fulfilled. In the Scriptures of the Old Testament, we find the death and passion of Christ set forth prophetically both by word and by types. For it is written in the work of the prophet Daniel, "After sixty and two weeks the Messiah shall be cut off. (slain) but not for himself." (Dan. ix. 26.) He is brought, saith Isaiah," as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." (Isaiah liii. 7) The reader will observe, that Daniel speaks in the future tense of the death of Christ, but Isaiah, who lived more than a century before Daniel, speaks in the present tense, and also in the past, of the death of Christ; so true it is, that faith is the evidence of things not seen. And here we may observe, that the apostles preached the word of faith,-(Rom. x. 8.)-and that "Abraham believed God who quickened the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were;" (Rom. iv. 17) which is for substance saying, that Abraham believed in the Eternal God, the only true God, who calleth things as he seeketh them in his own proper eternity! The death of Christ was also set forth by types; as when Isaac was lifted up and laid upon the altar by his father; the Paschal Lamb, the daily sacrifices, all shadowed forth the sacrifice of Christ, and none more remarkably than the one in the text, the lifting up of the brazen serpent in the wilderness. Now, that these prophecies and these types set forth in the Scriptures be fulfilled, therefore there was a MUST, or needs be, that the Son of Man be lifted up, suffer, and die. Our Saviour saith, "The Scriptures cannot be broken;" (John x. 35) and therefore they cannot be frustrated or made void, although the Pharisees oppose the eternity of Christ previous to his manhood, and make void the word of God by their traditions and philosophy. Yea, rather than the Scripture be broken, Christ suffered, the just for the unjust, to bring sinners unto God! 3. There was a necessity in respect of the elect of mankind. God the Father needed not to have given his Son; Christ needed not to have given himself, for in respect of God the Father and Christ it were free, but we needed it. He must suffer and die, otherwise we must have suffered, and experienced the power of the second death. As no creature under the law of God could fulfil the law for others, or satisfy divine justice for the myriads to be redeemed, so God the Son, the builder of man, built up and raised up the tabernacle of David, which had fallen down, and repaired, the breach which had been made between God and the elect of mankind. And such was the way the wisdom of God had ordered, for the redemption of his people, that the Son, the Builder of man, must be lifted up in that same nature in which his people had sinned, that they might receive the promise of the Holy Ghost through faith, and be partakers of the Divine nature, the Spirit of Christ! And that there was such a necessity for the Son of Man being lifted up, is implied in the verse following the text, "that Vol. IV. No. VII. 2 P whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John iii. 16. 36.) In regard therefore of us, it was neces sary, or expedient, as Caiphas prophesied, "It is expedient he said, for us that one man should die for the people, that the whole nation perish not," (John xi. 50, 51.) And thus in three respects there was a needs be the Son of Man be lifted up. But before we proceed to the use which may be made of the doctrine in the text, we shall do well to review the subject. 1. Nicodemus was a ruler of the Pharisees that came to Christ; whom our Lord addressed in the words of the text. He came to Christ from the conviction, that Christ was a teacher come from God, or he could not have wrought such miracles. Upon hearing of his conviction, our Lord preaches to him the doctrine of being born from above, that he might shew to Nicodemus, that the Elect were not God's first born, as the Pharisees by their lying traditions held the Jews were, viz., by being born first, or before the Gentiles, but by a second birth; which put Nicodemus to his wit's end, for he immediately said, "How can these things be?" The doctrine therefore of the second birth is very important. Our Lord answers all the objections and reasons whichi Nicodemus brought against the doctrine, and explains to him the nature of it, and the needs be for it, before a man could see and enter into the kingdom of God. The difficulty which Nicodemus made was natural, for he understood not the supernatural or spiritual birth; and this shews, that men by offices, may be teachers of others in matters of religion, as Nicodemus was, who have no spiritual experience of the knowledge of the mysteries of God. and 2. That as the term "Son of Man" in the Hebrew tongue, according to the Old Testament scripture, signifies the builder and the raiser of man; all the reasonings of men, in opposition to Our Lord's testimony, that "no man hath ascended up to Heaven, but he that came down from Heaven, even the Son of Man, which is in Heaven," is a solemn proof, that the men of the world by their wisdom know not God; for as our Lord is speaking of himself as then in heaven, when talking to Nicodemus on earth, at the same time, that no man had ascended up to heaven, it is evident he used the term "Son of Man" in reference to himself, who did not cease to be what he eternally was, although made flesh, and that he was then "dwelling in that light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see." (1 Tim. vi. 16.) 3. As Our Lord knew what vile doctrines men would teach out of their own imaginations, namely, that He, (Christ) must be a Christian, or an anointed man, or that he could not be Christ; so He was pleased to speak of himself as the antitype of the Brazen Serpent, who was neither a serpent by nature, nor a serpent made of brass, in order that his people might know the Christ of God is ABLE TO ANOINT, TO BREATHE ON HIS DISCIPLES, AND FILL THEM WITH THE HOLY GHOST; (John xx. 22.)—yea; as well as breathe into man's nostrils after he had made him of the dust of the ground; when the man he had formed became a living soul. (Gen. ii. 7.) (To be Continued.) -000 THE BELIEVER'S LIFE HIS CONSOLATION IN DEATH. "He is thy life, and the length of thy days." Deut. xxx. 20. "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear (Concluded from page 251.) In this most blessed relation-Christ as the Head of the Church-he ever lived, does now, and ever will; heis their head, as a general is head to his army; as a king is head to his subjects; as a husband is head to his wife; as a father is head to his children; as a master is to his servants; but besides these, our most blessed Lord is that to his people, as the natural head is to the natural body; and the members of it, of the same nature with it; superior to it; communicates life, sense, and motion to it; overlooks and protects it; he is the representative head of his body, the church; being united to him, we are in him, he was chosen to be the head of the elect family, out of the boundless love of God the Father; and they were chosen in him. Eternal election gives us a subsistence, a representative being in Christ; he lives in God's eternal mind and love, as the head of the church, and his people live in him, and shall live for ever in him; nor sin, nor time, nor death, can part them. Christ as head, and his people were chosen together; he first in order of nature, as the head, and they as members; as in the womb, head and members are not conceived apart, but together; so was the church and Christ in the womb of eternal salvation. God views us in him, and never did, nor never will, consider his dear people separate from him, as the chosen head of the chosen body. All other blessings How to us from, and by virtue of, this union. live in Christ, we have covenant, subsistence, and representative being in him; and as the root, the trunk, the branches, and leaves are folded up in the acorn, so all God's family are in Christ, and shall be brought forth in their appointed time; their adoption, justification, redemption, preservation, pardon, calling, perseverance, resurrection, and glorification, all depend upon their election union, and this union depends upon the everlasting love of God; it is not faith that unites to the Lamb, that is only a spiritual faculty given to us by the Holy Spirit, to discern this blessing, which leads forth the mind, in affection and gratitude, to a covenant God for it. This union is dated from eternity, revealed in the word, preached in the gospel, manifested in our effectual calling, enjoyed by faith, and will be celebrated in the most open and glorious manner, and blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Nothing done by the church of We God, before or after calling, can destroy this union. In the very existence of Christ, as head, they must live-" For because I live, ye shall live also." As Mediator, he ever did, now does, and ever will, live for his people; and in his glorious title as the Son of God, as God-man Mediator, he has received all blessings for his church, and these are comprehended under the term life. The Lord hath commanded his blessing, even life for evermore; and as the Father hath life in himself, even so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. Christ, as God-man, lived in the purpose of God from eternity; and though he is compared to many things which have not life-to water, to bread, to a stone, a way, a tree, -yea they have these additions, living water, living bread, living stone, tree of life. In this most blessed character the ancient saints saw him by faith, received him, and lived and died upon him. Job's faith was fixed here, and rose to sweet confidence, to full assurance-" I know that my Redeemer liveth." Every believer is now more or less thus favoured. God gives, 1st. Faith to believe in him as such; 2ndly. To rely upon him; and 3rdly. To enjoy interest in him. He lives, the ever living Mediator; considered as God-man, he is the Mediator of union between God and his creatures-as elect—both angels and men; and he is the Mediator of reconciliation for his church, as fallen; as the head of the church, and the Son of God, he is called to act for her as fallen; and when declared Son of God by the Father, he was sworn into his office as High Priest; to which, in the boundless love of his heart, he gave his consent to make reconciliation for the sins of his people, to give perfect satisfaction, and to harmonize all the sacred perfections of Jehovah. In this most sacred character he appeared in heaven as the Lamb slain, from the foundation of the world; to him the old testament church looked, and in the fulness of time, he came and began his work in the wonderful and mysterious act of his incarnation:-made of a woman,-made under the law, he was circumcised, and became a debtor to fulfil the whole law for his people. The nature that he took, although it was perfectly flesh and blood, (body and soul,) yet it was perfectly holy. Hence his appeal to God the Judge of all: "Search me, O, God, and try me, and see if there be any wicked way in me.' HIS human nature was a holy thing; and possessed in it more holiness than all the angels of light; and in it he did all the church's duty in obedience to the law; he obeyed the ceremonial law as the seed of Abraham, and kept the law of God in thought, mind, will, and deed perfectly. He worshipped one God, never bowed to creatures, or profaned the holy name; honored the Sabbath and his parents; nor felt a base desire, nor tinged with sinful anger, much less murder; nor with heart or hand did he ever rob God or man; nor ever bore false witness against any; nor could a covetous thought enter his sacred breast, but with his whole nature loved God and his neighbour, and did unto all men what men in their " doings ought to do to each other. This he performed for us; and, in consequence of the essential dignity of his person, as God as well as man, he is styled Jehovah, our righteousness. This is imputed and placed to the account of his people by the Father God the Holy Spirit opens the grand subject to us, we receive it in the mind and affections. Conscience testifying this we have peace with God. In this righteousness the church is perfected; in it they stand justified before God, and shall never come into condemnation. But in his glorious character as Mediator, his having become surety for his people, he had to pay the dreadful debt of suffering-the awful penalty. As the consequence of the sins of his church, he engaged to endure the hell we have merited. The curse of a broken law, and which that awful idea contains. He took the bitter draught, the dreadful cup, and drank eternal health to his dear people. "He sank beneath our heavy woes." All our guilt met on him-the chastisement due to us he borethe pangs of the damned seized his holy soul; and with convulsive struggles on the ground, with heart-rending sighs and prayers, and tears, with thorns, scourges, contempt, grief, and unknown agonies, awful storms, and inconceivable torments, he sweat out, cried out, and bled out, the sins of his people. He by himself purged our sins-the physician's heart was opened by a spear to heal all the diseases of his patients-was ever love like this? "Our ransom paid in blood for deadliest guilt Oh! hide thy shame-spread face, and turn thy eyes Say, angels, near him, them that heard; Behold Thy humbled Maker '-agonized thyself Asked, but thou canst not say.-No thought can pierce 'Twas the soul's travail, sorrow's sharpest throe.” As our surety, sponsor, representative, and mediator, he has put away all our sins; he died, he rose, he triumphed over all his and our foes, and kindly speaks to us-"Fear not, I am he that liveth, was dead, am alive for evermore, and because I live, ye shall also." While he lived upon earth he lived a life of faith, hope, dependence, love, humility, and boly zeal; and the believer's privilege is to live and say, as he lives, "The life I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God,"-a life of faith, dependence, hope, confidence, love, humility, and zeal, though daily interrupted, and the subject of much deadness, carnality, and unbelief; yet as fresh life is given from his fulness, I possess a life that will never die. The Lord has promised to water his people every moment" every thing liveth where this water comes; and it is in the believer, a well springing up to eternal life." And as we |