BRAZEN SERPENT; OR, LIFE COMING THROUGH DEATH. BY THOMAS ERSKINE, ESQ. ADVOCATE; AUTHOR OF "REMARKS ON THE INTERNAL EVIDENCE FOR THE Out of the eater came forth meat; out of the strong (the oppressor) came forth sweetness. SECOND EDITION. JUDGES xiv. 15. EDINBURGH: WAUGH & INNES; M. OGLE, GLASGOW; R. M. TIMS, AND W. CURRY, JUNIOR, and co. AND WHITTAKER AND CO. LONDON. M.DCCC.XXXI. CONTENTS. The object of religion is, that the life of God should be mani- fested in man. This life of God, or life from above, is the Holy CHRIST THE HEAD. On the Doctrine of Christ's Headship as contrasted with the Connexion between the atonement of Christ, and the sanctifi- Jesus the Revealer of the Father-declaring the true love and The release of Christ from the prison of the grave,-God's tes- timony to the remission of sins-considered in connexion with the day of grace.-See Note p. 78. The day of grace preparatory to the day of judgment. The dispensation of Christ contrasted with the dispensation of Fulness of the gospel provision and man's consequent respon. The victory of Jesus shadowed out in the brazen serpent. Christ exalted to the right hand of power. His exaltation A higher good brought out of the destruction of evil, and a This principle set forth in the brazen serpent, and contained in Noah and Abraham types of the election. Men are elected not to the shedding of the blood which is the atonement, but to the sprinkling of the blood, which is the purging of the con- THE BRAZEN SERPENT. CHAPTER I. THE third chapter of John's gospel is one of the key chapters in the Bible. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction in righteousness;" but there are some passages which, in an especial manner, serve to unfold the mysteries of the kingdom of God, by setting them before us in their very elements. And such a passage is that which records our Lord's conversation with Nicodemus on the subject of the new birth. To the matter contained in that passage I would now direct my reader's attention. “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." It is evident from this account that Nicodemus had already heard Jesus speak in public to the people, and that he had been much struck by his doctrine, as well as by the miraculous power that accompanied it, and gave testimony to it as the doctrine of that God, whose power upholds and controls all things. Nicodemus must have had his interest very much excited with regard to Jesus, before he could have been induced to seek this interview. His coming by night, shows at once his anxiety to understand some B |