Thus were the Israelites situated in Egypt, when God came down to deliver them. They had been reduced to utter subjection; and the Egyptians, with Pharaoh at their head, evinced all the wonted reluctance of men-stealers to part with their property in human flesh. The proposal communicated by Moses at the divine bidding, that the chosen people should be allowed to retire for a season, with all their property, in order to offer sacrifice, was scouted as a virtual petition for leave to quit Egypt; and as if a voluntary exile were a blessing inestimably too great for subjugated captives to receive; as if the very thought of it were a presumption and a rebellion to be visited with heavy penalties, tasks more and more onerous were imposed on the petitioners. To break down this spirit of cruel intolerance, God visited these task-masters with a series of plagues, following up each successive judgment with a renewed summons to let his people go. The last and decisive infliction, which loosened the iron grasp of reluctant tyranny, by transcending, all existing schemes and efforts, to eradicate from their soil the bitter, bitter root of slavery. With an energy worthy of their position, talents, character, and responsibilities (for I am willing to be taunted as their friend, and even as their flatterer, if I may only touch a cord of pity for enthralled Africans), let them apply themselves to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke.' It will be a bright day for America in which a spot so dark shall be wiped from its sun. 'Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee: the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.'—Isaiah lviii. was the slaughter of the first-born of Egypt. The Israelites were forewarned, through Moses, that such a visitation was impending; and, in order that they might not participate in the doom of their oppressors, they were directed to observe a protective religious service. This ritual consisted in each household selecting a lamb from the flock on the tenth day of the current month (called in the Hebrew language, Abib, and also Nisan)*-keeping the lamb thus separated till the fourteenth day, then killing it, sprinkling with its blood the two side-posts, and upper door-posts† of the houses in which it was killed, and eating it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The paschal supper was succeeded by a feast of unleavened bread, which lasted for seven days; the immediate design of this appended ritual being to commemorate their afflictions in Egypt, and their *The time when this feast was to be celebrated is very particularly expressed in Leviticus: "In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's Passover;" Lev. xxiii. 5. The month is called the first month; that is, of the ecclesiastical year, which commenced with the Israelites' flight out of Egypt. This month had two names: Abib, and Nisan. It is called Abib; that is, the earing month, or the month of new corn. The other name, Nisan, is derived by some from nus, fugere; and so it signifies, the month of flight, namely, of the Israelites out of Egypt. Others derive it from nes, vexillum, or nasas, vexillum tulit; and so it signifies the month of war, when campaigns usually began. But there are others who derive it from the Arabic and Syriac word nus, conturbatus est, because it is usually a stormy month.'—Jennings' Jewish Antiq. B. iii. c. 4. † 'Not the threshold-Christ's blood must not be trampled on.' Vine's Treatise on the Sacr. p. 4. Ainsworth and other writers make the same remark. See on Exod. xii. 7. haste in leaving it, which allowed them no time to prepare their bread by a process of fermentation. While the Hebrews were engaged in observing their appointed ceremonial, the destroying angel, on the night of the fourteenth, passed through the land of Egypt, and smote all the first-born of the land of Egypt, both man and beast; but wherever the blood of the paschal lamb was sprinkled upon the houses, it was a token for the inmates, and the angel passed over, (hence the name Passover)* and the plague did not fall on them to destroy them. • When the glory of the Lord,' says a Jewish writer, 'was revealed in Egypt in the night of the Passover, and killed all the first-born, he ascended upon swift lightning and protected the houses wherein we were, and stood behind our walls, and looked through the windows, and showed himself through the lattices, and he saw the blood of the sacrifice which was sprinkled on our gates; and, from the high heavens he did behold, and saw his people which did eat the sacrifices of the solemn feast, and he spared us, and gave not the destroying angel power to destroy us.'† It was a great solemnity. While the guests partook of it, death reigned around them, and filled the * Our English well translates the word "Passover;" the Greek and Latin keep the word Pascha, which gave some occasion to derive it from the Greek Пaσx, to suffer—a mistake. The word is Pesach from Pasach, which is to leap or pass over.'-Vine's Treatise on the Sacrament, p. 3. Irenæus, Chrysostom, and others of the fathers, adopted the mistaken derivation to which Mr Vine here alludes. + Quoted from Targum on Song, ii. 9, by Ainsworth on Exod. xii. 28-[here abridged.] abodes of their enemies with consternation and woe. To the Israelites, however, it was a blissful season. The last day of their slavery was over. In the land of bondage they were observing an ordinance which declared every man's bonds loosed; and, while the wrath of man on the one hand, and a sea raging on the other, seemed to leave no choice but of appalling deaths, the worshippers were instructed how to observe the institution in remotest ages. 6 When the feast was ended, the glorious marching began. The heirs of promise went from the scenes of their oppression in a line of six hundred thousand on foot, that were men, besides children; and a mixed multitude went up also with them, and flocks and herds, and very much cattle.' Not an Israelite was left behind-not a feeble person was found in all their multitude-not an arm was lifted, not a blow struck to effect their release--for the Lord was their deliverer, and he brought them out with great power, and with a strong hand. The amazed task-masters-the despoiled man-ownersstood aghast! and the slaves of yesterday, now walking in the light of freedom, went forth with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians. Well might the Jews, in commemorating these events, say, 'How different is this night from all other nights? This Passover, which we eat, is in respect that the Lord passed over the houses of our fathers in Egypt; therefore are we bound to confess—to praise-to laud -to celebrate-to glorify-to honour-to extol-to * Exod. xii. 37, 38. magnify, and to ascribe victory unto him that did unto our fathers, and unto us, all these signs; and brought us forth from servitude to freedom-from sorrow to joy--from darkness to great light: and we say before him, Hallelujah! Hallelujah! praise, O ye servants of the Lord!"*. SECT. II.-THE PASSOVER AS OBSERVED BY CHRIST AND HIS APOSTLES. THE Passover continued to be observed by the Jews, but not exactly in the same manner as at first. It does not appear that the lamb was separated from the flock on the tenth day, except on the first occasion ; and it is certain that the door-posts and lintels were not again sprinkled with its blood. One of the original commands as to the fashion of the paschal supper was-Thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand.'† In other words, the communicants were to have the attire and posture of travellers; and these were very appropriate to their circumstances when they were in the act of going to a promised land, which they were far from having reached. But, when they were settled in Canaan, they eat the Passover like other meals, reclining on couches, so that one lay, in some measure, on his neighbour's bosom; and this attitude was *Ainsworth on Exod. xii. 8-[here abridged.] |