you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt."

Such was the original ordinance. The typical meaning was now to be unfolded, and shown to apply to "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." And very remarkable is the accomplishment of the various particulars. The lamb was kept up from the tenth to the fourteenth day of the month Abib. So Jesus" set his face stedfastly towards Jerusalem," and arrived there four days previous to the passover at which he suffered. Again, he was a lamb in the early prime of life, "without blemish and without spot;" and it proved most unexpectedly that he was declared so even by his judge. Again, as all the congregation of Israel joined in killing the passover, so the death of Jesus was the act of the united assembly: all crying, with no dissenting voice, "Crucify him, crucify him.” And as no part of the Lamb might remain until the morning, so the body of Jesus was buried without delay on the very night of his crucifixion.

Therefore Jesus said to his disciples, I will not any more eat of this passover, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. That kingdom will shortly be established, the dispensation completed, and the typical passover fulfilled, by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.

But there is a still further fulfilment. The original ordinance of the passover was not a mere ceremony. An important consequence was attached to it. (ver. 23.) "For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians: and when he seeth the

5 Rev. xiii. 8.

blood upon the lintel, and on the two side-posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

This will be hereafter fulfilled, when "the Son of man shall come in his glory," and "all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth," and stand before him. Then the security will be, the blood of Christ sprinkled upon the soul. For he is "our passover," who was sacrificed for us.6 As when the angel passed through the land of Egypt, the blood was to the Israelites for a token upon the houses where they were: and when be saw the blood, he passed over them, and the plague was not upon them to destroy them: so when the dead, small and great, stand before God, the angels which "shall gather out of the kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity," will pass over such as have on their foreheads the token of Christ's blood. It is their ransom. "For the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin," 8

Realise then to yourselves that time, of which the awful night which brought desolation to all the families in Egypt is but a feeble emblem. If the angel were now to pass through, and survey every heart among us, would he find the blood of Christ sprinkled there? The Israelites had no other promise of security, but the blood which was to them for a token of the houses where they were. Neither is any other way of safety offered us. We do not read, that among them any disobeyed, any perished. O that it were so, with all that profess 8 See 1 John i. 7.

6 1 Cor. v. 7.

7 Matt. xiii. 41.

and call themselves Christians! And that all who are outwardly sprinkled with the water of baptism, were also inwardly sprinkled with the baptism of that blood which was shed for the remission of sins! For there is one way, by which we may "have boldness to enter into the holiest: by the blood of Jesus."9 "Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." 10

LECTURE LXXXIII.

JESUS INSTITUTES THE SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY SUPPER. - EXHORTS THE DISCIPLES TO HUMILITY.

LUKE Xxii. 17—30.

Jesus was now engaged with his disciples in observing the passover; that ordinance, the full meaning of which had not yet been understood, but remained to be developed, when he, "our passover, was sacrificed for us." That ordinance, being fulfilled, would be at an end: it would vanish, like the other shadows of the law: the type had served its purpose. But Christ has left another ordinance,

9 Heb. x. 19.

1 See 1 Cor. v. 7.

10 Acts iv. 12.

which will only be abolished by his second and final coming, and which is endeared to his disciples alike by the time of its appointment, and by the event which it brings to mind. The bread and wine were now spread before them:

(Matt. xxvi. 26-29. Mark xiv. 22-25.)

17. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves;

18. For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.

19. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you; this do in remembrance of me.

20. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new Testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

21. But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.

22. And truly the Son of man goeth as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!

23. And they began to inquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.

It was determined that the "Messiah should be cut off:" for this cause came he into the world, that he might "give his life a ransom for many." It was also foreseen and predicted, that he who did eat bread with him, should lift up his heel against him. But there was nothing in this to affect the character of Judas, or oblige him to act as he did. And therefore Jesus says, Woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed.

2

2 Ps. xli. 9. John xiii. 18.

And if we look into what we know of Judas, it is easy to trace the steps which led to his sinful treachery. Judas, with all his advantages, had never been a converted person: that is, he had never withdrawn his heart from this world, and devoted it to God: he had never made surrender of his evil dispositions in obedience to God's will. We are distinctly informed by St. John, that he had been in the habit of purloining the monies committed to his charge. By indulging this evil practice, he had cherished the corruption which he ought to have resisted, and given it additional power over him. A temptation was now in his way: a snare was laid for him by Satan: and notwithstanding the most earnest and solemn warnings, he had no strength to resist the opportunity. He had habitually grieved the Holy Spirit by yielding to wilful sin; and now, in the season of trial, the Holy Spirit was withdrawn.

There is much in this to instruct the wavering, and nothing to discourage the sincere. All the knowledge which Judas had of the power of Jesus did not preserve him, when temptation arose. The wavering may perceive by this sad example, that a full belief of the great truths of the gospel is no security against deadly sin, unless that belief has been acted upon, and united them to God in a firm and unhesitating covenant.

The sincere may receive comfort, from reflecting, that he who fell into this awful transgression, had never been as they never been sincere. The disciples, when they heard their Master's words, began to inquire among themselves, which of them it was