not received the sign of adoption into the visible church, and therefore he cannot partake of that symbolical commemoration of our Lord's dying love for that church. Hence it becomes the duty of every unbaptised believer, to receive the sign or seal of baptism, that making this public profession of his faith and obedience, he may openly confess to the praise and glory of God, strengthen the hands of the disciples, confirm his own belief, and cherish his holy joy, by a full participation of the privileges of the covenant; particularly this testimonial of his Saviour's dying love. The holy influence of these symbols, if rightly received, must animate his zeal, and raise his affections from earth to heaven. The real believer will feel his want, and therefore earnestly desire to avail himself of every help that can assist him in his heavenly course. Under the law, the devout stranger had the hope of future glory, but he wanted some of the means of present comfort: to obtain these, he would desire the seal of circumcision, for the same reason that the believer now wishes to receive that of baptism.

But, when the promised seed, of human birth according to the covenant of grace, of Abrahamic descent, according to that of circumcision, had established the former, by fulfilling it to its full extent, he abrogated the

latter; and the typical covenant having thus passed away, its seals were no longer beneficial, and the great law Fulfiller replaced them by others better suited to the wants of his church, in the succeeding stage of the covenant.

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CHAPTER XIV.

Types connected with the march of the Israelites through the Wilderness.

THE emancipation of the children of Jacob from the tyranny of Pharaoh, their march through the wilderness, and their settlement in the promised land, present an historical picture of the church of God as delivered from the slavery of the devil, and led through her earthly course until her entrance into her everlasting rest.

These three leading transactions form the principal groups of the picture; but connected with each, are several circumstances of a symbolical nature, exhibiting lessons of instruction and consolation to the church, and displaying the holiness, faithfulness, and goodness of Jehovah, the unchangeableness of his love to his people, their exalted privileges, and their unworthiness of these; the blessings of obedience, and the certain visitation of disobedience.

Such a picture cannot be comprehended by a glance of the eye. The groups must be successively examined to be understood, and their union as a whole, and the relation of the parts, will be established, not interrupted, by this method of consideration.

Moses, the typical messenger of the covenant, found Israel in bondage to Pharaoh, the prince of the land of darkness, who tenaciously maintained his power over them, and savagely exercised it for their oppression. They had no hope of deliverance but from God, who sent his servant to overthrow their tyrant, and to redeem them by the blood of the passover. Jesus Christ, the real angel of the covenant, found his church, the true spiritual seed of Israel, enslaved by Satan, "the power of dark"the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience,"† the strong man armed that keepeth the house. They looked for deliverance, but there was none to help, until the minister of grace brought pardon and salvation by the shedding of his own blood, he being the real paschal Lamb, whose sacrifice brought peace and deliverance to the children of the covenant, and destruction to their enemies.

ness,

Their emancipation, though purchased by the blood of the passover, was accomplished + Ephes. ii. 2.

* Luke xxii. 53.

under the guidance of the pillar of fire and cloud. They marched out by night, and the Lord went before them in a pillar of cloud. The Lord was not that pillar of fire and cloud, but he was in it, and when the angel of God which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind it, the pillar of the cloud did the same, and the Lord looked "unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud. The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light; to go by day and night: he took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of the fire by night, from before the people. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of the fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians."* Redemption was purchased by the blood of Jesus, but all the benefits of it are administered by the agency of the Holy Ghost. The former is way, the truth, and the life; but the latter is the "Spirit of truth," who takes of the

the

* Exod. xiii. 21, 22; xiv. 19 and 24.