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This was remarkably the cafe as to the deftruction of the firft-born. When the LORD fmote all the first-born of the Egyptians, he delivered the houses of the Ifraelites. But in order to this deliverance, it was neceffary that they should be typically redeemed by the blood of the pafchal lamb : "When he feeth the blood, the LORD "will pafs over the door, and will not fuffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to fmite "you." What an awful diftinction was here made! "He fmote the Egyptians, and deliver"ed our houfes i." Ever after, the Ifraelites were to redeem their first-born by paying a price for them : "All the firft-born of man among thy "children fhalt thou redeem." Therefore they are faid to be all fanctified unto the LORD.

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Both this temporal deliverance, and the ordinances commemorating it, undoubtedly prefigured the eternal redemption of the feed of Chrift, by the ineftimable price of his blood," as of a "lamb without blemish." Hence they are denominated" the church of the firft-born." Like. thofe of Ifrael, they are a felect company, whom the Lord hath fet apart for himself.

III. This is alfo evident from the limitation of the legal oblations. I do not speak of those which were presented in the name of individuals, but of fuch as refpected the whole congregation of Ifrael. Of this nature were the morning and evening facrifices, those which were offered on the great day

C c 4

k Exod. xiii. 2. 13.

i Excd. xii. 23. 27.

of

of atonement, and a variety of others. None, who believe the doctrine of Chrift's atonement, deny that these were inftituted types of his death as the true facrifice for fin. But none can confiftently acknowledge this, and yet affirm that he died for all men. For all thefe typical oblations, while made for the whole congregation of Ifrael, were made for them only. Thefe facrifices were offered up for all Ifrael; but only as prefiguring the efficacy of the death of Chrift, as extending to all the chofen people which conftitute the true Ifrael. The strangers, who received any benefit from the legal oblations, were fuch only as clave to the Ifraelites. The facrifices had no respect to the nations around. They were exprefsly excluded from the congregation of the LORD. Now, if thefe facrifices prefigured the atonement to be made by Christ, if at the fame time they were limited to the congregation of Ifrael; his expiation muft alfo be limited as to its objects, else there is no confonancy between the fhadow and the fubftance.

IV. The fame thing might be fully demonftrated from the history of redemption as accomplished by Christ. From the account that himself gives of the intention of his death, it is clear that he did not die for all. He faid, "I lay down my "life for the fheep." Thefe are evidently a definite number, feparated from the rest of mankind. For he diftinguishes them, in the defcription given, from wolves and hirelings, and from

others

others to whom he fays, "Ye are not of my

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fheep." He affigns it as one proof of his being the good Shepherd, that he knows his fheep! Now, if by these he meant all mankind, why were they thus diftinguished, or what merit was there in knowing them, when there could be no mistake, unless devils had been mistaken for men. The extent of his death is fo clearly defined in his interceffory prayer, that it seems inconceivable that any one should err on this fubject, without obftinately rejecting the light. Although Jefus had power over all flesh, yet it was to be exercifed in conferring eternal life on thofe only whom the Father had given him. For fuch only did he pray, in contradiftinction from the world. For them only did he fet himself apart as a facrifice, and confecrate himself by his fufferings to the work of an interceding High-priest ".-But on these things I enlarge not; as they have been often fully illuftrated by others, who have written profeffedly on this fubject.

From the obfervations made, we may perceive how intimately the various branches of the fyftem of error are connected. Deifts and Arminians in fact ftumble on one ftone. The former ridicule the Scriptures, and deny that they are a divine revelation, because they reprefent God as limiting his love to one nation, to the exclufion of all the reft of the world. The latter reject the very fame doctrine in another form, not indeed as refpecting any particular nation, but in reference

to

1 John x. 12.-15. 26. 27.

m Chap. xvii. 2. 9. 19.

to particular perfons. The Deift ftumbles at the doctrine of the literal, the Arminian at that of the fpiritual, Ifrael. Both are fhocked at the idea of divine fovereignty, and deny that God hath a right to do with his own what feemeth him good.

SECTION XVII.

The Confervation of Believers illuftrated, from the Hiftory of Ifrael.—The Perpetuity of God's Love to the Seed of Jacob.-His Faithfulness. -The Stability of his Covenant.-His Love to David.-Ifrael united to God, as a Peculiar People.-A Precious Seed ftill preferved among them.-The Spirit given to them.-Ifrael faved at the Interceffion of his Servants.-Preferved by a conftant Exercife of Almighty Power, by the Hand of the Angel promifed as their Leader.

THE doctrine of the prefervation of all believers, in a state of grace, is moft clearly taught in the word of God, affords the most abundant ground of confolation, and will furnish all who truly understand it with the moft powerful excitement to duty. This precious truth has been a thousand times illuftrated from a variety of doc

trinal

trinal paffages of Scripture. It has been fhown that all real Chriftians are fecured in their gracious ftate, by virtue of the everlasting and fovereign love of God, by his faithfulness, by the immutability of his covenant, by the merit of the Redeemer, by their union to him, and to the Father in him, by the incorruptible feed of the word remaining in them, by the inhabitation of his Spirit, by the interceffion of Chrift, and as kept by almighty power. It is unneceffary, and it would be a deviation from the defign of this work, to attempt an illuftration of these arguments in a doctrinal manner. But it is worthy of particular attention, that the Spirit of inspiration, even in the historical parts of Scripture, fupplies us with illuftrations precifely of the fame kind; only adapted to the peculiar circumftances of God's ancient people. Now, as we have formerly feen, that they prefigured the true Ifrael; their history, in this refpect, is undoubtedly meant for the confirmation of our faith.

1. The perpetuity of God's love is affigned as the reason why he would not forfake the feed of Jacob, notwithstanding their iniquities. The fovereignty of this love alfo beams forth with diftinguished luftre, in his conduct towards them. Both these characters are clearly expreffed in the meffage delivered by the prophet Jeremiah; "Thus faith the LORD, The people which were "left of the fword found grace in the wilderness, "even Ifrael, when I went to caufe him to reft.

"The

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