,transcribed from the #ahac ,r4 ,thomas 
edition #j by ,david ,price1 email      
ccx#jgdpglaf4org                        
,picture3 ,public domain book cover     
,a                             ,feast   
for ,serpents1                          
,,being ,,the ,,substance ,,of          
,a ,,sermon1                            
,preached at the ,obelisk ,chapel1      
,on ,,sunday ,evening1 ,march #ba1      
#ahac1          ,published by           
,desire--and addressed to all whom it   
may concern4                            
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,by ,j4 ,,church1                      
,minister of the ,gospel4               
99 99 99 99 99        ,,saviour4--,ye   
,serpents1 ye ,generation of ,vipers4   
,,hosea iv1 #h4--,they eat up the ,sin  
of my ,people1 and they set their       
heart on their ,iniquity4               
,,isaiah4--,he feedeth on ,ashes4       
,,jerem4--,against him that bendeth let 
the ,archer lend his ,bow4              
99 99 99 99 99                          

,,london3                 ,printed by   
,r4 ,,thomas1 ,,red ,,lion ,,street1    
,borough4                               
#ahac4                                  
99 99 99 99 99          ,,preface4      
,,to the ,church of ,jesus ,christ1 who 
are loved with an everlasting  love1    
chosen in ,christ before all            
worlds--redeemed by the blood of the    
,lamb--and effectually called out of    
darkness into marvellous light2  led by 
the providence of ,god to attend the    
ministry of so unworthy an  instrument  
as myself1 to whom ,god has made my     
labors useful1 and  profitable for      
reformation1 conviction1 conversion1    
building up1  and spiritual consolation4
  ,having been much tried and perplexed 
by  men of corrupt minds1 who have long 
endeavoured to prejudice me1 with  a    
view to separate us one from the other1 
but they have hitherto  failed--having  
grace given you to continue with me in  
my temptations1  to abide in the furnace
 of affliction with me1 and to stand in 

the  evil day4  ,the good hand of ,god1 
restoring a degree of peace to us1  so  
that we can pass to our ,meeting ,place 
of ,worship unmolested1--,i  think it   
right1 and that ,i am in duty bound     
7though you have not  demanded it7 to   
make a few general remarks upon the     
subjects which have  agitated the       
public1 and not a little distressed your
 minds4    ,i wish you most decidedly to
 bear in mind thro' the whole of this   
performance1 that ,i write only for your
 sakes--,i write not for the  worldling1
 whose heart is set on the things of    
time and sense1 who1  ,gallio like1     
cares for none of these things1 except  
it be to pass an  unpleasant sneer at   
us4--,i write not for the proud         
,pharisee1 or the  mere ,formalist1 who 
have a name to live and are dead--,i    
write not for  ,hypocrites1 whose end   
will be according to their work1 and who
 are a  perpetual plague to the         
,household of ,faith--,wolves in        
,sheep's  cloathing1 who cover the      

vilest principles and conduct with the  
garb of  apparent holiness6--but ,i     
write for those who know the plague of  
the  heart2 the vanity of the world2 the
 emptiness of the creature2 the  danger 
of a form of godliness without the      
power2 the spirituality of  ,god's most 
holy ,law2 the preciousness of a dear   
,redeemer2 the power  of the word2 the  
manifestation of the atonement4  ,these 
characters so  graciously taught1 must  
be under the influence of divine        
love--the  remnant that shall not do    
iniquity1 nor speak lies--neither is a  
deceitful tongue found in their mouths2 
but they feed on the bread of  eternal  
life1 and can not be satisfied without  
it4  ,to these  ,characters ,i dedicate 
this book2 and not doubting but it will 
procure  me many foes1 and stir up that 
carnal enmity which they are the slaves 
of1 for them ,i would put up that       
charitable prayer of our ,lord1         
8,father forgive them20--and of you ,i  
would use the fine language of the      

blessed ,apostle--,and now1 ,brethren1  
,i commend you to ,god1  c4--,acts xx4  
,a ,,sermon4                 8,,and     
,,dust ,,shall ,,be ,,the ,,serpent',s  
,,meat40--,isaiah lv1 #be4    ,,it is a 
most undoubted truth1 that1 as in the   
planetary system one star  differs from 
another in glory1 so it is in the       
,church of ,god--though the  elect are  
loved alike1 chosen and provided for    
alike1 and shall all be  partakers of   
the same glory in ultimate bliss--the   
infant who died this  day1 and the mind 
of the apostle ,paul will be alike      
there2 yet1 in the  ,church ,militant it
 is not so4  ,god the divine ,spirit1 is
 a sovereign in  all his dispensations2 
and while some of the people of ,god    
have scarcely  been known here1 but     
through the solitary lane of life1 have 
pursued the  noiseless tenor of their   
way--treasures hid in the sand--a       
,sparrow alone--a  ,pelican of the      
,wilderness--and1 as finely described by
 one of our ,poets--        ,full many a

 gem1 of purest ray serine1         ,the
 dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear3   
,full many a flower is born to blush    
unseen1         ,and lose its sweetness 
in the desert air4    ,but though this  
is the case with many1 yet some have    
been more highly  favored1 and shone    
with peculiar lustre in the ,church of  
,god4  ,all the  ,prophets testified of 
the adorable ,redeemer1 but ,isaiah     
shines like a  star of the first        
magnitude4  ,his name signifies the     
,salvation of ,god2  and he was a type  
of the great ,prophet of the ,church of 
,god4  ,it is said1  but without any    
probable ground1 he was the cousin of   
,king ,uzziah1 in the  latter end of    
whose reign he began his predictions4   
,his qualifications  were great1 and his
 writings truly sublime1 yet his success
 was but  small4  ,a minister of small  
talents may be more successful in his   
public  work than a man of greater1 but 
this is according to the sovereign      
good-will and pleasure of ,god4--,after 

this great ,prophet had borne his       
testimony for ,god and truth about      
forty-five years1 he died a martyr1     
perhaps sawn asunder with a wooden saw1 
under the reign of ,manassah4  ,he      
clearly foretels the incarnation of our 
,lord2 and probably he was the  first to
 whom it was revealed that the ,messiah 
should be born of a  virgin4  ,his mind 
was led to trace him through a life of  
sorrows1 while  he foretels his most    
intimate acquaintance would be          
grief--acquainted  with grief1 but his  
reward would be glorious4  ,his name    
should be great  in all the world1 and  
everlasting honours paid him1 as        
,god-man  ,mediator4--,this was the joy 
set before him1 for which he endured the
  ,cross1 and thought light of the      
shame--the ,father hath therefore highly
  exalted him1 and given him a name     
above every other1 that at his name     
every knee should bow1 if not in this   
world to the sceptre of his grace  and  
mercy1 they shall to his iron rod in    

hell4    ,the chapter from whence the   
text is selected is very singular1 yet  
truly  important4  ,the ,prophet is led 
to foretel the base conduct of the ,jews
 in  rejecting the ,gospel1 the         
,saviour1 and his ,apostles--the casting
 away of  that nation2 the provoking    
them to jealousy by a foolish nation1 in
 the  calling a people that did not seek
 after him1 or expect it4  ,these things
  are clearly pointed out in the seven  
first verses4  ,then1 lest the truly    
godly should fear being cut off1 the    
,lord graciously promises he would  take
 care of them1 when the rest should be  
numbered to the sword2 they  are the    
seed1 the blessed of the ,lord4  ,a line
 of distinction is drawn  between ,god's
 servants and those rejecters of the    
,saviour1 from the #acth  to the #afth  
verse4  ,the ,holy ,ghost then leads the
 mind of the ,prophet to  the future    
glory of the ,church in the thousand    
years reign--,for behold ,i  create new 
heavens and a new earth1 which will be a

 state of joy and  comfort4  ,this new  
heavens and earth must refer1 literally1
 to the  personal reign of ,christ on   
earth2 for the apostle ,peter says 7it  
is  written7 and to this passage he must
 refer4  ,after the old heaven and      
earth are passed away1 then a new region
 will be created1 suited to the         
glorified bodies of the saints--and a   
new earth1 where ,christ and his  saints
 will dwell personally a thousand       
years--one day with the ,lord--the  true
 sabbatic year4  ,the ,prophet having   
intimated this1 goes on to shew  what   
will take place previous to this reign1 
even a spiritual reign1 in  the         
universal knowledge of our ,lord--long  
life2 no weeping over dead  children2 no
 oppression of each other's houses or   
lands2 but all temporal  prosperity and 
spiritual success--speedy answers to    
prayer2 and even1  perhaps1 the brute   
creation will be tamed1 and brought into
 the same  subjection as before the     
fall--,hail6 happy period6 the ,lord    

hasten it in  his time4    ,this        
spiritual reign will be very different  
from the ,millennium1 though  many good 
men suppose it the same thing2 but the  
,millennium will be a  perfect state1   
this will not4  ,the ,millennium will be
 after the  resurrection of the just1   
this will be before it4  ,the           
,millennium will be  the personal reign 
of ,christ1 but this will be spiritual2 
just as it is  now1 in the heart--in the
 ,church1 in ,doctrines and ,ordinances1
 but with an  amazing increase of light1
 life1 love1 and holiness2 when1 no     
doubt1 the  poorest peasant will have as
 much light as the apostle ,paul had    
when on  earth4    ,it is very probable 
that this prophecy began to take place  
upon the  spread of the ,gospel in the  
land of ,judea1 and in the ,gentile     
world2 when  there was a new face of    
things1 so that the whole looked like a 
new  world4  ,the ,gospel ran1 had free 
course1 and was glorified--,sinners1 of 
every sort and size1 were converted to  

,god--the ,redeemer saw the travail  of 
his soul1 and the ,holy ,spirit         
displayed the love1 grace1 and mercy of 
,god1 in all its glory4  ,the freeness  
of grace was seen in the objects  it    
noticed2 the power of it was seen in the
 conquests it gained2 its  sovereignty  
was seen in passing by those who bid    
fairest in their own  eyes for glory4   
,while grace revealed these things unto 
babes1 others1  not interested in them1 
heard enough to hate them--rejected them
  altogether1 and persecuted those who  
had received them4  ,these  persecutions
 were attended with many advantages to  
the saints2 none were  hurt effectually1
 nor any bud of the ,tree of ,life1 nor 
budding hope1  destroyed in all ,god's  
holy ,mountain4    ,thus having         
proceeded to our text1 which ,i shall   
barely comment upon1  except the clause 
,i first read as a text1 this ,i shall  
endeavor to  explain4    ,first4  ,the  
,wolf shall dwell with the ,lamb--so it 
reads in the #aath  ,chap1 of this      

,book2 here it is the same--shall feed  
together2 if they  dwell together they  
must1 consequently1 feed together4  ,i  
remark1 that it  was the eternal design 
of ,god to shew himself to his creatures
 as the ,god  of all grace--so the      
,apostle words it1 that in the ages to  
come he might  shew unto us the         
exceeding riches of his grace and       
kindness towards  us1 by ,christ ,jesus4
  ,this he has done in all ages1 in its 
divine  sovereignty1 freeness1 and      
power1 upon those characters who may    
justly be  compared to ravening ,wolves1
 who have worried1 and made sad havoc   
among  ,christ's ,sheep4  ,such bitter  
persecutors have been called out of     
darkness  into life1 the heart being    
changed1 the life and conduct were      
changed  too2 for this is the design and
 the conquest of grace4  ,it is to be   
lamented that many1 while in the world1 
have been sad opposers of the  doctrines
 of the ,gospel--these take up a        
profession1 and however promising  in   

appearance1 they still oppose the main  
,doctrines of the ,cross4  ,then1  ,i   
ask1 what has grace done for them8  ,in 
a profession they are1 but in a  state  
of reconciliation they are not4  ,but my
 text tells us1 that the  ,wolf and     
,lamb shall feed together--that what the
 ,lambs feed on1 such the  ,wolf should1
 when ,god converted them to the truth4 
,here the ,saints are  compared to      
,lambs1 for their harmlessness and      
innocence2 and such they  are in their  
new-creature state4  ,we may see this   
passage verified in the  ,apostle       
,paul--he was of the tribe of ,benjamin1
 of whom ,jacob said1 he  should ravin  
as a ,wolf4--,thus did ,saul of ,tarsus 
against the ,sheep of  ,jesus4  ,he     
harrassed1 he made sad slaughter among  
them4  ,but1 oh6 the  wonders of grace1 
that tamed1 humbled1 and reconciled him 
to the ,saviour  and his dear people1   
that he laid down at the feet of the    
,lamb of ,god4  ,he fed with the ,lambs 
in the same fold1 and he was brought to 

feed them  afterwards4  ,thus the ,wolf 
and the ,lamb fed together2 and is not  
this  true to this hour8  ,is not the   
same grace manifested to us who were1 by
  nature1 enemies to the ,saviour1 his  
ministers1 and people2 as such1 to  his 
,doctrines and ,ordinances4  ,we could1 
perhaps1 recollect the time when  our   
prejudices were strong against these    
things1 but1 glory be to free  grace    
alone1 we are changed2 now we are never 
happy but at the feet of  ,jesus1 and   
feeding on him1 his ,word1 and in his   
,ordinances1 the food on  which we live1
 and which ,i shall speak of at the     
close of this ,subject4    ,secondly4   
,this ,promise may refer to the two     
natures in every ,believer1  ,sin and   
,grace4  ,the sinful nature of the      
,believer is not  changed--that which is
 born of the flesh is flesh--it will be 
a ,wolf all  its days2 though it may be 
kept in1 by almighty grace1 through deep
  trials and sore conflicts2 yet1 every 
,believer is1 in his ,new ,man1         

,lamb-like1 though often worried by the 
,wolf of his own corruptions4  ,yet     
these must dwell together till death2   
these walk1 these rise up1 and lie  down
 together2 this is our plague1 out      
affliction1 and distress2 and  though we
 are condemned as lovers of sin1 we can 
assure our foes we  should be glad to   
get rid of it4  ,sin a burthen to the   
,new ,man2 so we  feel it4  ,this sinful
 nature feeds on earth1 and every thing 
that is  contrary to ,god2 but the ,new 
,man only on the great things of ,god4  
,thirdly4  ,may not this refer to the   
,state of the ,church of ,god1 which  is
 at present in her imperfect state2 not 
only in her feelings1 but  plagued with 
those who are only hypocrites in ,zion1 
,tares among the  ,wheat1 ,sheep among  
the ,goats1 and ,wolves in ,sheep's     
cloathing4  ,this is  the sad state of  
the ,saints2 at times they are ready to 
cry out with ,job1  ,let not the        
hypocrite reign1 lest the souls of the  
righteous be  ensnared4  ,and1 with the 

,apostles1 ,lord1 shall we root them up8
  ,but  no2 these ,wise and ,foolish    
,virgins must be together till the      
,midnight ,cry  is made1 then there will
 be an happy but awful separation2 but  
these  dwell together now1 in the same  
,church1 at the same table2 sit in the  
same seat2 look just the same as the    
,saints2 claim the same ,promises1 and  
boast the same light2 talk of what they 
never felt1 and in full1 tho'  daring   
and presumptuous confidence1 are1 in    
their own esteem1 going to  the same    
glory4  ,hence ,god complains of them1  
,ezek4 xxxiii1 #cj1 ,also  thou ,son of 
,man1 the children of thy people are    
still talking against  thee1 by the     
walls and in the doors of the           
houses--7how true have ,i  found        
this87--and they come unto thee as my   
people cometh1 and they sit  before thee
 as my people1 and they hear thy words1 
but do them not2  and lo1 thou art to   
them as a very lovely song1 of one that 
hath a  pleasant voice1 and can play    

well upon an instrument1 for they hear  
thy words but they do them not4  ,doing 
them is believing--receiving the  truth 
in the love of it2 and by experience1   
proving the truths we preach4  ,there   
are ,wolves that are in ,sheep's        
clothing--these feed upon sounds1  but  
the ,lambs upon substance4--,under      
another metaphor we shall point out  the
 food of such ,wolves and ,goats--they  
are distinct from the ,sheep1 and  will 
be found so in the last great day4  ,see
 #beth of ,matthew's ,gospel4    ,the   
second part of the text may likewise be 
considered in a double sense1  good and 
bad4  ,as most metaphorical passages are
 controvertible1 and will  apply to a   
variety of cases1 so in this1 ,the ,lion
 shall eat ,straw like  the ,bullock--in
 the #aath ,chap4 it is said like the   
,ox2 and as the  ,prophet is predicting 
the success of the ,gospel in the days  
of the  ,messiah1 or the latter day     
glory4  ,it may refer to the conversion 
of some  of the great ones of our       

globe--kings2 and such there have been1 
and such  there shall yet be1 when kings
 shall become nursing fathers to the    
,church1 and queens nursing mothers4    
,hence the ,chaldean1 ,assyrian1 and    
,persian conquerors are called ,lions1  
,dan4 vii1 ,and four great beasts  came 
up from the sea1 the first was like a   
,lion4  ,the ,lion hath  roared1 who    
will not fear8 the ,lion did tear in    
pieces4  ,and he  cried a ,lion1 my     
,lord--the ,lion is come up from his    
thicket1 and the  destroyer of the      
,gentiles is on his way4--,thus great   
tyrannical  oppressors1 kings1 mighty   
men1 are called ,lions4  ,some of these 
have been  tamed1 humbled1 and fed with 
the useful1 laborious patient ,oxen1 by 
whom  we may understand ,ministers of   
the ,gospel4  ,thou shalt not muzzle the
  ,ox4  ,doth ,god take care of ,oxen8  
or saith he it for our sakes8 for  our  
sakes1 doubtless1 saith ,paul1 who calls
 ,himself one of them1 in  common with  
his fellow-labourers--our sakes4        

,some great men have been called1       
witness ,manasseh1 the proudest and most
  awful character that ever lived2 and  
no doubt many more have experienced  the
 power of divine grace bringing them    
into the ,church of ,jesus4  ,these     
have helped kindly to support the       
,gospel ministry--these have fed with   
the  ministers of the word--this1       
perhaps1 will be better seen another    
day1  when the ten kings shall have     
their hearts turned to hate the         
diabolical  system of ,popery2 stall    
hate the ,whore2 eat her flesh2 obtain a
 victory  over her1 and burn her with   
fire4  ,then ,god's ,two ,witnesses     
shall1 in the  best sense1 stand up for 
the truth--even the ,magistracy and the 
,ministry1  ,kings and ,preachers2 and  
what will they not effect8  ,this may be
 seen it  the #aeth of ,revelation1 when
 the ,angels will go forth with their   
vials1  their breasts girded with golden
 girdles1 and clothed in robes of       
righteousness1 truth and faithfulness4  

,see the #agth ,chap4 of the            
,revelation1 #fjth of ,isaiah1 and #aeth
 of ,revelation4  ,thus the ,lion  shall
 eat ,straw like the ,bullock4    ,but1 
,secondly1 ,it may be considered in an  
awful sense1 to which ,i  rather        
incline1 because it does not say they   
shall lie down together1 nor  that they 
shall eat the green pastures of ,christ1
 but straw4  ,it may  signify a person  
who has heard the ,gospel and rejected  
it1 to whom it has  become the savour of
 death unto death4  ,these may become   
fierce and cruel  opposers of the       
,gospel2 the worst opposers1 as they    
attempt to stab  religion in its vitals4
  ,these are called by the ,apostle1 the
  ,adversaries1 who have scorned the    
,saviour1 despised his blood1 and       
opposed his truths4  ,witness some that 
have heard the ,gospel1 and once        
professed all the truth1 who have since 
turned ,deists1 ,arians1 ,socinians1    
,muggletonians1 and ,sabellians1 and are
 now wickedly and spitefully using  all 

their arguments and influence against   
the truth1 and to deceive  souls4       
,these ,lions are coupled with the      
,bullock in the text2 by whom we  may   
understand ,persecutors4  ,hence our    
,lord explains1 ,fat ,bulls of  ,bashan 
enclose me in on every side4  ,david    
prays1 ,rebuke the company of           
,spearmen1 the multitude of the ,bulls1 
with the ,calves of the ,people4  ,and  
,god1 by ,isaiah1 threatens them in     
tremendous language--,chap4 xxxiv4 #g4  
,these characters are said to eat       
straw--by which we may understand the   
refuse of the ,lord's floor2 not ,wheat1
 but ,chaff1 ,stubble1 and ,straw1 fit  
fuel for fire--who must1 and will be    
driven out of the ,church1 the ,barn    
,floor--whose fan is in his hand1 and he
 will thoroughly purge his ,floor--he   
will burn up the chaff with fire6       
,these hypocrites1 ,apostates1          
,imposters1 and their errors1 are the   
delight of such characters1 and ,god    
has coupled them together1 in the #ast  

,chapter of ,isaiah--,and the           
destruction of the transgressors and of 
the sinners shall be together2  and they
 that forsake the ,lord shall be        
consumed4  ,thus the ,lion shall  eat   
,straw like the ,bullock4    ,i come now
 to that part of the verse ,i first     
read4  ,i shall consider1  ,first1 the  
,serpent--,secondly1 the ,food that is  
appointed him4  ,dust ,,shall be the    
,serpent's meat4    ,first1 ,the        
,serpent1 absolutely and                
figuratively4--,the word ,serpent1 in   
,scripture1 means1 ,first1 ,naturally   
the creature itself4  ,now the ,serpent 
was more subtil than any beast of the   
,field4--,secondly1 ,a miraculous one1  
as ,moses' ,rod was turned into a       
,serpent4--,third1 ,a delusive one1 or  
one in  shew4  ,the ,magicians cast     
their ,rods on the ground1 and they     
became  ,serpents4  ,fourth1 ,an        
artificial one4  ,moses made a ,serpent 
of ,brass4  ,but sometimes it signifies 
the ,devil--hence he is called that ,old

 ,serpent4  ,and sometimes the enemies  
of ,jesus and his ,people--,ye          
,serpents6 ye  generation of ,vipers6   
,how can ye escape the damnation of     
,hell8  ,satan  is called a ,serpent1   
because he hid himself in the ,serpent  
in his first  stratagem against our     
first ,patents4  ,because of his        
serpentine  disposition1 in his poison  
and malice against ,christ and his      
,church2 and  in his winding1 by his    
flattery1 craftiness1 and his accursed  
condition4--,the first account we have  
of him is very early4  ,originally      
created in light1 he envied the honors  
paid the adorable ,trinity2 or he       
envied the ,lord ,jesus ,christ the     
glory he was to obtain as ,god-,man4    
,he  disbelieved the eternal power and  
faithfulness of ,god4  ,he drew millions
  of angels into rebellion with him4    
,he abode not in the truth2 for which   
he was cast in the prison of ,hell4     
,his sin seems to be an awful           
complication of pride1 envy1 and        

unbelief4  ,cast out of bliss2 held in  
the chains of darkness1 he is permitted 
to wander like a vagabond and  thief1 to
 fill up the measure of his iniquity4   
,permitted to enter the  ,garden of     
,eden1 where the image of ,christ was1  
even ,adam1 who was made in  that image 
our dear ,lord intended to assume4      
,satan envied him his bliss2  hated the 
image of ,god1 and adopted a plan to    
overturn it4  ,he selected  out the most
 subtil beast ,god had formed1 and      
through it he addressed our  ,mother1 in
 artful and insinuating language4  ,he  
temped her with the lust  of the eye2   
she saw the tree was good4  ,with the   
pride of life--,ye shall  be as gods1   
knowing good and evil4  ,this was done  
in the form of the  ,serpent--so that   
the ,devil and his agents have gone by  
this name ever  since4  ,we will quote  
the passage1 and make a few remarks on  
it1 which  will lead us to understand   
what is meant by the ,serpent and his   
,food4  ,gen4 iii4 ,now the ,serpent was

 more subtil than any beast of the      
field--and having seduced our ,parents1 
when the ,lord appeared to them1  they  
laid the blame on him4  ,then in the    
#adth verse1 the ,lord ,god said  unto  
the ,serpent1 ,because thou hast done   
this thou art cursed above all  cattle1 
and every beast of the field4  ,upon thy
 belly shall thou go1  and dust shalt   
thou eat all the days of thy life4  ,and
 ,i will put  enmity between thee and   
the ,woman1 and between thy seed and her
  seed--he shall bruise thy head1 and   
thou shalt bruise his heel4--,thus  runs
 the curse upon the ,serpent4    ,i     
humbly offer my opinion1 that this curse
 did not fall upon that  creature in    
general2 though no doubt the ,serpent   
that was the agent  received the curse  
of ,god4  ,but that ,satan was the      
character is evident1  as he is in full 
possession of the curse to this hour4   
,josephus was of opinion that till this 
curse was denounced the ,serpent  went  
erect1 and had the use of speech like   

man2 and this opinion is still  received
 among many--the ,scriptures are silent 
upon it4--,our ,english ,poet1  ,john   
,milton1 speaks in very striking terms1 
probably1 though1 in  general1          
conjecturally4        8,so spake the    
enemy of mankind1 inclos'd      ,in     
,serpent1 inmate bad6 and toward ,eve   
,address'd his way3 not with indented   
wave1      ,prone on the ground1 as     
since2 but on his rear1      ,circular  
base of rising folds1 that tower'd      
,fold above fold1 a surging maze6  ,his 
head      ,crested aloft and carbuncle  
his eyes2      ,with burnish'd neck of  
verdant gold erect1      ,amidst his    
circling spires1 that on the grass      
,floated abundant2 pleasing was his     
shape      ,and lovely--never since1 of 
,serpent kind1      ,lovelier4  ,he1    
uncall'd1 before her stood      ,the eye
 of ,eve to mark his play2 he1 glad     
,of her attention gain'd with ,serpent  
tongue      ,organic1 or impulse of     
vocal air1      ,his fraudulent         

temptation then began40    ,mr4 ,allen  
observes1 on the clause1 ,on thy belly  
shalt thou go--that  the ,serpent1      
before it was concerned in seducing our 
first ,parents1 went  erect1 or upright2
 which shews they have still some of    
their original  nature in them1 for they
 will now erect themselves upon the     
hinder part  of their bodies1 and go a  
considerable way in that position4  ,the
  truly-excellent ,dr4 ,gill's remarks1 
,i think1 excel all ,i ever read4       
,yet now the ,serpent was more subtil   
than any beast of the field which  the  
,lord ,god had made4--,many instances   
are given of the subtilty of  ,serpents1
 in hiding their heads when struck at2  
rolling themselves up2  stopping their  
ear at the voice of the charmer2 putting
 off their skin2  lying in sand of the  
same colour as themselves2 biting the   
feet of  horses2 and many such things4  
,but it does not appear now to be more  
subtil than many other creatures1       
whatever it might be when first         

created4--,the words therefore may be   
rendered1 ,that ,serpent1 that          
particular ,serpent1 was made more      
subtil than any beast of the field--not 
naturally1 but through ,satan being in  
it2 for though a real ,serpent1 yet  not
 that only1 but as possessed and used by
 ,satan1 as an instrument of  his1 to   
accomplish his designs1 as evident from 
its having the faculty of  speech and   
the use of reason1 employed in a very   
artful and sophistic  manner4  ,nor is  
it rational to suppose that human       
nature1 in the height  of its glory and 
excellency1 should be out-witted by a   
creature so  inferior to it4  ,the      
,scripture always alledges the fall of  
man to the  seduction of the ,devil1    
who1 on that account1 is called the     
,serpent1 the  old ,serpent1 the ,devil 
and ,satan4  ,he said unto the ,woman4  
,she being  alone1 he took the advantage
 of it--not the ,serpent1 but ,satan in 
it1 just  as the ,angel spoke in        
,balaam's ,ass4    ,it is very probable 

that good ,angels appeared in ,paradise 
to our first  ,parents1 in one form or  
another1 and conversed with them--it may
 be in  human forms1 and it may be in   
the form of a beautiful flying ,serpent1
  which looked very bright and shining1 
and that sort called the ,seraph4       
,hence angels bear the name of          
,seraphim1 as some have thought2 so that
 it  might not be at all surprising to  
,eve to hear the ,serpent speak1 it     
being  what she might have been used to 
hear1 and might take it to be a good    
angel sent to her with a message from   
,god4    ,good ,matthew ,henry remarks  
upon the ,passage1 that the ,devil chose
 to act  his part in a ,serpent1 because
 it is a specious creature1 has a       
spotted  dappled skin1 and then went    
erect4  ,perhaps it was a flying        
,serpent1  which seemed to come as a    
messenger from the upper world--one of  
the  ,seraphim1 for the fiery ,serpents 
were flying--,isaiah xv1 #bi4  ,many a  
gay  temptation comes to us in fine     

colours1 which are but skin deep1 and   
appears to come from above1 for ,satan  
can seem an angel of light4    ,the     
learned ,witsius remarks1 ,he who       
seduced man to this apostasy was        
doubtless a wicked spirit1 who1         
tormented with the horrors of a guilty  
conscience1 envied man his happiness in 
,god1 and ,god the pleasure he had  in  
man4  ,seeking wretched consolation in a
 partaker of his misery1 he  concealed  
himself1 therefore1 in the ,serpent1    
which was at that time not  less        
acceptable to man than any other        
creature4  ,the great ,du ,moulin       
conjectures this ,serpent was of a      
conspicuous form1 with fiery eyes2      
decked with gold1 and marked with       
shining spots1 such as to draw the eyes 
of ,eve after it2 and that before this1 
he had1 by his soothing sounds1         
insinuated himself into ,eve's          
favour--which is very probable4    ,the 
present learned ,dr4 ,clarke conjectures
 this creature was an ,ape  instead of a

 ,serpent2 but the arguments he brings  
forward are by no means  sufficient to  
support the fact4  ,the form of the     
curse pronounced on  ,satan1 in the     
,serpent1 is1 ,now thou art cursed above
 all cattle1 and  above every beast of  
the field4  ,this curse has not fallen  
upon that  species of animals1 called   
the ,serpent1 in general1 though it     
might on  that particular one which     
,satan made use of2 for there are       
various kinds  of ,serpents1 or         
creatures of the ,serpent kind--the     
reeded ,serpent1 the  fiery flying      
,serpent1 the horned ,serpent1 the      
,basilisk1 the ,dragon1 the  ,deaf      
,adder1 the common ,adder1 the ,viper1  
the ,asp1 the ,water ,snake1 the  ,land 
,snake1 the ,rattle-,snake1 the ,conger 
,eel1 the common ,eel1 and the          
,lamprey--these are of the ,serpent     
kind4  ,now the ,serpent the ,devil     
abused  was but one1 but of what kind we
 know not1 and the sentence of ,god is  
in  the singular number--so ,dr4 ,gill  

remarks1 that ,serpent--on thy belly    
shalt thou go1 and dust shalt thou eat  
all the days of thy life4  ,so  that as 
far as the curse went on the agent1 when
 that one ,serpent died  the sentence   
was fully executed on that creature4    
,but the curse1 in all  its dreadful    
weight1 fell on the ,devil1 who is      
cursed above all sinners1  who are      
called cattle1 ,beasts1 and the         
unclean--as ,lions1 ,dogs1 ,bears1      
,rams1 ,wolves1 ,leopards1 ,bulls1      
,heifers at grass1 ,foxes1 and ,goats4  
,many  of these have been tamed1 become 
useful and tractable1 but ,devils never 
were1 nor never will2 and ,satan1 the   
ring-leader1 ,i apprehend is cursed     
above them all--upon thy belly shalt    
thou go4  ,what the learned have  said  
about the ,serpent's going erect is bare
 conjecture4  ,but this curse  is       
evidently upon the ,devil3 the word     
,belly in scripture1 sometimes          
signifies the ,conscience1 and ,i       
believe it means this3 ,hence ,job      

speaking  of the seed of the ,serpent1  
says1 they shall not feel quietness in  
the  ,belly--it means depression and    
deep abasement1 in awful affliction--our
  belly cleaveth to the ground1 our soul
 is bowed down to the dust4  ,this  is  
what ,satan feels1 and will be cursed   
with for ever--no ease or rest1  but    
hell in him wherever he goes--,god's    
curse and wrath upon him--the  arrows of
 vindictive wrath sticking fast in him2 
nor can he feel any joy1  only that kind
 of malicious infernal pleasure1 suited 
to his nature1 as  he draws men to sin  
against ,god--especially believers4     
,the term ,serpent not only applies to  
the ,devil1 but to his people--the      
non-elect1 the reprobate2 more          
particularly to those ,pharisees1 who   
make  a fair shew in the flesh--a noise 
about holiness1 and who are endeavoring 
to establish their reputation upon the  
ruin of others--who are searching  for  
the sins of others1 and they search for 
iniquity with a diligent  search--who   

keep up the form of godliness1 are found
 in every external1  yet in heart hate  
the saints1 condemn them1 as enemies to 
good works--as  ,antinomians--enemies   
,moses--as a people not fit to live1 of 
course not to  come near them4--,these  
characters are called ,serpents1 and a  
generation of  ,vipers2 not only so     
themselves but their parents were so1   
and they are  the offspring of such     
,vipers2 and so we find it to this      
day--a deistical  ,preacher begets      
,deists1 a ,socinian begets such1 an    
,arian begets an ,arian1  an ,arminian  
begets an ,arminian by his ministry1 and
 an ,antinomian1 whose  religion lays in
 his head1 without the ,work of the     
,spirit1 such may beget  an offspring   
like themselves1 while every ,pharisee  
in the ,ministry may  also beget the    
same2 but the name ,john the ,baptist   
gave them is a  generation of ,vipers1  
when he saw the ,pharisees come to his  
,baptism4  ,a  ,viper appears very      
beautiful outwardly1 so do these persons

 to a blind1  carnal world1 who are     
making a stir about good works1 and1    
like ,alexander  ,pope1 are exclaiming1 
,for ,modes of ,faith let zealous bigots
 fight1      ,his can't be wrong whose  
life is in the right4    ,but1 ,i would 
ask1 ,can a man's life be in the right  
when all his  principles are bad8       
,vipers1 inwardly full of malice1       
hatred1 envy1  bitterness1 and evil     
speaking2 it looks innocent1 as if it   
could harm  nobody1 but1 under the garb 
of religion1 holiness1 and morality1    
what  will such characters not do8  ,the
 ,redeemer calls such by the same name  
,john did1 in ,matt4 xii1 and then in   
,chap4 xxiii1 ,ye ,serpents1 ye         
generation of ,vipers1 how can ye escape
 the damnation of hell8  ,fair  in      
speech and shew1 but cruel and          
dangerous2 with many such as these we   
have had to combat1 who are of their    
father the ,devil1 and the desires of   
their father they do4    ,but the decree
 runs1 ,and dust shall be the ,serpent's

 meat4  ,this is  only renewing the     
curse upon ,satan and his seed1 which   
was first  pronounced in the ,garden of 
,eden4  ,good men have differed a little
 upon  the food of the ,serpent2 some   
suppose that before the fall he lived   
upon  the fruits of the ,garden1 but    
afterwards that he was only to eat dust4
  ,perhaps this was the case with that  
one ,serpent the ,devil made use of1    
but it certainly is not true of         
,serpents in general4  ,others think it 
means1 that in consequence of the curse1
 upon thy belly thou shalt go1  that    
they should eat much dust with their    
food2 this may be the case in  part1 but
 not universally4  ,many keep ,serpents 
in the kingdom of  ,abyssinia for the   
purpose of divination1 as ,mr4 ,bruce   
tells us in his  ,travels1 and they feed
 them with white bread and milk1 which  
there are  very fond of4    ,mr4        
,toplady justly remarks on this passage1
 that what is said of the  ,serpent     
going on his belly and eating dust1 are 

properties common to many  kinds of     
vermin1 such as worms1 c4--and why      
should that be esteemed a  curse to the 
,serpent which is natural to many other 
animals beside4  ,but  is it so said    
because this creature is obnoxious to   
man8 so are many  others beside1 and it 
is worthy observation1 that there are   
some kind of  ,serpents which are       
remarkable for the affection they bear  
to man2 and  others are good for food1  
and have been served up as such1 even at
 royal  tables4    ,the words then must 
refer to something mystic and spiritual4
  ,the phrase1  ,dust shalt thou eat1   
implies a state of absolute subjection1 
for so it  signifies in scripture--his  
enemies shall lick the dust2 they shall 
lick dust like a ,serpent--they shall   
bow down to the earthy and lick up  the 
dust of thy feet4  ,these enemies shall 
be totally vanquished and  subdued1 and 
lie at the feet of the conqueror4    ,by
 the dust that the ,serpent is to eat is
 meant sinners against the most  high1  

living and dying enemies to ,god1       
,father1 ,son1 and ,spirit--enemies to  
truth and the seed of ,god4  ,this ,i   
think is clear from the declaration ,i  
will put enmity between thy seed and her
 seed1 the seed of the  ,serpent4  ,this
 is the dust he is to eat2 this is his  
curse4  ,these  persons are the         
,serpent's prey1 and the dust he shall  
devour4  ,the phrase  of ,satan eating1 
denotes the hellish pleasure he takes in
 man's ruin2 for  a person is supposed  
to eat nothing but what he loves2 it is 
the ,devil's  meat1 his joy1 his        
delight1 to lead into sin1 to get men to
 serve him1  and to buffet1 vex1 and    
plague the saints4    ,the learned      
,fagius observes1 ,satan is a spirit1   
and must therefore  require immaterial  
food2 which can be nothing else but the 
sins of men1  on which he feeds with    
pleasure4    ,st4 ,augustine says1 ,by  
dust1 ,sinners are meant2 so that       
sinners are given  him for his prey4    
,if then we would not be his food1 we   

must not be  earthly minded4    ,st4    
,ambrose says1 that by dust we are to   
understand the flesh of men1 on  which  
,god permits ,satan to feed1 that is1   
sometimes to torment and grieve  the    
bodies of believers1 for over their     
souls he has not the least  command4    
,the dust1 therefore1 ,satan eats1 is   
the seed spoken of as the  seed of the  
,serpent2 these are called the cattle1  
and the beasts of the  field--these are 
,satan's portion1 bear his image1 and   
will be found like  him another day1    
even in the resurrection of the         
wicked--,when they  shall awake1 ,o     
,lord1 thou wilt despise their image4   
,all the sins1  infirmities1            
temptations1 and troubles1 of ,god's    
dear people--these are  the dust he     
feeds on4  ,and as it is with the father
 ,serpent1 it is with  his seed2 his    
offspring a generation of ,vipers and   
,serpents1 they have  their portion of  
dust to eat1 and they can feed on       
nothing else--and this  every believer  

has seen to his grief4  ,what in one    
scripture is called  the seed of the    
,serpent1 is in another called the      
children of the wicked  one4  ,first1   
,because as sinners1 they are his       
offspring4  ,secondly1  ,because they   
are like him1 and bear the same names1 a
 liar1 a ,lion1 a  ,serpent1 a          
destroyer1 and an enemy2 and because    
they bear his image1 do  his works1 and 
obey his commands2 their food is        
alike--dust is their meat  as well as   
his4    ,this is another point we shall 
discover--,man having lost the image of 
,god1  left the fountain of his bliss   
and satisfaction2 his mind soon became  
vitiated--a vacancy being in it he seeks
 to fill the empty space with any       
thing1 and every thing but ,god4  ,this 
is the state of every man by  nature2   
this the believer can remember with     
regret1 and can now look back  on his   
former folly in forsaking the fountain  
and cleaving to the stream  of creature 
satisfaction4  ,changed by grace1 he    

views his fellow  immortals seeking for 
that which will never satisfy him4  ,the
 ,miser1 a  poor grovelling ,serpent1   
feeding on white and yellow dust1       
8,throwing up  his interest in both     
worlds--first starv'd in this1 then     
damn'd in that to  come40--,blair4  ,he 
heapeth up riches1 and cannot tell who  
shall gather  them4--,david4  ,he layeth
 up silver as the ,dust--the pant after 
the dust  of the earth4    ,thus such   
,serpents eat the dust1 while their     
covetous hearts are  perpetually crying1
 8,give6  ,give60--,solomon4  8,they    
grudge1 and are not                     
satisfied40--,david4  ,all the vain     
pursuits1 carnal gratifications1        
sensual delights1 and that phantom1     
called ,pleasure1 which a worldling     
strives for1 is but trying to fill the  
mind with dust4  ,hence the ,prophet    
,isaiah represents them as a people     
dreaming--,they have been eating and    
drinking1 and when they awake up1 behold
 they are hungry4--,isaiah  xxix4       

,hence ,david prays1 ,and let me not eat
 of their dainties4  ,for  all that is  
in the world1 the lust of the flesh1 the
 lust of the eyes1  the pride of        
life--these are not of the ,father1 but 
of the world--these are  ashes2 and the 
dust they feed on--#a ,john ii4    ,men 
of a persecuting spirit1 whose hearts   
rise against ,god1 religion1 and  the   
dear ,saviour1 the ,work of the ,spirit1
 and all ,saints--these are said  to    
feed on the ,saints2 they are well      
pleased at every species of             
persecution2 they eat up my people as   
they eat bread1 and call not  upon ,god4
  ,when my foes came upon me to eat up  
my flesh1 they  stumbled and fell4      
,hence ,david prays1 ,deliver me from   
the men who  are thy sword1 ,o ,lord1   
whose belly thou fillest with thy hid   
treasures4  ,thus1 like ,satan1 they    
wait to eat1 to devour1 to destroy  the 
,lord's people1 who are called dust4    
8,i that am but dust and ashes1  have   
taken upon me to speak to the           

,lord40--,abraham4 8,who can number the 
dust of ,jacob8  ,thy servants take     
pleasure in her stones1 and favor the   
dust thereof40    ,erroneous characters1
 who have been in a profession of the   
truth1 and who  have left it and turned 
again like a washed swine to the mire2  
who have  taken seven other spirits1 far
 worse than before they heard the       
,gospel4  ,these persons are            
industriously circulating errors2 trying
 to make such  kind of proselytes1 who  
are two-fold more the children of hell  
than they  were before4  ,such          
characters are ,serpents and ,vipers1   
make a fair shew1  to deceive and to    
damn immortal souls3 they talk about the
 universal  goodness of ,god--too good  
to consign any man to perdition3 they   
argue for  an universal salvation2 and  
that if any man should be lost1 he will 
be  restored again3 they argue against  
the sovereignty of ,god1 in the         
,doctrine of ,election and divine       
,predestination--against one being taken

  and another left--against the         
,obedience of ,christ1 as our justifying
  righteousness--against the ,divinity  
of the ,son1 or the ,spirit3 they level 
their artillery against the ,trinity in 
,unity--against the high priviledges  of
 ,god's ,elect--against the             
,fundamentals of the ,gospel2 and this  
to  deceive the simple and unwary4      
,hence such are described as an whore1  
in  the ,book of the ,proverbs3 ,she    
eateth 7that is enjoyeth these          
deceptions  and awful delusions7 and    
saith1 ,i have done no                  
wickedness4--,proverbs  xxxi4  ,ephraim 
feedeth on ashes2 a deceived heart hath 
turned him  aside2 he cannot deliver his
 soul1 nor say is there not a lie in my 
right hand4  ,this is the ,serpent's    
meat1 and if grace does not prevent  it1
 they must have the ,serpent's          
portion--a fearful looking for of       
judgment and fiery indignation1 which   
shall devour the ,adversaries4          
,pharisees4--,these are of different    

kinds1 and under various orders--some in
  a profession of gospel truth1 sit     
under its sound1 obey its external      
precepts as far as it relates to bodily 
exercise2 others are inimical to  the   
very sound of it altogether1 yet pride  
themselves upon following the  religion 
they were brought up in2 that they are  
as good as they wish to  be1 and not    
half so bad as their neighbours4  ,thus 
in heart they are all  alike2 those in a
 profession and those out of it1 are all
 upon a level4  ,the ,gospel ,pharisees 
thank ,god they are not so bad as those 
vile  ,antinomians1 who talk about free 
grace1 and perform no works4  ,others   
thank ,god they are not quite so bad1   
nor indeed nothing like1 other  people2 
they have good hearts1 they mean well   
and wish well to all4  ,hence our dear  
,lord spake a parable to those who      
trusted in themselves  that they were   
righteous1 and despised others4  ,the   
,pharisee stood1 and  prayed1 ,god ,i   
thank thee ,i am not as other men--so   

they vainly think1  and so they declare3
 their works are of themselves2 they    
wear ,spider's  webs1 they make a       
covering1 but not of ,god's ,spirit2    
they are stretching  themselves upon a  
bed which is too short1 and so all will 
find who reject  the plan of salvation1 
by ,jesus alone4--,these make a noise   
about holiness1  and good works--these  
sound a trumpet and proclaim their own  
goodness2 and  they have their          
reward--this is but sounding brass and  
the tinkling of a  cymbal--it is feeding
 on wind2 all the works they do1 are to 
be seen of  men3 but the ,saviour says  
to his disciples1 ,be ye not like to    
them4  ,these will give nothing away1   
without their names are published1      
printed1  or put up in the front of an  
alms house1 or on the walls of a church 
or  hospital--on these things they      
feed--a good name among men2 a          
refutation in  the world3 this is the   
foundation of their hope1 and this is   
said to be  in dust--,his foundation is 

in the dust2 but the hail will sweep    
away  their refuge of lies1 and the     
waters will overflow their hiding       
places1 what they build on1 that they   
enjoy2 and thus dust is their  meat--and
 if they do not absolutely declare that 
all their hopes are laid  on what they  
do1 they conclude their good works will 
either help forward  their salvation1 or
 are grand essences of it--whereas      
nothing that the  brightest saint can   
do1 externally1 is any evidence of his  
new birth1  none at all2 for any man1   
destitute of divine teaching can do the 
same4  ,he may hear1 read1 commune1     
speak well1 relieve the poor1 and be    
found in  every external ordinance2 so  
says ,isaiah xlviii1 and ,ezekiel xxiii4
  ,and  should this little ,pamphlet    
fall into the hands of any man or woman1
 who  has been building on such         
evidences1 ,i pray ,god that the scales 
may drop  from their eyes1 that they may
 see their danger1 and be brought1 as   
poor  sinners1 to the ,lord ,christ for 

all they want4    ,the performances of  
persons who are destitute of the grace  
of ,god1 are  called the ,works of the  
,law2 whereas it is not so properly1 for
 they are  ignorant of the ,law1 nor    
does the ,law call for any such ,works2 
therefore  they are but the ,works of   
the flesh1 and those who feed on them   
are  eating dust1 whether they are in a 
profession or not4  ,hence ,god threaten
  his enemies that he will send them the
 ,poison of ,serpents of the dust4      
,deut xxxii4  ,and when he takes a      
sinner in hand1 he is said to scrape    
her dust from her4--,ezek4 xxvi2 then he
 kindly invites1 ,come now1 let  us     
reason together--and1 graciously        
promises1 though your sins be as        
scarlet they shall be as wool1 and      
though they be red like crimson they    
shall be whiter than snow2 and ,i will  
surely purge away thy dross1  and take  
away thy tin4  ,isaiah i4  ,this is the 
,work of ,god and this  must be done if 
ever we see the face of ,god with joy2  

we must be stripped  of all supposed    
goodness1 and emptied of self before we 
can be filled  with the ,saviour4       
,when the excellent ,toplady had        
finished his ,sermon on ,justification1 
pious ,lady ,huntingdon said to him1    
8,sir1 ,i think you gave the ,pharisees 
a  good dressing to night40  8,oh1      
,madam10 said he1 8,i did not want to   
dress  them1 but ,i aimed to undress    
them30--and sure ,i am that our filthy  
garments of self-righteousness must be  
taken away1 before we can enjoy  the    
change of raiment4  ,zech4 iii4  ,till  
this is the case with us we  may cry    
out1 with the tongue 7and if not1 every 
,pharisee exclaims1  practically7 ,stand
 by thyself4  ,i am holier than thou6   
,but1 from all  such blindness1 hardness
 of heart1 and contempt of ,god's ,word 
and  ,commandment1 ,good ,lord deliver  
us4    ,the food of the hypocrite1 which
 the ,swine did eat1 these are called   
husks4  ,hence our dear ,lord1 by a     
,parable1 represented his own people in 

a backsliding state1 trying to fill     
their souls with husks1 a form of       
godliness without the power1 the sound  
without the substance1 the shell        
without the kernel4  ,so it is written  
in ,luke xv4  ,and there arose a  mighty
 famine in the land1 and he began to be 
in want1 and he joined  himself to a    
citizen of that country1 and he sent him
 out to feed  ,swine1 and he fain would 
have filled his belly with the husks    
that the  ,swine did eat4  ,here is an  
awakened soul1 with spiritual life1     
guilt1  and shame in his conscience1    
flying to a false refuge to make up what
 had  been amiss2 and obeying the orders
 of a false teacher1 without looking to 
,jesus as his only refuge4    ,when a   
poor sinner first comes into a          
profession1 he is full of legality1  and
 being full of sin and darkness1 he     
generally flies to those kind of        
preachers that will set him to work2 and
 these commonly argue with such  poor   
sinners1 8,why1 as you have done so much

 against ,god1 it is now high  time you 
did something for ,god40  ,this sounds  
well in the ears of such1  and to work  
they go1 to try to please ,god2 and if  
the ,preacher does not  immediately send
 them to the ,moral ,law1 they are      
generally sent to some  tradition of the
 ,elders2 they must become teachers in  
the ,sunday ,schools2  they must form a 
,society and visit the ,sick2 they must 
attend upon ,prayer  ,meetings and other
 religious ,societies4  ,here those who 
have no spiritual  life can rest2 upon  
these husks they can feed2 but where    
there is real  hungering and thirsting  
after the bread of life1 the mind cannot
 be fed  with such things2 not but that 
they are praise-worthy in themselves1   
but  they should not be carried on by   
souls in such a state1 their place is to
  wait at the door of mercy2 to be in   
spiritual labour to get the bread of    
life1 and having found him1 then to     
observe their call in ,providence to    
visit others4  ,but many are at this    

work all their days1 and will be  found 
with no other title or qualification for
 glory but this4  ,when  death comes1   
then they will1 perhaps1 have to reflect
 with pleasure on  the use they have    
been to others4  ,but this will be a    
miserable  foundation2 and if they do   
not expect salvation upon this ground1  
yet  they must confess they have looked 
upon these things as fruits and         
evidences2 but eternity will convince   
them they are not the fruits of the     
,spirit4  ,hypocrite and ,pharisees can 
feed here1 but a quickened soul  cannot2
 this every truly converted character   
must acknowledge4  ,those  hypocritical 
professors not only feed on these       
eternals1 but on the  failings1 sins1   
and falls1 either real or supposed1 of  
,god's people1  every fall they hear of 
is marrow and fatness to them3 these    
they sweetly  enjoy1 quite forgeting    
that they cannot be said to fall        
themselves1 for1  as they never stood1  
either by faith or love1 they cannot    

fall2 they have  but few temptations1   
and those only what a worldly man has1  
and not what  is peculiar to ,god's     
elect4  ,hence the ,apostle says1 ,let  
him that  thinketh he standeth--he only 
thinks so1 yet he may fall from his     
profession altogether2 and as he exulted
 in the supposed falls of the  saints1  
,god may cast him down from his         
excellency4  ,i have often observed     
this myself1 and the sacred ,scriptures 
strikingly set it forth2 the net  they  
spread for others1 the pit they have    
digged they have been taken  in2 so ,god
 has always testified1 sooner or later1 
as it is written1 ,he  that rolleth a   
stone it shall turn upon him1 and he    
that diggeth a pit  shall fall          
therein4--,he that cleaveth wood shall  
be endangered thereby4  ,read the #ajth 
of ,eccles4 from the #hth to the #aeth  
verse4    ,the ,food of the ,serpent is 
said to be ,lies--,hosea x1 #ac1 ,ye    
have  eaten lies--this is that kind of  
food which suits their vitiated taste4  

,the same ,prophet declares1 ,they eat  
up the sin of my people2 they set  their
 hearts on their iniquity1 for they     
shall eat and not have  enough4--,hosea 
iv1 #h1 #i1 #aj4--,the private injury   
done to others is called  ,bread eaten  
in secret places--and such eaters are   
like ,pharaoh's lean  kine1 none the    
better for all they have devoured4      
,they are said to eat  up the flesh of  
,god's people1 ,psalm xxvii1 #b2 and    
their lying words1  back-biting1        
whisperings1 envies1 hatred1 gossiping1 
and evil speaking1  their running from  
house to house with tales against       
others1 their secret  and outward       
triumph in all they can get against     
others1 whether true or  false--the     
whole of such conduct demonstrates a    
serpentine disposition1  feeding on     
dust2 this has been seen of late in my  
severe trials from such  ,serpents and  
generation of ,vipers4  ,all the        
foolish1 absurd  improbabilities1 lies1 
and the most cruel and daring           

misrepresentations  of my natural temper
 and kindness to others1 good or bad2   
these been  turned by such persons to   
every thing infamous--while some1 being 
high  priests1 on whom the religious    
would have fixed their eyes instead of  
,jesus1 or his word1 because of their   
name1 their popularity1 and  property2  
the last being the occasion of the rest4
  ,many1 to ingratiate  themselves in   
the favor of such1 for sinister         
purposes1 and nothing else1  have       
imposed upon them such things as they   
well knew their hearts  naturally love2 
then the ,press has been employed--while
 boys1 who have  been set up for        
teachers1 have been employed to do the  
,devil's drudgery1  violate the         
,sabbath1 and act contrary to every law1
 human and divine4  ,the ,press sends   
forth a farrago of rubbish1 and in the  
compass of a few  pages not less than   
eighty lies1 which ,i shall one day     
expose4  ,these  are the sweet morsels  
on which thousands of mere nominal      

,professors have  fed1 and ,god declares
 in my text they shall4--,under the mask
 of  sanctity1 the garb of holiness1 and
 a contention for the ,law1 all their   
spleen has been vented against me and my
 supposed crimes4  ,but1 alas1 ,i  fear 
it has been rather against the great    
things ,god has done for me4  ,witness  
the bitterness against my preaching1 and
 those who have been  blessed under it4 
,the lying accusation of being an       
,antinomian in  ,principle1 ,preaching1 
and ,practice1 when every person that is
 acquainted  with the ,gospel must      
acknowledge that ,i preach all the      
,words of this  ,life1 doctrinally1     
experimentally1 and practically4  ,to be
 sure1 they  wonder where ,i got the    
teaching that ,i have received2 and my  
adversaries  are as much puzzled about  
this1 as those of old1 who asked1 ,how  
knoweth  this man his letters1 having   
never learned8    ,i must say here1 that
 ,i feel thankful for what my enemies   
have said and  done against me1 as ,i   

have learned much from these things2 the
 ,spirit of  ,god teaches by the ,cross1
 and in the ,school of ,affliction much 
is to be  derived--whoso is wise will   
observe these things1 and he shall      
understand the loving kindness of the   
,lord4    ,my enemies have been         
perpetually representing me as an enemy 
to the ,law1  whereas1 their conduct has
 proved that they were acting contrary  
to every  ,law of ,god and man4  ,thou  
shalt not go up and down 7not even      
,blackfriars ,road7 as a tale-bearer    
among thy people4--,levit4 xix1--this   
was the express command of ,god4--,thou 
shalt love thy neighbour as thy  self1  
whether he has fallen among thieves or  
not4  ,speak evil of no  man1 says the  
,new ,testament--,owe no man any thing  
but love4  ,moreover1 if thy brother    
trespass1 go and tell him his fault1    
between him and thee alone1 7suppose it 
be true7 if he shall hear  thee1 thou   
hast gained thy brother--so speaks the  
,word of ,god1 which it  our ,rule of   

,walk and ,conduct4  ,now1 if we        
consider the conduct of my holy  enemies
 who are all zealous for practical      
holiness1 and see how their  demeanor   
corresponds with this rule--may we not  
exclaim1 ,which is the  ,antinomian1 me 
or they8    ,how many turn sick at the  
success of others4--,what a wretched    
principle is  ,,envy--,solomon asks ,who
 can stand before it8  ,but as my foes  
have had  such a ,feast on ,ashes and   
,dust1 ,i only wish them a spiritual    
appetite1  and better food1 even the    
,bread of eternal ,life1 which is meat  
indeed4  ,this is the joy of            
heaven--this is ,angels food1 and this  
is the food on  which the ,believer     
lives4  ',tis most blessed to trace this
 ,subject4  ,our  ,covenant ,god        
provided it1 the ,holy ,spirit quickens 
us to a spiritual  hungering after      
it--convinces us of the vanity of all   
things else  beside--brings us to love  
his word--to hear those ,preachers that 
bring  forth this food2 satisfies us    

with blessed views of him1 sweet        
enjoyments  of his glorious ,person1    
covenant love1 eternal mercy1 his       
imputed  righteousness1 his sovereign   
purposes1 his atoning sacrifice1 his    
peace-speaking blood1 and the           
invitations1 declarations1 and exceeding
  precious promises4  ,this is the food 
on which our souls live1 if born of     
,god1 and every man is known by his     
taste2 the ,serpent on those things     
which are compared to dust2 the         
,believer on that which is called the   
,bread of ,god2 hence the ,promise1 ,ye 
shall eat in plenty1 and be  satisfied4 
,eat1 ,o friends1 drink abundantly1 ,o  
beloved4  ,the  meek shall eat and be   
satisfied4  ,and ,i will satisfy her    
poor with  bread4  ,for he hath filled  
the hungry with good things1 but the    
rich he hath sent empty away--so all    
,serpents will find it4    ,the text    
concludes1 ,they shall not hurt nor     
destroy in all my holy  mountain1 saith 
the ,lord4--,this was renewed in the    

,new ,testament1  ,nothing shall by any 
means hurt you4  ,and1 in fact1 nothing 
can  eventually hurt the ,church2 sin   
cannot1 as it is atoned for--the guilt  
of  it is gone--the love of it is       
removed as the love of ,jesus comes into
 the  mind2 and the power and dominion  
of it is removed by almighty ,grace1 the
  stronger than the strong man          
armed--the ,law cannot1 because it is   
well  satisfied with the ,obedience of  
the adorable ,surety--,satan cannot2    
frighten he may1 but cannot touch them  
to their injury1 for his very           
temptations make us hate him the        
more--,our own inbred corruptions cannot
  hurt us2 they are more trying to us1  
the more we loath them and abhor        
ourselves1 as vile in ,god's sight--the 
,world cannot1 as it is overcome for    
us1 and the ,faith ,god has given will  
overcome it in us4  ,pharisees1         
,hypocrites1 and ,impostors1 with their 
damnable errors cannot1 though they  may
 cause us much trouble4  ,yet this will 

furnish us with much matter for  ,prayer
 and fear3 these things will drive us   
nearer to ,god--nor can  poverty1 pain1 
reproach1 or sorrow do it1 for these    
shew us this is not  our rest1 it is    
polluted2 and all these work together   
for good1 as sure  as we are the called1
 according to his ,plan4  ,these can    
neither hurt nor  destroy one bud of    
hope1 or faith1 or desire1 or affection1
 either to ,god  or his truth4  ,nor can
 they destroy the soul1 ,god loves it   
too well1 and  ,jesus has paid too great
 a price to permit it to be lost4       
,besides1 it is  the temple of the holy 
and eternal ,spirit2 who then can       
destroy it8    ,the ,church is called   
,god's holy ,mountain--typified by      
,mount ,sion1  firmly settled in the    
eternal love1 and everlasting purposes  
of ,grace4  ,conspicuous and useful in  
the world1 and which1 as a great        
,mountain1  shall fill the whole earth  
in the latter day4  ,they are called a  
holy  people2 the ,lord ,jesus ,christ  

is their holiness before ,god1 ,ye are  
compleat in him1 who of ,god is made    
unto us ,sanctification4  ,secondly1    
,all their holiness is received from    
him1 as the ,high ,priest of their      
profession2 anointed1 and taught by him1
 as a ,prophet2 they obey his  commands1
 as a ,king2 this constitutes them holy1
 as their faith embraced  the atonement 
and righteousness of ,christ2 the holy  
,spirit's gracious  inhabitation leads  
them to love and delight in ,god1 his   
ways1 his truth1  his people1 and his   
ordinances2 having grace given to walk  
in wisdom to  them that are without3    
this is real holiness1 nothing short of 
this is  scriptural holiness1 and this  
is the ,work of ,god2 this proves our   
union  to the ,saviour1 and this is our 
meetness for glory1 and such honor have 
all the ,saints4                        
99 99 99 99 99                          
,finis4                                 
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,shortly ,,will ,,be ,,published1      

,a ,,few ,,remarks                      
,,on                               ,,bel
 ,,and ,,the ,,dragon1                  
,in the ,book of the ,,apocrypha--      
,in a ,letter to a ,friend4        ,,bel
 is confounded4--,jerem4 l1 #b4         
,and the ,dragon fought and his ,angels1
 and prevailed not4--,rev4 xii1      #g4
          ,,footnotes4      #j  ,the    
title page of the original in the       
,british ,library has a very  faint     
#ahab printed just below the #ahac date 
on the title page4