The most ancient people denominated the sensual nature the serpent, because as serpents live close to the earth, so does the sensual principle cling closely to the world, to nature, and things of sense. The symbol is maintained throughout the Scripture. Our Lord called the Pharisees, "Ye serpents; ye generation of vipers," in relation to their having made religion a mere thing of sensuous ceremony. The devil is called a serpent (Rev. xii. 9), because of his desire to overthrow the dominion of the spiritual and celestial in man, and to seduce him by specious and sensuous reasonings. And these reasonings, arguments and seductive influences of the sensual nature, are denominated in Scripture the poison of the serpent (Ps. lviii. 3-6). Therefore in this allegory of Eden, the serpent is said to be more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made; because, of all cunning arts, of all sophistry and sophistical reasoning, of all promises that are sweet to the ear and destructive to the soul, those employed by the sensual nature and by sensuous men are the most sweet, cunning and sophistical, yet false and soul destroying. The serpent of the soul—the sensuous principle—is the most false and subtle of all the beasts of the field, of all the affections of the mind.
Yet the Lord made it. But He made it good. He put it in its place. He placed it under the
