corruption. This is a prophecy in words. In a nother part of fcripture we read, that Jonah was fwallowed by a great fish, and remained three days, and three nights in its belly; and afterwards came to light. This is a prophecy of our Saviour's refurrection by an action-that is by a type.

Here you will fay the action, or type, is of a very wonderful nature.

Indeed it is but you must confider, that as the refurrection of our Saviour on the third day, was a wonderful event, the prophetic type of this event must be wonderful alfo, or it could not represent what it was intended to reprefent. fhort the power of God in this cafe wrought a miracle, to give us the prophetic type of a miraculous event.

In

But here a difficulty may arife. A written prophecy in its nature, is more plain. A virgin fhall conceive, and bear a fon, is a prophecy as appropriate to Chrift's birth as words can make it. But a type is more liable to mistake. One action may be like another in many circumftances; and yet there may be no relation between them. I fhall endeavour therefore to fhew you on what grounds an action may be called

a pro

a prophetic type. With regard for inftance to Jonah; his being buried three nights, and three days in the whale, and then coming to light, bears a strong resemblance, it is certain, to our Saviour's rifing again on the third day but this refemblance alone is not a fufficient ground to adopt the story of Jonah as a type. Something elfe is required.

We expect, in the first place, that an action, in order to be confidered as a type, fhould be expressly marked, and applied as fuch by fome inspired person. Thus Jonah is expressly applied as a type by our Saviour himself. When the Pharifees afked him for a fign, he tells them he would give them no fign, but the fign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days, and three nights in the whale's belly; fo fhall the fon of man be three days, and three nights in the heart of the earth.

But, fecondly, tho an action may not be exprefsly applied as a type by any inspired perfon; yet ftill it may be confidered as one, if it stand connected with a number of other actions of a like kind, which are themselves applied as types. Thus we confider the facrifices, and atoning rites of the Jewish law, as types, or typical prophecies, of our VOL. I. C

Savi.

Saviour's atonement for fin; moft of them being mentioned as fuch in the new Teftament, parti-cularly in the epiftle to the Hebrews. Yet there are fome, which are not mentioned. Thus for inftance, the high-prieft's confeffing the fins of the people over the fcape-goat, which was turned loofe into the wildernefs, is no where as I recollect, mentioned as a type: yet it may notwithstanding be fairly confidered as fuch, not merely becaufe of its refemblance; but because it ftands connected with a number of other actions, which are exprefsly mentioned as types.

Having thus endeavoured to explain to you, in few words, the meaning of that kind of prophecy which is called a type, I fhall now, as I propofed fecondly dwell a little on the type of Mofes's lifting up the brazen ferpent in the wildernefs; and fhew you how exactly it was a type of the death and atonement of Chrift.

The account given us of Mofes's lifting up the ferpent, is this. The children of Israel in paffing through the wildernefs, were guilty of frequent rebellions againft God. To punith one of these rebellions, God afflicted them with poisonous ferpents, which deftroyed many of them. In their

diftrefs,

This

diftrefs, they ran to Mofes, and intreated him to intercede with God in their behalf. Mofes undertook their caufe; and was ordered by God to fet up a ferpent of brass on a pole, and inftruct the people, when they were bitten with ferpents, to look at it, and it should immediately heal them. was accordingly done. The brazen serpent was fet up; and as many as were bitten, on looking at it, were relieved. This, you fee, is a miraculous action, like that of Jonah: the brazen ferpent could have no natural power to relieve a malady, but as it was intended to typify the atonement of Chrift, God gave it that power by a miracle; for, as I just told if a wonderful event is reprefented by a type, we may expect to find that type alfo to be of a wonderful nature. The truth of the fact, however wonderful, one fhould think, infidelity itself can hardly doubt. The ferpent was fet up by Mofes before thousands of people; and recorded by Mofes himself among that very people, through whofe defcendants we have the record.*

you,

*The bible refts on its own authority, and is itself not at all solicitous about evidence. It happens therefore that a fact is sometimes founded on clear evidence, and fometimes refts on authority. But when a wonderful fact, like this of the brazen ferpent, is individually fupported by the cleareft evidence, it ftrengthens the credit of other wonderful facts, which reft only on the general evidence of the truth of scripture.

Let us now fee in what circumftances the lifting up of the brazen ferpent bears a relation to the death and atonement of Chrift.

In the first place, the paffage of the Ifraelites through the wildernefs, very aptly reprefents the natural state of man, after the fall of Adam. The mifery and mischief introduced by fin are alfo as naturally reprefented by ftinging ferpents; to which fin is often compared in fcripture. In the diftrefs of the Ifraelites, the brazen ferpent was reared; and whoever looked at it was healed. Nothing can be a more exact refemblance of the death of Chrift. He was lifted on a crofs, to be a remedy for fin. As the Ifraelites looked at the ferpent, and were healed; fo we look at Chrift with the eye of faith, and are faved. The brazen ferpent had the appearance of a mifchievous animal; but was itfelf innocent. Thus Chrift crucified as a malefactor, had the appearance of a finful man; yet was in fact without fin. In truth the very representation was given in the wildernefs, of what was completely fulfilled 1,400 years afterwards, on mount Golgotha.

But now, tho all thefe circumstances fo exactly refemble the death and atonement of Chrift, yet ftill, as the fetting up of the brazen ferpent is an