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in, he will work deliverance, and save, by his right hand, such as trust in him.

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The Lord God slew the first-born at midnight, and brought forth his people at mid-day, with an high hand and stretched-out arm, in the sight of the Egyptians. The first-born of the Israelites saved alive by the Lord at this time, were figurative of the elect, the church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven: as the firstborn of Egypt, whom the Lord destroyed, figured the reprobate, whom satan and the second death shall have power over. Thus as soon as the four hundred and thirty years were up, that self-same day it came to pass, that all the host of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. A blessed evidence of the truth of God's promise, and of his faithfulness to fulfil it to his beloved people. The particular notice taken of it is to encourage our faith and expectation in the Lord; for he is faithful that promised.

This great act of Jehovah's in bringing his people out from Egypt, the means by which he effected it, the death of the first-born, the security of Israel that very night, which was so tremendously fatal to the Egyptians, the wonders he then wrought for Israel, might well cause Moses to say, "It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord, for bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt: this is that night of the Lord (viz. the fourteenth of Nisan) to be ob

served of all the children of Israel, by keeping the passover unto the Lord, in all their generations," until the sacrifice of Christ, the antitype of it, being offered, in remembrance of which the ordinance of our Lord's supper succeeds; which is appointed for our commemorating the deliverance wrought out for us by the same Jehovah-Jesus, from a far worse bondage and slavery, and that we may have fellowship with Christ, our passover, who was sacrificed for us; therefore Paul exhorts us to keep the feast, viz. the ordinance of breaking bread, in remembrance of him.

What has been delivered, agreeable to the Lord's truth, may it please the Holy Ghost to bless the same unto you. Amen.

SERMON VII.

ON THE CLOUDY PILLAR, IN WHICH JEHOVAH THE SAVIOR DWELT, AND BY WHICH HE GUIDED, PROTECTED, AND DEFENDED HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE, AND WENT BEFORE THEM AS THEIR LEADER, AND WAS ALSO THEIR REREWARD.

EXODUS Xiii. 21, 22.

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light: to go by day and night. He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

THE Lord God having brought his people out from Egypt, with an high hand and stretchedout arm, and fulfilled hereby the promise he had made to Abraham four hundred and thirty years before, which he performed on the self-same day when the term was expired, was pleased to com

mand that all the first-born of Israel should be sanctified, or set apart to him, and also the firstborn of cattle. The first-born were to be redeemed with money, pointing out redemption by the price of Christ's most precious blood; and the first-born of cattle were to be offered unto the Lord. After this time, by the Lord's command, the levites were taken and separated to the Lord's service, instead of all the first-born of Israel. The church of Christ, who is himself stiled "The first-born among many brethren," Rom. viii. 29. bears his name as standing in relation to him, as redeemed by him out of the hands of her spiritual enemies, with the price of his most precious blood. The Lord commands the Israelites, by the hand of Moses, to remember the day of their Exodus; and it is well that the called people of God should remember the day and month of their being brought out of spiritual bondage, and brought nigh to God manifestatively by faith in the blood of Jesus.

The Lord enjoins these Israelites to keep the feast of unleavened bread seven days, to shew their children, that is, declare unto them the reason thereof, and to ascribe their deliverance from Egypt to the Lord's powerful arm. They are commanded to wear phylacteries, or frontlets, between their eyes, as memorials, to put them in remeinbrance of the Lord's commands, and of his mercies in bringing them out of Egypt. An instance

of the Lord's particular attention to the weakness and infirmity of his people, in his further conduct and guidance of them; who were a huge host. The scripture says that they were about six hundred thousand men, besides women and children. These men being the prime and flower of the Israelites, such as were able to go forth to war, it may be thought that the whole body of the people collected were not less than two millions and a half. Dr. Gill observes, that "according to the ordinary proportion allowed in other nations, of four to one, between the number of the whole people in a nation, and those men fit to bear arms, the number of the Israelites alone, of all ages and sexes, who went out of Egypt, will amount to two millions and four hundred thousand souls." The same Angel Jehovah, who appeared to Moses in a flame of fire at the bush in Horeb, led these people forth.

The sacred writer tells us at the 17th verse of

this chapter, "When Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near, for he said, lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt; but God led the people about through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt. And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him; for he had straitly sworn

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