And no man hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven.

“(de Trin. c. 16.) Or, His descending from heaven is the source of His origin as conceived by the Spirit: Mary gave not His body its origin, though the natural qualities of her sex contributed its birth and increase. That He is the Son of man is from the birth of the flesh which was conceived in the Virgin. That He is in heaven is from the power of His everlasting nature, which did not contract the power of the Word of God, which is infinite, within the sphere of a finite body. Our Lord remaining in the form of a servant, far from the whole circle, inner and outer, of heaven and the world, yet as Lord of heaven and the world, was not absent therefrom. So then He came down from heaven because He was the Son of man; and He was in heaven, because the Word, which was made flesh, had not ceased to be the Word.”

“(De Pecc. mer. et remiss. c. xxxi) After taking notice of this lack of knowledge in a person, who, on the strength of his magisterial station, set himself above others, and blaming the unbelief of such men, our Lord says, that if such as these do not believe, others will: No one hath ascended into heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man who is in heaven. This may be rendered: The spiritual birth shall be of such sort, as that men from being earthly shall become heavenly: which will not be possible, except they are made members of Me; so that he who ascends, becomes one with Him who descended. Our Lord accounts His body, i. e. His Church, as Himself.”

“Above, the Lord set forth an argument to instruct concerning spiritual generation; here he sets forth an example. Now it is given to be understood that Nicodemus, having heard that "what is born of the spirit is spirit," fell into a certain disturbance of doubt; and therefore the Lord says to him, "Do not marvel, because I said to you: you must be born again." Here it must be known that wonder is twofold. One is of devotion, according to which someone, considering the great works of God, recognizes that they are incomprehensible to himself: whence there remains room for wonder, according to that verse of Psalm 92:4: "The Lord is wonderful on high"; and elsewhere, Psalm 118:129: "Your testimonies are wonderful." And men are to be led to this kind of wonder, not restrained from it. The other is of unbelief, when someone, not believing the things that are said, marvels at them. Hence it is said in Matthew 13:57 that they marveled at the teaching of Christ, and it follows that they were scandalized in him. And from this kind of wonder the Lord removes Nicodemus, by introducing an example, when he says, "The spirit breathes where it wills." This saying, while the same meaning is preserved, can be expounded in two ways as to the letter. In one way, according to Chrysostom, "spirit" is taken for wind, as in Psalm 148:8: "the stormy winds, which fulfill his word." And according to this he says four things about the wind. First, the power of the wind, when he says "the spirit breathes where it wills," that is, the wind blows where it wills. And if you should say that the wind does not have a will, it must be said that "will" here is taken for natural appetite, which is nothing other than a natural inclination, concerning which it is said in Job 28:25: "who created a weight for the winds." Second, he sets down the sign of the wind, when he says "and you hear its voice"; and "voice" is taken for the sound which the wind makes by striking against some body, concerning which it is said in Psalm 76:19: "the voice of your thunder in the wheel." Third, he sets down the origin of the wind, which is hidden; hence he says "and you do not know where it comes from," that is, where it arises; Psalm 134:7: "who brings forth the winds out of his treasuries." Fourth, he sets down the end of the wind, which is likewise hidden; hence he says "or where it goes" — supply: "you do not know" — that is, where it comes to rest. And indeed he introduces this comparison to his purpose, when he says "so is everyone who is born of the spirit"; as if to say: if the wind, which is a bodily thing, has a hidden origin, and its course cannot be known, how do you marvel, if you cannot know the course of spiritual regeneration? But against this exposition Augustine objects, saying that the Lord did not mean the wind, when he said "the spirit breathes where it wills," etc., for concerning any wind we know where it comes from, or where it goes: for the South wind comes from the south and goes to the North, while the North wind, conversely, goes from the North to the south. How then does the Lord say, concerning a bodily wind, "you do not know where it comes from, or where it goes"? But to this it can be replied that the origin of the wind can be known in two ways. In one way, in general; and in this way it is known where it comes from, that is, from which part of the world, just as it is known that the South wind comes from the south, and where it goes, namely to the North. In another way, in particular; and in this way it is not known where it comes from, that is, in which determinate region it begins, or where it goes, that is, where determinately it ceases. And with Chrysostom nearly all the Greek doctors agree in this exposition. In another way it is expounded of the Holy Spirit; and according to this he sets down four things concerning the Holy Spirit. First indeed his power, when he says "the spirit breathes where it wills": because by the free judgment of his power he inspires where he wills, and when he wills, illuminating hearts; 1 Corinthians 12:11: "All these things the one and the same Spirit works, dividing to each as he wills." From which the error of Macedonius is refuted, who held that the Holy Spirit was a minister of the Father and the Son. For he would not breathe where he himself willed, but where it was commanded to him. Second, he sets down the sign of the Holy Spirit, when he says "and you hear his voice"; Psalm 94:8: "Today if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts." But against this Chrysostom objects, saying that it cannot be understood of the Holy Spirit. For the Lord was speaking to Nicodemus, who was still an unbeliever, to whom it was not fitting to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. But it must be said, according to Augustine, that the voice of the Holy Spirit is twofold. One, by which he speaks within, in the heart of man; and this only the faithful and the saints hear: concerning which it is said in Psalm 84:9: "I will hear what the Lord God speaks in me." The other is that by which the Holy Spirit speaks in the Scriptures, or through preachers, according to what is said in Matthew 10:20: "For it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit who speaks in you." And this even unbelievers and sinners hear. Third, he sets down the origin of the Holy Spirit, which is hidden, hence he says "and you do not know where it comes from," although you hear his voice: and this is because he comes from the Father and the Son; below, John 15:26: "But when the Paraclete has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father." Now the Father and the Son dwell in light inaccessible, which no man has seen, nor indeed can see: as it is said in 1 Timothy 6:16. Fourth, he sets down the end of the Holy Spirit, which indeed is hidden, and therefore he says "or where it goes" — supply: "you do not know" — because he leads to a hidden end, namely to eternal blessedness. Hence he is called "the pledge of the inheritance," Ephesians 1:14, and 1 Corinthians 2:9: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, what things God has prepared for those who love him." Or, "you do not know where it comes from," that is, how it enters into man, "or where it goes," that is, to what perfection it leads him; Job 9:11: "If he comes to me, I shall not see him." "So is everyone who is born of the spirit," that is, like the Holy Spirit. Nor is this to be wondered at: for as he had said above, "what is born of the spirit is spirit," because in the spiritual man are the properties of the Holy Spirit, just as in a kindled coal are the properties of fire. Now in him who is born of the Holy Spirit are the aforesaid four properties of the spirit. For first he has freedom; 2 Corinthians 3:17: "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty," because the Spirit of the Lord leads to what is right, Psalm 142:10: "Your good spirit shall lead me into the right land," and he frees from the servitude of sin and of the law, Romans 8:2: "The law of the spirit of life in Christ has set me free, etc.," and so on. Second, you take the sign of him through the voice of his words, which when you hear, you recognize his spirituality; Matthew 12:34: "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." Third, he has a hidden origin and end, because no one can judge the spiritual man, 1 Corinthians 2:15: "The spiritual man judges all things, and he himself is judged by no one." Or, "you do not know where it comes from" — the beginning of his spiritual birth, which is baptismal grace — "or where it goes," that is, to what he is made worthy, namely eternal life, which is still hidden from you. Here is set forth the cause and reason of spiritual regeneration: and first is set forth the question of Nicodemus; second, the answer of the Lord, "Jesus answered and said to him," and so on. Now it appears from the first, that Nicodemus, still untutored, and still a sense-bound Jew, could not understand the mysteries of Christ, even through the examples and the arguments set forth; and therefore he says, "How can these things be done?" For some inquire in two ways. Some indeed out of distrust; as Zechariah, Luke 1:18: "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her days"; and therefore he was punished; Isaiah 40:23: "who brings its searchers to nothing." But others inquire out of a zeal for learning, as the Blessed Virgin, when she said to the Angel, Luke 1:34: "How shall this be done, since I know not man?" And such as these are instructed. Since, therefore, this man asked out of a zeal for learning, he therefore merited to be instructed. And this is what follows: "Jesus answered," etc., where first the Lord reproves his slowness; second, he answers his question, at the words "and no one has ascended into heaven." He reproves his slowness on three counts: first, from the condition of the person to whom he speaks, when he says "you are a teacher": here the Lord does not rebuke him so as to insult him, but because he still trusted in his own mastery, presuming on his own knowledge, he wished, by humbling him, to make him a dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit; Isaiah 66:2: "To whom shall I have regard, but to him that is poor and little, and contrite in spirit?" And he says "you are a teacher": because if some simple person cannot grasp deep matters, it is tolerable; but this in a teacher is greatly reprehensible, and therefore he says to him "you are a teacher" — that is, of the letter which kills, 1 Corinthians 3 — "in Israel, and do you not know these things," namely spiritual things? Hebrews 5:12: "For whereas for the time you ought to be teachers, you again need to be taught." If you should say that the Lord would justly reprove Nicodemus, if he had said something to him concerning the old law, and he had not understood it; but he spoke to him of the new law — it must be said, that the things which the Lord says concerning spiritual generation are contained in the old law, but under a figure, according to what is found in 1 Corinthians 10:2: "All were baptized in Moses, in the cloud, and in the sea." And the prophets also said this; Ezekiel 36:25: "I will pour upon you clean water, and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness." Second, he reproves his slowness from the condition of the one speaking. For that the words of some untutored man not be assented to can be tolerated; but to resist the words of a wise man, and one of great authority, is reprehensible; and therefore he says, "Amen, amen, I say to you, that what we know, we speak, and what we have seen, we testify." For it is required for the fitness of a witness that he give testimony from hearing, or from sight; 1 John 1:3: "what we have seen and heard." And therefore the Lord states both: "what we know, we speak, and what we have seen, we testify." Now the Lord, insofar as he is man, knows all things; below, John 21:17: "Lord, you know all things"; 2 Maccabees 6:30: "Lord, who have holy knowledge, you clearly know." But he also sees all things by the knowledge of his divinity; below, John 8:38: "The things which I have seen with my Father, these I do." Now he speaks in the plural, "we know" and "we have seen," in order to hint at the mystery of the Trinity. Hence, "the Father abiding in me, he himself does the works," below, John 14:10. Or, "what we know" — I, and others made spiritual: because, as it is said in Matthew 11:27, "No one knows the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son wills to reveal him." "And yet you do not receive" our testimony, so proven, so firm. Below, in the same chapter: "and no one receives his testimony." Third, he reproves his slowness from the condition of the things that are said. For that certain difficult things not be grasped by someone is no wonder; but that someone not grasp easy things is reprehensible. And therefore he says, "If I have told you earthly things, and you do not believe; how will you believe, if I shall tell you heavenly things?" As if to say: if you do not grasp these things which are light, how will you be able to grasp the course of the Holy Spirit? Wisdom 9:16: "The things that are on earth we find with difficulty, and the things that are in heaven, who shall search out?" But against this: it is not found, from what has gone before, that the Lord said any earthly things to Nicodemus. And it must be said, according to Chrysostom here, that when the Lord says, "If I have told you earthly things," etc., it is understood of the example of the wind. For the wind, since it is generable and corruptible, is numbered among earthly things. Or it can be said, according to the same author, that spiritual generation, which is in Baptism, is indeed heavenly as to its principle, which sanctifies and regenerates, but earthly as to its subject: for that which is regenerated, namely man, is earthly. Or it must be said, according to Augustine, that it is to be understood of what he had said above: "Destroy this temple," etc., which is therefore earthly, because he said this concerning the temple of his own body, which he had received from the earth. "If I have told you earthly things, and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" As if to say: if you do not believe the temporal spiritual generation, how will you believe the eternal generation of the Son? Or, if you do not believe what I say concerning the power of my body, how will you believe concerning the power of my divinity, and concerning the power of the Holy Spirit? "Jesus answered," etc. Here he answers the question: and first he sets forth the causes of spiritual regeneration; second, he makes plain what he says, at the words "For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son." Now the cause of spiritual regeneration is twofold, namely the mystery of the incarnation of Christ and of his passion: and therefore he first treats of the incarnation; second, of the passion, at the words "And as Moses lifted up the serpent," etc. Now it must first be considered how this response of Christ satisfies the question of Nicodemus. For the Lord had said above, speaking of the spirit, that "you do not know where it comes from, or where it goes": by which it was given to be understood that spiritual regeneration has a hidden beginning and a hidden end. Now hidden to us are the things that are in the heavens, according to that saying of Wisdom 9:16: "The things that are in heaven, who shall search out?" The question of Nicodemus, therefore, "How can these things be done?" must be understood thus: how can something come from the hidden realm of the heavens, or go to the hidden realm of the heavens? Hence, before he satisfied the question, he explained this understanding of the question, saying, "How, if I shall tell you heavenly things, will you believe?" And immediately he begins to show to whom the ascending into heaven properly belongs: because it belongs to everyone who descends from heaven, according to that saying of Ephesians 4:10: "He who descended is himself also he who ascended." For this is found also in natural things, that each body tends toward a place according to its origin or nature. Hence in this way it can come about that someone, through the spirit, goes to a place which carnal men do not know, by ascending into heaven, if this comes about through the power of him who descended from heaven: because he descended for this purpose, that by ascending he might open the way for us; Micah 2:13: "He goes up that opens the way before them." But because he says "the Son of man who descended from heaven," certain persons took from this an occasion for error. For since "Son of man" designates human nature, which is composed of soul and body, from his saying that the Son descended from heaven, Valentinus wished to take it that he had also brought his body down from heaven, and that it had passed through the virgin, taking nothing from her, as water through a pipe: therefore his body was not of earthly substance, nor taken from the virgin — which is against the Apostle, Romans 1:3: "who was made to him of the seed of David according to the flesh." But Origen said that he descended from heaven according to his soul, which he says was created from the beginning together with the Angels, and united to the Word, and afterward descended from heaven, assuming flesh from the virgin. But this too is repugnant to the Catholic faith, which says that souls did not exist before bodies. It must not, therefore, be understood that the Son of man, according to human nature, descended from heaven, but according to the divine. For since in Christ there is one supposit, or hypostasis, or person, of two natures, namely the divine and the human; from whichever of these this supposit is named, both divine and human things can be attributed to him. For we can say that the Son of man created the stars, and that the Son of God was crucified. But the Son of God was crucified not according to the divine nature, but according to the human; while the Son of man created the stars according to the divine nature. Thus in those things which are said of Christ, the distinction is not to be attended to as regards that of which they are said, because indifferently both divine and human things are said of God and of man; but the distinction is to be attended to as regards that according to which they are said, because divine things are said of Christ according to the divine nature, but human things according to the human. To descend from the heavens, therefore, is said of the Son of man, not according to the human nature, but according to the divine, according to which it belongs to him to have been in heaven before the incarnation, according to that saying of Psalm 113:16: "The heaven of heaven is the Lord's." Now he is said to have descended, not by local motion, because thus he would not remain in heaven: for nothing moved locally remains at the point from which it descends. And therefore, to exclude local motion, he adds "who is in heaven"; as if to say: he so descended from heaven, that nevertheless he is in heaven. For he descended from heaven, not indeed ceasing to be on high, but assuming a nature which is below: and because it is not enclosed or comprehended, his body existing on earth, he himself according to his divinity was in the heavens, and everywhere. And therefore, to signify that he is said to have descended in this way, because he assumed a nature, he said that "the Son of man descended"; that is, insofar as he was made the Son of man. Or it can also be said that as regards the body he descended from heaven, as Hilary says: not that the matter of Christ's body descended from heaven, but that its formative power was from heaven. But what is meant by his saying, "No one has ascended into heaven, except the Son of man, who is in heaven"? Did not Paul, and Peter, and the other saints ascend, according to that saying of 2 Corinthians 5:1: "We have a house, not made by hands, in the heavens," etc.? I answer that it must be said that no one ascends into heaven except Christ and his members, that is, the just faithful: for this reason the Son of God descended from the heavens, in order that, by making us his members, he might prepare us for the ascent of the heavens; now indeed in hope, but at last in reality; Ephesians 2:6: "who has raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus." Here he sets forth the mystery of the passion, by whose power Baptism has its efficacy; Romans 6:3: "Whoever of us were baptized in Christ Jesus, were baptized in his death." And concerning this he does three things: first he sets forth the figure of the passion; second, the manner of the passion; third, the fruit of the passion. He takes the figure indeed from the old law, so as to lead Nicodemus back to understanding; hence he says, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert," etc., which is indeed found in Numbers 21:5 — since the Lord, when the people of the Jews said, "Our soul loathes this very light food," sent serpents in vengeance, and afterward, the people running together to Moses, and he himself crying out to the Lord, the Lord commanded that a bronze serpent be made as a remedy, which indeed was both a remedy against those serpents, and a figure of the Lord's passion. Hence it is also said: "He set it up for a sign." Now it is proper to a serpent to have venom; but the bronze serpent did not have venom, but was the figure of a venomous serpent. So too Christ did not have sin, which is venom: because "when it is consummated, it begets death," as is said in James 1:15, but he had the likeness of sin, Romans 8:3: "God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh." Therefore Christ had the effect of the serpent against the movement of fiery lusts. Now he shows the manner of the passion, when he says "so must the Son of man be lifted up": which is understood of the exaltation of the cross. Hence below, John 12:34, when he had said, "The Son of man must be lifted up," etc., it follows: "this he said, signifying by what death he was about to glorify God." Now he willed to die lifted up, first, that he might purge the heavenly things: for already, through the holiness of his manner of life, he had purged the earth; it remained, through his death, to purge the things of the air. Colossians 1:20: "making peace through his blood, both as to the things that are on earth, and the things that are in the heavens." Second, that he might triumph over the Demons, who prepare war in the air; Ephesians 2:2: "according to the prince of the power of the air," etc. Third, that he might draw our hearts to himself; below, John 12:32: "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself." Fourth, because in the death of the cross he was exalted, inasmuch as there he triumphed over his enemies: hence it is not called death, but exaltation; Psalm 109:7: "He shall drink of the torrent in the way, therefore shall he lift up the head," etc. Fifth, because the cross was the cause of his exaltation; Philippians 2:8: "he became obedient to the Father unto death, even the death of the cross: for which cause God also exalted him." Now the fruit of Christ's passion is eternal life; hence he says, "that everyone who believes in him," by working well, "may not perish, but may have eternal life." And this fruit corresponds to the fruit of the figurative serpent. For whoever looked upon the bronze serpent were freed from the venom, and preserved for life. But he looks upon the Son of man exalted who believes in Christ crucified; and thus he is freed from the venom and from sin, below, John 11:26: "He who believes in me shall not die forever"; and he is preserved unto eternal life; below, John 20:31: "These things are written, that you may believe, and that believing, you may have life in his name."”

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,.... The history referred to is in Num 21:8. There is, in many things, an agreement between this serpent, and Jesus Christ: as in the matter of it, it was a brazen serpent; it was made not of gold, nor of silver, but of brass, the meaner metal, and was a very unlikely means, of itself, to heal the Israelites; and might be despised by many: this may denote the meanness of Christ in his human nature, in his birth and parentage, and place of education and converse; and especially in his crucifixion and death; and which, to an eye of carnal sense and reason, seemed a very improbable means of saving sinners; and therefore were to some a stumbling block, and to others foolishness: though on the other hand, as brass is a shining metal, and might be chose for the serpent in the wilderness to be made of, that by the lustre of it the eyes of the Israelites might be attracted and directed to it, who were at the greatest distance in the camp; so it may be expressive of the glory of Christ, as the only begotten of the Father, and who is the brightness of his Father's glory; and which is the great attractive, motive, and inducement to engage souls to look unto him, and believe in him, Isa 45:22; and whereas brass is both a strong and durable metal, it may signify the strength of Christ, who is the mighty God, and mighty to save; and his duration, as a Saviour, being the same today, yesterday, and for ever: likewise, the comparison between the serpent Moses lifted up, and Christ, may be observed in the form of it. The brazen serpent had the form of a serpent, but not the poison and venomous nature of one; so Christ was sent, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and was found in fashion as a man, as a sinful man, but was without sin, and was perfectly holy; and yet being in this form, was made both sin and a curse, that he might redeem his people both from sin, and from the curse of the law, by dying a death which denominated him accursed, of which the serpent was, an emblem: besides, this serpent was a fiery one; at least it looked like one of the fiery serpents, being of brass, which shone as though it burned in a furnace; and may be an emblem both of Christ's Father's wrath, which was poured out like fire upon him, and of his love to his people, which was like burning fire, the coals whereof gave a most vehement flame. Moreover, this serpent Moses made, and was ordered to make, was but "one", though the fiery serpents, with which the Israelites were bitten, were many; so there is but one Mediator between God and man; but one Saviour, in whom alone is salvation, and in no other, even Jesus Christ. To which may be added the "situation" in which this serpent was put: it was set by Moses on a pole; it was lifted up on high, that every one in the camp of Israel might see it; and may point out the ascension of Christ into heaven, and his exaltation at God's right hand there, as some think; or his being set up in the ministry of the word, and held forth and exalted there as the only Saviour of lost sinners; or rather his crucifixion, which is sometimes expressed by a lifting up, Joh 8:28. Once more, there is an agreement in the effect that followed upon the lifting up of the serpent; and which was the design of it, viz. the healing of such Israelites as were bitten by the fiery serpents, who looked to this: for as the Israelites were bitten by fiery serpents, with the poison of which they were infected, and were in danger of death, and to many of them their bitings were mortal; so men are poisoned with the venom of the old serpent the devil, by which they are subjected to a corporeal death, and are brought under a spiritual, or moral death, and are liable to an eternal one: and as these bitings were such as Moses could not cure; so the wounds of sin, through the old serpent, are such as cannot be healed by the law, moral or ceremonial, or by obedience to either; and as they were the Israelites who were convinced of their sin, and acknowledged it, and had a cure by looking to the brazen serpent; so such whom the Spirit of God convinces of sin, and to whom he gives the seeing eye of faith, these, through seeing, the Son, and looking to Jesus, as crucified and slain, receive healing by his stripes and wounds: and as those, who were ever so much bit and poisoned by the fiery serpents, or were at ever so great a distance from the pole, or had the weakest eye, yet if they could but discern the serpent on the pole, though it only appeared as a shining piece of brass, had a cure; so the greatest of sinners, and who are afar off from God, and all that is good, and who have faith but as a grain of mustard seed, or but glimmering view of Christ, of his glory, fulness, and suitableness, shall be saved by him. To add no more, this was done "in the wilderness": which may signify this world, Christ's coming into it, his crucifixion in it, and his going without the camp, bearing our reproach, or suffering without the gates of Jerusalem. It is certain, that the Jews had a notion that the brazen serpent was symbolical and figurative: Philo the Jew makes it to be a symbol of fortitude and temperance (t); and the author of the apocryphal book of Wisdom (u), calls it "a sign of salvation". They thought there was something mysterious in it: hence they say (w), "in four places it is said, "make thee", &c. In three places it is explained, viz. Gen 6:14, and one is not explained, Num 21:8, "make thee a fiery serpent", , is not explained.'' And elsewhere (x) they ask, "and could the serpent kill, or make alive? But at the time that Israel looked up, and served with their hearts their Father which is in heaven, they were healed; but if not, they were brought low.'' So that the look was not merely to the brazen serpent, but to God in heaven; yea, to the word of God, his essential Logos, as say the Targumists on Num 21:9. The Jerusalem Targum paraphrases the words thus: "and Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a high place, and whoever was bitten by the serpents, and lift up his face, in prayer, to his Father which is in heaven, and looked upon the serpent of brass, lived.'' And Jonathan ben Uzziel paraphrases them thus: "and Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a high place; and it was, when a serpent had bitten any man, and he looked to the serpent of brass, "and directed his heart", , "to the name of the word of the Lord", he lived.'' And this healing they understand not only of bodily healing, but of the healing of the soul: for they observe (y), that "as soon as they said, "we have sinned", immediately their iniquity was expiated; and they had the good news brought them "of the healing of the soul", as it is written, "make thee a seraph"; and he does not say a serpent; and this is it: "and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live", , "through the healing of the soul":'' yea, they compare the Messiah to a serpent; for so the Targum on Isa 14:29 paraphrases that passage: "the Messiah shall come forth from Jesse's children's children; and his works shall be among you as a "flying serpent".'' And who else can be designed by the "other serpent of life" (z), and the "holy serpent" (a) they speak of, in opposition to the evil serpent that seduced Eve? And it is well known, that "a serpent", and "Messiah", are numerically, or by gematry, the same; a way of interpretation, and explanation, often in use with the Jews. Now, as this serpent was lifted up on a pole on high, that every one that was bitten with the fiery serpent might look to it, and be healed; even so must the son of man be lifted up; upon the cross, and die: the crucifixion and death of Christ were necessary, and must be, because of the decrees and purposes of God, by which he was foreordained thereunto, and by which determinate counsel he was delivered, taken, crucified, and slain; and because of his own engagements as a surety, laying himself under obligations in the council and covenant of peace, to suffer, and die, in the room of his people; and because of the prophecies in the Old Testament, and his own predictions, that so it should be; as also, that the antitype might answer the type; and particularly, that he might be a suitable object of faith for wounded sinners, sensible of sin, to look unto. (t) De Agricult. p. 202. & Allegor. l. 3. p. 1101, 1102, 1103, 1104. (u) C. 16. v. 6. (w) T. Hieros. Roshhashanah, fol. 59. 1. (x) Misn. Roshhashanah, c. 3. sect. 3. (y) Tzeror Hammor, fol. 123. 2. (z) Zohar in Gen fol. 36. 2. (a) Tikkune Zohar in Jetzira, p. 134.”

“No man hath ascended - This seems a figurative expression for, No man hath known the mysteries of the kingdom of God; as in Deu 30:12; Psa 73:17; Pro 30:4; Rom 11:34. And the expression is founded upon this generally received maxim: That to be perfectly acquainted with the concerns of a place, it is necessary for a person to be on the spot. But our Lord probably spoke to correct a false notion among the Jews, viz. that Moses had ascended to heaven, in order to get the law. It is not Moses who is to be heard now, but Jesus: Moses did not ascend to heaven; but the Son of man is come down from heaven to reveal the Divine will. That came down - The incarnation of Christ is represented under the notion of his coming down from heaven, to dwell upon earth. Which is in heaven - Lest a wrong meaning should be taken from the foregoing expression, and it should be imagined that, in order to manifest himself upon earth he must necessarily leave heaven; our blessed Lord qualifies it by adding, the Son of man who is in heaven; pointing out, by this, the ubiquity or omnipresence of his nature: a character essentially belonging to God; for no being can possibly exist in more places than one at a time, but He who fills the heavens and the earth.”

“No man hath ascended—but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man, who is in heaven. These words, divers times repeated by our Saviour, in their literal and obvious sense, shew that Christ was in heaven, and had a being before he was born of the Virgin Mary, against the Cerinthians, &c. That he descended from heaven: that when he was made man, and conversed with men on earth, he was at the same time in heaven. Some Socinians give us here their groundless fancy, that Jesus after his baptism took a journey to heaven, and returned again before his death. Nor yet would this make him in heaven, when he spoke this to his disciples. (Witham)”

“no man hath ascended, &c.--There is something paradoxical in this language--"No one has gone up but He that came down, even He who is at once both up and down." Doubtless it was intended to startle and constrain His auditor to think that there must be mysterious elements in His Person. The old Socinians, to subvert the doctrine of the pre-existence of Christ, seized upon this passage as teaching that the man Jesus was secretly caught up to heaven to receive His instructions, and then "came down from heaven" to deliver them. But the sense manifestly is this: "The perfect knowledge of God is not obtained by any man's going up from earth to heaven to receive it--no man hath so ascended--but He whose proper habitation, in His essential and eternal nature, is heaven, hath, by taking human flesh, descended as the Son of man to disclose the Father, whom He knows by immediate gaze alike in the flesh as before He assumed it, being essentially and unchangeably 'in the bosom of the Father'" (Joh 1:18).”