304 And teacheth, not to bewea. ryofmanna. The kindofit. Whyferpents. The devill fo termcd,why. Why fiery ferpents. Brazen Serpent,a type ofC%ri/1. ll witb the fcorpions ofhis Judgements. 3. Beware of being weary ofmanna. Never did man complaine of plentyof manna, but was juftlÿ flungwith want of it. Doe thoucomplaineWithout caul ,and thou (halt have caufe to complaine. Ifrael that complairies oftoomuch manna,fhall fhortly change their note and cry out ofto many ferpents. I I. The kindofthe difeafe. The LordPent fiery fer- pents tolling them. Where t. why ferpents ? 2. why fiery ? 3. why flinging ? I. This difeafe by ferpents lively refembles ourdif- eafe of foule, which is noother then the fiery fling of thee/dferpent,which is the devih,Rev.I z.9. Our fpiritu- all difeafe is hencenoted to come from that old ferpent at firfl. Now ratan is aptly compared to a ferpent in five refpefts : Firft, becaufe he covered himfelfe with a fer- pent,when he firrt flung anddeceivedmankind. Second- ly, he is more fubtle thenany ferpent ; crafty to infinuate anddeceive, 2 Cori 1.3.14. Thirdly,as a ferpent dwels and lies among thornes, bullies, bryars, and feeds upon du l:fo the devill raignes in the thickets and bullies of worldly cares and lusts, and feeds upon worldlings ex- ercifing his chiefe power againft them. Fourthly, as a ferpent carts out ofhis mouth venirne and poyfon : fo the devill earls out nothing but virulent words again f{ God andhis Saints, and fpewes out after the Churcha flood ofpoyfon to drowne her. How beeblafphemed lob, how he is the acculer of the brethren, how of the head Chrift himfelfe, the Scripture declares. riFtly, as a ferpent is curled above all beads, fò is the devill. The firft curled creature in the world was this ferpent and hath ever fence remained the curfed head ofall curled rebells and wicked ones, to whole curlody and con- demnation they !hall all be gathered in the 1aí} day.../Wat. 2.4I .goeye curled, &c. .. Whycalled fiery ferpents ? Ánfw. I. From their
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=