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This was expresly foretold, Gen. 3.15. The seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head; that is, the projects and plots of Satan. When as the devill did plot to bring our first parents into sin, and so into eternall misery, and
fellowship with him therein. Head is taken for dominion and power, which he hath in our hearts.
What is it to loose and dissolve?
It implieth that the work of the Devill was knit in divers hnots. A three fold knot.
1. He had tyed our nature to sin, that you cannot draw mere nature, but you must draw his corruption, Gen. 6.5. John 3.6. Rom. 7.14.
2. There is a binding of one sin to another. Draw one sin, and you draw all, Deut. 29.19.
3. If we draw sin, we shall inevitably draw punishment, Rom. 6. ult. Gen. 2.17. Gal. 3.10.
What is a curse?
That is a curse, that sets us further off rom God, Heb. 2.14. Prov. 1.32. Christ came into the world to loose these knots.
But how did Christ coming into the world loose works of Satan?
By Christs manifestation, you must understand the whole worke of Christs meditation. Christ by his innocent birth, holy life, righteous and holy suf∣fering, hath procured pardon of sin, and having gotten it, sin and punishment is dissolved.
But may not our natures be corrupt, though our sins are pardoned? Gal. 4.4, 5. The same Spirit that makes us cry Abba Father, Rom. 8.14, 15, 16. leads us into all wayes of holinesse righteousnesse. Hence our wayes are healed, and our course of sin broken off.
But though God hath broken off the wicked course of a mans life, Luke 19.48. Yet we are still bittery intangled with the corruptions of our owne hearts, Hos. 4.8, 9.
Ʋse 1. To teach such as live in any sin, or are the Authors of any sin, that this is a sign that they are of the Devill, because they tye those knots, which Christ came to loose.
2. Of tryall, whether we be indeed born of God, or not. Would you know whether Christ came effectually for you? if he did, then he hath un∣tyed those knots and snares.
3. This may be a ground of exhortation to two or three severall duties.
1. Take heed of all sin, and allow not your selves in any. If you do the work of Satan, you dissolve the work of Christ.
2. This exhorts all that finde their souls so intangled, to labour to dissolve the work of Satan. Now, none can dissolve it but Christ, he came for this end, therefore make we our moan to him. And because this will not serve, unlesse we give up our selves wholly to be ruled by him, therefore let us resigne up our souls to him, wholly to be wrought upon by the Word of God.
3. To exhort us to comfort our selves, who have given up our selves to Chirst. If we see that Christ hath begun to pardon our sins, to cut us off from sin, and to mortifie it, he will perfect this good worke, Deut. 32.4. Rom. 16.22.