quired to the due observance of a sacramental ordi

nance.

2. Whatever is not sprinkled with the blood of Christ the lamb of God, who was slain and sacrificed for us, is exposed to destruction from the anger and displeasure of God:

3. And this alone is that which gives us security from him that hath the power of death. See Expos. on chap. ii, 14, 15.

4. God hath always instruments in readiness to execute the severest of his judgments on sinners in their greatest security. They were all in their midnight sleep in Egypt, when this messenger of death came amongst them.

5. Such is the great power and activity of these fiery ministering spirits, as that in the shortest space of time imaginable they can execute the judgments of God on whole nations, as well and as easily as on private persons, 2 Kings xix, 35.

6. That which God would for ever instruct the church in by this ordinance, is, that unless we are sprinkled with the blood of Christ, our paschal Lamb, no other privilege can secure us from eternal destruction. Though a man had been really an Israelite, and had with others made himself ready that night for a departure, which was an high profession of faith, yet if the lintel and posts of his door had not been sprinkled with blood, he would have been destroyed.

VERSE 29.

By faith, they passed through the Red Sea, as by dry land, which the Egyptians essaying to do were drowned.

Si. (1) The words explained. The Israelites by faith passing the Red Sea. 62. Why so called. §5. The passage itself. §4. The fate of the Egyptians. $5--6. (II.) Observations.

§1. (I.) (AIEBHEAN) they passed; that is, the whole congregation of the Israelites under the conduct of

Moses, Exod. xiv; and the whole is denominated from the better part, for many of them were not believers to the sanctification of their persons. For with many of them, as the apostle speaks, God was not well pleased, though they were "all baptised unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea," 1 Cor. x, 2-5. But in a professing society, God is pleased to ascribe the faith and obedience of some to the whole; as on the other hand, judgments oftentimes fall on the whole for the provocations of some, as it frequently happened to the people in the wilderness. It is therefore the duty of every man in the church to endeavor, on the one hand, the good of the whole in his own personal faith and obedience; as also on the other, to keep them as far as lies in him from sin, that he fall not with them under the displeasure of God.

$2. It was (ruv εpulpa baλacov) the Red Sea they passed through; that part of the Ethiopic ocean which lieth between Egypt and Arabia. In the Hebrew it is constantly called (n) the sea of sedges, reeds or canes, from the multitude of them growing on its shore, as to this day. The Greeks call it (Epubpaios or ɛpulpa) red; not from the red color of the waters, appearing so from the sand or the sun, as some have fancied; but from Erytharaus; that is, Esau or Edom, who fixed his habitation and rule towards this sea. And whereas that name (Edom) signifies red, they gave him a name of the same signification in their language. Thence came the sea among them to be called the "Red Sea," which the Hebrews call Jam Syph.

§3. It is said, that they passed through (ws da Espas) ds on dry land, Exod. xiv, 21, 22-29. The ground was made fit for them to travel on, and they passed the waters without any impediment. The division of the waters was very great, leaving a space for so great a

multitude to pass in an orderly manner between the divided parts; perhaps to the distance of some miles. And their passage is judged to have been six leagues from shore to shore, and by some much larger. The Israelites had light to discern this miraculous appearance, which, no doubt, was very dreadful. The waters must of necessity be raised to a very great height on each side: and although they were, by the power of God, a wall to them on the right and left; yet was it an high act of faith in them, to put themselves between such walls, as were ready in their own nature to fall on them to their destruction every moment, abiding only under an almighty restraint. But they had the command and promise of God for their warranty and security, which will enable faith to overcome all fears and dangers. I doubt not but that Moses himself first entered at the head of them. Hence it is said, that God led them through the sea "at the right hand of Moses," Isa. lxiii, 11-13; he entering before them into the channel of the deep, to guide and encourage them.

$4. It remains that we consider the other people, the Egyptians; so they are called here in general; but in the account given us by Moses, it appears that Pharaoh himself, the king, was present in person, with all the nobility and power of this kingdom. It was he, in an especial manner, whom God had undertaken to deal with, Exod. ix, 16; Rom. ix, 17; Exod. xv, 3— 9. This Pharaoh, with his Egyptians, that is, his whole army, horses and chariots, also attempted; (Tεipav Koßovies) assaying to do; which was the greatest height that ever obdurate infidels could arise to in this world. They had seen all the mighty works which God had wrought in behalf of his people, among them; they and their country were almost con

sumed with the plagues and judgments that were inflicted on them on their account. And yet, now be holding this wonderful work of God, in opening the sea to receive them from their pursuit, they would make a venture (as the word signifies) to follow them into it. Vain and desperate attempt, and an high evidence of infatuation! Here we have one of the most signal examples of the power of unbelief, confirmed by judiciary hardness of heart, that is upon record in the whole book of God; nor is there any monument of equal folly and blindness among the annals of time. The event was, that they (nalexobyσav) were drowned, swallowed up. The account hereof is given us so gloriously in the triumphant song of Moses, Exod. xv; that nothing needs to be added for its farther illustra tion. And this destruction of the Egyptians, with the deliverance of Israel, was a type and pledge of the victory and triumph which the church shall have over its anti-christian adversaries, Rev. xv, 2—5.

$5. (II.) Observe hence,

1. Where God engaged his word and promise, there is nothing so difficult, nothing so remote from the ra tional apprehensions of men, but he may righteously require our faith and trust in him therein.

2. Faith will find a way through a sea of difficulties under the call of God.

3. There is no trial, no difficulty, that the church can be called to, but there are examples on record of the power of faith in working out its deliverance. There can be no greater strait than the Israelites were in be tween the host of the Egyptians and the Red Sea.

§6. 1. God knows how to secure impenitent sinners to their appointed destruction, by giving them up to hardness of heart, and an obstinate continuance in

their sins against all warnings and means of repen tance, see Rom. i, 24-32.

2. God doth not give up any judicial way to sin, but it is a punishment for preceding sins, and as a means to bring on them total ruin and destruction. I

3. Let us not wonder that we see men in the world obstinate in foolish counsels and undertakings, tending to their own inevitable ruin, seeing probably they are under judicial hardness from God, Isa. vi, 9, 10; and xxix, 10; and xix, 13, 14.

4. There is no such blinding, hardening lust in the minds of men as hatred of God's people, and desire of their ruin. Where this prevails, as it did in these persecuting Egyptians, it deprives men of all wisdom and understanding, that they shall do things against all rules of reason and polity, (which commonly they pretended to) act brutishly and obstinately, though appare ntly tending to their own ruin and destruction. These Egyptians designed the utter extirpation of the people, that they should be no more in the world, by their edict for the destruction of all the male children, which in one age would have totally exterminated them out of Egypt; yet now they will run themselves on imminent universal destruction, to bring them back again into Egypt.

5. When the oppressors of the church are nearest to their ruin, they commonly rage most, and are most obstinate in their bloody persecutions.

VERSE 30.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about seven days.

§1. The faith of Israel at Jericho. §2. After it was compassed about seven days. S. How this manifested their faith. 4. Observations.

$1. In this verse the apostle adds another instance of the faith of the whole congregation in the sense before