XLV.

THE BRAZEN SERPENT.

JOHN iii. 14-15.-"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 everlasting life."

We have no ground to suppose that our Saviour here refers to the brazen serpent as a type of himself, but he seizes upon it as an event every way adapted as an illustration of his own character and work. Let us endeavour, in our interpretation of such subjects as this, to keep to those points in which the analogy is obvious. In the two events here referred to, there are several prominent points of similarity.

I. IN THE OCCASION.

In the twenty-first chapter of the book of Numbers we have the narrative of that transaction to which our Saviour refers.

1. The people's sin

Their sin was an impeachment of the truth and goodness of God, who had promised them Canaan-fed them with angels' food-brought them on their way by a series of signal interpositions. Yet they spake against God. The fact of their sin could not be denied--its guilt and impiety are unquestionable.

All men are open to a charge of a like nature. No truth is more evident, no fact better substantiated; it is written on every page of the Bible; it is manifested every day in the actions of men. The truth here charged is not that some men, many men, but that all have sinned. No exception can be made. Man and sinner are synonymous terms. It is worthy of remark, that our Lord, in this conversation, attempts no proof of the fact-he assumes it.

The charge is not affected by the number of sins. One sin exposed the Israelites to punishment; one sin expelled the rebel angels from heaven; one sin excluded our first parents from Paradise; one sin fixes the charge of sinner. If

you have committed but one sin, the fact of it will cling to you for ever. You can never be other than a sinner.

2. The punishment.

In both cases it is,

(1.) Of Divine origin.

God sent fiery flying serpents-these serpents were probably termed fiery from their bite producing inflammation, such serpents are found in those parts of the world; but if the Israelites had not sinned, they would never have been visited by these serpents-God sent them. All men are alike exposed to the wrath of God. The state of every sinner is that of actual condemnation. "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men."

(2.) Beyond human relief.

The bite of the serpent was invariably followed by death. No doubt all that affection, interest, or self-preservation could do, was done, but all of no avail. And is it not so in the case of the sinner; who can deliver him from the wrath of God? Who rescue him from the grasp of Omnipotence? Who drink for him the cup of righteous indignation? II. THE REMEDY.

This also is,

1. Of Divine appointment.

The scheme of redemption originated with God-it is the offspring of his love. Man had no claims upon God but those of a condemned criminal.

2. Adapted to the case.

This is inferred from the fact that it is the remedy provided by infinite wisdom. In this remedy are displayed all the riches of wisdom and knowledge. The scheme of redemption is called "the wisdom of God."

"Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up ;" on another occasion our Lord said, "And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me;" and then it is added, "This he said, signifying what death he should die." The lifting up of Christ refers to the death of the cross. To die on a cross

was to die under a curse. The death of Christ was an atone

ment for human guilt. Without it sin could not be pardoned nor the sinner saved. Every attribute of the Divine character surround, harmonize, and centre in the cross. Everything required on the part of God-everything needed in the case of man are found there.

Men are in danger of perishing-of sinking down to the flames of hell-of being punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord.

4. The remedy, to be efficacious, requires personal application. It was not the mere elevation of the serpent which cured the Israelite; he remained in dying circumstances till he looked at the serpent. Neither does the death of Christ of itself secure the salvation of the sinner. Many expect salvation merely because Christ died. The death of Christ has opened the way for God to forgive sin. It secures the salvation of the sinner in no other way than by making it safe, and honourable, and just, for God to forgive sin. It does not dispose God to be merciful; he was disposed to save man, and the death of Christ furnishes the means of doing this, consistently with his holiness, justice, and truth. God has therefore enjoined faith in Christ, as the condition on which he bestows the blessings procured by his death. This faith requires, in the penitent, a sense of his condition— belief in the efficacy of the remedy-expectation of reliefentire trust of the soul. Faith admits of degrees—but here the lowest degree of saving faith insures salvation. The bitten Israelite might have weak sight, and not be able to see the serpent, but if he did but turn his head in the right direction, he was cured. So with the penitent. He may not be able to see the connexion betwixt pardon and the death of Christ, he may have no very accurate conception of the design of that death, but if he sincerely make the effort to believe, if he try to expect salvation through Christ, he is saved.

III. THE RESULTS.

The cure is,

1. Certain.

No Israelite could look and remain uncured. No sinner can believe and remain unsaved.

There never was a case of failure.

All who believe are saved.
Sinners of every variety

of character, of every age, and of every clime, have tried it, and have been saved.

2. Instantaneous.

The moment of exercising faith is the moment of cure.

K. G.

XLVI.

THE LOVE OF GOD TO MAN.

JOHN iii. 16.-"God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

The love of God, manifest in the redemption and salvation of a lost and perishing world, is to be our theme on the present occasion.

I. THE OBJECT OF THIS LOVE.

"God loved the world."

His love then was,

1. Undeserved.

demned sinner.

The world is fallen from God. Man is a guilty, conHe was holy-but he has fallen. He was good-he is now vile. He had the image of God-he is now deformed and polluted with sin. Yet guilty, unholy, fallen, vile, deformed, polluted, though he be, he is the object of the love of God.

2. Disinterested.

They who are the objects of it, could do nothing to purchase, or to procure it. Neither does their redemption add anything to the happiness or glory of God.

3. Unsolicited.

If God loved the world, then he loved those by whom such love was unsolicited, nay, undesired. Man is altogether estranged from God; he is an alien; yet estranged and alienated, God loved him.

II. THE GIFT BY WHICH THIS LOVE WAS MANIFESTED. If God love the world, then he must manifest his love in a way worthy of himself. "He gave is only begotten Son."

1. The value of this gift.

The gift bestowed was the Son of God; the only begotten Son of God. In some places in the scriptures, angels are called the Sons of God; for they were created by him. Believers in Christ are called sons of God; they are so by adoption. But in neither of these senses, assuredly, can the Redeemer of the world be called Son of God, for he is termed

the "only begotten." He is the Son of God in a sense far higher than either of these; he participates in the nature of the Father; he is a Son in the Divine nature. If then he be a Divine person, it was an act of infinite love when this Son was bestowed to suffer death on the cross for the redemption of guilty man.

2. The peculiar relation in which the gift stood to the Giver. He was the dear and only one in whom the Father delighted; yet his dear, his well-beloved, his only Son, he gave for the redemption of man. What must have been the love of God to man, when, sooner than man should perish without help and without hope, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son?" Does not this teach us that a less valuable gift could not expiate human crime? Does not this teach us that a less price than this could not have effected man's redemption?

III. THE END THIS LOVE HAS ACCOMPLISHED.

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That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

1. Glance at the death we may escape.

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Should not perish." A word of awful import. To" perish" is to be cast away. To" perish" is to be lost.

То

perish" is to be undone. To "perish," means death, in its most awful sense-it is everlasting death. To "perish," is to be shut out from God-from heaven, to be shut up in the regions of darkness and despair. But we need not perish, for there is deliverance.

2. The life we may secure.

"Everlasting life." In its beginning it is the experience of the favour of God-the regenerating and sanctifying power of the Spirit-the privilege of adoption-together with all the blessings connected with such exalted state. This is life-and this life is to be eternal. And now look,

"That

3. At the condition by which this end is secured. whosoever believeth.' Observe that this great benefit, this everlasting life, as the result of the Redeemer's incarnation and vicarious sacrifice, is not dispensed indiscriminately, without qualification of character, and circumstance. There must be submission to God's plan of salvation; there must be a cordial acceptance of the redeeming plan. There must be the trust of the heart in the efficacy of Christ's atonement.

N.