naked of every thing that was holy and good, and destitute of the divine image, which they before enjoyed. They might rightly now be termed _Ichabod_; for the glory of the LORD departed from them. O how low did these sons of the morning then fall! out of GOD, into themselves; from being partakers of the divine nature, into the nature of the devil and the beast. Well, therefore, might they know that they were naked, not only in body, but in soul.

And how do they behave now they are naked? Do they flee to GOD for pardon? Do they seek to GOD for a robe to cover their nakedness? No, they were now dead to GOD, and became earthly, sensual, devilish: therefore, instead of applying to GOD for mercy, “they sewed or platted fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons,” or things to gird about them. This is a lively representation of all natural men: we see that we are naked: we, in some measure, confess it; but, instead of looking up to GOD for succour, we patch up a righteousness of our own (as our first-parents platted fig-leaves together) hoping to cover our nakedness by that. But our righteousness will not stand the severity of GOD’s judgment: it will do us no more service than the fig-leaves did _Adam_ and _Eve_, that is, none at all.

For (verse 8.) “They heard the voice of the LORD GOD walking in the trees of the garden, in the cool of the day; and _Adam_ and his wife (notwithstanding their fig-leaves) hid themselves from the presence of the LORD GOD, among the trees of the garden.”

They heard the voice of the LORD GOD, or the Word of the LORD GOD, even the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who is “the word that was with GOD, and the word that was GOD.” They heard him walking in the trees of the garden, in the cool of the day. A season, perhaps, when _Adam_ and _Eve_ used to go, in an especial manner, and offer up an evening-sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. The cool of the day. Perhaps the sin was committed early in the morning, or at noon; but GOD would not come upon them immediately, he staid till the cool of the day. And if we would effectually reprove others, we should not do it when they are warmed with passion, but wait till the cool of the day.

But what an alteration is here! Instead of rejoicing at the voice of their beloved, instead of meeting him with open arms and inlarged hearts, as before, they now hide themselves in the trees of the garden. Alas, what a foolish attempt was this? Surely they must be naked, otherwise how could they think of hiding themselves from GOD? Whither could they flee from his presence? But, by their fall, they had contracted an enmity against GOD: they now hated, and were afraid to converse with GOD their Maker. And is not this our case by nature? Assuredly it is. We labour to cover our nakedness with the fig-leaves of our own righteousness: We hide ourselves from GOD as long as we can, and will not come, and never should come, did not the Father prevent, draw, and sweetly constrain us by his grace, as he here prevented _Adam_.

Verse 9. “And the LORD GOD called unto _Adam_, and said unto him, _Adam_, where art thou?”

“The LORD GOD called unto _Adam_,” (for otherwise _Adam_ would never have called unto the LORD GOD) and said, “_Adam_, where art thou? How is it that thou comest not to pay thy devotions as usual?” Christians, remember the LORD keeps an account when you fail coming to worship. Whenever therefore you are tempted to withhold your attendance, let each of you fancy you heard the LORD GOD calling unto you, and saying, “O man, O woman, where art thou?” It may be understood in another and better sense; “_Adam_, where art thou?” What a condition is thy poor soul in? This is the first thing the LORD asks and convinces a sinner of; when he prevents and calls him effectually by his grace; he also calls him by name; for unless GOD speaks to us in particular, and we know where we are, how poor, how miserable, how blind, how naked, we shall never value the redemption wrought out for us by the death and obedience of the dear LORD JESUS. “_Adam_, where art thou?”

Verse 10. “And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid.” See what cowards sin makes us. If we knew no sin, we should know no fear. “Because I was naked, and I hid myself.” Verse 11. “And he said, who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I (thy Maker and Law-giver) commanded thee, that thou shouldst not eat?”

GOD knew very well that _Adam_ was naked, and that he had eaten of the forbidden fruit. But GOD would know it from _Adam_’s own mouth. Thus GOD knows all our necessities before we ask, but yet insists upon our asking for his grace, and confessing our sins. For, by such acts, we acknowledge our dependence upon GOD, take shame to ourselves, and thereby give glory to his great name.

Verse 12. “And the man said, the woman which thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”

Never was nature more lively delineated. See what pride _Adam_ contracted by the fall! How unwilling he is to lay the blame upon, or take shame to himself. This answer is full of insolence towards GOD, enmity against his wife, and disingenuity in respect to himself. For herein he tacitly reflects upon GOD. “The woman that _thou_ gavest to be with me.” As much as to say, if _thou_ hadst not given me _that woman_, I had not eaten the forbidden fruit. Thus, when men sin, they lay the fault upon their passions; then blame and reflect upon GOD for giving them those passions. Their language is, “the appetites that thou gavest us, they deceived us; and therefore we sinned against thee.” But, as GOD, notwithstanding, punished _Adam_ for hearkning to the voice of his wife, so he will punish those who hearken to the dictates of their corrupt inclinations: For GOD compels no man to sin. _Adam_ might have withstood the solicitations of his wife, if he would. And so, if we look up to GOD, we should find grace to help in the time of need. The devil and our own hearts tempt, but they cannot force us to consent, without the concurrence of our own wills. So that our damnation is of ourselves, as it will evidently appear at the great day, notwithstanding all mens present impudent replies against GOD. As _Adam_ speaks insolently in respect to GOD, so he speaks with enmity against his wife; the woman, or this woman, she gave me. He lays all the fault upon her, and speaks of her with much contempt. He does not say, my wife, my dear wife; but, _this woman_. Sin disunites the most united hearts: it is the bane of holy fellowship. Those who have been companions in sin here, if they die without repentance, will both hate and condemn one another hereafter. All damned souls are accusers of their brethren. Thus it is, in some degree, on this side the grave. “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” What a disingenuous speech was here! He makes use of no less than fifteen words to excuse himself, and but one or two (in the original) to confess his fault, if it may be called a confession at all. “The woman which thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree;” here are fifteen words; “And I did eat.” With what reluctance do these last words come out? How soon are they uttered? “And I did eat.” But thus it is with an unhumbled, unregenerate heart: It will be laying the fault upon the dearest friend in the world, nay, upon GOD himself, rather than take shame to itself. This pride we are all subject to by the fall; and, till our hearts are broken, and made contrite by the spirit of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, we shall be always charging GOD foolishly. “Against thee, and thee only, have I sinned, that thou mightest be justified in thy saying, and clear when thou art judged,” is the language of none but those, who, like _David_, are willing to confess their faults, and are truly sorry for their sins. This was not the case of _Adam_: his heart was not broken; and therefore he lays the fault of his disobedience upon his wife and GOD, and not upon himself; “The woman which thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”

Verse 13. “And the LORD GOD said, What is this that thou hast done?” What a wonderful concern does GOD express in this expostulation! “What a deluge of misery hast thou brought upon thyself, thy husband, and thy posterity? What is this that thou hast done? Disobeyed thy GOD, obeyed the devil, and ruined thy husband, for whom I made thee to be an help-meet! What is this that thou hast done?” GOD would here awaken her to a sense of her crime and danger, and therefore, as it were, thunders in her ears: for the law must be preached to self-righteous sinners. We must take care of healing before we see sinners wounded, lest we should say, Peace, peace, where there is no peace. Secure sinners must hear the thunderings of mount _Sinai_, before we bring them to mount _Sion_. They who never preach up the law, it is to be feared, are unskilful in delivering the glad tidings of the gospel. Every minister should be a _Boanerges_, a son of thunder, as well as a _Barnabas_, a son of consolation. There was an earthquake and a whirlwind, before the small still voice came to _Elijah_: We must first shew people they are condemned, and then shew them how they must be saved. But how and when to preach the law, and when to apply the promises of the gospel, wisdom is profitable to direct. “And the LORD GOD said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done?”

“And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” She does not make use of so many words to excuse herself, as her husband; but her heart is as unhumbled as his. What is this, says GOD, that thou hast done? GOD here charges her with doing it. She dares not deny the fact, or say, I have not done it; but she takes all the blame off herself, and lays it upon the serpent; “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” She does not say, “LORD, I was to blame for talking with the serpent; LORD, I did wrong, in not hastening to my husband, when he put the first question to me; LORD, I plead guilty, I only am to blame, O let not my poor husband suffer for my wickedness!” This would have been the language of her heart, had she now been a true penitent. But both were now alike proud; therefore neither will lay the blame upon themselves: “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. The woman which thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”

I have been the more particular in remarking this part of their behaviour, because it tends so much to the magnifying of Free-grace, and plainly shews us, that salvation cometh only from the LORD. Let us take a short view of the miserable circumstances our first parents were now in: They were legally and spiritually dead, children of wrath, and heirs of hell. They had eaten the fruit, of which GOD had commanded them, that they should not eat; and when arraigned before GOD, notwithstanding their crime was so complicated, they could not be brought to confess it. What reason can be given, why sentence of death should not be pronounced against the prisoners at the bar? All must own they are worthy to die. Nay, how can GOD, consistently with his justice, possibly forgive them? He had threatened, that the day wherein they eat of the forbidden fruit, they should “surely die;” and, if he did not execute this threatening, the devil might then slander the Almighty indeed. And yet mercy cries, spare these sinners, spare the work of thine own hands. Behold, then, wisdom contrives a scheme how GOD may be just, and yet be merciful; be faithful to his threatening, punish the offence, and at the same time spare the offender. An amazing scene of divine love here opens to our view, which had been from all eternity hid in the heart of GOD! Notwithstanding _Adam_ and _Eve_ were thus unhumbled, and did not so much as put up one single petition for pardon, GOD immediately passes sentence upon the serpent, and reveals to them a Saviour.

Verse 14. “And the LORD GOD said unto the serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art accursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life;” _i. e._ he should be in subjection, and his power should always be limited and restrained. “His enemies shall lick the very dust,” says the Psalmist. (Verse 15.) “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

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

It is not to be doubted but _Adam_ and _Eve_ understood this promise in this sense; for it is plain, in the latter part of the chapter, sacrifices were instituted. From whence should those skins come, but from beasts slain for sacrifice, of which GOD made them coats? We find _Abel_, as well as _Cain_, offering sacrifice in the next chapter: and the Apostle tells us, he did it by faith, no doubt in this promise. And _Eve_, when _Cain_ was _born_, said, “I have gotten a man from the LORD;” or, (as Mr. _Henry_ observes, it may be rendered) “I have gotten a man,――the Lord,――the promised Messiah.” Some further suppose, that _Eve_ was the first believer; and therefore they translate it thus, “The seed, (not of the, but) of this woman:” which magnifies the grace of GOD so much the more, that she, who was first in the transgression, should be the first partaker of redemption. _Adam_ believed also, and was saved: for unto _Adam_ and his wife did the LORD GOD make coats of skins, and cloathed them: which was a remarkable type of their being clothed with the righteousness of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

This promise was literally fulfilled in the person of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. Satan bruised his heel, when he tempted him for forty days together in the wilderness: he bruised his heel, when he raised up strong persecution against him during the time of his public ministry: he in an especial manner bruised his heel, when our LORD complained, that his soul was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death, and he sweat great drops of blood falling upon the ground, in the garden: He bruised his heel, when he put it into the heart of _Judas_ to betray him: and he bruised him yet most of all, when his emissaries nailed him to an accursed tree, and our LORD cried out, “My GOD, my GOD, why hast thou forsaken me?” Yet, in all this, the blessed JESUS, the seed of the woman, bruised Satan’s accursed head: for, in that he was tempted, he was able to succour those that are tempted. By his stripes we are healed. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. By dying, he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. He thereby spoiled principalities and powers, and made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them upon the cross.

This promise has been fulfilled in the elect of GOD, considered collectively, as well before, as since the coming of our LORD in the flesh: for they may be called, the seed of the woman. Marvel not, that all who will live godly in CHRIST JESUS, must suffer persecution. In this promise, there is an eternal enmity put between the seed of the woman, and the seed of the serpent; so that those that are born after the flesh, cannot but persecute those that are born after the spirit. This enmity shewed itself, soon after this promise was revealed, in _Cain_’s bruising the heel of _Abel_: it continued in the church through all ages before CHRIST came in the flesh, as the history of the Bible, and the xith chapter of the _Hebrews_, plainly shew. It raged exceedingly after our LORD’s ascension; witness the _Acts of the Apostles_, and the History of the Primitive Christians. It now rages, and will continue to rage and shew itself, in a greater or less degree, to the end of time. But let not this dismay us; for in all this, the seed of the woman is more than conqueror, and bruises the serpent’s head. Thus the _Israelites_, the more they were oppressed, the more they increased. Thus it was with the Apostles; thus it was with their immediate followers. So that _Tertullian_ compares the church in his time to a mowed field; the more frequently it is cut, the more it grows. The blood of the martyrs was always the seed of the church. And I have often sat down with wonder and delight, and admired how GOD has made the very schemes which his enemies contrived, in order to hinder, become the most effectual means to propagate his gospel. The devil has had so little success in persecution, that if I did not know that he and his children, according to this verse, could not but persecute, I should think he would count it his strength to sit still. What did he get by persecuting the martyrs in Queen _Mary_’s time? Was not the grace of GOD exceedingly glorified in their support? What did he get by persecuting the good old Puritans? Did it not prove the peopling of _New-England_? Or, to come nearer our own times, what has he got by putting _us_ out of the synagogues? Hath not the word of GOD, since that, mightily prevailed? My dear hearers, you must excuse me for enlarging on this head; GOD fills my soul generally, when I come to this topic. I can say with _Luther_, “If it were not for persecution, I should not understand the scripture.” If Satan should be yet suffered to bruise my heel further, and his servants should thrust me into prison, I doubt not, but even that would only tend to the more effectual bruising of his head. I remember a saying of the then Lord Chancellor to the pious _Bradford_: “Thou hast done more hurt, said he, by thy exhortations in private in prison, than thou didst in preaching before thou wast put in,” or words to this effect. The promise of the text is my daily support; “I will put enmity between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

Further: this promise is also fulfilled, not only in the church in general, but in every individual believer in particular. In every believer there are two seeds, the seed of the woman, and the seed of the serpent; the flesh lusting against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. It is with the believer, when quickened with grace in his heart, as it was with _Rebekah_, when she had conceived _Esau_ and _Jacob_ in her womb; she felt a struggling, and began to be uneasy; “If it be so, says she, why am I thus?” Thus grace and nature struggle (if I may so speak) in the womb of a believer’s heart: but, as it was there said, “The elder shall serve the younger;” so it is here,――grace in the end shall get the better of nature; the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head. Many of you that have believed in CHRIST, perhaps may find some particular corruption yet strong, so strong, that you are sometimes ready to cry out with _David_, “I shall fall one day by the hand of _Saul_.” But, fear not, the promise in the text insures the perseverance and victory of believers over sin, Satan, death, and hell. What if indwelling corruption does yet remain, and the seed of the serpent bruise your heel, in vexing and disturbing your righteous souls? Fear not, though faint, yet pursue: you shall yet bruise the serpent’s head. CHRIST hath died for you; and yet a little while, and he will send death to destroy the very being of sin in you. Which brings me

To shew the most extensive manner in which the promise of the text shall be fulfilled, viz. at the final judgment, when the LORD JESUS shall present the elect to his Father, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, glorified both in body and soul.

Then shall the seed of the woman give the last and fatal blow, in bruising the serpent’s head. Satan, the accuser of the brethren, and all his accursed seed, shall then be cast out, and never suffered to disturb the seed of the woman any more. Then shall the righteous shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, and sit with CHRIST on thrones in majesty on high.

Let us, therefore, not be weary of well-doing; for we shall reap an eternal harvest of comfort, if we faint not. Dare, dare, my dear brethren in CHRIST, to follow the Captain of your salvation, who was made perfect through sufferings. The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head. Fear not men. Be not too much cast down at the deceitfulness of your hearts. Fear not devils; you shall get the victory even over them. The LORD JESUS has engaged to make you more than conquerors over all. Plead with your Saviour, plead: plead the promise in the text. Wrestle, wrestle with GOD in prayer. If it has been given you to believe, fear not if it should also be given you to suffer. Be not any wise terrified by your adversaries; the king of the church has them all in a chain: be kind to them, pray for them; but fear them not. The LORD will yet bring back his ark, though at present driven into the wilderness; and Satan like lightening shall fall from heaven.

Are there any enemies of GOD here? The promise of the text encourages me to bid you defiance: the seed of the woman, the ever-blessed JESUS, shall bruise the serpent’s head. What signifies all your malice? You are only raging waves of the sea, foaming out your own shame. For you, without repentance, is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. The LORD JESUS sits in heaven, ruling over all, and causing all things to work for his childrens good: he laughs you to scorn: he hath you in the utmost derision, and therefore so will I. Who are you that persecute the children of the ever-blessed GOD? Though a poor stripling, the LORD JESUS, the seed of the woman, will enable me to bruise your heads.