The Quiet And Easy Passage Of Christ’s Purchased People
The Quiet And Easy Passage Of Christ’s Purchased People
Through Death To Glory
A Sermon
Preached to a Congregation of Protestant Dissenters, in Carter-lane, Southwark
Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm, they shall be as still as a stone, till thy people pass over, O Lord; till the people pass over which thou hast purchased—Exodus 15:16
THESE words are part of the Song which Moses and the children of Israel sung at the Red Sea, after they had passed safely through it, and the Egyptians were drowned in it: a song. worthy of notice, being the first and most ancient song that is on divine record; for though there were doubtless songs of praise to God sung before this by the people of God, there being ever more or less occasion for them; yet this is the first the scriptures give us any account of a song that only concerned the children of Israel, and their then present case and circumstances; but what was typical of other things, and had respect to times to come. Moses the penman of it, and who was an instrument in the hand of God of the deliverance sung in it, was a type of Christ the Redeemer of his people. Israel, who shared in this deliverance, and joined with Moses in singing this song, were a typical people, a figure of the church of God, called the Israel of God, (Galatians 6:16) consisting of whatsoever nation; whom God has chosen, Christ has redeemed, and the holy Spirit effectually calls and sanctifies; and the redemption and salvation, the subject-matter of this song, was typical of redemption and salvation by the precious blood of Christ: a song this, that not only respects the then present situation of the people of Israel, but looks forward to future times, and reaches to the kingdom of Christ in all ages of the world, to the end of the, even to eternity itself; as appears from the close of it; The Lord shall reign for ever and ever; a song the like to which will be sung by the church and people of God in the latter day, upon a similar occasion; the destruction of Egypt, spiritually or mystically so called; the ruin of the antichristian Pharaoh; the conquest that will be made by the saints over the beast, his image, his mark, and. the number of his name; when they will stand upon a sea of glass, as Israel of old by the Red sea, with the harps of God in their hands, and sing the song of Moses, and the song of the Lamb: (Revelation 15:2, 3) and indeed this song of Moses and the children of Israel, at the Red sea, may with sufficient propriety he called the song of the Lamb, or of Christ; since he is the principal person concerned in it, and to whom it is sung he being the Redeemer of Israel, in a literal sense, and the author of that salvation, the praise of which they now celebrated. He is the Angel of the Lord, (for Jehovah the Father is never so called) who appeared to Moses in the burning bush, and sent him to Pharaoh, to demand the dismission of the children of Israel; and it was he that did all the signs and wonders by him in the land of Egypt, and in the plains of Zoan; it was he that brought Israel from thence, and went before them in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. He is the same Angel of the Lord, that went before the camp of Israel, who removed behind them at the Red sea, and looked through the pillar upon the Egyptians, troubled their host, took off their chariot-wheels, returned the waters of the sea upon them and covered and drowned them in it; on account of all which this song is directed to him; and all the characters in it agree with him. He is the strength and song of his people, in whom they have peace and joy, righteousness and strength; he is become their salvation, the author of spiritual and eternal salvation; he is their Lord and God, and exalted by them; he is a Man of War, inured to it, expert in it, and has fought the battles of his people for them with all their spiritual enemies, and has got the victory over them. The Lord of Hosts, of armies above and below, is his name; his right hand has displayed its glorious power in the destruction of Pharaoh and his host; and will still more gloriously display the same in the ruin of antichrist and all his powers. he is preferable to all others for the holiness of his nature, both divine and human, in which he is glorious; and for the matter of his praise, the glories and excellencies of his person, the blessings of his grace, and the great things done by him: in many of which he is fearful, tremendous and terrible, and in all to be feared and reverenced and for his works which he did both before and in his incarnate state; which are wonders, amazing and surprising, and especially the great work of our redemption: and he it is that had led forth the people of Israel out of Egypt, in mercy; and was leading them into Canaan’s land, and guiding them thither in his strength; and who brings forth all his people out of worse than Egyptian bondage, and leads and guides them safely to his holy habitation in heaven.
The former part of this song, to verse 13. in the letter of it, respects things past, real facts, what were already done, for which praise is given. The latter part from thence is wholly prophetic, and contains a prediction of future events, of the dread of Israel that should fall on several nations as they passed along, who would hear what great things had been done for them, and by them; and of their quiet and easy passage over the river Jordan into the land of Canaan; and of their firm and sure settlement in it, 17, all which had its certain accomplishment. It is said, the people shall hear and he afraid; that is, the nations of the world in general; for the affair of the plagues of Egypt, and the deliverance of the children of Israel from thence, their passage through the Red sea, and the drowning of Pharaoh and his arms in it, were heard all over the world, and struck a panic in all the nations of it; see Deuteronomy 2:25, sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina; the land of the Philistines adjoining to Canaan, and through which, in the common way, the road of the Israelites lay to it; and so they would be, and were in great concern lest they should suffer by them: then the dukes of Edom shall he amazed; the people of Idumea, then governed by dukes who upon the tidings of the wonderful things done for Israel in Egypt, at the Red sea, and in the wilderness, were surprised, and astonished, and filled with fear, Deuteronomy 2:4, the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; as it did on Balak king of Moab, and on his princes, which literally fulfilled this prophecy, Numbers 22:2, 3, all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away; as their heart did melt through fear when they heard what God did for Israel against the Egyptians and the Amorites; and understood they were on their march toward their land, to invade it, and dispossess them of it, as appears from Joshua 2:9, 11, 12; with this compare the case of the kings of the earth, when Egypt, spiritually or mystically so called, will be destroyed, and the people of God saved out of it, Revelation 18:2, 4, 9, 10; next follow the words which have been read; fear and dread shall fall upon them; upon all the nations in general, and upon those before mentioned in particular, and especially on the Canaanites: By the greatness of thine arm, they shall be as still as a stone, till thy people pass over, O Lord; till thy people pass over which thou hast purchased; the people of Israel, to whom it is said (Deuteronomy 32:6) of God, is not he thy father that hath bought thee? They were a people in a sense purchased by him; being redeemed by him out of Egypt, and wonderfully taken care of by him in providence whilst these passed over the river Jordan, in order to go into Canaan’s land and possess it; their enemies awed by the power of God, visible in what he had done for them, were like stocks and stones, stood stupefied and immoveable; had not power to act or stir a foot in their own defence, or against Israel, come to invade them; nor in the least to molest them, nor to attempt to stop them in their passage through the river, nor dispute it with them but were as stupid as stones having no spirit or courage left in them; see 17, and chap. 5:1, which may be considered as an emblem of the quiet passage of Christ’s purchased people through the ford or river of death, to the Canaan of everlasting rest and happiness. And in this view of things I shall endeavour a little to improve the words of our text, by observing,
I. That Christ has a people, and these are a purchased people.
II. That this purchased people must pass through death to glory, and will pass through it safely.
IV. That this is owing to the greatness of the arm of the Lord, or to his almighty power.