THE WILDERNESS. 27

creatures from hurting them, and would have done so at
this time, had they not sinfully murmured. This trial
humbled the people. They confessed their sin, and
besought forgiveness, that the serpents might be taken
away. Moses prayed for them. The Lord told him to
make a brazen serpent, and put it on a pole, and any
one that was bitten, when he looked on it would live.
Moses did so, and it was as the Lord had said.

Johnnie. But, grandfather, what good could looking
at the brazen serpent do to them ?

Grandfather. It could not of itself have done any
good to them, but rather the contrary ; for we are told
by some that when one has been bitten by those fiery
serpents, if he look upon brass the wound is aggra-
vated. But to look upon a serpent made of brass was
the cure appointed by God, and it is in his power to
cure by any means, however unlikely they may seem to
produce the desired effect, or to cure without any means,
if it so please him. ‘The brazen serpent was a type
of Christ ; we are told so by our blessed Saviour him-
self. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilder-
ness, so shall the Son of Man be lifted up.” Sin is the
serpent that has bitten us; if we try to cure ourselves
we shall not succeed, but if we look to Jesus, trusting
in him, we shall be saved. We must remember that
as the brazen serpent could not cure any save those
who looked to it, so unless we come to Jesus our sins
will not be forgiven for his name’s sake. But this is
nota battle. I must hasten on to the next one mention-