Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

4. Faith must go to Christ not only as made under the directive part of the Law by his life, but under the penal part of the Law by his death; in both these respects Christ was made under the law. The one half of the Law he satisfied by the holiness of his life; he fulfilled the law in every jot and every tittle; the other half of the Law he satisfied by his enduring the death, even the death of the Cross; he paid both the Principal and the Forfeiture; and though men do not so, yet Christ did so, that the whole Law might be satisfied fully, by his being under both these parts of the Law, pay and penalty: Come then, and look upon Christ as dying; it was the Serpent, as lifted up, and so looked at, that healed the Israelites of their fiery stings. Alas! we are diseased, in a spiritual sense, as they were, and Christ Jesus was lifted up as a remedy to us, as the Serpent was unto them; it remains therefore that as they looked up to the Brazen Serpent, so we look up to Jesus, believe in Jesus, as lifted up for life, and for salvation: As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness, ¹so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have eternal life. Indeed some difference there is betwixt the Serpent and Christ.—

1. 1John 14.15.

As, 1. The Brazen Serpent had not power in if self to cure, as Christ hath. 2. The Serpent cured the Israelites but for a time,¹ to die again; but whomsoever Jesus cures in a Spiritual sense, he cures for ever; they shall never die. 3. The serpent also had its time of curing; it did not always retain its virtue, but during the time they were in the Wilderness; only Jesus Christ, our Brazen Serpent, doth ever retain his power and virtue to the end of the world; and hence it is, that in the Ministry, Christ is still held forth as lifted up, that all that will but look on him by faith, may live. 4. The Serpent, sometimes a remedy against poison, was after turned even to poison the Israelites, which made Hezekiah to crush it, and brake it, and stamp it to powder; but Jesus Christ ever remains the sovereign and healing God; he is the same yesterday, to day, and for ever. He is unchangeable in his goodness, as he is in holy and divine nature; he can never be defaced, nor destroyed, but he abideth the saviour of sinners to all eternity; why then let us rather look unto Christ, and believe in Christ as lifted up, (i.e.) as he was crucified, and died on the Cross. In this respect he is made a fit object for a sinner's faith to trust upon, and rest upon, Christ as crucified, as made sin, and a curse for us, it the object of our pardon. O this is it that makes Christ's death so desirable; why therein is virtually and meritoriously pardon of sin, Justification, redemption, reconciliation, and what not? Oh! cries a sinner, where may I set my foot? how should I regain my God? my sin hath undone me, which way should I cast for pardon? why now remember that in seeking pardon,