hands; and they were to eat in haste; bacause it was the very passing-over of JEHOVAH, or to JEHOVAH; and because JEHOVAH passed over the land of Egypt, in the same night, to smite all the first-born in every place, where the blood was not exhibited for the commanded token. There was, however, this restriction; no uncircumcised persons, whether Jew or proselyte, could eat of the passover; and, particularly, no * or unbekeving stranger; no wit or sojourning alien; no hireling; but only the 1 the proselyted stranger, moved with the fear of God, when circumcised, should have any participation of it.-All this is full of evangelical mystery. The children of God, before they can "feed upon Christ with thanksgiving," come to the blood of the Lamb, and have it sprinkled by faith upon their consciences, at the very entrance and beginning of their divine life, upon all their faculties and powers corporal and intellectual. In the hour of darkness, in the night of sin, which finally brings destruction to others, they begin to live. They live upon Christ, and eat him, not

* Exod. xii. 43.

† V. 45.

V. 48. The calling of the Gentiles was ever in view; and provision was made for proselytes constantly in the law. There was a first passover, to which those, who were prepared, were admitted; and there was a second (Numb. ix. 10, &c.) in behalf of those, who were not ready, or in a journey afar off, and therefore might not celebrate the first. Thus, the Gentiles, who were common and unclean, in a legal view under the first dispensation, and far off (Eph. ii. 13.) from God in a spiritual sense, were to be admitted to Christ the true passover, under another dispensation or time, and to communicate equally with the more antient church in all its privileges and mercies. * 1 Thess. v. 23.

with the leavened bread of the old man or carnal nature, but with the unleavened bread of that sincerity and truth, which is only to be found in the faith of the mind renewed. Their loins are spiritually to be girt; they are to have their shoes on their feet; their staff is to be in their hands; and they are to eat in haste: i. e. they are to act like strangers upon a journey, or prisoners newly released going home, who do not incumber themselves, nor would meet with any hindrance. They are making a rough and sometimes a tedious journey, through a wilderness, and from an enemy. It is necessary, therefore, that they should be diligent, earnest, eager, and watchful. They want the preparation of the gospel of peace for their feet, and a staff of defence or support for their hands: they cannot, must not loiter, or sit down; but eat standing, and ready to depart, They are passing to God from the vengeance, which now threatens,

* 8 leaven. The word also stands for flesh, mere flesh. They that are in the flesh, or live and walk in the flesh, cannot please God. on leavened bread, that which is fermented, and wrought by the leaven: Spiritually; all dead works, proceeding from the corrupt fermentation, or zeal, or agitation of flesh, or carnal nature. To these is opposed unleavened bread,

which the apostle expounds by sincerity and truth, that which will bear to be examined in the light, and is consequently pure and perfect. This denotes Christ, or the grace of Christ. Purge. out therefore (says St. Paul) the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, or temperament, as YE are unleavened. 1 Cor. v. 7. Our Lord applies leaven to false doctrine, the evil food of the soul. Mat. xvi. 11, 12. With these ideas, the evangelical reader will see into the importance of that solemn command, concerning the typical remembrance of Christ, the Ransomer, in Exod. xii. 15-20.

and

and will ere long destroy, the world: and God will pass over them without hurt, in the hours of death and judgement, in no other way, or by no other means, than by their participation of Christ. If this first-born Lamb, Christ, is not their's; they know, that their own first-born, their own souls, must bear the sin, and suffer. And they see, that no mere profession of Christ, no dwelling among his people, no self-seeking, will suffice: the circumcision of the heart, the putting off the old man, and the reception of Christ, will alone stand them in stead in the day of God. Therefore, they do, as the children of Israel did,-make ready for the journey, and assure themselves, that all shall come to pass, as the Lord hath spoken.

This ordinance of the passover was to be a memorial to the Israelites, that, at such a time, and by such means, the Lord delivered them from their slavery, through his mighty power. And, that they might have it ever before their eyes and upon their hearts, they were not only to have a solemn meeting* at a certain time, in express commemoration of this great transaction, but all sorts of sacrifices and services also were instituted for a more frequent and even daily observation; all of which had reference to this first great offering of the paschal lamb, and are only different exhibitions to represent, more distinctly and evidently, the different parts of the same thing. So believers, under the Christian dispensation, are exhorted to have the sacrifice and merit of Christ always in remembrance; and for this end, both the

Exod. xii. 16. An holy convocation, or assembly of the faithful; those, who were the church.

assembling

assembling of themselves together, and also the sacra ment of the Lord's supper itself (which last was instituted by Christ instead of the passover, as another sign and continuation of the same principle,) were enjoined as memorials of their redemption by Christ, till his second coming to judge the world.

Finally; the same angel of the covenant, who brought the sons of Israel out of bondage, assuming the image of a cloud and pillar of fire, led them on towards the promised inheritance, supported them through all the way, destroyed their enemies by means which at the same time preserved themselves, and gave them constant occasions of triumph in the God of their salvation.* And thus, the true Israel, under the guidance and protection of their Redeemer, find the sea and the waters of the great deep dried up, and in the depths of the sea a way to pass over: the world and all the multitude of their enemies are subdued before them, and, in the very midst of them all, the ransomed are led with safety to their home. The redeemed of the LORD (says Isaiah, alluding to the typical deliverance of the Jews) shall

* Another remarkable instance of divine appearance in their behalf occurred to them under Joshua, who, filled with the Holy Spirit, called upon the orbs of nature to stop in their courses. This was done, partly to show, that all nature and the fabric of the universe are subservient to the kingdom of God and his designs for his people; and partly to demonstrate to the idolaters of those times, that their objects of worship were subject to Jehovah, and that, instead of affording their worshippers any aid, were rather devoted, by a power superior, to the assistance of Israel their destroyers, who had the true Alehim; or, as it is usually expressed, the Alehim is for or with Israel. So the words might be rendered in 1 Sam. xvii. 46, et al.

return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtuin gladness and joy, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.*

Believer! thou seest here the ransom paid by thy Redeemer; a ransom paid by himself, and at the expence of his most precious blood. The blood is the life: and he poured out his life, to deliver thee from death and the pit of hell. He was and is Immanuel; and therefore the blood, though coming mediately from his human nature, had, by the union of that nature with his divinity, a divine virtue in it; for which reason it is called the blood of God. The life of God was in that wonderful person called Christ, as well as the life of man: and when he offered up the last in sacrifice, the infinite vigor and

Isa. li. 11. To this restitution amoralaçatıs, implying both the great restoration, or adjustment in their own place, of the people of God, and the final revolution of all things in new heavens and a new earth, I apprehend, the apostle alludes in Acts iii. 21. And possibly, the same thing is signified in Numb. x. 35, 36. When the ark set forward, Moses said; Rise up JEHOVAH, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee, flee before thee. That is; while the church of God is moving on in its course through the wilderness of this world, she is to call upon the Lord for his presence and protection against all her enemies. And when the ark rested, he said, naw, Restore, convert, deliver fully from captivity, the ten thousand thousands of Israel. That is; in all the restings of faith, and consolations of hope, which the church may meet with here, she is to consider herself in an enemy's country, and is to look forward to the great rest which remaineth for the people of God, and to call upon him to "accomplish the number of his elect, and to hasten his kingdom;" or, in the language of those already departed, who were to rest yet for a little season, to cry out, How long, O Lord, holy and true!

+ Acts xx. 28.

glory