Chap. .°2 !gn Expofstion upon the Book of f o B. Verf. 16. 519 foiGoaed him to land, or ( as that Text gives it ) wouldnot fief- ferhim so live(Vis 28.4.) So that,when Zopharfaith,The pers torge'hallJley him ; The meaning is, he troll be as certain- ly and fuddenly flame, as ifa Viper had bitten him. The Vipers tongue is worse then the Lyons tooth, and gives fo mortali a wound that every touch is death. When Yohn the Baptift, as al- fo Chrift would thew how hurtfuli and dangerous theScribes and Pharifees( among the 7e oes) were, they call themA gene- ration ofVipers (Math. 3.7. Math > 2.34. )Thefe Vipers ne- ver gave over till they had Il sin Chrift.There's no efcaping if a Viper bite; and ofthem Chrift faith (Marrh. 23. 33.)O gene, ration of Vipers, how(hall ye efcape thedamnation ofhell?it (hews that the morali Viper is as dangerous as the naturali, whenwe read that the former(hall not efcape the wrath of God, as man cannot efcape, being flung, by the latter. The Vipers tongue is the Embleme ofany rernedileffeevil!. And fuch (hall befall the covetous oppreffour, The Vipers tongue Jhall flay him Hence note; The mifchiefe that awicked mandoth to others, Jfail returns upon his owne head. While he impoverifheth his neighbour, he undoeth him- felfe, while he is fuckingothers, he is flaying himfelfe. Sol moa defcribes a combinationofevill. doers, wholefeete run to evil!, they make haft to(bedbloud ; But he concludes (`Prow. r . 18.) They lye in waitfortheir own bloud,andlurk priviy for their own lives,foare thewayes ofevery one that is greedy ofgain, which ta- keth array the life ofthe owners thereof : Theymade haft to flied the blondofothers,but the event proved that they laid wait for theirown blotd,Sin isthe greatDeceiver ;The harme doer is al- wayes the greateft harme receiver. He that layeth fnares, layeth them for others, but he catcheth himfelfe.And therefore Solomon refolves it direly ( which yet we are tounderftand of the event, not at all (which makestheir cafemore miferable ) oftheir intention) They lurkeprivily for their own lives. All their lurking and plotting recoyles upon themfelves;. Their own iniquitiesfhalltake them,arnd theyJhall be holden with thewards of their finne, as the fame SolomonexprefTeth it,(prov. 5..22.) As He that is wife ( that is, holy and righteous) fba116e wifefor him
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