to the excellency of meanes but by weake and unlikely meanes effects his great works And therefore that which had no power of cure in it selfe must cure and heale that the worke may be knowen to be his and not the meanes 2. The lower and baser the meanes are the better may the Israelites be led through them and so beyond them It was not the will of God that they should rest in the brazen serpent which had no power of cure but through it bee led by faith vnto the Messiah who onely could cure them 3. Though it was of brasse yet it was strong and signified Jesus Christ how weake soever in mens eyes yet was hee first the mighty and strong God secondly powerfull and able to deliver his people thirdly most invincible and potent also against all his enemies he is a wall of brasse and his strength is as the strength of brasse Reuel 1. 15. 4. Being of brasse as it was strong so was it shining and bright signifying Christ in respect of his divine and eternall generation truely shining and glorious Hee was the brightnesse of his Father Heb. 1. 3. the very brightnesse of the glory of God excelling all the Angels in heaven in their clearest glory and brightnesse Revel 1. 16. 5. As that serpent so shined that the Israelites might look upon it and their eyes not dazled so this great glory was so vailed by his flesh and humility as we the Israel of God might behold it yea approch it and fetch our salvation and happinesse from it 2. It resembled Christ in the forme for the forme was of a serpent First a serpent is of an hatefull and contemptible shape and appearance so was Christ in his owne habite Isai. 53. a despised man a worme rather then a man men saw no beauty in him but hid their eyes Secondly the serpent was accursed of God So Christ lay under the curse of sinne for us Gal. 3. 13. Thirdly that was but like a serpent in the forme of a serpent not a serpent it had onely the shape not the life sting nor poison of a serpent So Jesus Christ was the similitude of sinfull flesh but no sinner No venim or poison of sinne was found in him neither in his nature nor actions Rom. 8. 3. hee was in the similitude of sinfull flesh as that of a serpent but without all sting or spot of sinne The third thing in the appointment is the end or use of the serpent It must bee lift up upon a pearch that all Israel might see it Which plainly noteth both the kind of death which Christ must suffer as also the proper end and vertue of it as in these particulars 1. Both must bee lifted up So Christs crucifying is called an exaltation from the earth Ioh. 12. 32. 2. Both must be exalted upon wood the Pole a type of the Crosse of Christ. 3. Both among the Jews out of the Church is no salvation 4. Both to be looked upon one with the eye of the body the other with the eye of faith 5. Both to recover health and life one of body the other of soule one frees from corporall death the other from spirituall and eternall II. The applying of this remedy was nothing but the looking upon the brazen serpent which signified the sinners beholding of Jesus Christ for his cure The meanes of application of the remedy was the eye of the Israelite So the instrument of applying the remedy by Jesus Christ is the eye of faith which is the eye of the soule So our Saviour Christ himselfe expoundeth it Ioh. 3. As the brasen Serpent was lift up so shall the son of man that whosoever beleeveth in him c. That which Moses calls looking on the type Christ calls beleeving in himselfe the truth Which if the Lord had not purposed to expresse he could as easily have remooved the Serpents as appointed the making of another and as easily have healed them by his word as by this signe but hereby affords them a double mercy and cure one of the body by the signe another of their soules by the thing and truth thereby signifyed III. From this application followes a saving effect The Israelite by looking lived and received present ease with freedome from paine and poyson So the beleever looking on Christ by the eye of faith hath an heavenly life restored present ease from the paine of a guilty and accusing conscience freedome from the poyson of sinne both the guilt and staine of it But herein the truth is advanced above the type 1. That brazen Serpent had not power in it selfe to cure this hath power in it selfe 2. Whereas they were cured to dye againe beleevers attaine a sound cure never to dye more Ioh. 11. 26. 3. Whereas that did not alwaies retaâ—â—e the vertue of curing our brazen Serpent doth ever retaiâ—e power and vertue for the salvation of beleevers looking towards him to the end of the world 4. Wheras this brasen Serpent now a remedy against poyson was after turned to poyson the Israelites in Hezekiahs time which made him stampe it to powder our brazen Serpent ever remaineth the soveraigne and healing God as unchangeable in his goodnesse as hee is in his most holy and divine nature 5. That remained a great while about seaven hundred and threescore yeares but after was defaced and destroyed Our brazen Serpent can never bee defaced or destroyed but abides the Saviour of sinners to all eternity Oh now what a sweet Sermon doth this one type containe of the whole summe and marrow of the Gospell what a pregnant testimony and vaticinie is it alone of the death and passion of Jesus Christ as also of the vertue and merit of the same and consequently what a prop and stay of our faith what a goade and spurre to drive us to Jesus Christ in whose name alone wee can bee saved Sect. 3. I. Note What weake and contrary meanes the Lord useth to effect great things for his Church and in his Church Was there any sence or reason to be conceived in all this counsell and ordinance of God in healing thus his people 1. Could a Serpent of brasse a shape only more heale then hurt them 2. Could a dead Serpent prevaile against so many living and fiery Serpents 3. Shall not this shape and image of a Serpent be so much as touched or applyed to the wound but the sight of it onely a farre off cure a mortall wound really inflicted How inconceivable is this to humane reason which perhaps would count it foolish and ridiculous But the Lord though he might by many other more mighty and likely meanes will by no other meanes effect their deliverance He that brought in the Serpents could as easily have remooved them if not that yet he might have hindered them from biting them or hee might powerfully of the same poyson have made a remedy but he chooseth most unlikely meanes Qu.
live by faith and die in faith as the Saints in former ages have done for our imitation 3. We must hold on this expectation on our Serpent as the Israelites did till they were perfectly cured And because we can never bee perfectly cured in this life but onely in part wee must still looke up to Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith till we be fully and perfectly healed Hence it is that the Lord will never have this Brazen Serpent taken downe as the other was after a short time but hath appointed the Ministery to lift him up and hold him perpetually before our eyes so long as wee are here below and enjoyned us the constant use of it all the while wee are in this wildernesse which were needlesse if we had once attained our perfect cure This is a strong motive to hold our eyes fast fixed upon Jesus Christ till we come to enjoy him as he is when all Ministery shall cease and the Lamb shall be all in all Sect. VIII From this so excellent a figure ariseth a bright Sunne of light and comfort for all the faithfull 1. The Israelite that could looke to the serpent if his eye were never so tender weake or dimme yet was cured Thou that art the weakest beleever bee comforted thy weake faith shall save thee thy smoking flaxe shall not be quenched but cleared to farther brightnesse Thy weake hand shall bee able to receive and hold the gift of righteousnesse and eternall life It is not the greatnesse of thy faith that saves thee but the truth of it Yet with this caution If it be true it will strive to encrease And if there bee so much comfort in weake faith how much is there in strong 2. The Israelite stung never so often if so often hee did looke on the serpent so often hee was cured Oh singular comfort Thou that renewest thy sinnes every day and every day goest over the same frailties renew also thy faith daily and thy repentance and thou art safe That brazen serpent lost his vertue of healing but our Brazen Serpent never loseth his If thou sinnest seventy times seven times and so many times returnest by faith in Christ and say It repents mee by this looking upon the brazen serpent all those wounds shall be cured Yet with this caution That as he had been a madd Israelite who because there was a serpent set up to cure him would therefore runne of purpose among serpents to be stung by them So is hee no lesse witâ—esse a Christian who therefore willingly makes his sinne abound because grace hath abounded A madd man he is that will therefore breake his head or wound his members because he hath a soveraigne plaister by him 3. The Israelites stung never so deadly never so desperately never so long wounded yet looking on the serpent were cured If thy sinnes bee as redd as scarlet and never so great if in thy sense some one of them deserve a thousand hells and the guilt of it or them rings continually in the eares of thy conscience frighted with feares of hell and death if thy sinnes bee festered and of long continuance Now come to the Brazen Serpent Never was any Israelite that could looke on the serpent sent away uncured But there is ten thousand times more vertue in Jesus Christ then in ten millions of brazen serpents onely looke on this Serpent by the eye of faith turne from all thy sinnes and be saved 4. The Israelites looking on the serpent brought present cure and ease and they went away rejoycing If thou beleevest in Jesus Christ thou art perfectly cured As Christ was wont to say to his patients so I say to thee Goe in peace Thy faith hath made thee whole Onely this grace can quiet the heart distressed and can keepe it from sinking as once it did Peter Mat. 14. 29. In this is the beginning and accomplishment of thy happinesse The converted Gaoler went away rejoycing that he his house beleeved Act. 16. 34. Now if one sight of faith in this our absence from Christ bee so joyfull a thing what shall the â—ight of fruition doe in his presence 5. The Israelites having once the brazen serpent cared not for the fiery serpents They might sting them now but not much hurt them they might now poison them but not kill them So the beleever looking to the true Brazen Serpent may triumph over the old Serpent and all the serpentine seed and say as the Apostle teacheth 1. Cor. 15. 55. Oh sinne where is thy sting oh hell where is thy victory Nay Thanks bee to God who hath given us victory by our Lord Iesus Christ. Great was the power of the Israelites looking upon that serpent for when the fiery serpents were present it made them powerlesse and not hurtfull Greater is the power of faith in the Lord Jesus which though our sinnes in themselves are most venemous and poisonfull stings and such as wee cannot be rid of them yet it so blunts them and makes them so powerlesse that they kill us not Nay that they hurt us not nay more that they helpe us and make us better more humble more wise more watchfull Thus our good God who out of the most infinite curse of Christ his Sonne on the Crosse brought forth to us the most infinite blessing which fills heaven and earth doth out of our cursed sinnes bring forth his owne glory joyned with our greatest good For which as for all other his unspeakable mercies unto us be praise given in all Churches and from henceforth to all eternities Amen FINIS I. Lambert Martyr Epist. ad Romanos Col. 3. 11â— Rom. 10. 4. Cont. Iul. 9. Do cibis Iud. cap. 5. Cont. Faust. Advers Iud. Heb. 13. 8. John 14. 6. Heb. 1â— 2. Eph. 4. 5. M. Min. Fel. Octav. Rom. 11. 26. Ludov. Caâ—retus 1553. Christ the truth of legall shadows Introduction to this Treatise Sacramenta sunt muâ—ata non fides Aug. God appointed a multitude of ceremonies to the â—ewes for 5. reasons Velata sunt ista donec aspiraret dies removerentur umbâ—â—e Aâ—g Grace in the new Testament specially how Ceremonies called shadows for 4. reasons Non ex opere opâ—ato Vse of them to the Jews Gods wisdome in appointing them The generall division of this Treatise Adam a type of Christ in foure things Vterque ad imaginem Dei conditus uterque Deo charissimus Primus ecclesiae doctor audiens immediate a Deo quae ecclesiae eraÌ„t proponenda ita Christus Vse 1. The Ministery â—everend for antiquity Antiquity of the doctrine of free grace Quod antiquissiâ—â—um verissimuÌ„ Tertul. Seeke life by Christs death 2. Cor. 4. 6. Get into Christ the second Adam as thou art surely of the first Motives 1. Cor. 1. 30. Noah a type of Christ in seven respects Differences betweene Christs and Noahs righteousnesse Christus iam perfectus Noah currâ—ns ad perfectionâ—m August Noahs Arke and Christs 6.
of that of this sinne and of that How may I doe to get mastery of my corruptions In going to Gods Ministers let thy errand bee the same with the Israelites in their going to Moses how to be rid of the Serpents 4. Moses directs them to the brazen Serpent erected for their cure for Moses himselfe cannot helpe them Moses law cannot cure them that rather sharpens the sting and thrusts it deeper into the flesh and spirit He directs them to no merits or works of their owne to cure them for their merits brought in those poysoned stings among them but he sends them quite out of themselves to Gods ordinance which was the brasen Serpent Thou art never in the way of cure till thou art sent out of thy selfe out of the Law and works of it which now cannot justifie till thou commest to the Evangelicall brazen Serpent there is no hope of cure As the Israelite could never be cured till hee acknowledged the brazen Serpent the onely meanes so no more canst thou till thou acknowledge JESUS CHRIST the onely healing God and that there is no other name in heaven or earth to be saved by but the name JESUS Onely Christ onely Christ said that Martyr for he onely can give a perfect righteousnesse he onely can cover our imperfection hee onely being no sinner could conquer sinne he onely by dying could conquer death he onely by entring into the grave could sweeten it he onely by sustaining the sorrowes of hell could shut hell for all beleevers Had Moses sent the Israelites any whither but to the brazen Serpent he had deluded them and they had lost all their labour Who now is so void of judgement that cannot discerne whether our religion or the Roman be the ancient and true religion of Moses and the people of God If a man stung with the serpent come to us for counsell and cure as they to Moses we send him as Moses out of himselfe to Christ onely the true brazen Serpent Our doctrine leads him out of himselfe out of his owne merits out of externall works and ceremonies unto Christ who is our peace and left his peace unto beleevers and by this meanes through Gods blessing the patient attaines true tranquillity of mind and inward peace of conscience and rejoyceth with an unspeakable and glorious joy for his recovery as the Israelites did in theirs But let a man stung in conscience goe to a Roman teacher hee leads him any way but the right any whither so not to Christ. In stead of Gods certaine direction in the words of the Prophets and Apostles which testifie of Christ the onely brazen serpent they send him to unsound and uncertaine speculations fables traditions equall say they to Scripture and some of them say farre better In stead of Christs satisfaction and merit they send him home to his owne merits and satisfactions by which say they he may apply the satisfaction and merit of Christ. But in case he be so bad as he have no merits of his owne the Church hath a Treasury of other mens merits to dispense by taile so he will come to the price So he may buy oyle enough to fill his lampe out of the Popes Exchequer or Burse filled to the top with workes of supererogation But if he make some scruple of this least the wise virgins have not enough for themselves and others then they may have the sacrifice of the Masse not to faile but never apply that one and only sacrifice upon the Crosse it selfe Now whether of us agree with Moses 5. As the Israelite must looke up to the Serpent lifted up so must thou looke up and behold Christ lifted up This must thou doe two waies First on the wood of the Crosse secondly on the throne of the Kingdome both of grace and glory Behold Christ lifted up not in his abasement onely but in his advancement First in the Kingdome of grace as hee is lifted up in the word and Sacraments In which Christ is mightily declared the Son of God and preached the Saviour of the world Gal. 3. 1 among whom Christ was crucified Secondly in his kingdome of glory raysed from the dead ascended into heaven and exalted at the right hand of God above all principalities and powers Phil. 2. 9 God hath given him a name which is above every name Now the looking on Christ thus lifted up is the act of faith not a bare intuition sight or vision as to beleeve that Christ was thus exalted on the Crosse and in his Kingdom but it is apprehensive and applicatory and to beleeve in CHRIST crucified and glorified This looking hath three things in it 1. To beleeve that hee was the Sonne of God and sonne of man our Immanuel 2. That he being so was lift up for the salvation of beleevers 3. That my selfe assuredly trust and depend on him alone as the onely author meritour and bestower of salvation This is Evangelicall looking on the Serpent Now because this looking is the principall thing in the cure we will consider 1. How this looking cures us 2. How wee know wee are cured by our looking 3. Motives to stirre us up still to looke on our Serpent Sect VII I. When the Israelite comes to Moses and asketh Oh what shall I doe to be saved from death being so deadly stung A full answer to this question was goe looke upon the brazen Serpent thou shalt be whole So if an humble soule suppose the Jaylor shall come to the Minister as Paul or Silas Sirs what may I doe to be saved the direct answer to this question is Beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and yee are saved by faith and Thy faith hath made thee whole Quest. But how doth faith save us Answ. Not as it is an excellent grace nor as any work of ours We are not saved and cured for beleeving but by beleeving 1. Because faith is the condition of the Covenant and of our cure as looking was the condition of the cure of the Israelite For it was not the having of a Brazen Serpent nor the lifting it up could cure but the Israelites looking upō it so it is not the hearing of Christ nor the lifting of him up in the Ministery nor knowledge of his merits can save unlesse they be received by faith A potion never so vertuous is fruitlesse if not taken As meat uneaten so is Christ not digested and applied by faith 2. Faith cannot cure considered simply in it selfe as a quality or vertue or gift or habit but considered relatively with his object which is Jesus Christ the Lord our righteousnesse for faith is the eye of the soule But as it was not the eye of the Israelite but the eye set upon the brazen serpent that cured him so here faith upon his object cureth because onely faith draweth vertue from Christ as in the Syrophoenician who touched Christ and was cured but
Why doth the Lord thus Answ. For three reasons 1. Hee will have his people looke for helpe at no hand but his owne who useth in such meanes to helpe as whence no helpe can be expected but onely divine Israel now sees that all the world cannot make a dead serpent prevaile against living serpents but that God of all the world to whom all creatures obey 2. Hee will have his people hereby know and acknowledge the power of his word For it was not the Serpent as it was brasse nor as it was lifted up nor as it was beheld that could heale them but as unto this signe was added the word first of commandement secondly of promise By vertue of which word the infected persons were cured Psal. 107. 20 he sent out his word and healed them Gods word alone can make a Serpent heale and a dead serpent restore to life 3. Hee will shew the mighty power of his arme which hath ever by weake things confounded the mighty See this in examples When God was to save Noah from the deluge one would have thought it fit to have reared him up a mighty turret of iron or Adamant or founded him some invincible building upon some mighty rocke to have resisted the waters But Noah must build himselfe a weak Arke of boords and a little pitch and that must floatal the time and sustane all the waves and billowes without mast sterne or Pilot or any the like meanes to preserve it When God was by Ioshua to demolish the mighty walls of Jericho he bids him not set against it huge engins or warlike Ramms and batteries to batter it seven dayes together but hee must cast downe the walls with looking on them and winne the City by walking about it seven dayes and onely blow upon it with Rammes hornes but not lift an hand or Weapon against it Iosh. 6. When God sends Gideon against an huge army of Midianites to overcome them a man would have thought he would have furnished them with armour of proofe and munition fit for the warre but hee puts into their hands trumpets and pitchers and lampes within the pitchers and bids them not fight but onely make a noyse and so they conquer Iudg. 7. 17. When God is to foyle that mighty Giant Goliah a warriour from his youth who alone at the sight of him made all Israel run away 1 Sam. 17. 24 he chooseth not a man of war and prowess but a poore shepheard David a boy as Saul calls him ver 33. and hee not armed with sword and speare as Goliah was but with a sling and a scrip and five stones with which when he had overthrowne him he borrowed his owne sword to cut off his head These instances in stead of many may serve to shew Gods ordinary custome and delight to effect the greatest matters by weakest meanes and to advance his own power in weakenesse This doctrine may be fruitfully applyed to our present times in which wee see such tumults raysed against the Church such insolencies of the enemy such hopes yea triumphs before victory If God give his Church a check and his people receive a foyle oh how the enemy laughs and boasts and blasphemes as if all were theirs But let us rayse our faith and confidence in considering these grounds 1. God can and doth often worke by unlikely and contrary meanes When he was to multiply Abrahams seed as the starres of heaven he begins his promise with that precept Abraham take thy sonne thy onely sonne and slay him in sacrifice What seemed more diametrally or directly contrary to this promise yet hindred not but furthered it 2. Gods word and promise for the present causes of the Church shall be accomplished either with meanes or without them yea against them God hath determined and in his word foretold the fall of Antichrist and destruction of Babilon Isa. 60. 12 the kingdome that will not serve the Lord shal be destroyed much more that Kingdome which is most opposite to the Lord as this is More specially 2 Thes. 2. 8 whom the Lord shall consume and abolish There is both a consumption and an extinction The former wee have seene the second as certainely remains in short time to be done Rev. 19. 20 21 The beast and the false Prophet shal be taken and their flesh made meat for the fowles of the ayre There is more strength in this word of God then in all Antichristian limbes and captaines All Babylons Physitians shall not heale her for great is the Lord who will destroy her If this be the time it shall forward apace if deferred not forgotten 3. The cause in hand is Gods cause against a Kingdome 1. contrary to Christs whole Kingdome 2. a Kingdome destinated to destruction by God 3. a Kingdome against which Christian Princes are called to sanctifie their swords and to fire her and to retourne double according to the whores workes 4. a Kingdome in which every member is an high blasphemer and ought to dye no eye pittying them 5. a Kingdome an infinite encroacher upon Christian Kings and Kingdomes and disturber of all their common and publike peace by claimes to all Crowns scepters lawes subjection but God is with his cause and therefore it is strong enough 4. The cause is not therefore at an end because foyled nor farther from victory because the party seemes weaker and the meanes incomparable Iudges 20 Israel had the better cause then Benjamin and more number of souldiers and were prudent and expert in warre as it appeares by some stratagems set against the enemie yet was foyled and broken twice because although God had beene sought yet not so seriously as was fit If the Israel of God had sought the Lord so seriously by fasting prayer and sound humiliation the powers of Antichrist could not prevaile But great are the sinnes of the Church which must be corrected and God will be more earnestly sought to be found in so great mercy Againe Salomon observed that the race was not alwaies to the swift nor the battaile to the strong nor for their strength Gedeons armie may be too many for God to give victory by Meanes are to bee used not trusted in and whether they bee likely or unlikely God will save his Church either by them or without them Therefore let the Church looke backe to that of Moses Exod. 14. 14 The Lord shall fight for you and yee shall hold your peace Sect. IV. II. Moses having a commandement shuts his owne eye and makes a brazen Serpent though he had no reason for it And the people having a word of commandement and promise shut the eye of their reason and open the eyes of their faith and by beholding this shape of a Serpent were cured and found life restored not by a thing having life but by a dead thing Learn how the eye of faith must shut up the eye of our reason and having a word