at that time, fo vail himself as if he was void of divine glory? But they who were moft unwilling to own it, were obliged to confefs it, Mat. xxvii. 54. 6thly, Such a quantity of water flowed from the rock, that was fufficient not only to quench the thirft of the Ifraelites, but alfo to follow them in ftreams, whitherfoever they travelled in the wilderness, Pfal. Ixxviii. 15, 20. Pfal. cv. 41. Thus alfo the abundance of grace, that is in Chrift, inakes" our cup to overflow, and goodness and mercy to follow us all the days of our life," Pfal. xxiii. 5, 6.

LXI. What we have recorded, Numb. xx. 8. Is different from this hiftory, and is likewife myftical. There Mofes is commanded, indeed not to fmite the rock with his rod, but only to fpeak unto the rock, before the eyes of the Ifraelites, in order to its producing water. By which it feems was fignified, that Chrift ought to suffer but once, and that his one offering was fufficient for perfecting believers, Heb. ix. 27, 28. Heb. x. 14. The efficacy of which was to be difpenfed to the elect by the preaching of the gofpel. But Mofes, contrary to the will of the precept, though according to the will of the divine decree, in fmiting the rock twice, was a type of those, who wickedly indeed, but by the determinate counfel of God, perfecute over again, and evil entreat Chrift, after once fuffering on the crofs, in his myftical body, Acts ix. 4. Col. i. 26. As out of the rock, which was fmitten twice, there iffued out much water, and the congregation drank, Num. xx. 11. fo in like manner, even the afflictions of believers have turned out to the advantage of the church, Phil. i. 12. the blood of the martyrs, like a fructifying rain, has watered the paridife of God; and the fparks, flying every way from their funeral piles have far and near kindled a new light of faith, and new flames of love: fo that the church never experienced a greater abundance of divine confolations, than when she was forced to endure the heavieft ftrokes of perfecution. Yet as Mofes himself, who was fo faithful, fo dear to God, was for this very thing excluded the land of Canaan, Num. xx. II. fo none of thefe perfecutors fhall go unpunished for this their rafh prefumption, Pfal. cv. 14. 2 Theff. i. 6.

LXII. There now remains the facrament of the brazen ferpent, whofe hiftory recorded, Numb. xxi. 6.-Bochart has diftinctly explained, Hierozoic. p. 2. lib. 3. c. 13. The fum of which is this. The Ifraelites, for murmuring against God and against Mofes, and fpeaking with contempt of the heavenly manna, incurred the heavy difpleafure of the deity. And therefore ferpents were fent among them, to bite the people, and immediately cut off many by an infectious calamity. The

Scripture

scripture call these ferpents Seraphim; which name they have in common with the most exalted angels, and is derived from burning; but are fo called because they fend a flame out of their mouth, and burn by their venomous breath. The Greeks call fome ferpents, from their heat engas and xevas. But whether feraph here denotes a water-ferpent, or an amphibious ferpent, which is Bochart's opinion, or any other fpecies of ferpents, is neither fo very certain, nor much our concern to know. It is more profitable to confider how the divine mercy, importuned by the complaints of the people, and the confeffion of their fin, and the prayers of Mofes, afforded a prefent remedy for fo great an evil. At the direction of God a brazen ferpent was framed by Mofes, and put upon a pole; that whoever looked upon it when it was thus erected, might find a most infallible cure for the mortal bites of the ferpents: which alfo the event plainly proved. Three things are here diftinctly to be observed. (1.) The mifery of the people. (2.) God's favour and goodnefs. (3.) The duty required of man, in order to his partaking of that goodness.

LXIII. In the mifery of the people, we are to confider both the fin and the punishment of it. It was a fin, to throw contempt upon the manna, and to murmur against God and against Mofes. The depraved corruption of nature scarce any where more plainly fhews itself, than in the people of Ifrael; who though loaded with fo many benefits by God, so often chaftifed with paternal rods, yet inceffantly returned to their natural difpofition. Nor do they rife up against Mofes alone, by whofe means they had efcaped fo many dangers, but against God himself who was prefent among them, by fuch extraordinary figns of his majefty; and with a frantic wantonnefs lothe the manna, even the heavenly manna, which they had lately received with fo much eagerneís. Does not this plainly argue the unconquerable depravity of our nature, and the incredible abuse of the divine beneficence in man, when left to himself? And as we are all of the fame frame, we may behold, a fpecimen of our own perverfenefs in the Ifraclites.

LXIV. The punishment, confequent on the fin, was the bites of fiery ferpents; by which it is not improperly imagin ed, are fhadowed for the fuggeftions of the devil, when he tempts to difpair, and which Paul calls the fiery darts of Satan, Eph. vi. 16. and which fpread their poifon through every part. For the devils are truly feraphim; who, as in their first creation, they fhone fair with the flames of divine love, fo after their fin, became horrid and fcorching ferpents. As themfelves are fcorched with the fire of divine vengeance, fo they VOL. II.

RI

burn

burn with rage against God and his people. And indeed, they are justly given up to the vexations of Satan, who contemptuoufly reject the word of the gofpel, and the grace of God in Chrift, which is fweeter than any manna; or blafpheme against God himself, as Hymeneus and Alexander, 1 Tim. i. 20.

LXV. But as those Ifraelites who found the bites of the ferpents mortal, not being careful to obtain a cure, are an emblem of the impenitent, who, despise the grace of God, and fo die in their fins fo they who had recourfe to Mofes, confelling their fins, and imploring the grace of God, plainly fignify thofe, whom a fenfe of fin, and dread of divine judgment, excite to wifer refolutions; fuch as thofe, who were pricked in their heart, and faid to Peter and the other apostles, "Men and brethren what shall we do?" Acts. ii. 37. and the jailor, Acts xvi. 29, 30. But for their fake, God commanded Mofes to put a brazen ferpent on a pole, and promised, that as many as were bitten, fhould, by looking to it, be cured. Indeed, I make no manner of doubt, but this ferpent was a reprefentation of Chrift; for he himself afferts, John. iii. 14.

as Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the wilderness, even so muft the Son of man be lifted up." This type reprefents the antitype feveral ways.

LXVI. Firt, as to the form. That the ferpent was a type of the devil, not of Chrift, is afferted by a learned author without any probable reafon. Though the ferpent, which deftroyed the Ifraelites by their venomous bites, were a figure of the devil, yet all circumftances loudly declare the brazen ferpent, which was made at God's command, and ordained to cure the bites of the other ferpents, was a facrament of Chrift. Nor is it more improper to represent Chrift by the figure of a serpent, than, what the learned author fo often inculcates, by that of ♪ wanton goat. The fimilitude confifts in the following things. ift, That Chrift, though himself free from all fin, came "in the likeness of finful fleth," Rom. viii. 3. 2dly, That by a voluntary covenant-engagment, he fubftituted himfelf in the room of thofe, who by nature, like all others, are a "generation of vipers," Mat. iii. 7. 3dly, That by virtue of that engagement, by bearing their fins, he was made fin and the curfe, 2 Cor. v. 21. Gal. iii. 13. And fo had truly the figure of a ferpent, without its poison.

LXVII. Secondly, as to the matter of it, whereby in different refpects, were represented both the vileness of the human nature, the excellence of the divine, and the efficacy of the gospel, as the learned have obferved. 1ft, The ferpent was not of gold, but of brafs, which is a nearer metal, to hold forth Chrift to

us,

us, as one "in whom there is no form, nor comeliness, no beauty, that we fhould defire him," Ifa. liii. 2. 2dly, To fignify the divine power of Chrift by the firmness and durablenefs of brass. Whence Job vi. 12. " is my strength the ftrength of ftones? Or is my flesh of brafs ?" And in the Poet, a monument is faid to be more lafting than brass. 3dly, As among metals brafs is the moft founding. Whence Paul, 1 Cor. xiii. 1. " I am become as a found brass. Thus Chrift crucified feems to be rightly fet forth by brafs, as also the preaching of the crofs, " whofe found went into all the earth," Rom. x. 18.

LXVIII. Thirdly, as to the lifting up. This lifting up of the ferpent on a pole, prefigured the lifting up of Chrift, not his glorious exaltation in heaven, but his ignominious lifting up on the crofs, John iii. 14. As John himself explains that phrafe, John xii. 32, 33. For, according to the Syriac and the language of the Targum, to lift up, fignifies to hang up on a tree. Both actions are denoted by the fame term p. And as Bochart has learnedly obferved, that manner of fpeaking feems to have taken its rife from the decree of king Darius; at least it may be confirmed by that Ezra vi. 11. "whofoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being fet up, let him be hanged (put to death) thereon: fet up, that is hanged up. But holocaufts, or whole burnt-offerings, called in Hebrew by, that is, elevations, because they were carried upwards, fignified, that Chrift, when offering himself for fin, fhould be lted upon the crofs. Nor is it for nothing, that God would have the ferpent lifted up by Mofes. Because it was in confequence of the curfe, thundered out by the law, given by Mofes, that Chrift was nailed to the cross.

LXIX. Fourthly, With respect to the benefit: as from the ferpent the Ifraelites obtained the cure of their mortal bites; fo in the wings of Chrift there is healing," Mal. iv. 2. " he healeth all our diseases," Pfal. ciii. 3. Wherefore as the Jews, depending on fuch a present help, little dreaded the bites and ftings of the other ferpents; fo the believer, who relies upon Chrift, and makes nothing of the affaults of devils, cries out with full affurance, "O death, where is thy fting?" 1 Cor. xv. 55.

LXX. In order to partake in fo great a benefit, 'God required nothing of the Ifraelites, but to look to the brazen ferpent; juft fo a bare look to Chrift, lifted up on the crofs, perfectly cures the wounds given by the devil; namely, a look of faith by which Mofes faw him, who is invifible, Heb. xi. 27. Thus Chrift himself explains it, John iii. 14, 15., “As Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the wilderness, even so must the

Son of man be lifted up that whofoever believeth in him, fhould not perish, but have eternal life." If therefore any among the Ifraelites were blind, or voluntarily turned away eyes, there remained no hope of falvation for them: fo neither at this day for unbelievers, or for " those that rebel against the light," Job xxiv. 13. or for thofe, "whofe minds the god of this world hath blinded, least the light of the glorious gospel of Chrift, fhould fine unto them," 2 Cor. iv. 4. Yet as even a weak fight might be faving; fo a faith ftill in a state of weaknefs, if it be genuine and fincere, refcues us from death: and as whoever was once bit and cured by the fight of the ferpent, if again bit, he was to have recourfe to the fame remedy: fa if after our restoration, we fall again into fin, the fame faith fuccours, as before.

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CHA P. XI.

Of the Bleffings of the Old Teflament,

S the Old Testament is nothing, but the covenant of grace, as it was difpenfed before Chrift came in the flesh, it is neceffary, that all the bleffings or good things, which were promised by the covenant of grace, as fuch, have likewife a place in the Old Teftament. But the benefits of the covenant of grace are eternal falvation, and whatever has a neceffary connection therewith; fuch as, regeneration, vocation by the word and Spirit of grace, faith, juftification, fpiritual peace, adoption, and, in a word, all the particulars explained in the preceding book. Though most of these are much more eminent under the New Teftament, yet all of then as to their substance, were conferred even under the Old, as this is evident from the nature of the thing, and from what we have proved before. We fhall only treat of the good things peculiar to the Old Teftament, especially under the Mofaic difpenfation.

II. And they are five. I. The election of the Ifraelites for a peculiar people. II. The inheritance of the land of Canaan. HI. The familiar demonftration and inhabitation of the divine majesty. IV. The fhadowing forth of divine myfteries, and daily fealing them by a religion of ceremonies. V. An almost uninterrupted fucceffion of infpired prophets,

III. It was certainly a great benefit, that God should choose

the