J. Church

“ 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 phrase, Dust shalt thou eat, implies a state of absolute subjection, for so it signifies in scripture—his enemies shall lick the dust; they shall lick dust like a Serpent—they shall bow down to the earthy and lick up the dust of thy feet. These enemies shall be totally vanquished and subdued, and lie at the feet of the conqueror.
By the dust that the Serpent is to eat is meant sinners against the most high, living and dying enemies to God, Father, Son, and Spirit—enemies to truth and the seed of God. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Erroneous characters, who have been in a profession of the truth, and who have left it and turned again like a washed swine to the mire; who have taken seven other spirits, far worse than before they heard the Gospel. These persons are industriously circulating errors; trying to make such kind of proselytes, who are two-fold more the children of hell than they were before. Such characters are Serpents and Vipers, make a fair shew, to deceive and to damn immortal souls: they talk about the universal goodness of God—too good to consign any man to perdition: they argue for an universal salvation ”

“ Ambrose says, that by dust we are to understand the flesh of men, on which God permits Satan to feed, that is, sometimes to torment and grieve the bodies of believers, for over their souls he has not the least command. The dust, therefore, Satan eats, is the seed spoken of as the seed of the Serpent ”

“ 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 ”

“ The performances of persons who are destitute of the grace of God, are called the Works of the Law; whereas it is not so properly, for they are ignorant of the Law, nor does the Law call for any such Works; therefore they are but the Works of the flesh, and those who feed on them are eating dust, whether they are in a profession or not. Hence God threaten his enemies that he will send them the Poison of Serpents of the dust. ”

“ All the sins, infirmities, temptations, and troubles, of God’s dear people—these are the dust he feeds on. And as it is with the father Serpent, it is with his seed; his offspring a generation of Vipers and Serpents, they have their portion of dust to eat, and they can feed on nothing else—and this every believer has seen to his grief. What in one scripture is called the seed of the Serpent, is in another called the children of the wicked one. First, Because as sinners, they are his offspring. ”

“ This I think is clear from the declaration I will put enmity between thy p. 27seed and her seed, the seed of the Serpent. This is the dust he is to eat; this is his curse. These persons are the Serpent’s prey, and the dust he shall devour. The phrase of Satan eating, denotes the hellish pleasure he takes in man’s ruin; for a person is supposed to eat nothing but what he loves; it is the Devil’s meat, his joy, his delight, to lead into sin, to get men to serve him, and to buffet, vex, and plague the saints. ”

“ The Food of the Serpent is said to be Lies—Hosea x, 13, Ye have eaten lies—this is that kind of food which suits their vitiated taste. The same Prophet declares, They eat up the sin of my people; they set their hearts on their iniquity, for they shall eat and not have enough.—Hosea iv, 8, 9, 10.—The private injury done to others is called Bread eaten in secret places—and such eaters are like Pharaoh’s lean kine, none the better for all they have devoured. They are said to eat up the flesh of God’s people, Psalm xxvii, 2 ”

“ This is the Serpent’s meat, and if grace does not prevent it, they must have the Serpent’s portion—a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the Adversaries.
Pharisees.—These are of different kinds, and under various orders—some in a profession of gospel truth, sit under its sound, obey its external precepts as far as it relates to bodily exercise; others are inimical to the very sound of it altogether, yet pride themselves upon following the religion they were brought up in; that they are as good as they wish to be, and not half so bad as their neighbours. ”

“ Men of a persecuting spirit, whose hearts rise against God, religion, and the dear Saviour, the Work of the Spirit, and all Saints—these are said to feed on the Saints; they are well pleased at every species of persecution; they eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon God. When my foes came upon me to eat up my flesh, they p. 30stumbled and fell. Hence David prays, Deliver me from the men who are thy sword, O Lord, whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasures. Thus, like Satan, they wait to eat, to devour, to destroy the Lord’s people, who are called dust. ”

“ Toplady justly remarks on this passage, that what is said of the Serpent going on his belly and eating dust, are properties common to many kinds of vermin, such as worms, &c.—and why should that be esteemed a curse to the Serpent which is natural to many other animals beside. But is it so said because this creature is obnoxious to man? so are many others beside, and it is worthy observation, that there are some kind of Serpents which are remarkable for the affection they bear to man; and others are good for food, and have been served up as such, even at royal tables. ”

“ The Church is called God’s holy Mountain—typified by Mount Sion, firmly settled in the eternal love, and everlasting purposes of Grace. Conspicuous and useful in the world, and which, as a great Mountain, shall fill the whole earth in the latter day. They are called a holy people; the Lord Jesus Christ is their holiness before God, Ye are compleat in him, who of God is made unto us Sanctification. Secondly, All their holiness is received from him, as the High Priest of their profession ”

“ When death comes, then they will, perhaps, have to reflect with pleasure on the use they have been to others. But this will be a miserable foundation; and if they do not expect salvation upon this ground, yet they must confess they have looked upon these things as fruits and evidences; but eternity will convince them they are not the fruits of the Spirit. Hypocrite and Pharisees can feed here, but a quickened soul cannot ”

“ Sin a burthen to the New Man; so we feel it. This sinful nature feeds on earth, and every p. 12thing 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. ”

“ Those hypocritical professors not only feed on these eternals, but on the failings, sins, and falls, either real or supposed, of God’s people, every fall they hear of is marrow and fatness to them: these they sweetly enjoy, quite forgeting that they cannot be said to fall themselves, for, as they never stood, either by faith or love, they cannot fall; they have but few temptations, and those only what a worldly man has, and not what is peculiar to God’s elect. ”

“ 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. ”

“ This is only renewing the curse upon Satan and his seed, which was first pronounced in the Garden of Eden. Good men have differed a little upon the food of the Serpent; some suppose that before the fall he lived upon the fruits of the Garden, but afterwards that he was only to eat dust. Perhaps this was the case with that one Serpent the Devil made use of, but it certainly is not true of Serpents in general. Others think it means, that in consequence of the curse, upon thy belly thou shalt go, that they should eat much dust with their food ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 p. 17called that Old Serpent. And sometimes the enemies of Jesus and his People—Ye Serpents! ”

“ Thus in heart they are all alike; those in a profession and those out of it, are all upon a level. The Gospel Pharisees thank God they are not so bad as those vile Antinomians, who talk about free grace, and perform no works. Others thank God they are not quite so bad, nor indeed nothing like, other people; they have good hearts, they mean well and p. 32wish well to all. Hence our dear Lord spake a parable to those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. ”

“ I must say here, that I feel thankful for what my enemies have said and done against me, as I have learned much from these things; the Spirit of God teaches by the Cross, and in the School of Affliction much is to be derived—whoso is wise will observe these things, and he shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord. ”

“ Here those who have no spiritual life can rest; upon these husks they can feed; but where there is real hungering and thirsting after the bread of life, the mind cannot be fed with such things; not but that they are praise-worthy in themselves, but they should not be carried on by souls in such a state, their place is to wait at the door of mercy; to be in spiritual labour to get the bread of life, and having found him, then to observe their call in Providence p. 36to visit others. ”

“ The lying accusation of being an Antinomian in Principle, Preaching, and Practice, when every person that is acquainted with the Gospel must acknowledge that I preach all the Words of this Life, doctrinally, experimentally, and practically. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Nor is it rational to suppose that human nature, in the height of its glory and excellency, should be out-witted by a creature so inferior to it. The Scripture always alledges the fall of man to the seduction of the Devil, who, on that account, is called the Serpent, the old Serpent, the Devil and Satan. ”

“ 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. ”

“ This sounds well in the ears of such, and to work they go, to try to please God; and if the Preacher does not immediately send them to the Moral Law, they are generally sent to some tradition of the Elders; they must become teachers in the Sunday Schools; they must form a Society and visit the Sick; they must attend upon Prayer Meetings and other religious Societies. ”