How shall we be partakers of those good things which come to ug from the Lamb of God, Two things were required of these Israelites — that they should sprinkle the blood of this lamb upon the lintel and the two side-posts, and than eat his flesh in an holy and religious manner ; and if any of the Israelites had neglected either of these, he had refused the grace annexed to this ordinance, and so lost the benefit of it. So if we neglect the means by which Christ is to be applied, we lose our benefit by him.
(1.) They were to sprinkle the lintel and the two side-posts of their doors. At another time God gave them direction to write his law on the door-posts : Deut. xi. 20, ' Thou shalt write them upon the door- posts of thy house, and upon thy gates ; ' which I mention that we may the better understand what is meant by them. By these door- posts are meant our hearts, for these God sprinkleth with the blood of his Son : Heb. x. 22, ' Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil con- science.' And upon these hearts of ours doth he write his laws : Jer. xxxi. 32, ' I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts ; ' for the hearts of men are as open to God as the doors of our houses are to ourselves. Now our hearts are sprinkled with the blood of Christ when we firmly believe that God is propitiated by the blood of Christ, and will spare all those who in a broken-hearted manner sue out their pardon in Christ's name, unfeignedly devoting themselves to God. Oh, then, let every one of us get out hearts sprinkled with the blood of Christ, and apply it to our consciences, and say, with the apostle, 1 Tim. i. 15, ' Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief;' and again. Gal. vi. 14, 'God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world ; ' and again, 2 Cor. V. 14, 15, 'The love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead ; and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them.' These are true workings of heart ; only remember, the same place that is sprinkled with the blood of Christ, on the same place must the law be written, that we may love God, and keep his law, and entirely give up ourselves to do his will, and be sub- ject to him. And remember also, that it is the lintel and side-posts that must be sprinkled, and the law was written upon the door-posts, not inscribed upon the threshold. There are some which tread the blood of the covenant underfoot : Heb. x. 29, ' Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace ? ' These are swine and dogs, before whom we must not 'cast holy things, lest they tread them under feet,' Mat. vii. 6. These
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prefer their carnal satisfaction before the fruits of Christ's death, and sell their birthright for a mess of pottage.
(2.) By the same faith by which the blood of the Lamb of God is sprinkled on the doors of our hearts, by the same faith is his flesh eaten. The Lamb of God was given, not only as a ransom to divine justice, but as food for our souls. The eating of the sacrifice noteth the manner of our fruition of Christ, for eating implieth an intimate union. Those things which are eaten are turned into our substance, and become one with us : John vi. 53, ' Verily, verily, I say unto you, un- less ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.' Christ is as truly meat as the paschal lamb was, but meat, not for the body, but the soul ; and therefore he is eaten not with the mouth of the body, which receiveth bodily food, but the mouth of the soul, which is faith. The appetite is spiritual, so is the food ; it is a spiritual hunger and a spiritual thirst that must be satisfied. Now a corporeal thing beareth no proportion with it ; there is no satis- fying this hunger nor quenching this thirst but by coming to Christ, that is, believing in him ; for it is said, John vi, 35, ' I am the bread of life ; he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.' In that manner we receive Christ in that manner he dwelleth in us. Now he dwelleth in us by faith : Eph. iii. 17, ' That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.' Christ dwelleth in us, not by his infinite presence as God, so he is everywliere ; nor by his corporeal presence as man, so the heavens must contain him; but by his gracious presence, and special influence as our head, whereby he quickeneth us ; therefore we are to receive him by faith, and not by the mouth and stomach, and give him a hearty welcome into our souls. The Israelites in the wilderness ' did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual diink; for they drank of that spiri- tual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ,' 1 Cor. x. 3, 4. As they did eat Christ and drink Christ before ever his body was formed in the Vhgin's womb, so do we now he is ascended into heaven. The passover lamb was not to be eaten raw or half-roasted, but thoroughly roasted ; so is the Lamb of God ; he is not digested, and turned into strength and nourishment by a few crude, cold, cursory, and careless thoughts ; but this mystery must be much concocted by deep, serious, pressing, and ponderous meditation ; for meditation is that to the mind which concoction and digestion is to the stomach. An unattentive mind gets no warmth, no strength, no comfort from the Lamb of God. In short, we must so mind these things as to choose them, and so choose them as to be determined and governed by our choice in our whole course. The lamb was to be eaten whole ; there was nothing to be left of him : Exod. xii. 10, ' And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning ; ' to show that Christ must not be divided, not nature from nature, nor office from office, nor benefit from benefit ; this is to eat part of Christ and leave the rest. If we would have his glory, we must be partakers of his sufferings, and take up his cross ; if we will have him for our redeemer and saviour, we must own him for our Lord and lawgiver ; if we would be feasted with privileges, ^ye must not neglect duties ; his Spirit must renew us, as well as his merit justify us. The paschal lamb was to be eaten with bitter herbs ; it is