OF SERPENTS igj 



CHAPTER Iir. 



Contents. 

 Thefymg and fiery Serpents. Ungrateful Ifrael ifounded by them, 

 and healed hy the Figure of a Serpent. God hears the Inter ceffion 

 o/'Mofes, when deaf to the Cries of that rebellious People. Con^ 

 jeSiures why healed by a Machine in the Form of a Serpent. Sin 

 in all its Appearances, the Venom of the old Serpent. The brazen 

 Serpent a Reprefentation of the Meffiab. The Cures wrought by 

 both were by 'uery unlikely Means. The Wonders of Salvation. 

 Why Ifrael was healed by a Serpent made of Brafs ; Opi- 

 nions about it. The brazen Serpent was no Talifnan, or a ma- 

 gical Image. The fatal Cataftrophe of the brazen Serpent. De- 

 frayed, when abiifed to Idolatry. The Serpent fhewed in St. 

 hvc!oxo{t' s Church at Milan, for that o/'Mofes, a Cheat. Mar- 

 tyrs from the Catacombs of St. Sebaftian, Divine Inflitution ne- 

 cefdry to acceptable Worftnp. May the DeftruSiion of the brazen 

 Serpe/jt, when abifed to Idolatry^ warrant us to guefs at the 

 Fate of a Crofs abufed to Idolatry I 



SECTION I, 



AMONG Serpents, we find fome that are furniflied with 

 Wings. Herodotus who fawthofe Serpents,fays they had great 

 Refeinblance to thofe which the Greeks and Latins call'd Hydra; 

 their Wings are not compgis'd of Feathers like the Wings of Birds, 

 but rather like to thofe of Batts ; they love fweet fmells, and 

 frequent fuch Trees as bear Spices. Thefe were the fiery Ser- 

 pents that made fo great a Deflruftion in the Camp oilfrael. 



J N their Extremity, the People addred their Mediator, Pro- 

 phet, and General, Mofes, laying, O pray to the Lord that he 

 take away the Serpents from us I The meek Prophet did fo ; the 

 mediatorial Voice reach'd Heaven, and mov'd the Almighty who 

 direds Mofes to make a Serpent of Brafj, (which was a Figure of 

 the Serpents that plagued the People) and fix it upon the Top of 

 a Pole, confpicuous to all the Aflembly, pron^fing that all thofe 

 who were bit by Serpents, and fliould look upon this brazen 



Image, 



