to it, and by so doing place both Jew and Gentile in possession of the original promise; "That in Abraham's seed all the families of the earth should be blessed."And this blessing when perfected, consisted in that Salvation through faith which had been purchased by the blood of a Redeemer." Forasmuch as ye know (says the Apostle) that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb, without blemish and without spot." 1 Pet. i. 18.

In conformity with this idea, the members of Christ's Church which has been purchased with his blood, are represented by the Apostle as no longer belonging to themselves. Having been redeemed from the bondage of sin and death, they are become, by right of purchase, the property of their Redeemer. "Ye are not your own, (says the Apostle to his disciples at Corinth,) for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's"

The body and spirit of man, in consequence of the fall, having been as it were sold

sold under sin, had thereby become the property of that Evil One, by whom the fatal price of man's liberty had been offered to him with success. But through the love of God, man found a ransom from captivity in that spotless Lamb," which has been slain, and has redeemed us by his blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation." Rev. v. 9.

We read of a redemption from Egypt; but that, as it has been above observed, was a figure only of the eternal Redemption to be obtained through Christ. At the redemption from Egypt, a lamb without blemish was ordered to be slain; the blood of which, sprinkled on the door pósts, saved the Israelites from the destroying angel, when the first-born of Egypt were slain. This lamb afterwards eaten, was characterised by the distinguishing title of "the Lord's Passover," on the following very memorable account. "For L will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgement: I am the Lord.

And

the

the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you, to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt." Exod. xii. 12. But St. Paul addressing himself to his disciples at Corinth, calls "Christ, our Passover."-" Christ our Passover (says he) is sacrificed for us." 1 Cor. v. 6. What then the Passover was to the Israelites at their redemption from Egypt, that Christ our Passover, is to Christians; otherwise St. Paul's language is something worse than incorrect; for, on the supposition that he made an allusion, where there was no resemblance, he took the readiest way to lead his disciples into error on the most important subject of his ministry. St. Paul, as an intelligent Jew, could not have been ignorant on this head. The word passover therefore, as belonging to our Saviour, could not have been misapplied by him. The blood of the Paschal Lamb we know was expiatory; it was accepted for the saving of God's people; when the idolatrous Egyptians were destroyed by the Destroyer. If Christ then

is our Passover, as he is here declared to be, his blood must be accepted for a similar purpose. And this the Apostle expressly asserts on another occasion where he says, that" in Him we have Redemption through his blood; the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his Grace." Eph. i. 7. Thus Jesus Christ, in his character of Redeemer, constitutes the perfection of every Divine Dispensation: that compleat consummation, in which all the lines of Providence, relative to the condition of fallen man, were designed to meet. The great subject of vicarious atonement introduced by the fall; the nature of which, the instituted service of sacrifice was designed to explain and to commemorate; hath appeared, though with different degrees of clearness, both to Patriarch, Jew, and Christian.

The shedding the blood of an innocent victim was an acknowledgement of the forfeiture of the life of the party, for whose redemption it was shed. To keep this important idea alive; the ceremony of laying the hand on the head of the beast brought to be slain, thereby to signify that

the

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the sins of the offerer were discharged on the devoted victim, was constantly observed. Lev. iv. Nor could there be any possible misconception on this head, so long as the Jews attended to the bare letter of their law. The reason given for prohibiting the Jews from eating any manner of blood" being expressly this; "For the life of the flesh, says God, is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make an atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."

Lev. xvii. 11. A prohibition

which we conceive is to be thus accounted for. God the Giver of life, and to whom it had been forfeited by sin, afterwards reserved to himself that part, which is the principle of life: and thereby excluded from common use what was sanctified to so noble a purpose. This principle of life then being separated for the altar, implies that in every atonement, there was an exchange of one life for another. That of the offering, for his life in whose behalf it was offered. Such is indeed the true and obvious sense of those terms still remaining in the Jewish books; whereby the evils and punishments