'NUMBERS XXI. 6 Vert. 6. fierie ferpents] or, burning ferpents, as the Chaldee tr.mflatet h : the Greek in this place calleth them dead!), ( or killing) ferpents. In the Hebrewthey are named Seraphim that is, Burners, becauCe when they bite a mau, hee burnech with extreme heat and thirfl: it may be alfa in relpe& 1 ofthei r colour,for fouie ferpents are of a fiery co- lour; Nicander inTheriacit. Of the Hebrew Saraph, j the Greeks by changing the order of letters,have borrowed the name Prefer , which is a kinde of venomous ferpent, called al fo Dipfas, and Caufon; of which it is reported , that who is flung there- with, he hath filch a vehement thick, that h! can- not be fatisfied , but is tormented with it continually, and though he drink, never fc largely, yet it he prefently al tbirfiie at before. And againe, that the birings of tbefe ferpents were left of themofi ancient (Phyltians) as al- together incurable. Diofcorid. lib. 6. cap. 38. & 40. They are Paid to be like unto Vipers, but their biting more hurtfull;forthe heart of a man is in- flamed with their biting, & his lips are parched and drie with thirfl, as Nicander writeth of then. Sot Iambi faith, they are called Seraphim(burners) becaufe they burned men with the vcuerne of their teeth. The Prophet Efay mentioneth the flyingfieryferpent, in Efay 14. 29. and 30.6. whereby it feemeth to be a kinde of ferpent with wings. With there and other ferpents, the wildernes thorowwhich they went,did abound,as Moles Iheweth in Deut. 8. t 5. but God, who guided them thorow it,kept them from hurting his people, till now for their finne, he gave them power to bite and kill them : as he faith otherwhere, I will command the fèrpene, and he (hall bite them, Amos 3.9. Here alfo there was a remembrance of the 6rí1 finne tbat.came into mankinde by the ferpent,and the death that followed thereupon, Gen.3. for as the venom, of ferpents killeth the body ; Co the venome of Sa- tan, which is finne, killeth both body and foule: and as the Serpent biting any one part, the ve- nome and contagion fpreadeth over all the body, and killeth the whole man: fo the poyfon of fin, which entred by one man, hath'infe &ed and kil- led all the lumpe ofmankinde,Roni.5.1 5, -18. died] The judgements of God ate both inevitable and incurable of man, Jer. 8. 17. Amos 5.19.-23. & 9.1,2, ;. Deut.28.27. And as no falce or medi- cine could heale the bodies of thofe that were bitten: fo can no worke of man cure the biting of that old Serpent or fling of finne,but the venome thereofrageeh and reigneth,tormenting thecon- feience unto death, Rom.5.12,14,21. & 3.2o. 7 Verfe 7. We have finned] The aflli &tons which God fayeth upon his people,are a mean(through his grace) to bring them to the fight & acknow- ledgement of their fins, and feekiug tinto him, as it is faid , When he flew them, then they fought him : and they returned, andenquired early after God, Praha). 78.34. Yea the wicked are often forced hereby, to confer% and feeke helpe ofGod,as did Pharaoh, Exod. 9:37, 28. that he take away] or, and let him take away dteferpents in Hebr. the ferpeni , put for the multitude of them; as in Exo.8.6. tlx fog, for frogs ; and in Exod. 8, 17. the loufb, for lice, 13i and tuany the like. They delire the removing of the punilhment, after repentance and confelliion of fn without which, plagues are not only con - tinued,but increafed ,Lev.36.21,2a,24,28.,How- belt God did not prefently take away the fer, pents, but gave a remedy for fuch as were bitten, v. 8, 9. Mofes prayed] As at other times, fo dill he fheweth himlklfc an example of meeknelfe,un- mindfulneffe of injuries, and read hie ls to forgive the wrongsdone unto him. Thus Samuel alto did in like cafe , and faid, Far he it that I fhouldfinne a- gainfi the Lord,in ceaftngto pray fir you; but I will teach you thegood and the rtggbtway, 1 Sam.1 z.19,z 3. Verfe 8. Mak thee aherie fèrpene] or, a burning 8 frpent, Hebr. Saraph, which the Greeke tranfla- teth aferpent : hereby is meant a ferpent of brafiì, v. 9. a fimilitude of one of thole fieric ferpents, a figure ofChrift, as himfelEe hath opened it, Iày- ing, AsMofeslifted up the ferpent in the wiklerneffé, even f en:eftshe Son of man be rifted up, Jolt.3. t 4. For as this had the fimilitude of a ferpent,but had no venome ; fo Chrilt had the fimilitude of a finfull man, yet without fen, Hebr.4. s 5. upon a pole] or, fir afigne ; the originali Nesfignifieth an enfrgne or banner lifted up on high,and is here by the Greek and Chaldee tranflated a figne, meaning a pole or perteb, which is ufually Cet up for a figne or fgni- fìcation of Tome thing. And hereupon our Savi- our ufeth the word of lifting up, or fining on high,in Job. 3.14. meaning of his crofle, upon which hee was lifted up at his death, or of the preaching of him crucified : as elfèwhere hee likewife frith, Whenye have liftedup the Son of Man, Jo h. 8.z8. and againe , when he fognified what death be; fbould die, he faid, And I,if I be lifted upfrom the eartb,will draw all men unto me, Joh. t 2. 3 2. So the Petting of this Serpent on a poleor ligne,bvas a figure unto them of Chriff to be crucified, and preached unto the world for falvation. when he looketb upon it, lb.! live] or, then he (hall fee (or Tooke upon) it, and he (ball live; fo implying both a comnlandetneht and a promife. And this was the reason of the putting It upon a pole,that the people which were fir off might prefently fee it, everyman from his place. As the Serpent lifted up, was a figure of Ghrili; fo the looking upon it fignified faith in Chrifl, as it is written, At that day fba/l a man looker to hit Maker , and hit eyes fhall have refßefl to the holy One of IGael , Efay 17.7. And thus our Lord himfelEe expoundeth it, As Mores lifted up the Serpent in the wildernelè, even fo mufi the Sonne ofMan be liftedup; that whofoever B E L EE 4l E TH in him Jhould not perifh, but have eternaiJ lf/è, John 3. 14, 55. Likewife among the Hebrews ,Thargum Jonathan explaineth it thus, He fhall Hoke upon it and live, if his heart be anent unto the name of the Word of the LORD. And Sol. ¡ archi faith, when they fob - nutted their heart unto their Father which is in hea- ven, they were healed, otherwife they ptrifed. fhall live] that is, fhall be healed, and have his life and health continued; as in Efay 38. 21. he fhall live, that is, fhall recover, or be cured. And by this recovery and continuance of natu- rail life, was figured lìfeeternal! to all that belee- Mmmm ved or ..r..am...._..,e,...tra.- os Agwigimme.we,.
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