houses, when the deftroying angel paffed them and left them fafe under the divine protec

over, tion.

The lamb that was afterwards killed every year by the Ifraelites, in remembrance of that fignal deliverance, was called the paflover: the fign of the true lamb flain, Jefus Chrift, with the feaft upon it, having the name of the thing fignified by it.

Our Lord Jefus, as made under the law, and fulfilling all righteousness, had doubtless often obferved this feaft: but he speaks with peculiar fatisfaction and joy of that paffover feaft he was now to fit down at in company with his chofen twelve, With defire have I defired to eat this paffover with you intimating the earneftnefs and vehemency with which his heart was fet on this, and the zeal and delight with which he approached to it. Something like this manner of expreffion we have in chapter xii. 50. of this evangelift, which also referreth to Chrift's death and facrifice, I have a baptifm to be baptized with, and how am I ftraitened till it be accomplished? He fpake as if he could not be at eafe or reft, till he had made his foul an offering for fin, and was baptized in his own blood, and had finished our redemption by dying for us: With defire have I defired to eat this paffover with you. Several reafons might lead him to this very earneft and strong defire.

As,

1. His concern to fhew a perfect subjection to the law of God his Father, and thereby to fet us hs followers an example of thorough obedience to his will to the utmoft of our power. VOL. II.

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He was made under the law, and would obferve it, that he might fulfil all righteousness; not only for our fakes in a way of merit and attonement for our tranfgreffions, but also as an example of obedience to God. He was born a fubject, not only to the moral, but to the ceremonial law; and he, though the true paffover or lamb to be flain, would keep up the obfervation of the typical one, and obediently stand, according to God's will, folemnizing his own shadow: he with zeal and earneftnefs defired to eat the paffover, to put an honour upon a divine institution, and to evidence that it was his meat and drink to do the will of him that fent him into the world.

2. Chrift with greater ardency might defire to eat this paffover; as knowing that hereby he fhould put an end to one facrament of the legal difpenfation, and make way for another more excellent, that of his fupper; which, in the close of this folemnity, we find he instituted in its room. The paffover was an obfcure forerunner of a clearer and more comfortable facrament reprefenting Chrift, the Lord's fupper: and after it was now this laft time obferved, it was to be left honourably buried, to give place to this which fhould fucceed, even a feaft upon the facrifice of Chrift, the true lamb of God, to be kept in remembrance of a full fpiritual deliverance, which was formerly only predicted and promifed, but now actually wrought by him, from fin and Satan, death and hell; and to continue to be observed in his church, till he should come again.

3. Love

3. Love to his disciples might be another reafon of his defiring to eat this paffover with them 1 love to manifeft his care of them, and concern. for them; to have communion with them, and give them an endearing inftance and evidence, that having loved his own, he loved them to the end, i. e. the end of his life, which might greatly tend to their fupport and comfort to the end of theirs. How full of tenderness and affection are these his words, With defire have I defired to eat this paflover with you?

Laftly, Chrift thus ardently defired to eat this paffover with his difciples now, as this was the night in which he was betrayed, very foon after which he was to die. Other paffovers prefigured his death: this did both prefigure, and lead it on, and in a manner accompany it for he rose from table, and went to the garden, where the traitor brought a band to seize him, by which he was hurried away to judgment and execution. All this he forefaw: and hence fpeaks with fo much ardour, With defire have 1 defired to eat this passover with you, i. e. as being the laft, before I fuffer.

O the love of our bleffed Lord! How near were his friends to his heart! How deep in it! How fteady was he in his purpofe to go thro' with their redemption, whatever it coft! When in the nearest profpect of his amazing fufferings in the garden that night, and upon the cross foon after? When he knew that his foul must be exceeding forrowful even unto death, and the cup was approaching to his mouth that would put him into an agony, and make him fweat drops

of blood, to say, With defire I have defired to eat this paffover with you before I fuffer! i. e. This, which is to be laft, and because it is to be fo.

He was presently to be feized and bound, reviled and buffeted, condemned and led away to be crucified but the near approach of his sufferings in the most terrible forms, did not abate his refolution, but rather added ftrength to his defire to bear them. He was fo far from turning back at the terrors of the cross, that he advanced to meet them with increasing ardour, faying, With defire have I defired to eat this passover before I fuffer: and then made his will, and inftituted his fupper, and folemnly prepared himfelf for his dying work.

But this leads us to confider,

II. The profpect Chrift had of his fufferings after he had eaten this paffover, in all the compass of them, and his willingness to bear them : With defire have I defired to eat this passover with you; foon after which my crucifixion is to follow.

Let us view a little,

1. The profpect he had before him. And, 2. His temper with reference to it.

1. The profpect Christ had before him of his fufferings, in all the compass of them. With thefe his mind and thoughts were often, and with the greatest ferioufnefs, taken up as is evident,

From his taking occafion frequently to speak to his difciples of what he was to fuffer. He early, and plainly opens this, Matthew xvi. 21. From that time forth began Jefus to fhew unto his difciples,

difciples, how that he must go unto Jerufalem, and fuffer many things of the elders, and chief priests, and feribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. And he resumed the discourse as often as there was opportunity for it, in one place and another, Matthew xvii. 22, 23. And while they abode in Galilee, Jefus faid unto them, The Son of Man fhall be betrayed into the hands of men: and they fhall kill him, and the third day he fall be raifed again. The evangelift Mark has it, that he spake that faying openly, namely, That the Son of man must fuffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests and fcribes, and be killed, and after three days rife again, chapter viii. 31, 32. And he bad them let the fayings fink deep into their ears, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of men, Luke ix. 44. And tho' it is faid there, they understood not these fayings concerning his fufferings, it was not for want of Chrift's speaking often and very plainly of them: they were much upon his own mind, and he meant not that they fhould be ftrange to theirs. Luke xviii. 31, 32, 33. Then he took to him the twelve, and jaid unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerufalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man, fhall be accomplished. For he fhall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and fpitefully intreated, and Spit upon. And they fhall fcourge him, and put him to death.

Thus Chrift had his fufferings and death much upon his mind, and fhewed it by the frequent notices he gave of them. U 3

And