Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

6. What is the Serpents head, and the bruising of it? 1. For the Serpents head, it is the power, rage, reign and Kingdom of Satan: It is observed that in the head of a Serpent lies the strength, power, and life of a Serpent; so by a phrase of speech fitted to the condition of this Serpent that was Satan's instrument, God tells the Devil of the danger of his head, (i.e.) of his power and Kingdom: now this power and Kingdom of Satan consists more especially in sin and death; for the sting of death is sin, and the power of death is in Satan. ¹Hence sin and death are usually called the works and wages of Satan; they are his own, he owns them, and carries them at his girdle. 2. For the bruising of this head, it is the overthrowing of Satan's power; he shall bruise thy head, (i.e.) Christ shall break thy power; Christ shall destroy sin, and death, and him that had the power of death, that is the Devil. ²I say Christ shall do it, though as I have said in a secondary sense the faithful shall do it; Christ overcomes by his own power, and the faithful overcome by the power of Christ; the victory is common to all the seed, but the Author of victory is only Christ the Head and chief of all the seed:³ ye have overcome the evil one, but how? not of your selves, no, it is the God of peace that bruiseth Satan. Well then, here is the sense, the Serpents head is bruised, (i.e.) the Devil, and sin, and death, and hell are overthrown; not only the Devil in his person, but the works of the Devil, which by the fall he had planted in our natures, as pride, vain glory, ignorance, lust, &c. nor only Satan's works, but the fruits and effects of his works, as Death and Hell; so that all the faithful may sing with Paul; O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? thanks be to God which giveth us victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.⁴

6. What is the Serpents head, and the bruising of it? 1. For the Serpents head, it is the power, rage, reigne and Kingdom of Satan: It is observed that in the head of a Serpent lies the strength, power, and life of a Serpent; so by a phraise of speech fitted to the condition of this Serpent that was Satans instrument, God tels the Devil of the danger of his head, (i.e.) of his power and Kingdom: now this power and Kingdom of Satan consists more especially in sin and death; for the sting of death is sin, and the power of death is in Satan.