9. And unto the serpent the Lord God said, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

W10. Now if this serpent is to be understood literalch as a natural serpent or snake, and the seed of the ibman is Jesus the Christ; when, or how, was ever the thing literally fulfilled? Where did ever Jesus bruise the head of a rattle-snake, or adder, or any thing of the kind, more than any other man?

11. The truth is, the words of God to the serpent, are to be understood in a figurative sense. And the serpent here meant, is that old serpent the Devil, and Satan, who deceiveth the nations: for he it is that Christ came to destroy.

12. But when we say, the serpent, whose head Christ was to bruise, was not a natural serpent or snake, this is not saying, that there was no natural serpent in the question. To say the figure of a thing is not the substance, is not saying there was no figure.

13. It need not be disputed that the Devil spake through the serpent, or that the subtilty of the serpent was made use of, to charm and allure the woman, to listen to his words.

14. Neither need it be disputed, that Adam and Eve were placed on a certain beautiful spot of ground; or that the Lord caused to grow out of the ground, every tree that was good for food; and the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

15. And admitting the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, with its pleasant fruit, to have answered the serpent as a figure, to represent to the view of the woman, the desirableness of that which was forbidden, so that she was thereby beguiled; this would not make the figure the substance, nor would the substance destroy the figure.

16. But if the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, here spoken of, are to be understood in a literal sense, as natural trees, then where are those trees at this time?

17. It is evident from the scriptures of truth, that

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the tree of life was not destroyed, but still remains. CHAP. As it is written, Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life. The Rev. tree of life is the way of life.

18. Then, as life is represented by a tree, so is the knowledge of good and evil; and so also the serpent hath his head, and the woman her seed, in a figure.

19. It is certain, that the nature and image of the serpent is formed in fallen man; from whence Christ said, Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers! And as it is by means of certain passions or affections that man is formed, it must be among these that the serpent's head is to be found.

20. The head of any thing, is the highest or uppermost part; that which is superior to any other part. And that which forms or produces a thing, must be its superior, and proper head.

21. Therefore, as man is not literally a serpent or a snake, it cannot be literally his head that is to be bruised. But as the body is made up of different members or parts; so in these is represented that system, or body of affections, desires or propensities, by which man is led and governed.

22. And if the affections and desires of fallen man, are low, mean and base, resembling the serpent; then it must be among these, that we are to look for the serpent's head; and this must be his highest affection; that in which he finds the most supreme delight.

23. The whole body of the serpent was formed in man by the fall; but the head of this body is not the inferior, but the superior part; and every part of the body, though of one nature, must be distinguished from the head, and are all dependant on it, and subject to it.

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24. Hence it is written, Mortify your members Col.ii. 5, which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, in- 8, 9. ordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. But now ye put off all these ; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth-seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds-in putting off the body of the sins of the fleak,

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25. Every one knows that, anger, wrath, malice, covetousness, uncleanness, and such like, are not members of the human body; yet they are members of that body which is called, The body of the sins of the flesh. And as every body must have a head, and as these members or affections are of a low, base, serpentine nature; of course, their head must be that head of the serpent which Christ was to bruise.

26. Then as the leading part of the serpent's image, which was formed in man, can exist only in the principal, leading part of man's affections, of course, it may easily be determined where it is that the head of the serpent lies.

27. Every part of man is possessed of some sensitive quality, yet his affections are not inherent in him, but are created by means of certain objects presented to him.

28. Thus, he has a sense of seeing, hearing and feeling; but he cannot see where there is no light, he cannot hear where there is no sound, nor feel where there is nothing to feel; so neither can he love where there is nothing lovely, nor be pleased where there is nothing pleasing.

29. And although man is composed of so many capacities and organs of sense, yet they cannot be all equal; there must be a ruling sense; some one that is counted more noble, that is quicker in its motion, and affords superior enjoyment in its gratification. And as this ruling sense is capable of being moved only by some other object; so that which creates, or gives life to this sense, must also be the supreme object.

30. Then, what is there in the universe, within the comprehension of man, that has so sensible, so quick and ravishing an operation, as a corresponding desire of the flesh in the different sexes? And in proportion as that desire is manifested by words or actions in either; so much the more is that head or chief passion quickened and inflamed.

31. As a gushing fountain is more powerful in its operations than an oozing spring; so that desire of carnal enjoyment, that mutually operates between

male and female, is far more powerful than any other CHAP. passion in human nature.

32. Man under its influence, bears every thing before him with impetuosity. No other object that can be presented, attracts his notice while that is in view; his ears are stopped to every other sound, but the voice of his charmer; he is insensible to every other pleasure.

33. Surely then, that must be the fountain head, the governing power, that shuts the eyes, stops the ears, and stupifies the sense to all other objects of time or eternity, and swallows up the whole man in its own peculiar enjoyment.

34. And such is that feeling and affection, which is formed by the near relation and tie between the male and female; and which being corrupted by the subversion of the original law of God, converted that which in the beginning was pure and lovely, into the poison of the serpent; and the noblest affection of man, into the seat of human corruption. To which the following words of Boston, will justly apply.

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35: "A disease affecting any particular member of Four-fold 'the body, is ill; but that which affects the whole, 106, 107, 'is worse. The corruption of nature is the poison 108. • of the old serpent, cast into the fountain of action; and so affects every action, every breathing of the 'soul."

36. "It is the cause of all particular lusts and ac'tual sins in our hearts and lives. It is the spawn which the great Leviathan has left in the souls of men; from whence comes all the fry of actual sins ' and abominations. It is the bitter fountain; partic'ular lusts are but rivulets running from it; which 'bring forth into the life a part only, and not the 'whole of what is within."

37. "Now the fountain is still above the streams; 'so where the water is good, it is best in the foun'tain; where it is ill, it is worst there. The cor'ruption of nature being that which defiles all, itself 'must needs be the most abominable thing."

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38. "It is virtually all sin for it is the seed of all sins, which want but the occasion to set up their heads, being in the corruption of nature, as the ef

CHAP.

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'fect in the virtue of its cause. It is the cursed 'ground fit to bring forth all manner of noxious 'weeds."

39. "As the whole nest of venomous creatures 'must be more dreadful than any few of them that come creeping forth; so the sin of thy nature, that 'mother of abominations must be worse than any 'particular lusts, that appear stirring in thy heart and 'life."

40. "Look thou into thy corrupt nature, and there 'thou mayest see all and every sin in the seed and 'root thereof. There is a fulness of all unrighteous'ness. There is atheism, idolatry, blasphemy, mur'der, adultery and whatsoever is vile. The sin of ' our nature is, of all sins, the most fixed and abiding "It remains with men in its full power by night ' and by day, at all times, fixed as with bands of iron ' and brass."

41. "Pride, envy, covetousness, and the like, are not always stirring in thee. But the proud, envious 'carnal nature is still with thee; even as the clock 'that is wrong, is not always striking wrong; but the wrong set continues with it. It is the great reigning sin (like Saul among the people) higher by far than the rest-commonly called one's predominant 'sin-which never loseth its superiority over partic'ular lusts, that live and die with it and by it."

42. "Surely then the word should be given against 'this sin, as against the king of Israel, Fight neither 'with small nor great save only with this.For, (as the writer justly concludes) while it stands entire 'there is no victory."