Page images
PDF
EPUB

unto Moses, Egypt might have been spared, and the plagues averted. How minute were the instructions which Moses received, what to say to Pharaoh, and what to tell the children of Israel. And if the LORD in these days shall stretch out His hand to deliver His Spiritual Israel out of captivity, there will be no choice left, either to His Church or to the governments of Christendom, but to obey the word of the LORD, or perish as did the Egyptians. And great will be the joy, which the hope of deliverance will occasion to all those who hear the words of the living God, and hearken unto His voice; but unto all others, darkness, disappointment, and bitter anguish must come.

If then, we are living in days analogous to those in which Egypt was destroyed; if judgment is setting in upon the world, and the time is come when GOD will deliver His people out of captivity, that they may be prepared for His appearing and kingdom, how important is it that we should know His will, and desire first and above all things the fulfilment of His eternal purpose! Let a sense of our declension from the mind and ways of God, humble us before Him, and lead us to true repentance and faith in Him; let there be a renewal of communion between us and GOD, and an entire dedication of

2 S. John

4.

ourselves to His service; let there be true and faithful obedience to Him in all His ordinances, so that there may be in us a preparedness for the redemption which awaits the Church-that we may be of the company of the true Israelites, who shall gain the victory over all the powers of darkness, and sing the song of Moses, the servant of GOD, and the song of the LAMB.

Having seen the antitypical fulfilment of the Passover in the Church of CHRIST, it remains for us to consider its application to Christian families. As Heb. iii. 6. the Paschal Lamb has its fulfilment in the one family of heaven and household of faith, so every Christian family which shall be found "walking in the truth;" abiding in the unity of the HOLY GHOST; having the one faith, and one hope of CHRIST'S Church, will have its family worship conducted agreeably therewith, and in analogy thereto. Those families that "worship GoD in spirit and in truth,' will exhibit the faith and hope of God's Church, which in the end of the age shall be as truly manifested, as the faith and hope of the Israelites were at the Exodus. They shall feed upon the Lamb with thanksgiving, yea all of them; and the blood shall be sprinkled; and by it they shall be cleansed, and preserved, and kept in peace,

[ocr errors]

and confidence, and joy, until the morning of eternal redemption.

First, then, as the children of Israel on the Paschal eve, took to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers-a lamb for an house; so in its application to Christian families, the evening service should begin with confession of sin. The head of the family coming before GOD in the name, and through the mediation of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, should confess through faith in Him, as the Lamb of GOD slain for us, the sins of the whole household, the sins peculiar to it as a family in its shortcomings, or in its sins of omission and commission, in failing to be an example to all other families, also its share of the common transgressions of God's baptized people, committed during the day past. As the bunch of hyssop was dipped in the blood of the Paschal Lamb, and sprinkled on the door-post and lintel, so should the blood of CHRIST be sprinkled spiritually, that is, truly and in faith on the household. There should be faith to believe that God accepts the confession made by the head of the family in the name of JESUS CHRIST—that GOD looks upon the blood which the family by faith present before Him, and imputeth not iniquity unto them. For the head of the family, standeth

he not in the place of JESUS to the house? Is he not priest in his house? And shall he not offer the lamb? Shall he not sprinkle the blood in the evening? Yea, verily, and he doeth it by virtue of the confession and absolution made and pronounced by the Priest at GOD's altar in His Church, just as the blood sprinkled on the door-posts and lintel, was brought from the one altar of all Israel. Absolution is not formally pronounced in the family, but the shed blood of CHRIST is sprinkled thereon, that is, confession is made in faith of the absolution which hath been pronounced at GOD's altar by the Priest.

This primary act of worship in a family and household of God's people, must commend itself to all who have the one faith and hope of God's Church, and who desire to walk in the fear and love of His holy Name. None can draw near unto God save through faith in the shed blood of CHRIST. Unless the conscience be cleansed by the sprinkling of CHRIST's blood, there will be lack of confidence towards GOD, and an unfitness to hear or meditate His holy Word. No man can have access with confidence into His presence unless he be first reconciled to Him. If we would worship God acceptably, and bring down His blessing upon us, we must

"lift up holy hands without wrath and doubting;" if we would hear God's word to edification and comfort, it must be received into an honest and pure heart. The "feeding upon the Lamb," is the application or appropriation of the sacrifice and death of CHRIST to us individually; and the "bitter herbs" partaken of therewith, typify that godly sorrow which ever accompanies confession of sin, truly made through faith in the blood of CHRIST shed for us, that we mourning over our natural depravity and contrariety to His holy mind and will, and dedicating and presenting ourselves afresh to Him, the flesh-the natural life—may be crucified and held in death, and the new and regenerate life be renewed, so that we may live unto GOD, and serve Him truly. Nothing short of this can bring unto our hearts the peace of GOD, or cause His love to be shed abroad in our hearts by the HOLY GHOST given unto us. "GOD dwelleth in the high and holy place, with him also who is of an humble and contrite spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." "If any man love Me, he will s. John xiv. keep My words, and My FATHER will love him, and We will come unto him and make our abode with him." This is that abiding presence which the LORD JESUS seeketh in every family of His people,

23.

« PreviousContinue »