Now all this was to the Jews " a shadow of good things to come :" it marked the ways and means of our redemption ; the nature of that life of faith which we are to live, and the happy termination of our labours. And, that it was so under- stood by the more spiritual among them, is evident, as from many other passages, so particularly from that quoted both in the foregoing and following context : for if the rest promised by Moses had had no reference to any thing beyond the land of Canaan, David could never, after that rest had been enjoyed for five hundred years, have spoken of a rest yet future. Con- sequently, the typical nature of that whole dispensation was made known to them ; and though obscurely, yet certainly, was the Gospel of Christ preached to them.]
To tis is the same rest presented as an object of faith and hope —
[We are to be delivered from a worse than Egyptian bondage, even from the bonds of sin and Satan, death and hell. And in the very same manner also are we to be delivered. " Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us :" and by the sprinkling of his blood on our hearts and consciences are we to escape the wrath of God. " We have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins ^" The destroying angel has received his commission against all on whom this mark is not found : and he will execute it on all without partiality or reserve : for, as " without shedding of blood there is no remis- sion of sins," so it is by a believing application of that blood to our souls, and by that only, that we can ever obtain from Christ the benefits of his salvation.
Our preservation during the whole of our pilgrimage must also be secured in the same way. Whilst under the guidance and protection of our God, we must " live altogether by faith on the Son of God, who loved us, and gave himself for us." Our blessed Lord himself has told us, that He is the bread of life : that we must live from day to day upon him, even as the Israelites did upon the manna in the wilderness ; and that, whereas they derived from it only the temporary support of their mortal bodies, we shall secure from him the eternal wel- fare of our souls. St. Paul also tells us, that the rock which poured forth its waters in the wilderness was Christ ; that is, a type and figure of Christ : we learn therefore from this, that we are to look to Christ for daily supplies of his Spirit, to renew and sanctify us, and to refresh and comfort us through- out the whole of our weary pilgrimage. This is to be the one constant tenour of our way from first to last. Never till we
<= Eph. i. 7.