Exod. xii. 41, 42. It came to pass at the end of four hundred and thirty years, even the self-same day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord, for bringing them out from the land of Egypt : this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.
THE Lord, for wise and gracious reasons, often delays the execution of his promises; till we, in our impatience, are almost ready to think he has forgotten
them. But, however long he may appear to neglect us, " he is not slack concerning his promises, as some men count slackness3." He has fixed a time, beyond which there shall be no delay b: and at the appointed hour he will shew himself " mighty to save."
To Abraham and his seed God promised to give the land of Canaan. But behold, no less than four hundred and thirty years were ordained of him to pass, and a great portion of that time in extreme suffering, before his seed were permitted to see the long-wished-for period. But at the time fixed from the beginning in the divine counsels, " even the self- same day it came to pass," that all the hosts of Israel were brought forth out of Egypt ; and God's promises to them were fulfilled.
In like manner it was promised to Adam that "the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head." But four thousand years were suffered to elapse before that promised Seed was sent into the world. " When, however, the fulness of time was come, God sent him, made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons0." In effecting this great work, the Messiah was to died. But "he was not to see corruption e." On the third day he was to rise again f. To prevent this, every expedient was resorted to, that human ingenuity could contrive. But at the appointed moment the Saviour rose ; and thus com- pleted the deliverance of a ruined world.
These two events are referred to in the text; the one, historically ; the other, typically. To these events I will first call your attention —
Great was the deliverance of Israel from Egypt —
[Sore, beyond conception, was the bondage of the children of Israel; insomuch that "God himself was grieved at it." But, through the judgments executed on their oppressors, Pharaoh was at last prevailed on to dismiss them. The last great judgment that was inflicted on their enemies was the de- struction of their first-born throughout all the land of Egypt ;
a 2 Pet. iii. 9. b Heb. ii. 3. c Gal. iv. 4, 5.
d Heb.ii. 14, 15. « Ps. xvi. 10. f Matt. xii. 40.
7(). J REDEMPTION CELEBRATED. oT.'j
from which the Israelites were protected by the blood of the paschal lamb sprinkled on their dwellings. Tins was altogether a wonderful deliverance, such as never had been vouchsafed to any other nation under heaven6.
The end of that deliverance rendered it yet more glorious ; because they were now consecrated to the Lord as " a special people above all people upon the face of the earth :" and they were led forth under the immediate guidance and protection of God himself, to " a land flowing with milk and honey," " a land that was the glory of all lands."
This was a redemption which might well be remembered by them, in all future ages, with wonder, and gratitude, and praise.]
But infinitely greater is the deliverance that has been vouchsafed to us —
From how much sorer bondage are we rescued, even from
the bonds of sin and Satan, death and hell ! And how
much more wonderful is the means of our preservation, even the blood of God's only dear Son, once shed on Calvary, and