Doct. That we ought to consider salvation by Christ as prefigured and represented by the history of the brazen serpent.
' As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.' And Christ here propoundeth it to Nicodemus.
1. It is useful to consider the types, partly to confirm our faith, when we see the harmony between the testaments. There are historical types and prophetical types. Historical types are only patterns and examples : 1 Cor. x. 11, ' All these things happened to them for rv-rroi' ensamples or types ; so the providences of God to his ancient people : 1 Cor. X. 9, ' Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyecl of serpents.' Prophetical types were instituted to prefigure a thing to come, as the ceremonies of the law were figures of better things to come. Now we see the eospel is not a novel inven-
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tion, only hatched in that age when it was first set afoot. No ; it was long since foretold, not only by words, but things ; there was a prepar- ation made for it. And partly to lielp our meditation ; we reflect upon these things with more delight and sweetness, whilst we view the agree- ment between the truth and the type. When we know the person, yet we delight to see the picture ; and so we may take a view of things with a grateful variety. We see them double when we consider both the shadow and the mystery. Partly to increase our thankfulness; we have not such dark and long prospects, through which they only could look to Christ ; we may see him more clearly in the doctrines of the gospel, where he is evidently set forth unto us, and, as it v/ere, ' crucified before our eyes,' Gal. iii. 1. Surely then we are more obliged to mind these things. The more clearly and convincingly Christ is represented to us, the more will our negligence be aggravated, and our contempt the greater, if we make light of these things.
2. Among other types, the brazen serpent must not be forgotten ; partly because it doth in a most lively and full manner represent Christ. Here a word is a sermon ; aud we cannot think of the brazen serpent but the necessity, the remedy, the means of application, do presently ofler themselves to our thoughts. And partly because this took off the great scandal and Jewish exception against Christ, which was the ignominy of the cross. Therefore to a doctor of the law he doth not produce the paschal lamb or other figures, but the brazen _ serpent, as clearly representing the cause, quality, and fruit of his sutferino;s.
3. To help you in this consideration, I shall — (1.) Give the history ; (2.) The typical use of it.
First, The history, in Num. xxi. 6-9, ' And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people ; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came unto Moses, and said, We have sinned ; for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee : pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us : and Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make tliee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole ; and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, he shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole ; and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.' The sin occasioning the judgment was their murmuring at Moses and Aaron, and their loathing of manna ; for this God sendeth fiery serpents. Observe how God suiteth the judgment to the sin ; venomous tongues are plagued witli venomous serpents. It is said, Eccles. x. 11, 'Surely the serpent shall bite with- out enchantment, and a babbler is no better.' And again, Ps. cxl. 3, ' Thej" have sharpened their tongues like a serpent ; adders' poison is under their lips.' They have a bag of water under their tongues, which is most poisonous and inflaming, which in biting is broken. But this was not the asp, but the cliersydrus, a sort of serpent which abideth on land as well as in water ; whilst it liveth in the water, it is not -altogether so venomous as when it cometh to live on the dry land, and in this part of the thirsty howling wilderness these kind of serpents were most fieiy and burning, and at that time of the year when the Israelites
456 SERMON UPON JOHN III. 14, 15.
were there, which was about the end of August ; for * Aaron died in the first day of the fifth month,' Num xxxiii. 38, which was about the 10th of July, and the children of Israel mourned thirty days before they journeyed, Num. xs. 29. And when they journeyed from Mount Hor, then we read of their murmuring and God's plaguing them with fiery serpents. Observe, again, that God, that bringeth manna from heaven, can also send serpents. God is not all honey ; abused mercy is turned into fury, and when his favours are despised, he hath judgments to sting us ; and if men will loathe their food, God will chastise them with poison.