[2.] The superexcellency of Christ above this and all the shadows and types of him. The type doth express the thing signified, but yet the truth doth much exceed the shadow. The brazen serpent was but 'a sign of salvation ; ' so called in the Book of Wisdom, chap. xvi. 6. But Christ ' is the author of salvation,' Heb. v. 9. The serpent bene- fited only the Israelites, but Christ all nations, both Jew and gen- tile : Isa. xi. 10, ' In that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people ; to it shall the gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious.' It freed them from present death, but yet so that they might die by other means ; but Christ hath freed us-
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not only from tlie death of the body, but of the soul, and this for ever, as in the text, ' That they should not perish, but have everlasting life.' So John xi. 26, ' Whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die.' There natural life is preferred i but for a while, here eternal life obtained. This benefit might last for a day or two, but ' Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever,' Heb. xiii. 8. Christ ever retaiueth his healing virtue. This was but a piece of brass while they lodged it in the temple, but Christ is a mediator to all eternity. It was a great wickedness to worship the brazen serpent, therefore Hezekiah broke it in pieces, when once he understood the people to be guilty of that idolatry: 2 Kings xviii. 4, "He brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made, for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it ; and he called it Nehushtan,' or a piece of brass ; but it is our duty to worship Christ : ' All men must honour the Son as they honour the Father,' John v. 23 ; and Heb. i. 6, * Let all the angels of God worship him ; ' Phil. ii. 9, 10, ' Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.' When the Israelites worshipped the brazen serpent, it was broken in pieces ; but they shall be broken in pieces themselves that deny Christ his due worship : Ps. ii. 9, * Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel ; ' Dan. ii. 44, ' And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed ; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and shall stand for ever.' The kingdom that will not submit to him shall be broken in pieces : Luke xix. 27, ' Those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them, bring them hither, and slay them before me.' Thus it sets forth Christ.
3. Faith is set forth, or the way and means how we come to have benefit by Christ. It is not enough to look to what Clu'ist hath done, but what we must do that we may be partakers of him. The way of cure was by a look ; so it is believing in him that bringeth home the blessing to our souls.
From this type we learn —
[1.] The necessity of faith. None had benefit by the brazen serpen- but those that looked on it. The promise was made to those that observed the command : Num. xxi. 8, ' Every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.' If a man turned away his eyes and refused God's remedy, the biting was mortal to him. As there is a necessity Christ should die, so there is a necessity you should believe ; for besides impetration there must be application ; and the work of the Spirit is as necessary to apply grace as the work of the Mediator to obtain grace for us. A deep well will do you no good without a bucket, nor the purchase of salvation unless you apply it.
[2.] An encouragement of faith.
(1.) To broken-hearted sinners ; if you are stung with sin, you may look to Christ. It was ground enough for any bitten Israelite to look to this brazen serpent, because he had need ; he found himself bitten, and thirsted for cure by this appointed means. A felt sense of sin is "warrant enough to look to Christ as the offered remedy. Look not
^ Qu. preserved ' ? — Ed.
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altogether to your sore, to your sins, but to Christ as the means of healing. Indeed there must be a feeling and a sense of sin, or else there is no work for Christ to do; what should a hale Israelite do with the brazen serpent ? Their looking began in a sense of pain ; none troubled their thoughts about it till they were stung. Com- punction goeth before faith. The Israelites cried out, Oh ! what shall we do for these fiery serpents ? So Acts ii. 37, ' When they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do ? ' An empoisoned dagger was flung into their souls, and then, 'What shall we do?' The jailer 'came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved ? ' Acts xvi. 29, 30 ; ' And they said,' ver. 31, ' Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.' Only look upon the serpent. A sinner must first feel himself a sinner before he will or can come to Christ, but then come ; ' The Son of man is lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life.' Some that know not themselves believers have been welcome to Christ ; but never any that know not themselves sinners.