SERMON II.

The Means of Safety.

HEB. xi. 28.

Through Faith He kept the Paffover, and the Sprinkling of Blood, left He that destroyed the First-born, fhould touch them.

E have been confidering the Danger of our Nation, occafioned-by the Sin of its Inhabitants-by the Judgements of GOD, denounced against such Sinners-by the certain Execution of his righteous Threatenings, unless We fly to the appointed Refuge.When fuch is the State of a Nation, it is high Time for the Watchmen on her Walls, to lift up their Voice. Not indeed to spread vain Terrours, but to give Notice of the approaching Evil. To warn the Unwary; to call in the Stragglers; and urge every One to retire into a Place of Safety.

Having, in the preceding Difcourfe, attempted to discharge this Office; I fhall now, Brethren, as in the Prefence of the all-seeing GOD, ask-Have We

been attentive to thefe Things? Are We alarmed with a Sense of our Guilt and our Peril? Have We, with the Prophet Isaiah, lamented our own, and the Sins of our People?-If fo, We fhall highly prize, We fhall ardently defire, the fame Confolation, and the fame Relief, which the GOD, of infinitely free Goodness vouchfafed to his Servant. [Then flew one of the Seraphims unto me, having a live Coal in his Hand, which He had taken from off the Altar, and He laid it upon my Mouth. An Action, which represents the very Thing, fignified in the Text, by the Sprinkling of Blood*.

The Altar typified CHRIST; who is both the Sacrifice that makes the Atonement; and the Altar, that fanctifies the Gift.-The live Coal feems to be. token the Word of Grace, and the Word of Life ; which brings the glad Tidings of the Gospel, and teftifies of the bleeding JESUS.-Laying this upon the Mouth, very fignificantly denotes the Application of CHRIST and his great Atonement. When this is done, under the Influence of the SPIRIT and by Means of Faith, then Iniquity is taken away, and Sin purged; taken away from the Sight of GOD, and purged from the Sinner's Confcience. Guilt is abolished; Fear ceafes-But this leads Us to our fecond Particular.

II. The Method of Security from Danger, effected by keeping the Paffsover, and fprinkling the Blood.

Mofes was apprised of a dreadful Vengeance, to be inflicted on Egypt. The moft dreadful, that ever

. Ifai. vi. 7.

was

was known, fince the Beginning of their Nation. So dreadful, that it would make every Ear tingle, and every Heart bleed. The deftroying Angel was to pafs through all the Territories of Pharaoh, and fmite every First-born, both of Man and Beaft. So that, before the Morning, there fhould be Heaps of Slain in the Cities, the Villages, the Fields. Not a House exempt; not a Family fpared; not a Herd, not a Flock, free from the fatal Calamity.

Mofes feared the Blow. He feared, as the Text intimates, the leaft Touch of the divine Executioner's Sword. Knowing, that it would crush Him and his People, as a Moth is crushed by the falling Millftone. He is therefore greatly folicitous to provide for their Welfare. But what Expedient fhall He ufe?-Shall he give them Orders, to close their Windows, and bar their Doors; to erect Fortifications, and ftand upon their Defence? Alafs! before an invifible Hand, armed with the Vengeance of Heaven, all fuch Precautions would have been as a Spark before the Whirlwind.-Shall He affemble the Warriors, or detach Parties of Soldiers, to patrole the Streets, and guard the Houses? Vanity of Vanities! The Sword of the avenging Angel, would pierce through Legions and Legions of fuch Guards, Lightning penetrates the yielding Air. Shall the whole Congregation bend their Kneess with folemn Confeffion of their Sins, and fincere Refolutions of future Amendment? This was highly neceflary to be done, but extremely improper to be relied on. It would have been relying on a broken Reed, and defpifing the Ordinance of the HOLY ONE.

as

The LORD himself appoints a Method of Prefervation. Mofes is directed to flay a Lamb. Each Family in Ifrael is to do the fame. Having received the Blood into a Bafon, they are to sprinkle it, not on the Threshold, but on the Lintel and Side-Pofts of their Doors. This fhall be a Sign to the deftroying Angel. Looking upon this Sign, He will pafs over the Houfe; will ftrike no Blow, and execute no Vengeance, where-ever He fees the Blood sprinkled. All this, in Purfuance of the divine Direction, being performed, with Faith and Tranquillity, they wait the Event.

You will fay, perhaps What is all this to Us? I answer; It is a Pattern for our Imitation.-Are We then to do the very fame Thing?-We are to do, what their Practice typified. The Shadow was theirs, the Subftance is ours. The Blood of the Lamb typified the Blood of CHRIST; who is the LAMB of GOD, flain for the Sins of the World.By the Blood of CHRIST is frequently fignified, in Scripture, the whole Merit of his Life and Death,

Being juftified by his Blood. Rom. v. 9. That is being pardoned, being made righteous, and Heirs of all fpiritual Bleffings. Thou haft redeemed Us to GOD by thy Blood. Rev. v. 9. That is; Thou hast delivered Us from all Sin and all Wrath; Thou haft reconciled Us to the Almighty MAJESTY, and introduced us into his blissful Prefence.-Thefe Bleffing, afcribed to our LORD's Blood, are confeffedly the Fruit, not barely of his Sufferings, but of his whole Humiliation, Obedience, and Death. Therefore in a very valuable Dictionary of the most valuable Words and Phrafes, We have this

Explication

Death, of his Actions and Sufferings, of his Trials and Graces. Which fatisfied GOD's Juftice, and magnified GOD's Law. Which made Propitiation for Iniquity, and brought in an everlafting Righteousness. Well does the Apoftle call it precious Blood. Unfpeakably precious are its Effects. It appeafes the Wrath of GOD, revealed from Heaven; and makes Peace between the offended CREATOR, and the offending Creature. Sprinkled on the Confcience, it takes away all Guilt, and fecures from all Vengeance. This, therefore, my Brethren, this Blood is our Security. This is to our Souls, what the Blood of the Pafchal Lamb was to the Ifraelitish Families. The Name of the LORD, the Grace and Goodness of GOD, manifefted in the Death and Obedience of CHRIST, is a frong Tower; not only the righteous Perfon, but the diftreffed Creature, and the endangered Sinner, runneth into it, and is fafe*.

Since this is a Point of the utmoft Importance, it cannot be too clearly difplayed, or too ftrongly eftablifhed. For this Purpofe, the Scripture gives Us feveral moft amiable and inftructive Views of CHRIST, as our Refuge and Safety.-He is called a HidingPlace +. To a Hiding-Place People retreat, and are fecure from their Enemies; even from those cruel Enemies, that seek their Destruction. Thus the

Explication of the Blood of the LAMB; "The Sacrifice "of CHRIST's Death, together with his perfect Righte"oufness and Holiness imputed." See Wilfon's Chrif. Dict. + Ifai. xxxii. 2.

* Prov. xviii. 10.

Prophets,