tance; and look upon it as a royal feast prepared for some highly favoured company, which we may gaze at, but not partake of; it is set before us that we may make it our own; it is promised to all the true followers of Jesus, for the holy spirit the comforter, who is the author of this peace, is to abide with the Lord's people for ever.

If any of us have tasted of this gift, let us guard the precious treasure with all our care and diligence, for it is the earnest of our heavenly inheritance, let us avoid sin in every shape, and fly from it, as we would from the face of a serpent, for if sin gains a welcome entrance into our hearts, our peace is gone, and we may go on in mourning and heaviness, many a wearisome day of our pilgrimage before its light, and its comfort returns to us. *“Let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breast-plate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him."

But if any of us are still pursuing the

* 1 Thessalonians, v. 8, 9, 10.

H

bubble of earthly peace, still raking up the straws and filth of the earth, while a crown of glory is hanging over our heads, and freely offered to our acceptance, let us resolve no longer *" to spend our money for that which is not bread, and our labour for that which satisfieth not;" but to accept immediately our Saviour's merciful invitation." Come unto me "Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." We can have no permanent peace, except through the Lord Jesus Christ, "for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." §" No man cometh unto the Father, but by him,"

"he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."

May we all, my Brethren, be enabled to fly from the wrath to come, to lay hold upon the hope set before us in the Gospel, and to choose that good part which shall never be taken away from us. May the Lord guide our feet in the way of peace, and be the strength of our hearts, and our portion for ever. Amen.

* Isaiah, lv. 2.

+ Acts, iv. 12.

+ Matthew, xi. 28.

§ John, xiv. 6.

|| John, iii. 36.

SERMON XII.

"And 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."-JOHN iii. 14, 15.

Ir is truly astonishing to observe how abundantly the Gospel was preached in the old testament; almost every event related in it, bears reference to the Saviour of sinners; almost every page of it proclaims the glad tidings of salvation: that which the Apostle Paul said of himself may be equally ascribed to Moses, and the prophets.

*They gloried in nothing, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." The brazen serpent which Moses lifted up in the wilderness, holds a conspicuous place among the numerous emblems of the Gospel day. It was one of the brightest stars that illuminated the night, and fore

* Galatians, vi. 14.

told to the believing Israelites that, *“the sun of righteousness should arise upon them with healing in his wings." We cannot be mistaken in thus regarding it, for our Lord directly applies it to himself in the words of our text: "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up." The unclouded brightness and glory of the Gospel salvation is sometimes too powerful for mortal sight to behold distinctly. It may therefore be useful to observe it in those resemblances, with which the old Testament supplies us and our Saviour himself appears to lead us to this method of viewing it, by the very comparison under our consideration.

We have an account of the lifting up of the brazen serpent, with the cause for which it was lifted up, and the effect produced by it, in the twenty-first chapter of Numbers. "The people spake against God, and against Moses, wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water: and our souls loatheth this light bread. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people: and much people of

* Malachi, iv. 2. + Numbers, xxi. 5-9.

Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said: we have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee: pray unto the Lord that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass that every one that is bitten when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man when he beheld the serpent of brass he lived."

When the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness, *" the Lord brought water out of the stony rock, tand showered down bread from heaven to supply their wants: but notwithstanding his daily care over them, and his continual goodness to them (such is the sinfulness of our fallen nature) that they rebelled against him, and in their hearts, turned back again into Egypt. As a punishment for their ingratitude and disobedience, fiery serpents were sent among them, which destroyed many of them; they then confessed their guilt, and entreated Moses to pray unto the Lord, to take away the serpents from them.

* Numbers, xx. 11. + Ibid, xi. 7.