monies of infpired writers, it is plain that idolworthip had been practifed by fome of them at leaft. Ifracl was exprefsly prohibited from making unto themselves the likeness of any living creature which moveth upon the earth, as a ftanding teftimony against the Egyptian worship of four-footed beasts. When they finned, they accordingly fell into the Egyptian - fyftem of idolatry, making the golden calf. Joshua, in like manner, taxeth them with Egyptian idolatry, "Put away the gods which your fathers ferved on the other fide of the flood, and in Egypt." Oftener than once does the prophet Ezekiel renew the fame accufation against them in like manner. Now, as God had feparated the covenanted feed of Jacob from their idolatrous mafters, by a train of amazing providences; and as he had begun to reform them from that idolatrous taint which they had contracted, fo he brought them into covenant with himfelf of new, making that covenant to point directly against their former idolatry. Their idolatry was a contradicting the very purpofe for which the family of Abraham had been feparated from the reft of the world; of confequence, it implied the deepest guilt of covenant-violation. Covenant-renovation was rendered neceffary, then, as a fpeedy remedy of that evil.

༣

Joh. xxiv. 14.

Ezek. xx. 7, &c.

5. THE Conformity of Ifrael to Egyptian idolatry had been feverely punished by Egyp→ tian oppreffion; and their deliverance from the yoke of their oppreffors accomplished by the wonderful interpofition of providence. In the space of little more than fixty years, Ifrael fell from the highest offices in the kingdom to the meaneft occupations, and the most abject flavery. To gratify an ambitious monarch, who knew not Jofeph, the whole race of Jacob are doomed to the brick-kiln, that he might build treafure-cities; and, left they fhould furpass the Egyptians in numbers and ftrength, their males must be ftrangled by the midwives. When the barbarous fcheme mifgave, the parents are enjoined to execute their tender offspring! Could hell itself devife any thing more fhocking to humanity? God himfelf fpeaks in the most feeling manner, concerning the fevere measures to which they were exposed: "I have furely feen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reafon of their tafk-mafters: for I know their forrows; and I am come down to deliver them *." Now, he purfues the Egyptians with plague upon plague, till, at laft, they who condemned others to the river, fank like lead into the mighty waters: Wherefore, Ifrael's deliverance not only demanded a fong of praife; but alfo a folemn dedication of the

* Exod. iii. 7. 8.

redeemed

redeemed unto their gracious benefactor. Hence the defignation which God took to himfelf, when he covenanted with them, was, "The Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt,-out of the houfe of bondage."

6. THIS transaction obtained after God had inftituted the ordinance of the paffover among them, and had performed various miracles, expreffive of fpiritual privileges, upon them

He inftituted the paffover. Four days before the children of Ifrael came out of Egypt, God commanded Ifracl, that every family (or if the family confifted of two perfons, two might join together) fhould take a lamb, or a kid, and fhut it up from the tenth until the fourteenth day of the month Abib; then it behoved them to kill it. This lamb must be a male of the first year, without blemish: They must alfo receive its blood in a bason, and fprinkle it, with a bunch of hyffop, on the lintel and fidepofts of the door: They muft roaft the flesh with fire; and, before they proceed, they must fearch their houfes, left there be any leavened bread in it; as the lamb must be eaten with unleavened bread: A bone of it must not be broken: The whole muft be dreffed and eaten; and, left any of it fhould be left until the morn ing, what was not eaten must be burnt with fire This lamb muft be eaten with bitter herbs; while the family ftand up together,

with their fhoes on their feet, and their staves in their hand.—This is one of the most lively and expreffive figures of Chrift, our paffover, who was facrificed for us. He is, indeed, the Lamb of God who taketh away the fin of the world : He was in the prime of his vigour: He was feparated just as many years, unto his perfonal miniftry, as the lamb was of days from the reft of the flock: He was without blemifl, and without fpot: Exposed, in his fufferings, unto the vehement flames of Almighty vengeance. All the family of Ifraelites, indeed, muft feed on him: He must be received without hefitation, or referve: True feeding on him is accompanied with repentance, and bitternefs of foul for fin. Such as feed on Chrift, our paffover, must have the ftaff of God's promise in their hand, and their feet fhod with the preparation of the everlasting gofpel, as a fure intimation that they have turned their back on this world, and are journeying unto the better country. The fprinkling of blood was peculiar unto the firft celebration of this ordi-, nance, as a fign to the deftroying angel to fpare the first-born of Ifrael, while he flew the firft-born of Egypt. It was alfo intended as a type of the BLOOD OF SPRINKLING *.

* The ordinance of the paflover might have been more copiously confidered. But our labour is fuperfeded, as this has been done, to great purpofe, by others. BoCHART. Hierozoicon, Lib. II. cap. 1. WITSIUS, De Oecon. Fed, as well as MATHER and M'EwEN, in our own language.

God

God fet apart the first-born of Ifrael unto himfelf *. This dedication may be reduced into three parts: First, MALE CHILDREN, who were to be redeemed with five fhekels, twenty gerahs being a fhekel. Secondly, CLEAN BEASTS, fuch as were offered on other occafions for facrifice; and thefe were to be offered, for a burnt-offering, without redemption, or commutation whatfoever. It behoved them to be facrificed after they had been fed a month on the dam. Thirdly, Unclean beasts, fuch as the afs, &c. muft either be redeemed at fuch a price as the priest and the owner could agree upon, or the owner must break their neck. This feparation was defigned to commemorate the deftruction of Egypt's firftborn; and the deliverance of Ifrael's by the fprinkling of blood. God has alfo a claim unto the first and best of all that we poffefs. The dedication of the firft-fruits was a just acknowledgment that they held their all by tenor of a gift from his royal bounty. All the firft-born of Ifrael deferved deftruction as well as thofe of Egypt; wherefore, if God faved them in the way of fovereign mercy, he had an additional claim upon them. Hence, from their redemption from Egypt, until the confecration of the Levites, they officiated as priests; and, *Exod. xiii. 2. and verfe 11-15. Numb. xviii. 15-17. The price of redemption amounted to about eleven fhillings and four-pence and two farthings, English money; if the ordinary fhekel (which is moft probable) be intended.

probably