might even regard the serpent in the same light in which many of the Jews have since regarded it, as a sacramental emblem of some higher blessing, which it prefigured. But no intimation occurs in the canonical Scriptures of the Old Testament, that the miracle had a designed reference to any subsequent event. From the day in which Hezekiah destroyed the image, and called it Nehushtan, a brasen bauble, we read no more of that serpent, until the day when Christ Jesus held his conference with Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

On that memorable occasion, he discoursed on subjects of the deepest interest. Founding his instruction on the acknowledged authority of those miracles, which proved him to be a teacher come from God, Christ opened to the astonished ears of the teacher of Israel, the wonders of the spiritual world. The necessity of a new birth, the difference between that which is born of the flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit, were laid down with the accuracy of perfect knowledge. Christ claimed to himself a degree of wisdom and power, to which no mere man could ever pretend. Nicodemus was no stranger to the emphatic question proposed by Agur, "Who hath ascended up into heaven or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath

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bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?" But such knowledge was too excellent for unassisted reason to attain. The question remained a hard saying which none could answer, until Christ then declared, that "no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man, which is in heaven." Having thus laid the sure grounds on which his high commission rested, Christ proceeds to speak, in the spirit of prophecy, of the causes which the mercy of God has rendered efficacious for the salvation of fallen man; the meritorious cause, his own sufferings and death, and the instrumental cause, sincere faith in those to whom the doctrine is propounded. Christ conveys this instruction to Nicodemus, by referring to the erection of the brasen serpent. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life."

Here, then, we find one, acknowledged to be a teacher come from God, in the beginning of his ministry, instructing a disciple well learned in all the customs and history of the Jews, by the delivery of a prophecy, the com

i Prov. xxx. 4.

* John iii. 13..

pletion of which depended upon the similarity between the things which he was to suffer, and a wonderful and notorious event in the previous history of the Jewish nation. And in this prophetic assertion, two distinct circumstances of resemblance are pointed out; the outward act; the lifting up of the Son of man, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness; and the benefit, which the free mercy of God extended to those who looked with faith upon this symbol of salvation.'

The words in which the first part of this prophecy is expressed, are sufficiently clear to prevent any ambiguity in the application of them. The term, "to lift up,"" applied to the death of the cross, was so frequently used in that sense, that its meaning here cannot be mistaken: but being a figurative expression, it possessed precisely the degree of uncertainty which would prevent its exact signification from being known, until interpreted by the event. On two other occasions, our Saviour employed the same words for the same purpose. He referred the Jews for a more perfect knowledge of his mission, to the time when they should

1 Σύμβολον σωτηρίας. Wisdom xvi. 6.

in See Pearson on the Creed, Art. IV. p. 200. Fol. 1676. Bochart. Hierozoicon. Lib. IV. Cap. xiii. p. 426. Schleusner. in voc. ὑψόω.

have" lifted up the Son of man.””

And at another time he declared, "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." And "this" we know "he said, signifying what death he should die." When, therefore, Christ said, "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up," he declared it to be determined in the Divine counsels, that he, who alone had come down from heaven, "who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God," had now made himself of no reputation, and taken upon himself the form of a servant, and had been made in the likeness of man: and that, being found in fashion as a man, he should humble himself, and become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.P

Every man, who has read the undisputed narratives of the evangelists, corroborated by the testimony even of their adversaries, knows how accurately this prediction was accomplished by the crucifixion of Christ. The resemblance between the two events, the lifting up of the serpent, and the lifting up of the Son of man, was perfect.

Still it was a resemblance, which a mere conjecture of Christ could hardly have devised; Phil. ii. 6, 7, 8.

■ John viii. 28.

• John xii. 32, 33.

and which no sagacity could have anticipated, when the first event occurred; even if the general circumstances of the second event could have been contemplated.

If an Israelite had conceived the idea of a prophet exciting the animosity of his countrymen, so as at length to be put to death at their instigation, the lifting up of the serpent would have conveyed to others no adequate notion of such a transaction. The fulfilment implied a most important political change. Crucifixion

was not a Jewish, but a Roman, punishment. If Christ were guilty of blasphemy, of which they afterwards accused him, they had a law, and by that law he ought to die." But death for such a crime would be inflicted by stoning." It had been revealed, however, in the prophets and in the law, that the Messiah should suffer death upon the cross: and the fate of empires was so ordered as to complete the designs of Divine wisdom. And Christ himself, to whom the Spirit was given without measure, knew from the beginning all things which must be fulfilled and what he foresaw he also 'foretold.

He knew, and he declared, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, and chief priests, and scribes:* that they should condemn him to death, and 4 John xix. 7. Lev. xxiv. 14, 16. 'Matt. xvi. 21.