How the promise was made known

7. By the righteousness which is of faith, is meant, that condition of justification (and in consequence of present and final salvation, if we endure therein unto the end) which was given by God to fallen man, through the merits and mediation of his only begotten Son. This was in part revealed to Adam soon after his fall, being contained in the original promise, made to him and his seed, concerning the seed of the woman, who should bruise the serpent’s head. It was a little more clearly revealed to Abraham, by the angel of God from heaven, saying, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, that in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. It was yet more fully made known to Moses, to David, and to the prophets that followed: and through them, to many of the people of God, in their respective generations. But still the bulk even of these were ignorant of it; and very few understood it clearly. Still life and immortality were not so brought to light to the Jews of old, as they are now unto us by the gospel.