_Calmet from Basnage_, _History of the Jews_. Thus were they conducted and entertain’d by an unintermitted Train of Miracles. Now to fret and repine in such a Situation, was a Crime of a high and heinous Nature, no less than impeaching infinite Wisdom, and taxing it with erroneous Conduct: If Difficulties occurred in the way, their Duty was _Resignation_, a Temper obvious in _Pagans_, whose Religion forbid all indecorous Sallies of the Passions. _SOCRATES_, a Philosopher of _Athens_, was a Philosopher in _Prison_, as well as in the _Museum_: When bound in Fetters, and he had nothing but Death before his Face, he then conversed with his Friends with perfect Equanimity, and without the least _Reflexion_ upon _Fate_, upon _God_, and his _Judges_, notwithstanding his base Treatment, and the notorious Injustice of his Sentence. The Scripture represents _Job_ as a _Champion_ in Affliction, who by his passive Fortitude under it, became the proper Hero of an Heroic-Poem. SECT. II. _WHY were they punish’d by Serpents?_ Perhaps it might be to put them in remembrance of the first Sin, that was introduced into Paradise by the old Serpent: This kind of Punishment could not but bring to their Mind that gloomy Moment in which the human Nature was morally and mortally wounded by that evil Spirit, in the Form of a Serpent. This being allow’d, we may infer, that Man’s Memory stands in need of a Remembrancer, even of Paradise lost. And oh! who can think of that inexpressible Loss, without dropping a silent and solemn Tear? Some Learned _Jews_ themselves, speaking upon this Subject, say, the Reason why they were chastised by Serpents, was _because they had done the Actions of the old Serpent, in using an ill Tongue against God, against_ Moses, _and Manna, the Bread of Heaven_. SECT. III. _WHY called Fiery Serpents?_ A natural and a moral Reason may be assigned for it. 1. The sacred Volume seems to account for the _natural Reason_, when it says, _God sent fiery Serpents_. The _Hebrew_ word is _Seraphim_, that is _Burners_, because they appeared in the form of a _Flame_. The LXX calls them _Serpents of Death_[353], because their _Wounds_ proved _mortal_. Footnote 353: Οφεις θαναουνται.