into his own.

There is this difference, however, in the two cases, that England's Queen, just referred to, would soon have had to pay the debt of nature in some other way, if she had not paid it in that; whereas, the life of Jesus was forfeited to no law, either human or divine. He could be exposed to no sufferings which were not perfectly voluntary. "He had power to lay down his life, and power to take it up again:" and as, in the exercise of that power, he voluntarily became our substitute, it behoved him to suffer; and he suffered cheerfully. Having a perfect foreknowledge of all the circumstances of trial and sorrow through which he had to pass, he exclaimed, “Lo, I come, in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God." Well, therefore, might the Apostle term the love of Christ, a love "which passeth knowledge;" and well might he, with his soul overflowing with gratitude, exclaim, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."

On this part of the subject, we have only to add, that, as the Saviour was actually lifted up on the cross, when he expired on Calvary; and as he was virtually lifted up ages before, in the promises made to the Patriarchs, and in the types, and shadows, and ceremonies, and sacrifices, and prophecies of the Mosaic dispensation; so he is still virtually lifted up in the preaching of the Gospel. As persons, who had themselves been cured, by looking at the brasen serpent, would go about calling upon their perishing relations and friends to behold it; so Ministers of religion, having themselves experienced the healing virtue of the Saviour's name, go about encouraging others to make trial of it too. They have first "been reconciled to God themselves, and have then had committed unto them the ministry of reconciliation." Our whole business, brethren, is to cry to you, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." Every time we preach, indeed, it is our imperative duty, in some way or other, to hold up Christ to your view; to "preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord." Cruel would that man have been who should have stood before the brasen serpent, or thrown a garment over it, so as to hide it from the view of the perishing Israelites; and equally cruel must that pretended Minister of the Gospel be, who either never holds up his divine Master, never preaches him as the Saviour at all, or hides him from the view of perishing sinners, by standing before him; by placing his own insignificant person between him and them; or else, by throwing a garment over him, so to speak; by clothing the truths of the Gospel in such a garb as to dazzle, and not to enlighten; to veil the Saviour, instead of clearly exhibiting him, and plainly pointing out the way to him.

BUT WE NOTICE, THIRDLY, AND WITH STILL GREATER BREVITY, THE RESEMBLANCE, IN THE TWO CASES, BETWEEN THE APPLICATION

REQUIRED.

The Israelites were to look at the brasen serpent for a cure;

and though that serpent was prepared agreeably to the command of God, and lifted up within the sphere of their vision, yet they could derive no benefit from it, except they did look at it. And, in like manner, though a Saviour has been provided for you, and though that Saviour has been lifted up upon the cross, has actually suffered and died to atone for your sins; and though he is virtually lifted up in your very presence, and within the sphere, so to speak, of your spiritual vision, through the preaching of the Gospel; still, you can derive no benefit from him, except you look to him, or believe in him and hence, his command is, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth;" and hence, also, it is said, in our text, "Even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him," or looketh to him,-looketh to him as the serpent-bitten Israelites looked to the brasen serpent,-" might not perish, but have eternal life." They then had to look to the brasen serpent, and you are to believe in Christ; and the one act may illustrate the other.

First, Their looking to the brasen serpent implied a consciousness of danger. They would never think of directing their eyes to it, except simply as a matter of curiosity, unless they felt the poison of the fiery serpents working in their veins, and were deeply sensible that they needed a cure. And you will never look to Christ, or believe in him, until your minds are so far enlightened by the Spirit of God, that you clearly discover the danger of your state; until you have been convinced that you are sinners; led to feel true contrition on account of your past offences; to confess them to Almighty God; and resolutely to endeavour to forsake them: for "they that be whole have no need of a Physician, but they that are sick;" and Jesus" came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Secondly, The Israelites' looking to the brasen serpent implied some knowledge of its nature and design. They would quickly hear of it as a remedy divinely appointed, and would thus understand the purposes for which it was lifted up. And you can never look to Christ, or believe in him, until you get some acquaintance with his character; some knowledge of his person and work, and of the design of his mediatorial undertaking.

Thirdly, The Israelites' looking to the brasen serpent implied an utter despair of help from every other quarter. When they were first bitten, no doubt they would have recourse to other remedies; perhaps they would try many: but, one after another, they would lose confidence in them all. And so it must be with you. An awakened sinner, alas! too naturally looks at himself, and at other things, instead of looking to Christ. Just as the serpent-bitten Israelites might be tempted to distrust the plan of looking to a brasen serpent for a cure from the bite of a real one; so the penitent distrusts the plan of looking simply to the Redeemer, or believing in him, for salvation. He looks to his prayers, and tears, and fastings, and almsdeeds, and

good resolutions, and acts of restitution, and works of morality. He wants to have some part in the work of saving himself; or, at least, some credit in preparing himself for the reception of God's grace; and he puts forth effort after effort to make himself better: but whilst he is doing this, he rather grows worse. The poison of sin rages more fiercely. He obtains clearer and more impressive views of his own guilt, and depravity, and helplessness, and danger; till, at length, he is constrained to renounce all confidence in his own supposed merits and righteousness. His proud heart is made to stoop, his stubborn will is forced to bend, and he is brought to feel that he must inevitably perish if he is not saved of mere mercy and favour on the part of the divine Being, and "not by works of righteousness which he has done," or can do.

And, lastly, The Israelites' looking to the brasen serpent implied confidence in it, and reliance upon it, as a divinely appointed remedy. Various circumstances would contribute to the production of this feeling. They would hear of some being cured by looking at it; and, perhaps, they would see and converse with others; and, feeling that they must die, if they did not obtain relief from some quarter, they would say, "We can but die if we look;" and they would make a vigorous effort, and lift their languid eyes, and give the soul-reviving glance, and feel the healing power. And so it must be with you. As penitent sinners, you must say, "We shall inevitably perish, if we do not believe in Christ; and we can but perish if we make the effort to believe; and if we perish, we will perish at the feet of Christ; we will perish crying out for mercy through the atoning blood of Christ; we will perish, because there is not efficacy enough to save us in the death and righteousness of Christ:" and, influenced by feelings like these, you must cast yourselves on the mercy of God through the mediation and intercession of his Son, hanging all the weight of your eternal interests on the Saviour, and on the Saviour only.

Faith, you know, is sometimes spoken of as a receiving of Christ,— "To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to as many as believed on his name:" and, at other times, as a trusting in Christ,-" In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise." And if you unite these metaphors with the metaphor of looking to him, you have, we think, as perfect a representation as can well be given of the nature of faith. It simply consists in looking to Christ as the Saviour, in receiving him in this character; and in trusting in him, or relying upon him, for pardon, and holiness, and heaven.

BUT WE GLANCE, LASTLY, AT THE RESEMBLANCE BETWEEN THE

TWO CASES IN THE CURE EFFECTED.

In the case of the Israelites the promise was,

Every one that

is bitten, when he looketh upon the serpent of brass, shall live." And the account which is given of the fulfilment of this promise is, "It came to pass that, if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass he lived." O delightful change! he lived! The dreadful poison which had before been raging in his veins was expelled. His blood again became pure, and circulated in a free and healthful current. His painful and distressing thirst was allayed. His oppressive languor ceased, and there was an instant return to cheerfulness and vigour. Delightful, however, as was this change, it conveys only a faint idea of the change which passes upon the penitent sinner, when he is enabled to cast his soul on the merits of the atoning blood.

First, He undergoes a relative change. He does not perish. He does not go to hell, as he feels he deserved to go. The sentence of his condemnation is reversed. All his sins are forgiven. They are blotted out from the book of God's remembrance. He is restored to the divine favour. He is adopted into the divine family; and, "because he is a son, God sends forth the Spirit of his Son into his heart, crying, Abba, Father." He obtains a title to heaven, and can "rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

Secondly, He undergoes a real change. He obtains life, spiritual life. He is restored to spiritual health and soundness. He is "renewed in the spirit of his mind." "Old things are passed away, and behold all things are become new." He receives a meetness for heaven, as well as a title to it. His nature is purged and sanctified. The Spirit of adoption regenerates his soul.

And, lastly, He undergoes a permanent change. He not only lives, but he lives for ever; and hence the phraseology of the text, "That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." But who can tell what is included in this? The serpent-bitten Israelites, who were cured of that malady, soon died of some other; but hear the language of the Redeemer: "I am the Resurrection and the Life: whosoever liveth and believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die." That is, whosoever, as the consequence of his believing in me, lives spiritually, shall not die eternally. His body will die, as the penal effect of sin; but his soul shall not die. His better part, that which is emphatically the man, shall never taste of death. He shall have that kind of spiritual health "which pain and death defies," and which is "most vigorous when the body dies;" and even the body itself shall be resuscitated. Although it must moulder into dust, and its different particles be scattered about by the four winds of heaven; yet that very dust shall be sacred in the eyes of the Almighty; and it shall be re-collected and re-animated; and body and soul being re-united, they shall flourish in immortal youth, and bloom at God's right hand for ever.

What, then, is the improvement to be made of this subject? Surely, it ought to lead you to Christ. You know that you are diseased; that you have been "stung by the scorpion sin." O, then, avail yourselves of the remedy which has been provided. "Behold the Lamb of God."

"See him set forth before your eyes,
That precious bleeding sacrifice."

66

We have told you already that "the Son of man is lifted up" in the preaching of the Gospel; and we endeavour to lift him up now. Let it be your part to endeavour now to obtain a sight of him. Only believe." Positively this is all that is required of you as penitent sinners. Just as the serpent-bitten Israelites had only to look at the brasen serpent without staying to bind up their wounds, or to put any kind of ointment upon them; so you have only to look to Christ, or to believe in him, without staying to pore over your maladies, or to make yourselves better.

Do not puzzle yourselves by reasonings respecting the connexion between the means to be used, and the cure contemplated; by asking, how it can be that, by simply looking to Christ, you should be both pardoned and renewed. God has told you that it shall be so; and that, surely, is sufficient. You ought to give credence to his word; and, at least, to make the trial. The greatest philosopher in existence would never pretend to explain the connexion between the simple act of looking to the brasen serpent, and the cure which was experienced; and no sober Divine will pretend to explain the connexion between simply looking to Christ, or believing in him, and our obtaining salvation. It would be impossible to explain it in such a way as to satisfy every caviller, or even to meet the doubts and fears of the sincere inquirer after truth, who has not himself believed. Faith must be exercised before its simplicity and efficacy can be properly understood. We know that there is the connexion of which we are speaking; that faith does apprehend the merits of Christ, and so appropriate them that the individual believer receives a personal interest in them, and obtains the forgiving love of God; and that then, as the consequence of pardon, as the result, by divine and gracious appointment, of our justifying faith, the Holy Spirit enters the heart, and renews and sanctifies it; but we never dream that every thing in this process can be accurately and satisfactorily explained. On the contrary, we freely admit that there is a degree of mystery in it, as there is about the works of God generally. Take the most common phenomenon with which we can be struck,-the phenomenon referred to by our Saviour in connexion with our text, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof; but canst not tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth; and so is every one that is born of the Spirit." Do not trouble yourselves, then, about the mystery of the thing. In the case of the Israelites, the means used