In the roasting of the lamb, we may observe that the command, "Eat not of it raw, but roast," may denote, that the Passover, both in the anticipatory paschal lamb, and in the commemorative sacrament of the bread and wine, was to be carefully prepared, and rendered most fitted for devotion and instruction. Nothing was to be left to the caprice or fancy of the individual. All was to be done in order, in the best and prescribed manner. It is usual to believe that the roasting of the lamb denoted the sufferings of Christ; but the type is not correct. The lamb died before it was roasted. Christ endured the fire of the wrath of God for man, before He gave back His human spirit to His Father.-In the eating of the lamb, we may observe the dress of the partakers—their loins girt, their shoes on their feet, their staff in their hand, and in haste; and the sauce with which it was eaten-bitter herbs and unleavened bread, all of which have been considered. Not a bone was to be broken; first, for the temporary reason, that their haste did not allow them time for the luxury of consuming the marrow; and next, according to St. John's interpretation (John xix. 36), that a bone of Christ was not to be broken. Nothing was to be taken out of the house, that the worshipper might not be exposed to the destroying angel. It was to be wholly eaten, that nothing might be left for profane uses. In the mystery of the Passover, we may learn the application of the institution to Christ, as the subject of contemplation to the pious Israelite, in its representation of the person, the sufferings, the fruits of those sufferings, and the manner in which men partake of them. The person of Christ is represented by the lamb, in its age, its selection from the common flock—as Christ, as a man, was chosen out of the people-its perfection, separation, blamelessness, meekness, and excellency. The sufferings of Christ are represented by the whole congregation killing the lamb, as He was slain by the united efforts and cruelties of all the Jewish people at Jerusalem. The fruits or effects of Christ's death are, deliverance from sin, liberty from bondage, the destruction of the idols in the heart, and a new era in our worldly existence, when the obedient and developed intellect first eats by faith the Paschal Lamb, or the bread and wine of the sacrament. And the manner in which every worshipper partakes of those consequences of the death of Christ, is related in the sprinkling of the blood, and in the eating of the flesh of the Lamb of God.-There is but one life of trial, one death of the body, one judgment to come, one Christ to deliver, one institution to remind the Church of the coming of the seed of the woman, once in humiliation, once in glory. The commemorative sacrifice, and the preparatory sacrifice, teach the sinful and repentant soul the one great lesson, that there is no name by which we can be saved, but one name, the name of the Son of God, and the Son of man, Jesus the Saviour, Jesus the Messiah of the Scriptures. The first encampment of Israel after they had received this Passover, was at Succoth. Their second, as we read in this Section, was at Etham. Their guide through the wilderness was the pillar of cloud and of fire, of which we shall speak in the next Section. Their third journey was taken under such peculiar circumstances, that their leader, Moses, must have been insane, or divinely commissioned. The direct road of the Israelites to Sinai was from Etham, round by the head of the Red Sea. Instead of being commanded to take this road, they are directed to leave Etham, and to turn by the coast of the Red Sea, nearest to Egypt, by a route where the coast of the Red Sea would enclose them on one side, and where the host of the Egyptians would overtake them, in a country and position, from which there appeared to be no escape whatever by human means. Their destruction appeared to be unavoidable, unless some great miracle, which could never be expected, should happeneither that the host of Egypt should be destroyed by fire from heaven, or that the earth should yawn and swallow them up, or that the broad sea should open its waves to let the people of Israel pass. Neither of these things was expected by the people; neither of these was promised by Moses. He only obeyed the command of his divine leader, and ordered the people to march nearer to Egypt, by the way of the coast of the Red Sea. The people of Egypt had now buried their dead. Their king found that Israel had escaped him. His troops and chariots, as we have before seen, were stationed close to Rameses, to defend the frontier of Egypt on the East. They are commanded to assemble, and instantly, with all haste, to pursue and bring back the Israelites. The people, obedient to their leader, Moses, had turned as he directed them; and they had no sooner arrived at their third encampment, a place called Pi-hahiroth, or the mouth of Haroth, between Migdol, a fortress of Egypt, and the sea, opposite to a temple called Baal-zephon, than they descry the army of Pharaoh, and break out into murmurs of indignation and despair, at the supposed folly, cruelty, incapacity, or treachery of their leader. The degraded and wretched majority wished to return again to their slavery, and declare the bondage of Egypt to be preferable to death in the wilderness. (Exod. xiv. 12.) Moses having been, by faith in an all-wise God, obedient to a most mysterious command, assures them that all will be well-that the Egyptians shall perish, and themselves be at peace from all further attempts to enslave them (Exod. xiv. 13, 14); and he is ordered boldly and faithfully to bid the people go forward-to lead them to the waves of the Red Sea, and begin their march immediately, for the very sea should open to receive them, at the voice of its own Creator. The people obeyed, and that event took place which we will go on to considerwhich was to the ancient Church what the Resurrection of Christ has been to the Christian Church, the proof and pledge that the Creator of the world is the God of the Church-that He who created the sea by His power, could suspend the laws He has Himself given, that its tides should ebb and flow. May this God be our God-our own God for ever and ever! The second journey.-From Succoth to Etham. NUMBERS XXXIII. 6. BEFORE 6 And they departed from | Etham, which is in the edge CHRIST Succoth, and pitched in of the wilderness. 1491. EXODUS XIII. 20, TO THE END. BEFORE CHRIST 1491. Numb. 33.6. ch. 14. 19, 24. & 40. 38. CHRIST 1491. 20 And they took a pillar of fire, to give them BEFORE their journey from Succoth, light; to go by day and and encamped in Etham, in night: the edge of the wilderness. 22 He took not away the 99. 7. & 105. 39. Isai. 4. 5. Numb. 9. 15. 21 And the LORD went pillar of the cloud by day, 1 Cor. 10. 1. 10.34.& 14. before them by day in a pil- nor the pillar of fire by night, 14. Deut. 1. 33. lar of a cloud, to lead them from before the people. Neb.9.12, 19. Ps. 78. 14. & the way; and by night in Exod. 14. 2, 9. The third journey.-From Etham to Pi-hahiroth. NUMBERS XXXIII. 7. 7 And they removed which is before Baal-zephon: from Etham, and turned and they pitched before again unto Pi-hahiroth, Migdol. EXODUS XIV. 1-18. 1 And the LORD spake vants was turned against unto Moses, saying, the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? 2 Speak unto the chilch. 13. 18. dren of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Numb. 33. 7. Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baal-zephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. Jer. 44. 1. Ps. 71. 11. ich. 4. 21. & 7.3. ch. 9. 16. ver. 17, 18. 6 And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: 7 And he took "six hun- " ch. 15. 4. 3 For Pharaoh will say 8 And the LORD har- ver. 4. 4 And 'I will harden Pha-dened the heart of Pharaoh raoh's heart, that he shall king of Egypt, and he purfollow after them; and I sued after the children of * will be honoured upon Israel: and the children P ch. 6. 1. & Rom. 9, 17, Pharaoh, and upon all his of Israel went out with an Numb. 33. 3. host; that the Egyptians high hand. may know that I am the LORD. And they did so. 5 And it was told the king of Egypt that the 22, 23. 'ch. 7. 5. १ 9 But the Egyptians 9 ch. 15. 9. pursued after them, all the Josh. 24. 6. horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and Ps. 105. 25. people fled: and the heart his army, and overtook of Pharaoh and of his ser- them encamping by the sea, VOL. II. PART IV. K BEFORE beside Pi-hahiroth, before ye have seen to-day, CHRIST 1491. Neh. 9. 9. . Ps. 106. 7, 8. see them again no more for ever. BEFORE CHRIST 1491. ▾ ver. 25. shall hold Deut. 1. 30. & 10 ¶And when Pharaoh they were sore afraid and tch. 5. 21. & 6. 9. 2 Chron. 20. 12 t Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilder ness. u 13 ¶And Moses said unto 15, 17. the people, " Fear ye not, Isai. 41. 10, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which 13, 14. || Or, for whereas ye 3. 22. & 20.4. Josh. 10. 14, 42. & 23. 3. 2 29. Chron. 20. Neh. 4. 20. Isal. 30. 15. Isai. 30. 15. have seen the he will shew to you to-day: his horsemen. to-day, &c. for the Egyptians whom Egyptians PRAYER.-LET US PRAY, that whatever be the difficulties or the temptations in the wilderness of life, we go forward in our journey, refreshed and strengthened by the partaking of the true Passover; that we proceed with joy from the CORRUPTIONS and BONDAGE of Egypt, to the TABERNACLES and TENTS of the spiritual Israel, looking for the city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God; that we be PERFECT and SINCERE in our Christian profession ; and that we ESCAPE from all dangers, and from the hands of all that hate us, directed and guided by day and by night by the cloud and fire of the Providence of God. O SON of GOD! Redeemer of the world! Head of the Church, whether triumphant in heaven, or militant here on earth; who, before the creation of the world, didst take upon Thee to deliver man; who, in the fulness of time, wast born of woman, and didst bear our human nature; and who now sittest at the right hand of God, to save and deliver all them in the wilderness of life, who put their trust in Thee; grant us, we beseech Thee, such grace and strength in Thee, that as Thy people Israel, before they began their journeying from the land of corruption and bondage, did eat of the flesh of the Passover which Thou, the Eternal Head of the Universal Church, didst command them to eat; so also may we, Thine unworthy servants, spiritually eat Thy flesh and drink Thy blood, in the sacrament of the bread and wine, which Thou didst ordain that we should eat; when the same word which commanded the lamb to be eaten, commanded us to partake of the bread and wine in remembrance of the God of Israel, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world.-May the name of that true sacrifice be dear to our souls as the "ointment poured forth." May the time, the hour, and the day, be ever remembered, when, with holy awe and heartfelt love, with deep repentance, and solemn resolution, we first came up to Thy table and altar, to make our vows, and devote ourselves, our souls, and bodies, an acceptable and living sacrifice to Thee.-May the place and scene be ever remembered, when we first so joined ourselves to the body of believers, and partook of the communion of saints in the assembly of the worshippers, in the courts of the house of the Lord. May the ministers and stewards of Thy mysteries ever be venerated and beloved, as the ambassadors of Christ, and the dispensers of Thy word and sacraments. Ever may we be found among the guests at Thy table, clothed with that wedding garment which the Lord of the feast alone can give to those whom His grace invites, and Spirit guides, to sit down at the marriage-supper of the Lamb of God. As Thy people Israel did eat the Passover with their loins girt for their journey, their shoes on their feet, and their staves in their hands, so may all the holy rites and ceremonies be spiritually observed by us, which Thou, by thy servant Moses, didst ordain to them. Ever may we go on our way with the loins of our mind girt for our journey, with our feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, with resignation to Thy rod of affliction which chastens us, and with dependance on the staff of Thy Providence to support and uphold us.So may all the mysteries of the Holy Passover, and of the Holy Sacrament, be studied and understood by us, that our souls be saved from sin, our eyes from tears, and our feet from falling; and that we may ever walk before Thee, as strangers and pilgrims whom Thou wilt guide on earth with Thy counsel, and after that, receive into Thy glory. O God! our fathers have told us what things Thou hast done in their days, and in the old time before them, Thou art the same God, whose property is always to have mercy-have mercy upon us. Comfort the souls of Thy servants; for our only trust and hope is in the mercy which is promised in the Word of God, and sealed with the blood of the one Holy Covenant. Father of mercies, and God of all grace, guide, lead, and guard us from the bondage of Egypt, to the tabernacles of Thy spiritual Israel. Here we have no abiding place. Here we have no continuing city. Give us to follow the example of Thy people Israel—to look for the city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God; and to press forward to the Canaan of rest, the land which lieth beyond the wilderness of life, the rest which remaineth for the people of God.-And that we be not disappointed in this our Christian hope, search us, O God! and try our hearts; prove us, and examine our thoughts; look well if there be any way of wickedness in us; and lead, oh! lead us in the way everlasting. Make our hearts within us perfect and sincere before Thee; living up to the light of that truth which Thou hast given to us; and having respect to Thy commandments with our whole heart. And that we escape from all dangers and adversities, laying aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us— be Thou to us the pillar of cloud to direct us in the day, and the light of fire to direct us in the night season of darkness, danger, and distress.-From pre |