Jesus, the very paschal Lamb of God, who was offered for us.

Thirdly, That what took place in Egypt, whilst the Israelites were attending to the observance of this institution, deserves remembrance; and that because the Lord's arm was so illustriously displayed on the behalf of his people, and against their enemies.

And lastly, I will give an account of the de parture of the children of Israel out of Egypt, with the exact fulfilment of God's promise, as soon as the time was up which he had before spoken of: this is mentioned very particularly in the context, "Now the sojourning of the children of Israel who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass, at the end of four hundred and thirty years, even the self-same day, it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt; this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations."

Having given you the general heads into which I shall set before you my present discourse, I begin it thus.

First, I will speak concerning the change of the year, and the institution of the passover, which was a most solemn type, figure, and memorial of the sufferings, blood-shedding, and

death of Christ. The month in which these great acts were wrought by the Lord on the behalf of Israel, was the month Abib, which signifies an ear of corn; it is the same with the month Nisan; it is with us answerable to March and April, it sometimes falling out partly in the one and partly in the other. Before, the year began in the month Tizry, or Ethanim, answering to part of our September and October; at which season, viz. autumn, some learned men date the creation of the world, as others place it at the vernal equinox. The people of the Lord going out of the house of bondage in the month of Nisan, or Abib, hence the year is changed, and by divine command is from henceforth to begin, for all ecclesiastical matters, with it, as the year for civil affairs was to begin as before, with Ethanim, or Tizry: thus the jews had two ways of beginning their year, the one for ecclesiastical, the other for civil affairs. As the redemption and Exodus of Israel from Egypt, was a figure of the redemption of God's elect by the Lord Jesus Christ, so he suffered death also in this month. It being the spring of the year, when there is a revival and renewal of all things in nature, it served to suggest the renewal of the church, and its revival by Christ. And by the Lord's making this from henceforth the head, beginning, and first month of the year, the church was taught to look for the acceptable year of the

Lord, when the Messiah being incarnate, all these shadows would be realized in him, and by his glorious work. As the beginning of the year was thus changed because the church was brought out of Egypt, hence it might well be called by the jews, the month of redemption; so at the death and resurrection of Christ, the beginning, or first day of the week, was sanctified as the christian sabbath, instead of the seventh day. In this month great wonders were wrought; the first-born throughout all the land of Egypt were slain; the Israelites were led out of it with an high hand; they were pursued by Pharaoh and his host, but Jehovah made bare his arm, dried up the channel of the red sea, led them safely through, and caused the waters to return and overwhelm the Egyptians. To To prepare their minds for these great events, to point out to them their Redeemer, and his expiatory blood, and to convince them that he was their protector and security, the Lord commands Moses to observe the following ordinance, which he instituted to commemorate down to the end of the jewish church state, and commanded, as a memorial of their deliverance from Egypt.

The ordinance itself is called the Lord's passover it was to be a lamb, which was to be separated for this purpose on the tenth day of this month, and killed on the fourteenth at even;

the whole congregation were to be concerned in killing it, or it was to be killed for the whole body of the people; its blood was to be sprinkled on the two side posts, and upper door posts of the houses wherein they ate it; they were to roast it with fire, to eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, with their loins girded, and their staff in their hands, and to eat it with haste. The lamb was not to be raw, nor sodden with water, but roast with fire, its head, with its legs, and with the appurtenance thereof; to which ordinance the Lord subjoined the feast of unleavened bread, which began on the fifteenth day of the month Nisan, and ended on the twenty-first day of the same. It was distinct from the passover, yet it began with it.

Thus the death of Christ, the alone atonement for sin, was divinely set forth before the whole congregation of Israel, at this time, in this institution, as the alone means of their redemption out of Egypt, and the only ransom by which the elect were purchased and bought out of the hands of their spiritual enemies. The paschal lamb was a symbol of Christ, the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Its appointment as a means of deliverance from the iron furnace, was a solemn intimation of the sufferings, blood-shedding, and death of the immaculate Lamb, who was the antitype of it; and in what way and

manner it peculiarly and positively expressed and pointed out the Lord Jesus Christ, will be shewed in our next head. In which I will,

Secondly, Set before you the paschal lamb, with the several circumstances belonging to it and enjoined in eating it; and shew how it bore a resemblance unto, and was expressive of Jesus, the very paschal lamb, who was offered for us.

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The paschal lamb was to be a male, whole, sound, and without blemish; it was to be taken from the fold four days before it was killed, it was then to be killed on the evening of the fourteenth of Nisan, by the whole congregation. Christ is called by the apostle, Our passover." 1 Cor. v. 7. He is frequently stiled a Lamb, and the Lamb in the old testament, and in the new, and that on account of his being the Priest and Sacrifice of his church. Lambs were offered in sacrifice to the Lord immediately on the fall, as types and memorials of him. This appears from Abel's offering, which was a lamb, Gen. iv. 4. and from what Isaac said to his father when they were going to mount Moriah to offer," Behold the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?" Gen. xxii. 7. The question put, shews that lambs were animals used in sacrifice, consequently they were divinely appointed by the Lord; and he appointed the paschal lamb to be a memorial of Christ, so that we need not hesitate, but may freely say that it, with all the