2 Cor. 11.3. But I fear lest by any means, as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his Subtilty, &c.
Rev. 12.9. The old Serpent, the Devil, &c.
SErpents are venemous Beasts, that creep upon the Ground, or go as it were upon their Bellies, w••ich, as it appears from Gen. 3.14. was laid upon them at first as a just Judgment of God: Ʋpon thy Belly shalt thou go; meaning, saith Ainsworth, in great Pain, &c. This Creature the Devil made use of to deceive Eve; the Devil spake in, or by the Serpent, i. e. opened the Serpent's Mouth; for we are not to conclude that Serpent was the Devil, because the Text saith positively, it was a Beast of the Field, who (as some conceive) is said to be more subtil than any other Beast, by means of Satan's Influences; yet all agree, that naturally the Serpent, or some Serpents are very crafty and subtil. Aristotle and Galen define a Serpent to be, Animal sanguineum, pedibus orbatum, & oviparum; that is, A bloody Beast, without feet, laying Eggs.
There are divers sorts of Serpents; we read of the Adder, Asp, Dart, Dragon, Cocka∣trice, &c. Some affirm that the Cockatrice or Basilisk hath Wings, from Isa. 14.29. Out of the Serpent's Root shall come a Cockatrice, and his Fruit shall be a flying Serpent. The Basi∣lisk is esteemed the King of Serpents, partly for the great Strength of his Poyson, and partly for his stately Pace, and magnanimous Mind; for he goes upright with his Head, near half a Yard in length.
SErpents are a venemous sort of Creatures, especially the Cockatrice: For his Poyson (Naturalists affirm) infecteth the Air, and the Air so infected killeth all living Crea∣tures, and all green Things, Fruits and Plants of the Earth; it burneth up the Grass whereupon it goeth, or creepeth; and the very Fowls of the Air fall down dead, when they come near his Den or Lodging: So the Venom or Poyson of the old Serpent, viz. Sin, is very deadly, and of an infectious Nature, as hath been largely shewed. What Creature hath not been hurt and corrupted, more or less, by this Poyson? It hath disordered the whole Creation; the very Ground is cursed, and bringeth forth Thorns and Thistles hereby.
II. Amongst all living Creatures, there is none that perisheth sooner than doth a Man, by the Poyson of a Cockatrice, for with his Sight he killeth him, the Beams of his Eyes do corrupt the Spirit of a Man; nay, saith my Author, he kills other Serpents by his Sight, such is the Venom of his Poyson: So no Creature hath suffered, or received such hurt, as Mankind hath by the Poyson of the old Dragon. Tho the Sin of Man, which is the Venom of this Serpent, hath been a Plague to all Creatures, yet Man receives the greatest Ruine by it, it destroys him eternally. Wicked Men, who are compared to Ser∣pents, are destroyed by this old Serpent.
III. A Serpent is a very subtil Beast; Be ye wise as Serpents, &c. The Devil being compared to a Serpent, it principally denotes his Subtilty, who hath a thousand Ways to destroy and undo the Children of Men.