(2.) To lapsed believers. The serpents were left to sting the Israelites while they were in that place, only the brazen serpent was lifted up. God did not presently take away the serpents, only he gave a remedy for such as were bitten. Sin is not abolished, but whilst we are in this station the remedy is still offered ; we are never so cured but we may be bitten again. The disobedient Israelites needed this motive and chastisement to keep them in awe ; we cannot imagine that any would provoke these serpents to sting him that he might be healed. So say I, as the apostle, 1 John ii. 1, ' These things I write unto you, that ye sin not ; and if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.' For the present, stings of conscience is one of God's rods over us, but when we fall, there is forgiveness by Jesus Christ; as Peter of Alexandria destroyed the idols, but only left one for a monument.
[3.] The nature of faith, which is a looking to Christ. It is usually said that faith is 6(p6aX/jLo^ tt}^ '^i^X'/?, ' the eye of the soul.' Certain it is that the act of faith is often expressed by seeing or looking, and faith itself by an eye; as Zech. xii. 10, 'They shall look upon me whom they have pierced.' So Isa. xvii. 7, ' At that day a man shall look to his lilaker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel.' So John vi. 40, ' This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have ever- lasting life,' 6 Oeapcov kol irLcnevoiv. And faith is described to be ' the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen,' Heb. xi. 1. By faith ' Moses saw him that was invisible,' Heb. xi. 27 ; Heb. xii. 2, ' Looking to Jesus.' So faith itself is said to be the eye of the soul : Eph. i. 18, ' That the eyes of your understandings being opened,' Gal. iii. 1 ; ' Before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you.' The mystery of Christ crucified was so evidently set forth as if he had been crucified before their eyes. So where the work of faith is impeded and hindered, it is said ' the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which
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believe not/ 2 Cor. iv. 4 ; that is, hindered their faith. Therefore I shall here inquire — (1.) What sights are proper to faith ; (2.) What kind of looking faith is.
(1.) The objects proper to faith are matters that lie out of the view of sense, ra /x?) /SXeirofMeva, things that cannot be seen by any other faculty or discerning power. Some things are invisible in regard of their nature, and some things because of their distance from us, because either they are past or to come. Things invisible, because of their nature, are all spiritual things, which are not obvious to the eye of sense. Sense is only conversant about bodily things, which may be seen, heard, tasted, or felt ; reason can only see things in their causes. Things invisible, by reason of their distance, are either things past, as the creation of the world, or the sufferings of Christ ; or things to come, as the glory and happiness of the other world. Let us explain this by applying it to the matter in hand, the Son of man lifted up on the cross. This was sometimes a matter of sense, namely, at the time when Christ suf- fered ; and therefore then if a man had seen him, or looked upon him, it had done him no good, as it did not to those that wagged their heads at him and mocked him, though it did to the centurion, who cried out, Mat. xxvii. 54, ' Truly this was the Son of God.' But in another regard this is always matter of faith, namely, if we consider his deity, and offices ; as the Son of God dying and healing wounded consciences, this is a thing invisible in its nature. Therefore the soldiers that turned subjects to him, and confessors of his name, even then when he is hang- ing dead on the cross, they that could see his Godhead, and confess it in its deepest humiliation, were believers ; they saw Christ not with the eye of sense, but of faith. Now go to the other things invisible, viz., by reason of their distance, because they are either to come or past. Christ crucified was sometimes a thing to come. The fathers had need of clear eyes, who could see salvation at such a distance, and represented under such dark figures and shadows ; yet some had such an eagle-eye of faith : ' Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day ; and he saw it, and was glad,' John viii, 56 ; and Heb. xi. 13, ' All these died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them.' To us now it is a thing past ; there needeth faith both to believe the history and the mystery too. When we believe the history so clearly as if we saw it, Gal. iii. 1, that is faith ; and the mystery : 1 Cor. ii. 2, ' For I deter- mined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and him crucified ; ' and ver. 4, ' My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Sj>irit, and of power.' This a7r68etft9 irvevfjiaro';, this 'demonstration of the Spirit,' is the ground of faith, when the object is so lepresented that it maketh a powerful impression, and so affected as if we had seen him with our eyes. Well, then, it is some faith to believe the history, to see it as a thing now done. So John xx. 29, ' Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.' But to believe the end and the use, that was always matter of faith, whether past, present, or to come. And herein all believers stand upon the same level. Christ is not now lifted up upon the cross, but it is our duty to lift him up, that poor sinners and wounded consciences may look on him with an eye of faith : Isa. xi. 10,