thirft impoffible to be quenched, and at length becomes mortal, unless immediate affiftance be given to the patient. He further obferves, that the burning ferpents, fpoken of in the above paffage of fcripture, were of this kinds. It fhould be remarked, that the cause of thefe kinds of pains in the bowels, and often, through the whole frame, was a corrofive poifon, like that of arfenic, fublimated mercury, verdigreafe, or copper-ruft. The cicuta, or hemlock, aqua-fortis, and ferpents, or other venomous animals may occafion like pains, nor is it difficult to point out the natural and true caufe of them. It is certain, that these kinds of poifon, have sharp particles, which prick, corrode, and penetrate the nervous paris. Hence arife very painful inflammations gangrene is brought on, the blood curdles, lofes its circulation, and the patient dies.

; a

But there are in nature feveral kinds of ferpents, whofe bite is burning: which then was the fort fent against the rebellious Ifraelites ? Bochart, whofe opinion is preferable to that of every other commentator, afferts, in his Hierozoicon, p. ii. . 3. C. 13. that it was the hydra, water-fnake, or cherfydra, an amphibious ferpent; names both implying the fame creature; for, during the winter it is called hydra, on account of its lying concealed in the watery places of fens; and in the fummer cherfydra, because then it lives, xepoo, in the dry, after the fens are dried up, and then it is moft venomous. Thus Virgil, in Georg. lib. iii. v. 425, &c.

Eft etiam ille malus calabris, &c Calabria's woods too breed a baleful fnake,

With lofty breaft elate, and fcaly back

And with broad fpots, his winding belly black:

Who, when the rivers burft their

Haunts the moist bank, and in the watery begs

Gluts his foul paunch with fish, and croaking frogs;

But when keen heat the fens of moifture drains,

He leaps on earth, and hiffes o'er the plains,

While mad with thirst, and fill'd with drear amaze,

At the fierce beam his rolling eyeballs blaze.

WARTON.

In this feafon particularly it is, that thefe amphibious ferpents produce burning effects.

A man is devoured with pains as if he were in the midft of flames; and all his members are inftantly covered with burning puftules.

Leo Africanus, in his viiith book," c. 13. gives us the following defcription of the hydra: "It is a ferpent not very long, with a thin tail, and narrow neck. It lives in the defarts of Libya: its poifon is very dangerous, and there is no other remedy against its bite, than cutting out the part affected, before the venom hath time to communicate to the adjoining members." This account comes very near that mentioned in Ludolf 1. i. c. 13. There is, in our province, a fort of ferpent, of the length of one's arm. It is of a red fhining colour, but bordering upon brown, and it hides itself under fhrubs and herbs. The breath of this animal is very strong, and it fends forth a poifon fo venomous and ftinking, that the man or beat who comes near where it is, is fure immediately to perish, unlets inftantly and fkilfully relieved."

We will now confider the reasons alledged by Bochart to prove that theanimals here in queftion are hydras." Ifaiah, in the xxxth chapter of his prophecy, ver. 6. fpeaks of Egypt, as a country producing vipers, and flying, burning ferpents, feraph meophek. With respect to thofe forts of winged ferpents which fly in Arabia, Libya, and Egypt, the reader inay

confult,

confult, Cicero, Jofephus, Herodotus, Mela, Lucan, Solinus, and Ammianus, who speak of them very fully. We shall presently take occafion to enquire whether thofe ferpents really have wings for flying, or whether they are not attributed to them merely because they are fo extremely fwift.

It may, perhaps, be objected that Arabia is an arid, thirty country, and that the Ifraelites themselves having failed of water, the place of their refidence could not be very proper to serve as a retreat for hydras. But in anfwer to fuch objectors, it may be proper to obferve, that it is not impoffible but that there were here and there fome brackish and ftinking fens, whofe waters were not fit to drink. Now, these fens might serve as an asylum for these animals, fince, according to Nicander, they love to live in fens which have little water.

The

cherfydræ even live out of the water, when the fens are dried up; which happens particularly in the time of the dog-days.

This is precifely the feafon when the event happened, which is mentioned in the book of Numbers; namely, at the time of the death of Aaron upon mount Hor, the first day of the fifth month, which anfwers to July 19. See Numb. xxxiii. 38. "And when all the congregation faw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, (chap. xx, 29.) His death was followed by the battle against king Arad, chap. xxi. and the murmuring of the people, with the punishment of ferpents, which, confequently muft have happened about the end of the month of Auguft. Befides, it appears likewife from the rout which the Ifraelites took, that they found water in divers places; in Oboth, in Ijeaborim, at the brook of Zared, and at the well of Beer, fpoken of in the fame chapter. Not to mention that after the death of Aaron, they

journeyed immediately to "a land of rivers of waters." Deut. x. 7.

If it be agreed that the creatures here fpoken of are hydras, it is more conformable to natural history to fay that these executioners of the rebellious Ifraelites inhabited the adjacent fens, than to fay, as Bochart feems inclined to do, that they came flying through the air, and lighted there in their way. Notwithstanding, it must at all events be granted, with regard to this punishment of the Ifraelites, that it happened folely by the pofitive command of God, and that there was fomething in it beyond what nature can effect. We are the more confirmed in this opinion, as every day's experience informs us, that in the hotteft climates of the eastern and western world, where the greatest and most dangerous ferpents feem to have taken up their abode, they are never found much to disturb men; it is only when they are irritated that they fometimes hurt them, and they never venture an attack where there are feveral men together.

The miracle in fcripture does not only confift in the malady, but alfo in the cure. Mofes made a ferpent of brafs, and put it upon a pole; and it came to pafs, that if a ferpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the ferpent of brafs, he lived: or, Mofes therefore made a brazen ferpent, and set it up for a fign; and they who, being wounded, looked thereat, were cured."

But how could the fight of a ferpent made of brafs, have virtue fufficient to correct or to expel, the pricking of a poifon, whofe ftrength equally penetrates the folid parts and fluids?. From whence could it derive the property, either of coagulating or rarifying the blood? Certainly there can be no reafoning on a fact of this kind; he only who caufed, could cure the wound. If we confult nature, the

fight of a ferpent, flaming, and perhaps of the fame colour with thefe burning ferpents, muft, as it fhould feem, rather have ferved to 2"gment the diforder, than to have checked, or cured it. We have an inftance of this kind in those perfons, who after having been bitten by a mad dog, are afraid of water, and when preffed by the rage of thirst, imagine they fee in the water itfelf, dogs open-mouthed, ready to bite them again.

It would be to no purpose to enquire in this place, from whence the Ifraelites had the brafs for making the ferpent, and which they afterwards employed for idolatrous purposes. We know they had brought from Egypt different forts of metals: it is certain they had with them filver and gold; and, doubtlefs, they might as well have brafs. However, it may be fuppofed they found of it in the place where they had pitched their camp, namely, at Pinon, or Punon, the place fpoken of Genefis xxvi. 41. Numb. xxxiii. 42, 43. 1 Chron. i. 52. For according to Eufebius, Athanafius, Theodoret, Nicephorus, Calliftus, St. Jerome and others, there was certainly in Idumea, a place named Phæno, Phennea, Fenon, or Metallofenon, abounding in mines, where they fent malefactors to work, as they are now fent to the gallies. At prefent, indeed, there is no mention made of thofe copper and brafs mines. But we have this teftimony of Ariftæus concerning them, in his history of the LXX interpreters. * It is faid, that from the mountains adjoining to Arabia [Judæa] they formerly extracted brafs and iron; but they had have none of it, (that is, that business has been neglected) fince the country fell under the dominion of the Perfians."

What a difmal fituation muft the Ifraelites be in, to fee fuch fiery enemies, like an army, furrounding them, expofed every moment VOL. II. No. 14.)

to their venemous bite to hear the dying groans of their brethren around them-to have no refuge from them-no antidote to fecure and fave them from their envenomed teeth-and nothing that could allay the exquifite thirst occa fioned by them! How truly deplorable all this! How awful to behold the nearest and deareft relatives to fall almoft an inftant facrifice to their deadly wound! to fee them alive and well one hour, and perhaps the next pale and breathlefs corpfes.

The procuring caufe was fin; the fin of unbelief; this caufed mur muring lips against the Lord. Their foul was difcouraged becaufe of the way the Lord led them.They fpake against God, and againft Mofes -Their foul loathed manna, the food of heaven, wherewith they were fed-And because they were deftitute of water. How highly provoking this, to a God of infinite wisdom, everlasting love, and boundless grace! Hence the cloud of God's power, which was their protection from thefe fiery, flying ferpents, was removed, and they, like an hoftile army, were let loofe upon them, to their deftruction.

But the people confeffed their fin, and cried to Mofes to mediate their caufe with the Lord; and the Lord faid unto Mofes, make thee a fiery ferpent, and fet it upon a pole; and it fhall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

What an astonishing difplay of fovereign grace, and rich mercy of the Lord, appeared in directing to this antidote! But aftonishing as this miracle of mercy was, we find it infinitely exceeded in what it typified; for as Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the wilderness, even fo muft the fon of man be lifted up, that whofoever believeth in him fhould not perish, but have everlafting life. Moft precious leffons this type teaches us.

ift. The brafen ferpent was of no kind of ufe to any, but those who felt themfelves itung by the fiery ferpents. No more is Christ, till the fting of fin is felt in the confcience and one look to him, is fully fufficient to heal the foul, and poffefs it of eternal life and falvation. For by his ftripes we are healed, 2dly, Thofe who have been thus healed, are liable to fresh ftings from the old ferpent and fin; therefore, as was the brazen ferpent, fo is Chrift to be of continual ufe to us. Fer, if any man fin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our

fins. LooK UNTO ME. And thofe who have once looked, and found life and healing, have felt the fmart of fin, and the love of Christ; and therefore hate fin, and ftrive against it, because they dread its wound. Hence they ne

ver can take the leat encouragement to fin, because grace abounds: no, no more than an Ifraelite, who had been once bitten by a fiery serpent, felt its pains and fears of death, and had been happily healed by the brazen ferpent, would try to get ftung again, that he might experience a fresh cure.

3dly. Obferve the apoftolic word is, LOOKING unto Jefus, LOOKING for his mercy, unto eternal life. This is both our conftant duty and privilege, who know we are finners, and that fin cleaves to all we do; a duty which is to be conftantly performed: a privilege which is to be enjoyed every day, every hour, every moment through life. Moft holy, most happy all thofe, who live and walk thus looking continually, till fin, root and branch, is totally, deftroyed, and their fouls eternally glorified.

by fuch methods, as his own wants and deres have fuggefted. Mankind are as diffentient in their fentiments and opinions, as their features and complexions are difsimilar; and therefore they are apt to place the foundation of their wished for happiness on the enjoyments of fuch earthly objects, as are most agreeable to the natural bent and difpofition of their feveral inclinations; hence originate the various methods of attempting to acquire this univerfally defired poffeffion, human hap. pinefs. Some employ the patience of induftry, fome the boldness of enterprize, and others the dexterity of ftratagem, in order to compafs this invaluable bleffing; but after all their induftrious experiments, how fmall is the number of the fuccefsful? or, in fhort, where

is