seeking and finding enjoyment in what he finds enjoyment. This is life. This is happiness. And the never-ending continuance of this is everlasting life. To obtain this kind of happiness for men, for men of every nation under heaven, and to secure the permanent enjoyment of it during the whole eternity of their being, this is the great and glorious object of the divinely commissioned God-man-the Messiah.

In these most important points, this design differed from what the Jews considered as the design of the Messiah's mission. Punishment was not at all the object of the Messiah's coming. The deliverance which he came to effect was not secular, but spiritual; and it was intended, not for the nation of the Jews exclusively, but for mankind generally. The object of his mission was purely merciful. His salvation had a direct reference to the soul and eternity; and as this salvation was universally needed, so it was intended for mankind "of every kindred, and people, and tongue, and nation."

III. OF THE MEANS BY WHICH THE DESIGN OF THE MESSIAH'S MISSION IS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED:-FIGURATIVELY, BY HIS BEING LIFTED UP AS MOSES LIFTED UP THE SERPENT IN THE WILDERNESS; LITERALLY, BY HIS BEING GIVEN BY GOD FOR AND TO MANKIND.

We now proceed to attend to the grand means by which this benevolent design of the Messiah's mission was accomplished. The Son of man is "to be lifted up, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness." "God gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him might not perish, but have everlasting life.""

1 John iii. 14, 16.

2 Neander and many other good interpreters, think that Christ's words end at verse 16, and that what follows is the illustrative statement of the evangelist. The decision of this question has no bearing on the interpretation of the passage.

Here, as in the former case, the truth is exhibited in opposition to the false views generally entertained by the Jews. They expected that the Messiah was to accomplish the deliverance of Israel, and the destruction of the nations, by being exalted or "lifted up :" elevated first to the throne of David his Father, and then to the throne of the world. 'Now,' says our Lord, 'Messiah shall be lifted up; but he shall be lifted up in a very different way from what you expect. He shall be lifted up, not as David or Solomon was, to the throne of Israel, but "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness." There is a striking analogy between the way in which the Messiah shall obtain spiritual and eternal salvation for mankind, and the way in which the serpent-stung Israelites in the wilderness were cured of the otherwise incurable distemper which they had brought on themselves by their unbelief and disobedience.''

What we are to understand by the Messiah's being "lifted up as the brazen serpent in the wilderness," we need be at no loss to discover. "And I," said our Lord on another occasion, "and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." "This," says the evangelist, in an explanatory note, "This he said, signifying what death he should die." 1 The salvation of mankind is to be obtained by the Messiah's dying an accursed death, dying as the victim for human transgressions; and by his being exhibited, held up, as the slain victim for human transgressions; that is, by the truth respecting his vicarious and expiatory sufferings being made known to men. Oh how different was this from anything Nicodemus looked for! He probably expected, with most of his countrymen, that the Messiah was to "abide for ever," was not to die at all. How must he have been astonished, if he understood our Lord's words, to be told that the Messiah was not only to die, but to die the death of a felonious slave.

1 Numb. xxi. 4-9.

2 John xii. 32, 33.

Let us, however, look a little more closely into this mystery of Divine wisdom and mercy: Mankind are to be saved by the divine incarnate Saviour, suffering and dying as a victim for sin-dying on the cross. The same idea that is suggested by the expression: "The Son of man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness," is conveyed by the words, "God gave his Son." Some interpreters consider these words as equivalent to, God graciously appointed his Son to be the saviour of the world. In that case, however, it would have been said that he gave him to the world, not merely he gave him. It is plainly parallel to, "The Son of man must be lifted up.” The lifting up of the Son of man, and the giving of the Son of God, being but different descriptions of the same great

event.

3

The meaning of the phrase is best illustrated by parallel passages:-"I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” 1 "And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body, which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me." 2 "Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." "If we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" 5 "Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."6 "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." 7

1 John vi. 51.
5 Rom. viii. 32.

2 Luke xxii. 19.
61 Tim. ii. 6.

3 Gal. i. 4.
Titus ii. 14.

4 Rom. iv. 24, 25.

The meaning of the words, God gave his Son, then, is, 'God devoted his Son to death, as a victim for the sins of men;' and the first truth with regard to the manner in which the benevolent design of the Messiah's mission was to be gained, taught us here by our Lord is, that it was to be the result of his submitting to death, as the victim for the sins of mankind.

This, though not revealed so as to be generally, if at all, understood till the prediction was accomplished, is, now that the light of fulfilment has shone upon them, the obvious meaning of the following ancient oracles, which must have been very mysterious to the saints under a former dispensation, and into the meaning of which, even the prophets themselves would find it necessary to "search diligently." "God made to meet on the head of his righteous servant the iniquities of us all, and exaction was made, and he became answerable; and he was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities; and the chastisement of our peace was on him, and he made his soul an offering for sin; and he bare the sins of many." "The Messiah shall be cut off, but not

for himself."1

The same doctrine is often taught by our Lord's apostles, and is, indeed, the grand peculiarity of the christian faith :"Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." "He redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse in our room, as it is written, 'cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.'" "He bare our sins in his own body on the tree." "He gave himself for us a sacrifice and an offering, that he might bring us to God." "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of God's grace." "He hath reconciled us in the body of his flesh through death."?

There is another important truth respecting the means by which the benevolent design of the Messiah's mission was to

1 Isa. liii. 5. 6. Dan. ix. 26.

1 Cor. xv. 3. Gal. iii. 13. 1 Pet. ii. 24. Eph. v. 25; i. 7. Col. i. 21, 22.

be accomplished, conveyed by the words of our Lord :-"The Son of Man must be lifted up, as the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness." The brazen serpent was not only lifted up on a pole, but exhibited, that all the Israelites might look at it and be healed. In like manner the Son of Man must not only be lifted up on the cross, but he must be exhibited, as lifted up on the cross, that all men may believe in him and be saved. The knowledge and belief of the truth, with respect to the atonement, is in ordinary circumstances as necessary to the accomplishment of the design of the Messiah's mission, in the case of individuals, as the atonement itself, and hence the truth about the atonement must be published to all nations.

Here, as in the former case, "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." "By his knowledge, shall my righteous servant justify many." "Look unto me all ye ends of the earth, and be ye saved." "They shall look upon me whom they have pierced."

Here, too, the apostolic testimony concurs with the declaration of the ancient prophets :-" The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation." "We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling-block, to the Greeks foolishness; but unto them who are called, whether Jew or Greek, the power of God, and the wisdom of God." "I am determined to know nothing among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified." "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." "3 These are the grand means by which the benevolent design of our Lord's mission, the salvation of mankind, was to be accomplished.

There is a peculiarity in our Lord's language on this subject, that deserves to be noticed before we conclude. He does not say the Son of Man shall be lifted up, but "the Son

1 "Exaltari" significat collocari in loco edito et excelso, ut omnium aspectui pateat: id factum est Evangelii prædicatione.-CALVIN in loc.

2 Isa. liii. 11; xlv. 22. Zech. xii. 10.

3 Rom. i. 16. 1 Cor. i. 23; ii. 2. Gal. vi. 14.