Book IV. WICKED MEN COMPARED TO VIPERS. So; D S P A R T Y. NAKED Men deGre Cloathes, rhey will b,g bard for fomething ro cover their Nakednefs : But the 'Vieked are ur.fenoble of their Nakednefs, and therefore feek not to be cloathed; nay, like mad Men, refufe Raiment. vVe read, Luke viii. z7· of a Man polfelfed with a Legion of Devils, and the Text faith, he wore no Cloathes; his Madnets is evidenced by that, he would fufler no Cloathes to be put upon him. It is a Sign Men are fpiritual!y polfelfed with a Legion of Devils, that refufe to put on the Garment of Faith and Holinefs to cover their Nakednefs. Thefe Garments are he!d forth every Day ro be fold, without Money, and without Price, in the MiniUry of rhe vVord; but fo mad are ungodly Men, they had rather go naked, than lay hold on them, and pur them on. A nd is it not juft, that fuch Men fi10uld be buried in H ell, in rheir own Rags, that will not embrace Chrift and Hulinefs, that they may be cloathed with eternal Salvation? !fa. lv. .1, 2. Rev. iii. wIcKED MEN COMPARED TO V I pER s. 0 Gmeratioll of Vipers, &c. Matt. iii. 7· ~0HN Baptift ·Calls the Scribes a·nd Pharifees, and orher wicked Men of rhe J ews,. J Vipers; not only Vipers, but a Seed and GeneratiM of Vipers. Some think he a~ludes ro the Devil, that old Serpent, whofe Offcpring they were: Ye are ofyour Fa– ther the Devil, &c. John viii. -But others rather think, he com.pares them to the Ser– pent called the Viper, uFon ConGderarion of divers Properties, wherein there is a fie Refemblancc between it and -them, &c. P A R A L L E L ~ l. THE Viper is a moO: poifonous Creature: When the Barbarians faw the Viper ftick on Paul's H and, they looked upon him as a deac! Man; their Biting is accour.ted mortal, Atis xxviii. 5· So the \'licked are a very deftruCl:ive and murderous Generaticn of Men; their bitter vVords and cruel Slanders, are like deadly Venom; '!'be Poifon of Afps is under their Tongues. David complains uf the U ngodly upon this Account, Whoft 'Tongue, faith he, is as a jharp Sword. Sin is compared to P01fon : 'l'heir Poifon is like the Poifon of a Serpent, &c. '!'he Tongue, fairh James, is full of deadly Poifon, James iii. H. And if rh is be the Nature of t:1eir Words, what are their Works! If Poifon be in their Worc!s, what l'oilon is in thtir Blows, and curfed Bitings' '!'heir 'l"eeth are Spears and Arrows, Pfal. lvii. 4· 11. The Viper devours Scorpions, and thereby rhe Poifon bc·comes ftronger: So rhe :Pharilees and Sadc!ucees, taking in the poilonous Upinions of rheir corrupt Rabbins, by adding their own, encreafed the Poilon of their vile Errors. Blackwood. Ill. The Viper harh a beamiful Skin, though inwardly very venomous: So •thofe Pharifees, like other painted H ypocrites, made a fair Shew in rhe Flefh, appeared devout, and glorious to Men, but were inwardly full of the Poifon of Lull:, and abo– minable Error. IV- Young Vipers, as Ariftotle•, Pliny t, Rhodogin :f:, and others affirm, ear their 'Nay into the World through their Mothers Belly, though fome feem to doubt of the Trurh of this generally received Opinion: So the Scribes and Pharifees cried out, We are Abraham's Children, &c. and from thence concluded, they were meet Subject& for Baptifm, and fhould be laved: They, like Vipers, as one obien·es, would needs find a Way to Heaven through the Bowels of their Anceftors, or by the Faith of their Parents: But what faid the Baptift? 0 Generation of Vipers, &c. think not to fay withi11 yourfelves, TVe bave /\braham to our Father, &c. Matt. iii. 7, 9· Or as another wor– thy Writer obferves upon the Place: As the Viper eats, lirith he, through the Bowels of his Dam, that they may come ro Life; fo you Scribes and Pharilees kill your Mo– ther the Synagogue, your Fathers, the Prophets, and faithful Teachers, that you may live in yolll' Pride and Coveroufnefs. V. Gefner, and divers others§, affirm, that the Female Viper is the worft, and her "' Arijlot. Hill of A:lim, lib. 8. eh. 29. t Rhctl liU. 3• cap. 3i· 9 T t Plin. lib. 10, p. 6z, § Jown. Biting
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