Part 1

Transcribed from the 1813 R. Thomas edition {0} by David Price, email [email protected]

[Picture: Public domain book cover]

A Feast for Serpents,

BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF

A SERMON,

Preached at the Obelisk Chapel,

On SUNDAY Evening, March 21, 1813,

Published by Desire—and addressed to all whom it may concern.

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BY J. CHURCH, Minister of the Gospel.

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SAVIOUR.—_Ye Serpents_, _ye Generation of Vipers_.

HOSEA iv, 8.—_They eat up the Sin of my People_, _and they set their heart on their Iniquity_.

ISAIAH.—_He feedeth on Ashes_.

JEREM.—_Against him that bendeth let the Archer lend his Bow_.

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LONDON:

Printed by R. THOMAS, RED LION STREET, Borough.

1813.

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PREFACE.

_TO the Church of Jesus Christ_, _who are loved with an everlasting love_, _chosen in Christ before all worlds_—_redeemed by the blood of the Lamb_—_and effectually called out of darkness into marvellous light_; _led by the providence of God to attend the ministry of so unworthy an instrument as myself_, _to whom God has made my labors useful_, _and profitable for reformation_, _conviction_, _conversion_, _building up_, _and spiritual consolation_. _Having been much tried and perplexed by men of corrupt minds_, _who have long endeavoured to prejudice me_, _with a view to separate us one from the other_, _but they have hitherto failed_—_having grace given you to continue with me in my temptations_, _to abide in the furnace of affliction with me_, _and to stand in the evil day_. _The good hand of God_, _restoring a degree of peace to us_, _so that we can pass to our Meeting Place of Worship unmolested_,—_I think it right_, _and that I am in duty bound_ (_though you have not demanded it_) _to make a few general remarks upon the subjects which have agitated the public_, _and not a little distressed your minds_.

_I wish you most decidedly to bear in mind thro’ the whole of this performance_, _that I write only for your sakes_—_I write not for the worldling_, _whose heart is set on the things of time and sense_, _who_, Gallio _like_, _cares for none of these things_, _except it be to pass an unpleasant sneer at us_.—_I write not for the proud Pharisee_, _or the mere Formalist_, _who have a name to live and are dead_—_I write not for Hypocrites_, _whose end will be according to their work_, _and who are a perpetual plague to the Household of Faith_—_Wolves in Sheep’s cloathing_, _who cover the vilest principles and conduct with the garb of apparent holiness_!—_but I write for those who know the plague of the heart_; _the vanity of the world_; _the emptiness of the creature_; _the danger of a form of godliness without the power_; _the spirituality of God’s most holy Law_; _the preciousness of a dear Redeemer_; _the power of the word_; _the manifestation of the atonement_. _These characters so graciously taught_, _must be under the influence of divine love_—_the remnant that shall not do iniquity_, _nor speak lies_—_neither is a deceitful tongue found in their mouths_; _but they feed on the bread of eternal life_, _and can not be satisfied without it_. _To these Characters I dedicate this book_; _and not doubting but it will procure me many foes_, _and stir up that carnal enmity which they are the slaves of_, _for them I would put up that charitable prayer of our Lord_, “_Father forgive them_;”—_and of you I would use the fine language of the blessed Apostle_—_And now_, _Brethren_, _I commend you to God_, _&c._—_Acts xx_.

A SERMON.

“AND DUST SHALL BE THE SERPENT’S MEAT.”—_Isaiah_ lv, 25.

IT is a most undoubted truth, that, as in the planetary system one star differs from another in glory, so it is in the Church of God—though the elect are loved alike, chosen and provided for alike, and shall all be partakers of the same glory in ultimate bliss—the infant who died this day, and the mind of the apostle Paul will be alike there; yet, in the Church Militant it is not so. God the divine Spirit, is a sovereign in all his dispensations; and while some of the people of God have scarcely been known here, but through the solitary lane of life, have pursued the noiseless tenor of their way—treasures hid in the sand—a Sparrow alone—a Pelican of the Wilderness—and, as finely described by one of our Poets—

Full many a gem, of purest ray serine, The dark unfathom’d caves of ocean bear: Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And lose its sweetness in the desert air.

But though this is the case with many, yet some have been more highly favored, and shone with peculiar lustre in the Church of God. All the Prophets testified of the adorable Redeemer, but Isaiah shines like a star of the first magnitude. His name signifies the Salvation of God; and he was a type of the great Prophet of the Church of God. It is said, but without any probable ground, he was the cousin of King Uzziah, in the latter end of whose reign he began his predictions. His qualifications were great, and his writings truly sublime, yet his success was but small. A minister of small talents may be more successful in his public work than a man of greater, but this is according to the sovereign good-will and pleasure of God.—After this great Prophet had borne his testimony for God and truth about forty-five years, he died a martyr, perhaps sawn asunder with a wooden saw, under the reign of Manassah. He clearly foretels the incarnation of our Lord; and probably he was the first to whom it was revealed that the Messiah should be born of a virgin. His mind was led to trace him through a life of sorrows, while he foretels his most intimate acquaintance would be _grief_—acquainted with grief, but his reward would be glorious. His name should be great in all the world, and everlasting honours paid him, as God-man Mediator.—This was the joy set before him, for which he endured the Cross, and thought light of the shame—the Father hath therefore highly exalted him, and given him a name above every other, that at his name every knee should bow, if not in this world to the sceptre of his grace and mercy, they shall to his iron rod in hell.

The chapter from whence the text is selected is very singular, yet truly important. The Prophet is led to foretel the base conduct of the Jews in rejecting the Gospel, the Saviour, and his Apostles—the casting away of that nation; the provoking them to jealousy by a foolish nation, in the calling a people that did not seek after him, or expect it. These things are clearly pointed out in the seven first verses. Then, lest the truly godly should fear being cut off, the Lord graciously promises he would take care of them, when the rest should be numbered to the sword; they are the seed, the blessed of the Lord. A line of distinction is drawn between God’s servants and those rejecters of the Saviour, from the 13th to the 16th verse. 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 earth_, which will be a state of joy and comfort. This new heavens and earth must refer, literally, to the personal reign of Christ on earth; for the apostle Peter says (it is written) and to this passage he must refer. After the old heaven and earth are passed away, then a new region will be created, suited to the glorified bodies of the saints—and a new earth, where Christ and his saints will dwell personally a thousand years—_one day with the Lord_—the true sabbatic year. The Prophet having intimated this, goes on to shew what will take place previous to this reign, even a spiritual reign, in the universal knowledge of our Lord—long life; no weeping over dead children; no oppression of each other’s houses or lands; but all temporal prosperity and spiritual success—speedy answers to prayer; and even, perhaps, the brute creation will be tamed, and brought into the same subjection as before the fall—Hail! happy period! the Lord hasten it in his time.

This spiritual reign will be very different from the Millennium, though many good men suppose it the same thing; but the Millennium will be a perfect state, this will not. The Millennium will be after the resurrection of the just, this will be before it. The Millennium will be the personal reign of Christ, but this will be spiritual; just as it is now, in the heart—in the Church, in Doctrines and Ordinances, but with an amazing increase of light, life, love, and holiness; when, no doubt, the poorest peasant will have as much light as the apostle Paul had when on earth.

It is very probable that this prophecy began to take place upon the spread of the Gospel in the land of Judea, and in the Gentile world; when there was a new face of things, so that the whole looked like a new world. The Gospel ran, had free course, and was glorified—Sinners, of every sort and size, were converted to God—the Redeemer saw the travail of his soul, and the Holy Spirit displayed the love, grace, and mercy of God, in all its glory. The _freeness_ of grace was seen in the objects it noticed; the _power_ of it was seen in the conquests it gained; its _sovereignty_ was seen in passing by those who bid fairest in their own eyes for glory. While grace revealed these things unto babes, others, not interested in them, heard enough to hate them—rejected them altogether, and persecuted those who had received them. These persecutions were attended with many advantages to the saints; none were hurt effectually, nor any bud of the Tree of Life, nor budding hope, destroyed in all God’s holy Mountain.

Thus having proceeded to our text, which I shall barely comment upon, except the clause I first read as a text, this I shall endeavor to explain.

_First_. _The Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb_—so it reads in the 11th Chap, of this Book; here it is the same—_shall feed together_; if they dwell together they must, consequently, feed together. I remark, that it was the eternal design of God to shew himself to his creatures as the God of all grace—so the Apostle words it, _that in the ages to come he might __shew unto us the exceeding riches of his grace and kindness towards us_, _by Christ Jesus_. This he has done in all ages, in its divine sovereignty, freeness, and power, upon those characters who may justly be compared to ravening Wolves, who have worried, and made sad havoc among Christ’s Sheep. Such bitter persecutors have been called out of darkness into life, the heart being changed, the life and conduct were changed too; for this is the design and the conquest of grace. It is to be lamented that many, while in the world, have been sad opposers of the doctrines of the Gospel—these take up a profession, and however promising in appearance, they still oppose the main Doctrines of the Cross. Then, I ask, what has grace done for them? In a profession they are, but in a state of reconciliation they are not. But my text tells us, that _the Wolf and Lamb shall feed together_—that what the Lambs feed on, such the Wolf should, when God converted them to the truth. Here the Saints are compared to Lambs, for their harmlessness and innocence; and such they are in their new-creature state. We may see this passage verified in the Apostle Paul—he was of the tribe of Benjamin, of whom Jacob said, he should _ravin as a Wolf_.—Thus did Saul of Tarsus against the Sheep of Jesus. He harrassed, he made sad slaughter among them. But, oh! the wonders of grace, that tamed, humbled, and reconciled him to the Saviour and his dear people, that he laid down at the feet of the Lamb of God. He fed with the Lambs in the same fold, and he was brought to feed them afterwards. Thus the Wolf and the Lamb fed together; and is not this true to this hour? Is not the same grace manifested to us who were, by nature, enemies to the Saviour, his ministers, and people; as such, to his Doctrines and Ordinances. We could, perhaps, recollect the time when our prejudices were strong against these things, but, glory be to free grace alone, we are changed; now we are never happy but at the feet of Jesus, and feeding on him, his Word, and in his Ordinances, the food on which we live, and which I shall speak of at the close of this Subject.

_Secondly_. This Promise may refer to the two natures in every Believer, _Sin_ and _Grace_. 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 days; though it may be kept in, by almighty grace, through deep trials and sore conflicts; yet, every Believer is, in his New Man, Lamb-like, though often worried by the Wolf of his own corruptions. Yet these must dwell together till death; these walk, these rise up, and lie down together; this is our plague, out affliction, and distress; and though we are condemned as lovers of sin, we can assure our foes we should be glad to get rid of it. Sin a burthen to the New Man; so we feel it. This sinful nature feeds on earth, and every thing that is contrary to God; but the New Man only on the great things of God.

_Thirdly_. May not this refer to the State of the Church of God, which is at present in her imperfect state; not only in her feelings, but plagued with those who are only hypocrites in Zion, Tares among the Wheat, Sheep among the Goats, and Wolves in Sheep’s cloathing. This is the sad state of the Saints; at times they are ready to cry out with Job, _Let not the hypocrite reign_, _lest the souls of the righteous be ensnared_. And, with the Apostles, _Lord_, _shall we root them up_? But no; these Wise and Foolish Virgins must be together till the Midnight Cry is made, then there will be an happy but awful separation; but these dwell together now, in the same Church, at the same table; sit in the same seat; look just the same as the Saints; claim the same Promises, and boast the same light; talk of what they never felt, and in full, tho’ daring and presumptuous confidence, are, in their own esteem, going to the same glory. Hence God complains of them, _Ezek._ xxxiii, 30, _Also thou Son of Man_, _the children of thy people are still talking against thee_, _by the walls and in the doors of the houses_—(how true have I found this?)—_and they come unto thee as my people cometh_, _and they sit before thee as my people_, _and they hear thy words_, _but do them not_; _and lo_, _thou art to them as a very lovely song_, _of one that hath a pleasant voice_, _and can play __well upon an instrument_, _for they hear thy words but they do them not_. Doing them is believing—receiving the truth in the love of it; and by experience, proving the truths we preach. There are Wolves that are in Sheep’s clothing—these feed upon _sounds_, but the Lambs upon _substance_.—Under another metaphor we shall point out the _food_ of such Wolves and Goats—they are distinct from the Sheep, and will be found so in the last great day. See 25th of _Matthew’s_ Gospel.

The second part of the text may likewise be considered in a double sense, good and bad. As most metaphorical passages are controvertible, and will apply to a variety of cases, so in this, _The Lion shall eat Straw like the Bullock_—in the 11th Chap. it is said like the _Ox_; and as the Prophet is predicting the success of the Gospel in the days of the Messiah, or the latter day glory. It may refer to the conversion of some of the great ones of our globe—kings; and such there have been, and such there shall yet be, when kings shall become nursing fathers to the Church, and queens nursing mothers. Hence the Chaldean, Assyrian, and Persian conquerors are called Lions, _Dan_. vii, _And four great beasts came up from the sea_, _the first was like a Lion_. _The Lion hath roared_, _who will not fear_? _the Lion did tear in pieces_. _And he cried a Lion_, _my Lord_—_the Lion is come up from his thicket_, _and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way_.—Thus great tyrannical oppressors, kings, mighty men, are called Lions. Some of these have been tamed, humbled, and fed with the useful, laborious patient Oxen, by whom we may understand Ministers of the Gospel. _Thou shalt not muzzle the Ox_. _Doth God take care of Oxen_? _or saith he it for our sakes_? _for our sakes_, _doubtless_, saith Paul, who calls Himself one of them, in common with his fellow-labourers—_our sakes_.

Some great men have been called, witness Manasseh, the proudest and most awful character that ever lived; and no doubt many more have experienced the power of divine grace bringing them into the Church of Jesus. These have helped kindly to support the Gospel ministry—these have fed with the ministers of the word—this, perhaps, will be better seen another day, when the ten kings shall have their hearts turned to hate the diabolical system of Popery; stall hate the Whore; eat her flesh; obtain a victory over her, and burn her with fire. Then God’s Two Witnesses shall, in the best sense, stand up for the truth—even the Magistracy and the Ministry, Kings and Preachers; and what will they not effect? This may be seen it the 15th of _Revelation_, when the Angels will go forth with their vials, their breasts girded with golden girdles, and clothed in robes of righteousness, truth and faithfulness. See the 17th Chap. of the _Revelation_, 60th of _Isaiah_, and 15th of _Revelation_. Thus the Lion shall eat Straw like the Bullock.

But, _Secondly_, It may be considered in an awful sense, to which I rather incline, because it does not say they shall lie down together, nor that they shall eat the green pastures of Christ, but _straw_. It may signify a person who has heard the Gospel and rejected it, to whom it has become the savour of death unto death. These may become fierce and cruel opposers of the Gospel; the worst opposers, as they attempt to stab religion in its vitals. These are called by the Apostle, the _Adversaries_, who have scorned the Saviour, despised his blood, and opposed his truths. Witness some that have heard the Gospel, and once professed all the truth, who have since turned Deists, Arians, Socinians, Muggletonians, and Sabellians, and are now wickedly and spitefully using all their arguments and influence against the truth, and to deceive souls. These Lions are coupled with the Bullock in the text; by whom we may understand Persecutors. Hence our Lord explains, _Fat Bulls of Bashan enclose me in on every side_. David prays, _Rebuke the company of Spearmen_, _the multitude of the Bulls_, _with the Calves of the People_. And God, by Isaiah, threatens them in tremendous language—Chap. xxxiv. 7.

These characters are said to eat _straw_—by which we may understand the refuse of the Lord’s floor; not Wheat, but Chaff, Stubble, and Straw, fit fuel for fire—who must, and will be driven out of the Church, the Barn Floor—whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his Floor—he will burn up the chaff with fire! These hypocrites, Apostates, Imposters, and their errors, are the delight of such characters, and God has coupled them together, in the 1st Chapter of _Isaiah_—_And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together_; _and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed_. Thus the Lion shall eat Straw like the Bullock.

I come now to that part of the verse I first read. I shall consider, _First_, the _Serpent_—_Secondly_, the _Food_ that is appointed him. _Dust SHALL be the Serpent’s meat_.

_First_, The _Serpent_, absolutely and figuratively.—The word Serpent, in Scripture, means, First, Naturally the creature itself. _Now the Serpent was more subtil than any beast of the Field_.—Secondly, A miraculous one, as Moses’ Rod was turned into a Serpent.—Third, A delusive one, or one in shew. _The Magicians cast their Rods on the ground_, _and they became Serpents_. Fourth, An artificial one. _Moses made a Serpent of Brass_. But sometimes it signifies the Devil—hence he is called that Old Serpent. And sometimes the enemies of Jesus and his People—_Ye Serpents_! _ye generation of Vipers_! _How can ye escape the damnation of Hell_? Satan is called a Serpent, because he hid himself in the Serpent in his first stratagem against our first Patents. Because of his serpentine disposition, in his poison and malice against Christ and his Church; and in his winding, by his flattery, craftiness, and his accursed condition.—The first account we have of him is very early. Originally created in light, he envied the honors paid the adorable Trinity; or he envied the Lord Jesus Christ the glory he was to obtain as God-Man. He disbelieved the eternal power and faithfulness of God. He drew millions of angels into rebellion with him. He abode not in the truth; for which he was cast in the prison of Hell. His sin seems to be an awful complication of pride, envy, and unbelief. Cast out of bliss; held in the chains of darkness, he is permitted to wander like a vagabond and thief, to fill up the measure of his iniquity. Permitted to enter the Garden of Eden, where the image of Christ was, even Adam, who was made in that image our dear Lord intended to assume. Satan envied him his bliss; hated the image of God, and adopted a plan to overturn it. He selected out the most subtil beast God had formed, and through it he addressed our Mother, in artful and insinuating language. He temped her with the lust of the eye; she saw the tree was good. With the pride of life—_Ye shall be as gods_, _knowing good and evil_. This was done in the form of the Serpent—so that the Devil and his agents have gone by this name ever since. We will quote the passage, and make a few remarks on it, which will lead us to understand what is meant by the Serpent and his Food. _Gen._ iii. _Now the Serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field_—and having seduced our Parents, when the Lord appeared to them, they laid the blame on him. Then in the 14th verse, the Lord God said unto the Serpent, _Because thou hast done this thou art cursed above all cattle_, _and every beast of the field_. _Upon thy belly shall thou go_, _and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life_. _And I will put enmity between thee and the Woman_, _and between thy seed and her seed_—_he shall bruise thy head_, _and thou shalt bruise his heel_.—Thus runs the curse upon the Serpent.

I humbly offer my opinion, that this curse did not fall upon that creature in general; though no doubt the Serpent that was the agent received the curse of God. But that Satan was the character is evident, as he is in full possession of the curse to this hour.

_Josephus_ was of opinion that till this curse was denounced the Serpent went erect, and had the use of speech like man; and this opinion is still received among many—the Scriptures are silent upon it.—Our English Poet, _John Milton_, speaks in very striking terms, probably, though, in general, conjecturally.

“So spake the enemy of mankind, inclos’d In Serpent, inmate bad! and toward Eve Address’d his way: not with indented wave, Prone on the ground, as _since_; but on his rear, Circular base of rising folds, that tower’d Fold above fold, a surging maze! His head Crested aloft and carbuncle his eyes; With burnish’d neck of verdant gold erect, Amidst his circling spires, that on the grass Floated abundant; pleasing was his shape And lovely—never since, of Serpent kind, Lovelier. He, uncall’d, before her stood The eye of Eve to mark his play; he, glad Of her attention gain’d with Serpent tongue Organic, or impulse of vocal air, His fraudulent temptation then began.”