in the next. How often have faithful people made special effort to join in keeping the Christian passover, and it hne proved to be their last I (Luke xxii. 15; 1 Cor. v. 7). III. THAT THE PASSOVER WAS KEPT II ACCORDING TO ALL THE RITES OF' IT," AND YET THERE WERE SOME RITES AND CEREMONIES WHICH MUST OIi' NECESSITY HAVE BEEN ALTERED; but this did not mar the Divinely-ordered uniformity. Even so there be things in the Christian passover which have been altered, yet if the alteration have not been wilfully nor needlessly made, it leaves the religious identity of the rite untouched. IV. THAT THE PASSOVER WAB EATEN IN THE WILDERNESS, AS IN EGYPT BEFORE, AND IN CANAAN AFTERWARDS (Josh. v. 10), ON THE EVE OF' GREAT JOURNEYS AND BATTLES. Even so is the Christian made partaker of heavenly food that he may be stronger and braver for the journey nnd the conflict of life (cf. 1 Kings xix. 7). V. THAT ONE DEFILED BY THE DEAD COULD NOT JOIN IN THE PASSOVER. So he that bath suffered in soul by contact with the spiritually dead cannot be partaker of the Lord's Table until he be recovered from that contagion ( cf. 1 Cor. :x. 21 ; :xi. 27-30). VI. THAT THE UNCLEAN, AND THEY THAT WERE AFAR OFF', WERE NEVERTHELESS ADMITTED TO TIIE FELLOWSHIP OF THE PASSOVER AS SOON AS THEY WERE CLEANSED A!\D RETURNED. Even so none need be banished from the communion of the body of Christ because be is unclean, for time is given him to be cleansed; nor because he is afar off, for time is given him to return (Mark i. 41; Luke :xv. 20; James iv. 8); only the cleansing and the returning must be in due time, and not too late (Matt. :xxv. 10 b. ; Luke xiii. 25 ; 2 Cor. vi. 2). VII. THAT TWO REASONS ONLY, AND THEY OF UNAVOIDABLE 1TECESSITY1 WOULD ABSOLVE ANY ONE FROM THE DUTY OF KEEPING THE PASSOVER WITH ALL THE PEOPLE. Even so no light excuses, but only (1) compulsory absence or (2) unworthiness to approach, will avail any one who wilfully neglects the invitation of Christ to hi3 feast (Luke xiv. 24; x.xii. 19 b. ; 1 Cor. :xi. 25 b.). VIII. THAT IT WAS AGAIN AND AGAIN DECLARED THAT THERE SHOULD DE II ONE ORDINANCE 11 ONLY FOR ALL FROM ALL QUARTERS AB CONCERNED THE PASSOVER. for it was the ordinance of unity. Even so the sacrament of the Lord' e Supper is above all things the sacrament of unity (1 Cor. x. 17), and therefore the manner of it is especially declared (1 Cor. xi. 23, and the three Gospels).
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 6-14.-A communicant in Israel, duabled bv some mischance j,·om cat-ing the passover on the right day, may eat it a month after. The law here laid down is supplementary to the law of the passover set forth at large in Exod. xii. The supple- ment, beside being of some interest in itself, is specially important on account of certain general princi_ples relative to God's worship which come into view in it. I. THE OCCASION WHICH LED TO THIS SUPPLEMENTARY DIRECTION. From Exod. xii. 25 and xiii. 5 it may be inferred that the passover was not intended to be statedly observed till the tribes should have received their inheritance in Cannan; and the inference is confirmed by the circumstance that there seems to have been no celebra- tion of the passover during the thirty-eight years between the departure from Sinai nnd the crossing of the Jordan. For reasons not difficult to understand, the first anniversary of the night of deliverance, since it found the people still encamped nt Sinai, was commanded to be observed. Hence the charge vers. 1-5. This, since it was, in some sense, the first of all the regular passovere, was ordained to be kept with great solemnity. All the greater was the chagrin felt by certain men of Israel who, on account of a mischance which bad befallen them, were disabled from taking part in the general solemnity. A relative or neighbour had died on the eve of the feast. They had not shirked the duty of laying out and burying the dend. Thus they were ceremonially unclean, and might not eat the passover. It seemed hard to be debarred from the joyous rite, especinlly since no blame attached to themselves in the matter. Was there no remedy? They brought the matter befor'l Moses and Aaron; Moses brought it before the Lo,d, with the result to be presently described. Il, TilE LAW FOR THOSE DISABLED IN PROVIDENCE FROM EATING 'fHE PASSOVER IN TIIE 76 THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. [CH. I;(. 1-14