table before their eyes, to be handled and oaten by them, in eolemn observance of a Drvme command, gave them a vivid sense of the reality of the facts they were com- m~morating. The Lord's Supper, in like manner, is a powerful means of impressing mrnd and hea:t, an act of communion on the part of Christian believers, and e. true source of nounshment (through spiritual participation in Christ) to the soul. 4. The obserrance of the Passover was connected with oral instruction (vers. 26, 27). This was a_ further guarantee for the handing down of a faithful, ungarbled tradition of the meanrng of the ceremony_; added to the interest of the service; took advantage of a favourable opportu.mty to impress the minds of the young; and helped to keep a.live in all classes of the community a vivid remembrance of God's mighty work~. III. Tm: FEAST OF UNLEAVENED DREAD (vers. 14--21). The ordinance for this feast was_probably give~ 3:t Succoth, on the day succeeding the exodus (see ver.17, and eh. x111. 5--8). lt 1s mserted here on account of its internal connection with the Passover. It is to be viewed-I. .As a memorial of tlie haste with which the Israelites left Egypt. The Israelites had evidently intended to leaven their dough on the night of the exodus, but were prevented by the haste (ver. 34). "For thou ea.meat out of the land in haste" (Deut. xvi. 3). This is the historical groundwork of the institution. 2. ~s a symbol ef spiritual truth. (1) The feast lasted seven days, a complete circle of time. (2) It was rounded off a.t the beginning and end by an holy convocation. 'I'.~s marked it as a sacred period. (3) Sacrifices were offered during its course (Num. Xlll. 16--26; Deut. xv. 2). (4) The bread eaten was to be unleavened. So strict was the injunction on this point that the Israelite found eating leaven during these seven days was to be " cut off," i.e., excommunicated. The general idea of the feast was, therefore, to represent what redeemed life in its entirety ought to be--a life purged frgm the leaven of "malice and wickedness," and devoted to God's service in " sincerity and truth" (1 Cor. v. 8). "The exodus formed the groundwork of the feast, because it Wll.'i by this that Israel bad been introduced into a new vital element" (Keil). The " walk in newness of life" follows on redemption. We may apply the precept about "cutting off from Israel" to the exclusion of immoral and impure members from the Church.-J. 0.
Vers. l-28.-The institution of the Passover. Moses bas now done with requesting and threatening Pharaoh. He leaves Pharaoh to the terrible smiting hand of Jehovah, and turns, when it is quite time to turn, to his own people. He who would not listen had to be left for those who would listen. It is now manifest that Moses is to be pro- fitably occupied with matters which cannot any longer be delayed. It was needful to give warning concernin" the death of the first-born to the Israelites quite as much as to Pharaoh. For some t~e they had been the passive, the scarcely conscious objects of Divine mercy and power. Painfully conscious they were of the physical hardships which Pharaoh infilcted on them, but they had little or no thought of deprivations and hindrances with respect to higher things. God had been leading them forward by a ~~~-~~~~~=~~to~~~~~in it with understanding, choice, circumspection, and diligence. .A~ a.t once, ~rom bcrng passive spectators in the background, they came forward to be prime actors m the very front • and God is here telling them through Moses what to do, and bow they are to do it. More is to be done than simply wait for God's coming at midnight : that coming has to be made ready for with great solemnity and minuteness of preparation. L NOTICE HOW JEHOVAH HERE BBJNGB THE VOLUNTARY ELEMENT INTO TIIE DELIVERANCE OF Hrs PEOPLE AND THEIR CONNECTION WITH Hrn. They are to be delive1·ed, onl,y as they are willing to be delivered. '.fhey are to signify their willin_g regard to conform with the will of God. The matter 1s made almost a personal one ; 1f not brought before every Israelite, it is brought before every head of a household. Hitherto the immunities of the people during the course of the plagues had been secured in a mare external way. The protection belonged_ to a certain territory, and _the Israelites had to exert no attention, take no trouble, m order to secure the protection. God kept the flies, the hail, and the darkne~s out of Goshen without requir)n_g ~ny mark upon the habitations and property of HIS people. But now! as the las~ v1s1tat~o11 from God draws nigh, they have to take a part, and a very decided part, in makrng their exemption effectual Jehovah comes, treating all who are in Egypt as belonging Cl!. XII, 1-28 j 'l'llE llOOK OF EXODUS. 2(39