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 __stumbled 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. “I that am but dust and ashes, have taken upon me to speak to the Lord.”—_Abraham_. “Who can number the dust of Jacob? Thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof.” 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; and that if any man should be lost, he will be restored again: they argue against the sovereignty of God, in the Doctrine of Election and divine Predestination—against one being taken and another left—against the Obedience of Christ, as our justifying righteousness—against the Divinity of the Son, or the Spirit: they level their artillery against the Trinity in Unity—against the high priviledges of God’s Elect—against the Fundamentals of the Gospel; and this to deceive the simple and unwary. Hence such are described as an whore, in the Book of the Proverbs: _She eateth_ (that is enjoyeth these deceptions and awful delusions) _and saith_, _I have done no wickedness_.—Proverbs xxxi. _Ephraim feedeth on ashes_; _a deceived heart hath turned him aside_; _he cannot deliver his soul_, _nor say is there not a lie in my right hand_. 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_.