condoecension of our God in permHting us to look at aught so sublime as the sacrifice of his dear Son, through the means of aught so bumble as the Paschal lamb. Yet it is Rn infinite mercy that, whatever might so help the conceptions of his children then, Rnd whatever mRy so aid them now, the Great Father does not disdain to use. 1. The Lord Jesus Christ is our Sacrificial Lamb; so John i. 29; 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. He is spoken of as "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," and is beheld, in the Apocalypse, "a Lamb as it had been slain." He, too, is "without blemish." He was "without sin." In him alone is the ideal of a perfect sacrifice found. 2. The Pass- over was to be killed without breaking a bone thereof. This was folfilled in Christ, that men might be aided in seeing the fulfilment of the type, through the close analogy of the treatment; and because "God would permit no di~honour to be done to the body of Christ, after the atoning act was complete" (Halley). 3. The blood of the first Paschal lamb was to be sprinkled on the posts of the doors, signifying that there must be the actual acceptance and application of the atoning blood, and that through the atoning blood so applied we are saved. 4. In the first instance, the lamb was offered without the intervention of a priest. So that, though priesthood was afterwards instituted for a time for educational purposes (Gal. iii.), yet the priest was in no wise necessary to ensure men's acceptance with God. 5. The flesh was to be eaten, in token of fellowship. It was thus "the most perfect of peace offerings," symbolizing and typifying communion with God on the ground of the atoning blood. In all these respects, how very far does the Christian Anti type surpass the Jewish type? Devout hearts may and do love to linger long in meditation on a theme so touching and Divine! II. CHRISTIANS HA VE THEIR p ASSOVEB FEAST. 1. Where, Here we may be per- mitted to point out a distinction, which, though obvious enough at first mention thereof, yet is so far lost sight of in some directions, as to lead to serious error. In later times, though the lamb was slain at an altar, yet the feast thereon was at a table. So in heathen sacrifices too, the victim was slain at an altar, the sacrificial feast was at a table. Hence, analogy suggests that the spot where the Victim is slain should be called the altar, but that the sacrificial feast should be at a table. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews says, "We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle." The altar here meant is the cross on which the Saviour died. Besides, it is only on the theory that the sacrifice is actually repeated at Holy Communion, that there can be any possible warrant for calling the Lord's table an altar. But this theory is absolutely negatived by the statements in Heb. x. 10-14, The Victim was offered once for all on an altar, even the cross; but we partake at the Lord's table, of the sacrificial feast. 2. What is the meaning of the feast 1 (1) It is a standing historical declaration of the offering of God's one Great Sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. "Ye do show the Lord's death." It is declaration of the historic fact on the part of those to whom that fact is full of richest and most wondrous meaning. For it is the divinest expression of righteousness and of love that the world bas ever known. (2) This sacrificial feast is the expression also of a sublime fact on the earthward side, viz. that by virtue of the redeeming efficacy thus continuously proclaimed, there has been formed a new commonwealth of Israel, to which belongs the freedom, immunity, and honour of a kingdom of God (see Eph. ii.). (3) It also seals a fellowship-a fellowship of redeemed souls, who have been bought with a price, and transferred from the kingdom of Satan to that of God's dear Son; in which they are raised up together and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, having here below a union of hearts which will be perfected in an unseen stato. This fellowship is openly sealed by their taking of one bread and drinking one cup. (4) It is o. joint pledge of loyalty to the Church's Head and Lord; in renewing their remembrance of his love to them, they seal afresh their pledge of love and allegiance to him. Hence the Lord's Supper came to be c~lled sacramentum, the Church's military oath of obedience to her Great Commander. (::,) It is a Bel'vice of thanksgiving. Hence it came to be called the Eucharist. The Passover feast was a grateful recall of a mighty deliverance. So is the Christian feast. (6) H is a declaration of hope and expectancy. "Ye do show the Lord's death till he come.• Believers in Israel were expecting Canaan. We are waiting for the Son of God from hoaven to brin~ us to our heavenly rest (Heb, iv.). 3. How shoiild the Christian frnst DEUTERONOMY, T 274 THE DOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. [en. xv1. 1-E?.,
be 1,rpt ~ i.e. in what spirit? (cf. 1 Cor. v. 7, 8). Three or four suggestions will embody thP chief hints her<>on thrown out in the written Word. (1) The Passover was to be C'nkn "·ith unleanned lwead. All !C':wen was to be put away. So are believers to kt'C'[l the feast "·ith the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth. 'l'hey are "t,1 examine thernsel,cs," and rn to cat of that bread and drink of tht\t cup. "As tho ~crnpulous lsraclit.cs searched with lighted candles every hidden corner and dark recess of their houses for any Intent particle of leaven, so let our language be,• Search me, 0 God, and know my heart,' etc." (Bush). (2) It was to be eaten with bitter herbs, partly as in rC'rnernbrancc of the hard bondage and bitter sorrows of Egypt, and partly as shadowing forth the need of penitence for sin. We should mingle with our thanks- gi,ing "penitential tears"-
.. And with our joy for pardoned guilt, Mourn that we pierced the Lord."