The Gofpel of the occafional Types. $47 Fire, Heb, t . 7. And Satan himfelf was fuch a one at fire, though now by his Fall he is but a fiery Serpent : He is a Seraphim debafed and fallen below himfelf. 3. ?be Sting of this Serpent is Sin. Therefore the Temptations of this fiery Serpent are fo called fiery Darts, Ephef. 6.16. with which he Rings the Soul to Death. He hath thruft his Sting into the Nature of Man, and poyfoned it, and made it like himfelf. And he is continu- ally tempting and thrufting in his Sting : Sin is called a Sting, r Cor. I 5. 56. The Sting ofDeath is Sin. 4. Sin, the Sting of this Serpent, is painful and deadly Poyfon : It both torments and kills. It is true, it is fweet Poyfon while under the Tongue ; but withal it is tormentingand mortal in the Bowels, yob zo. 12, 13, I q.. Though Tweet in bis Mouth, it is the poyfon of Alps within him ; fweet in the Commiflion, but tormenting and deftruaive afterward. Oh the Pain it puts the Confcience of a Sinner too ! Deadly Painand Anguifh ; there is no Anguilb like it, no Poyfon fo inflaming, fo tor- menting to the Body, as Sin is to theSoul. 5. The occafion of all this Mifery, was their flighting and murmuring againfi the Manna wherewith the Lord hadfed them from Heaven. There had been many Murmurings before upon other Occafions : But now they come to flight and defpife Manna, wherewith the Lord had fed them fo miraculoufly, for about eight and thirty Years together: (For fo force Interpreters compute the time of this Murmuring.) All the while till now, though that Wilderriefs through which they Tra- velled was full of fiery Serpents, and Scorpions, and Drought, as Dent. S. 15 Yet the Lord had not fuffered any of them to be Rung. But now he lets loofe there fie;y Dragons to fly upon them, as Amos 9.3. I will command the Serpent and he Thal bite them and 'tis upon oc- cafion of their ungrateful Murmurings againft'the Manna, Numb. 21. 5, 6. The Inftruaion we may learn and fee in it is this, That God lets loofe tbofe fiery Serpents, Satan and their Lufts, to fling the Confciences and torment .the Souls of Men, for contempt of Chrift, and Gofel-mer ties. When Manna hathbeen flighted, when Chrift is offered and re- jeeted, then the Serpent flings, Pfal. Si, i i, 12. Becaufe Ifrael would none of me ; therefore I gave them up to their own Hearts Lufls. Have you never felt the Truth of this Type by woful Experience, how Sin bath raged and gotten more Strength, whenthe Gofpel hath been fligh- ted, and offers of Grace defpifed ? So much of the Difeafe, the deadly ling of there fiery Serpents for their Murmurings. z. Now IIIIIINEr
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