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the voice of an angel, he cannot trust himself to the dreadful vacuity. It must likewise be considered, that he had formed some interesting connections, which though they may appear comparatively new, were in reality of long standing. He had been admitted for a long season into a family of morality and goodness; where he enjoyed ease and security. He had married a wife, with whom he was quite happy, and had a son by her. This peace and these connections were to be interrupted for the sake of a people who had betrayed him; and from whom he had been estranged for forty years. He could not bring himself to have any trust in them. Behold, says he, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee. His reasoning was just; for he was to go to a perverse and stubborn people: and, as I mentioned before, if he could not persuade them of old, he must necessarily have little influence after an absence of so long a date. In short, he had not power to execute such a mission, nor inclination to undertake it. His credentials therefore and authority could not pro

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1 Exod. iv. 1.

ceed from himself; but must be derived from an higher power. It therefore pleased God, in order to create in him a proper faith and assurance, to display before his eyes a miracle of an extraordinary nature.—— And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? and he said, A rod.

Ver. 3. And he said, Cast it on the ground; and he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

V. 4. And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand.

This was an assurance to Moses, that the same power which could work such a wonder for his conviction, would do the like to convince his people hereafter; and that a sure trust might be reposed in his promises.

V. 6. And the Lord said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom; and he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold his hand was leprous as snow.

V. 7. And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again; and he put his hand into his bosom again, and plucked it out of his bosom, and behold it was turned again as his other flesh.

'Exod. iv. 2.

First, concerning the Symbolical Serpent.

The Egyptians, and likewise the Phenicians, who borrowed from them, made the serpent an emblem of divine wisdom and power; also of that creative energy, by which all things were formed. It was supposed to have been first adopted for this sacred purpose by Thoth of Egypt; whom the people of Phenicia stiled Taut, and Taautus. There was nothing criminal in forming such a characteristic, if it were not misapplied, and made use of for idolatrous purposes. But emblems of this sort were in process of time abused; and gave rise to a base worship; which prevailed over all the world. In many places, not only in Egypt, but in Greece and other countries, the natives preserved a live serpent; sometimes more than one; to which they paid divine honours. Hence Justin Martyr, in speaking upon this head to the Grecians, tells them-- παρὰ παντί των νομιζομένων παρ'

1 Την μην ουν Δρακοντος φυσιν και των Οφιών αυτός εξεθείασεν ὁ Τααυτος. διο και εν ιεροις τετὸ ζωον, και εν μυσηρίοις συμπαρείληπα Tai. Philo Byblius from Sanchoniath. apud Eusebium P. E. 1. 1. c. x. p. 40, 41.

* Apolog. 1. p. 60. see Clemens Alexand. Cohort. p. 11.

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ύμιν Θεῷ, οι Θεων, Οφις συμβολον μεγά και μυςή giov avaɣgapetai. ---Among all the things, which are held by you as sacred and divine, the serpent is particularly marked as a wonderful emblem and mystery. Two such were kept alive at Thebes in Upper Egypt---" και τετοις (τοις Οφεσιν) θυσίας, και έορτας, επετελουν, και οργια, θεός της μεγίσες νομισαντές, και αρχηγός των όλων---and to these serpents the people appointed a celebration of sacrifices, also festivals, and orgies; esteeming them the greatest of all gods, and sovereigns of the universe. Many salutary qualities and effects were supposed to have been denoted by this emblem, particularly life, health, and victory, also the Being by which they were produced. It made a principal part in most rites and mysteries; and there were undoubtedly some very curious truths veiled under this characteristic. It was carried from Egypt to Thrace and Greece; and, according to the current opinion, by Orpheus. Hence Tatianus

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Assyrius, speaking of the rites of Ceres, mentions Eleusis, where they were celebrated; also the mystic serpent, which was a principal object; and Orpheus, by whom they were

'Euseb. P. E. 1. 1. c. x. p. 42.

2 Έλευσις, καὶ ὁ Δράκων, ὁ μυσικος, και Ορφέας. p. 251.

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introduced. The worship of the serpent at Epidaurus is well known; and Herodotus mentions one kept in the Acropolis of Athens κι όφιν μέγαν, και φύλακα της Ακροπολιος---α large serpent, which was looked upon as the guardian of the place. This animal was a sacred appendage to the representations of many deities; but especially of Thoth, or Hermes, the divine physician. He was by the Grecians stiled Esculapius: and in an ancient temple near Sicyon live serpents were maintained, and held in reverence; as they were at Thebes, Memphis, and other places in Egypt. One name given to the sacred serpent was + Thermuthis; and it was made a constant attendant upon Isis. The deities Cneph, Hermes, and Agathodæmon, were all described under this emblem; and the serpent itself had the name of the Good Dæmon.

i Pausan. 1. 2. p. 175.

3 Pausan. 1. 2. p. 137.

L. 8. c. 41. p. 638.

Serpents also were kept and reverenced at Pella in Macedonia. Lucian. Alexauder, vol. 1. p. 663.

4 Ælian de Animal. 1. 10. c. 31. p. 581.

Φοινικές αυτο αγαθην δαιμονα καλέσι. ὁμοίως δε και Αιγυπτίοι

Ενας επονομαζεσι Euseb. 1. 1. c. x. p. 41.

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