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VI. All were faved from deftruction, on whofe doors the blood of the lamb was fprinkled, while the plague fwept off the Egyptians all around them.

While the firft-born of the Egyptians were flain by thousands, the Ifraelites were safe, and no harm happened to them—the wrath of God, the peftilence that walketh in darkness, came not nigh them.

Thus fhall all those be faved from deftruction, who are fprinkled with the blood of Jefus, the true paffover. There is now no wrath abiding on them, nor any vengeance in reserve. When God feeth this blood on them, he will pass over them. He will fpare them as a man spareth his own fon. This blood will never loofe its efficacy nor power with God. It is of a sweet felling favour to him. This is the apostolic language to express its acceptableness to God. Great is the delight which the Lord God Almighty takes in receiving thofe to favour who are sprinkled with this blood.

I must not enter further into this fubject at prefent. Many ftriking inftances of resemblance between the typical and true paffover yet remain; but left I should be tedious, I muft omit them at this time, and conclude with fome improvement.

I. How illuftrious the wisdom, and how diftinguifhing the grace and love of God in our falvation! Behold what infinite love, that God fhould fo love the world, as to give bis only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth on him might not perish, but have everlasting life: that God fhould fend his own Son into the world, that we might not perish who believe on him; that God's eternal Son fhould be made a fervant, that we might be made the fons of God; that he should be made fin that we might be made righteous; that he should die, that we might

live;

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live; that he should suffer the curfe of the law and the punishment of fin, that we might be delivered from the curfe, and redeemed from punishment; that his blood fhould be shed, that by the sprinkling of it we might be delivered from eternal deftruction; that he should be our paffover, and that the vengeance fhould light on him that was due to us, are indeed mysteries of grace and arguments of love, which pass all understanding. They ought never to be thought of by us, but with rapture and aftonishment. When we confider who it was that condefcended thus; not an angel, but the Lord of angels; not fome exalted creature, lifted up in excellency and dignity far above us, but the Creator, God over all, bleffed for ever; who but is loft in sweet surprise and humble

adoration!

This grace of God is fo inconceivably great, that the faints, during their abodes in these tabernacles, cannot bear any great view of it. It would diffolve their frame; it exceeds our utmost thoughts.

When we confider for whom Chrift fuffered and died; for creatures, mean and infignificant creatures; for rebellious creatures, incapable of ever being profitable to him; in the eternal rejection of whom, his juftice would have fhone with a confpicuous ray, and been admired by all the choirs above:

Well may we break out in the language of astonishment, overborn with the grace of God, What manner of love is this!-Well hath God faid, My ways are not like your ways, nor my thoughts as your thoughts.

Who is not by fuch a display convinced, that the Gofpel is not a cunningly devised fable; but an amazing and glorious display of the nature and perfections of God? How wonderful, how godlike is the work of redemption! It seems to exceed the works of creation, although thefe

fhew forth the Divine power and Godhead, even as the light of the fun exceeds that of a faint and languid ftar.

II. As we are here taught, that unless we are sprinkled with the blood of Jefus, his death and atonement will finally be of no avail to us; we ought to enquire, my brethren, with all diligence, whether we are sprinkled with this blood, yea or nay? This is the only blood that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel. If you are not sprinkled with it, and die thus, better you had never been born. Oh! therefore, look into this matter. As you value your own falvation, enquire into it. As you would not be forever rejected of God, fee to it, that the blood of Chrift be upon you. You have an example before you of the certain confequence of being without this blood sprinkled on you, in the destruction of the Egyptians. They are enfamples unto us. Wherefore, my dear hearers, look into your own hearts and lives today, and let the fingle enquiry which you make at your own confciences be thus with each one: "Am I sprinkled with the blood of Jefus or not? Have I ever been effectually convinced of my loft and undone eftate by nature and practice? Have I ever feen the exceeding great evil and defert of fin? Has fin ever been imbittered to my foul, so that I have been pricked at my heart, and made to cry out, What shall 1 do to be faved?"

Have you, my audience, ever feen that it would be juft in God to caft you off forever, and have your hearts funk and fainted under the view? Have you felt yourfelves without ftrength to make atonement for your crimes? And have you been filled with unfeigned forrow and grief, that you have finned against God and broken his law? And have you, with your whole hearts, under thefe views, renounced all your own righteousness as filthy

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rags; and rested your guilty fouls, naked and wretched as they are, upon a crucified Jefus? Do you fee the value, the infinite value of his blood, to make atonement for your fins? Is Chrift, his righteoufnefs, and the way of falvation through him, what ravishes, charms and rejoices your fouls? And are you depending on him continually, for all needed grace and strength, to enable you to discharge the duties which you owe to God and your neighbour?-Oh! my brethren, examine yourselves, try your own felves.

Thofe of you who have fcriptural evidences to hope that you are sprinkled with the blood of Jefus, how blefsed are you! How happy is the condition of true believers! God will certainly pass over you when he arises to judgment. He has given you full affurance of this already, in the figure, and he will foon do it in reality, Let not your hearts be troubled, O Chriftians, the deftroying angel fhall not come nigh you! Believe in God, he abideth faithful, and that you might have the strongest confolation, he hath added his oath to his promise. God willing more abundantly to fhew unto the heirs of promise, the immutability of his council, confirmed it by an oath ; that by two immutable things, in which it was impoffible for God to lie, we might have firong confolation who have fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope fet before.us.

Perhaps your own vilenefs and wretchedness affright you; you fee fo little to diftinguish you as objects of favour; fo much to render you objects of wrath, that you cannot think you have any part in the bleffedness here fpoken of. But remember, that what makes you acceptable is the blood of sprinkling.-Chrift is made of God unto you wisdom, and righteousness, and fanctification, and redemption. This is the grace wherein you fland, and wherein you are accepted.

But

But those who never felt the powerful influence of this method of falvation, may object, that this doctrine leads to licentioufnefs. Nay, my brethren, no doctrine has a stronger operation the contrary way. No doctrine has a more powerful effect to purify the heart, to animate to diligence in good works, than falvation by free grace, than acceptance before God, folely by the sprinkling of the blood of Jefus. The real belief of this doctrine is the only abiding fpring of holy obedience.-Saith not the apostle, The love of Chrift conftraineth us.

O Chriftians! be perfuaded to maintain a powerful fense of Gospel grace; and that it is only by the blood of fprinkling you are diftinguished as objects of Divine acceptance. This is the fureft road to peace and comfort. And by this blood you fhall enter into the holiest of all; the everlasting doors of glory will be opened to you, and you shall be introduced into eternal felicity, by this Jefus with whofe blood you are fprinkled, saying, Come, ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.-Bat are there not fome in this affembly who have full convictions of judgment, that you have never been sprinkled with this peace-fpeaking and life-giving blood?-Who have never fled to Jefus for refuge from the ftorms of Divine vengeance? Who have not the door-pofts of your hearts fprinkled? Be affured, O finners! that the deftroying angel will enter into your fouls and fmite you, and leave you neither root nor branch. You shall be swept away by the torrent of Divine wrath, if you thus continue when God fhall defcend to judgment. Nothing can fecure you from the utmoft deftruction, if you continue to undervalue fo great a facrifice as the Lamb of God. Of how much forer punishment, fuppofe ye, Shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of

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