you have shewn, it is so closely connected with what is written in the New.

Mother. At our future meetings, it is my design to dwell awhile upon some of the legal offerings and this course of instruction I am disposed to pursue, that the earlier parts of Scripture history may not be neglected by you, as is too much the case among many, who, notwithstanding, profess to view, with equal reverence and esteem, the inspired record throughout. The Bible is the voice of God to erring man; and, therefore, whatever is communicated through that medium deserves, as it demands, our utmost attention.

"Let the angel of the Lord
His awful charge fulfil ;
Let his pestilential sword

The first-born victims kill:
Safe in snares and death we dwell,
Protected, by that crimson sign,
From the rage of earth and hell,
And from the wrath divine."

Mother. At the close of our last evening's discourse, I promised to bring under your consideration the sacrifices, which were offered during the Mosaic economy; that is, the period which began when Moses was chosen by God as the leader of the Israelites, and which economy continued until the commencement of what is called

G

the gospel dispensation: then it was that the things the types represented appeared; consequently, there was no further need of the shadows when the substance had come. In fulfilment of my pledge, I will first notice the highly significant ordinance of the PASSOVER. I hope you are sufficiently conversant with the writings of the Jewish lawgiver not to require that I should give you a very minute detail of all the oppressive conduct of Pharaoh towards the Hebrew nation. You, doubtless, remember, how, in order to make that wicked, persecuting monarch, willing to liberate the children of Israel from their hard bondage, God sent upon him and the Egyptian people plague after plague of the direst description; and that, as the effect of the chastisement subsided, his heart returned to its accustomed hardness or, rather, became increasingly obdurate. However, the Almighty was not to be set at nought by the puny opposition of a creature whom he had formed out of

the dust: therefore, finding him determined not to yield to lesser manifestations of the Divine anger, a visitation of a most tremendous character was appointed to burst upon him. The Israelites were directed to sprinkle on their door-posts the blood of a lamb, whose qualities, the manner of its death, and the rites wherewith its flesh was to be eaten, are particularly described, and left upon record for succeeding generations. The blood upon the door-posts was to be a safeguard against the messenger of death, who, instead of inflicting destruction, would pass over the habitation, where was seen that protecting mark. "I will (says God) 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 judgment: I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye 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." According to the word of the Lord, so the event occurred. "And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne, unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the first-born of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead!" We are next informed, that Pharaoh, seeing this sad desolation, immediately called for Moses and Aaron, and bade them gather together all the children of Israel, with their flocks and herds, and depart with the utmost speed out of the land. "And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men."

Annie. Do tell me the meaning of all this.