mean arguments to fupport it. Ift, They defire us to take notice of the intent of the paffage through the fea: which was, the drowning of the Egyptians, and by that means to manifeft the glory of God to the people all around. And therefore it is probable, the Egyptians were thrown out on that part of the fhore which was nearest to Egypt, that the judgment of God might be manifested to that kingdom. 2dly, They obferve, that the part of the Red Sea, which the Ifraelites paffed over, is distant from the oppofite fhore at least fix, others fay, fifteen leagues: which journey, it seems, could not poffibly be accomplished by fo great an army, together with their children, women, and baggage, in the compafs of a fhort night as was done here, ver. 21, 23. 3dly, It appears from Exod. xiii. 20. that before the Ifraelites entered into the fea, they encamped in the wilderness of Etham, in the border of the wildernefs. And yet after their. coming out of the fea, they again proceeded to the wilderness of Etham, Numb. xxiii. 8. They confequently returned to the fame fhore, but at a greater diftance from the place, from which they fet out. This argument cannot be answered, but by faying, either that there were two wilderneffes of the fame name, on each fide of the Red Sea, which Lyranus does, or that the whole country, quite to mount Sinai, went under the fame appellation, according to Rivet: but whether this can be proved, is matter of inquiry. 4thly, They add, that the Red Sea does not lie between Egypt and mount Sinai, but that the journey by land is directly performed with camels and other cattle. Of this may be seen the Itinerarium of della Valle p 1. c 27, 28. 5thly, The argument for the contrary fentiment, taken from its being said, that the Ifraelites paffed through the Red Sea feems to be of little weight. For, the facred hiftory ufes very general terms," and they went into the midst of the fea," Exod. xiv. 22. (6 they walked upon dry land in the midst of the fea," ver. 29. it is, indeed, faid Numb. xxxiii. 8. and they paffed through. But befides, the word fometimes fimply fignifies to go on before, as Gen.xxxiii. 3. and he paffed over (went on) before; the Ifraelites may very properly be faid to have pafled through the waters of the sea, though by taking a femicircular compass they returned to the fame fhore. For in every journey there is an intermediate paffage from the term from which, to the term to which. Nor is it neceffary, that every paffage fhould be in a direct line. 6thly, Nor is it more convincing, that they are faid to have walked in the midst of the fea, though others oppose this very reafon. For certainly they who had the fea both on their right and left, muft have walked in the midst of the fea by what way foever, or whitherfoever they went. So that it appears, nothing certain

can

can be brought from Scripture for the opposite opinion. The decifion of the question depends principally on an exact plan or map of the country. Whoever wants more on this head may confult Fagius in Exod. iv. and Chriftian. Schotanus, my honoured predeceffor in the chair at Franeker, Biblioth. Sacr. T. 2. p. 142. add Genebrardus in Chron. p. 66. Gregor. Turon. Hift. lib. 1. c. 10. Abulenfis, and Grotius on the place, and who is more full on the fubject, Ludovicus de Tena ad Hebr, 11, Difficult. 19. and laftly, Ufher, Epift. 105.

X. The Apoftle alluding, 1 Cor. x. 1, 2. to this hiftory, fays, " that all the fathers were under the cloud, and all paffed through the fea, and were all baptifed unto Mofes in the cloud and in the fea." Here are three difficulties to be cleared up: first, it is enquired, how the apoftle could write, that they were under the cloud, fince the facred history declares, that the cloud went behind them, Exod. xiv. 19. But this is of little weight; for it was behind them in fuch a manner, that it hung a great way over them, and extending to a vaft breadth, and height, encompaffed them under its protection: as there is an allusion to this," Ifa. iv. 5. " and Jehovah will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her affemblies a cloud by day."

XI. The other difficulty is fomething more confiderable; namely, how the Ifraelites could be baptized in the cloud and in the fea, fince they were not dipt in the water of the fea, nor wetted by the cloud. But we are to know. 1ft, That the apostle uses the term baptism here in a figurative sense. For, because the Corinthians gloried of baptifm, the apoftle applies the name of baptism to those things, of which the Ifraelites might glory, as much as the Corinthians could of baptifm, and which were to them instead of baptifm. 2dly, There is alfo fome sort of agreement in the external fign: a cloud differs very little from water, and the fea is water already: the cloud hung over their heads, fo alfo water hangs over baptifed perfons. Compare this with what we shall prefently advance from Gregory of Ñysfa, concerning the cloud. The fea furrounded them on all fides; fo does water alfo, those that are baptised. 3dly, This fign fignifies the fame that baptifm does: and fo baptifm is the antitype of it, as on a like fubject Peter faid, 1 Peter iii. 21. See Cameron in 1 Cor. x. And the ancient Jews have obferved, that, in the baptifm of the Ifraelites, there was indeed a peculiar refpect had to the pillar of cloud. In Pirke R. Eliez. c. 44. R. Zacharias fpeaks thus: "the pillar of cloud furrounded the camp of the Ifraelites, as a wall furrounds a town; nor could an enemy or foe approach to them." But," the cloud preserved thofe who wanted true baptifm, even without

the

the camp, which was holy." Gul. Vorftius has ingenuously compared this paffage with this place of the apoftle. But what we have faid concerning the paffage of the Ifraelites through the fea, and the baptifm therein, appears much more probable to us than the judgment of Selden, in other respects a learned man, who by the fea understands here any receptacle of water, and will have the paffing through the fea to be the fame, as to be dipt in water, de Synedr. lib. 1. c. 3. But this intricate way of speaking seems not to agree with the fimplicity of the apostle.

XII. Thirdly, it is proper to enquire, in what sense they may be faid to be baptifed unto Mofes; fince that seems to be too great an honour to be conferred on a fervant, or any mere man? 1 Cor. i. 13. I anfwer, it is one thing to be baptifed unto a perfon; another, to be baptifed in the name of a perfon. In whose name foever we are baptifed, we are baptised by his authority and command; we acknowledge him for our king, who alone can institute public feals; we devote our obedience and worship to him, fo as for the future to be called by his name; from him we, by faith, expect that spiritual grace, which is fealed by baptifm. Paul carefully disclaimed this honour, because it was greater than became a man. To be baptifed unto any perfon, is by far of a lower degree; for either, it fignifies fimply, to be baptised by the ministry of any one; or thus, that by receiving baptifm, we acknowledge fuch a perfon to be a faithful fervant of God. Both may be here with propriety joined together. They were baptifed unto Mofes; that is, according to the Syriac, by the hand of Moses; or, as Augustin reads on Pfalm 77, by Mofes. For, Mofes, by his prayers, obtained for them this protection of the cloud, and this paffage through the fea. Mofes, by stretching out his rod, divided the water; Mofes, firft entered the channel of the fea, and both led and encouraged the reft to venture with him. And thus they were baptifed by the means of Mofes. But there is more implied in this manner of speaking. As thefe miracles were facraments of divine grace to the true and fpiritual Ifrael, fo they were alfo fymbols, by which God confirmed the ministry of Mofes, and proved him to be a typical deliverer and mediator. And therefore in the place, where we read of their paffing through the fea, the people is faid " to have believed Jehovah, and his fervant Moses," Exod. xiv. 31. and in fo far the people did well; for, Exod. xix. 9. when God himself set forth the authority he had bestowed on Mofes, he says, " lo I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I fpeak with thee, and believe thee for ever." And thus

they

they were baptifed unto Mofes, because by this fign God taught them to acknowledge Mofes for a faithful prophet, and an eminent type of the Meffiah, by whofe intervention those benefits fhould be conferred upon them, which were both great in themfelves, and earnests of the greatest bleffings to be conferred by the Meffiah. And in this refpect Mofes had something peculiar above other minifters.

XIII. This very paffage of Paul leads us to meditate on the. mystery of this fign: for, it teaches us, that, in its fignifica tion, it anfwers to our baptifm. Tertullian, lib. de Baptifmo fays; "first, when the people went out of Egypt, and, by paffing through the water, efcaped the tyranny of the king of Egypt, who with all his hofts was overwhelmed. Which fi gure is more evident in the facrament of baptifm. The nations are delivered from the world, namely by the water, and leave the devil, their old tyrant, funk in the water." But let us defcend to particulars.

XIV. This miraculous cloud was: 1ft, A fymbol of God's gracious prefence: For, " God was in the cloud,” Exod. xiii. 21. "and the angel of God," Exod. xiv. 19: namely "the angel of the covenant, the angel of his prefence," who had appeared to Mofes in the bush, and led the Ifraelites through the wilderness, Ifa. Ixiii. 9. 2dly, It prefigured the future incarnation of the Son of God: for, as the Son of God vailed the infinite glory of his majesty in this cloud, fpoke from it, wrought miracles, and protected his people, fo in like manner he was, in due time, to conceal his majefty under the affumed form of a fervant, Phil. ii. 7. but in fuch a manner, that the rays of his glory, might at times fhine forth in his divine difcourses and miracles, which no age ever saw either like them, or equal to them, John i. 14. 3dly, It fignified God's protection towards the elect, and his pointing out the way, through the wilderness of this world, to the heavenly Canaan. For, as Gregory of Nyffa finely fays of this cloud, de Vita Mofes. "It was fuch a miracle, that while the shining rays of the fun were hot and fcorching, it defended the people like an interpofing screen, and tempered, with its fhade and the gentle drops of dew, that were diffused, the heat of the air: but in the night it became a fire, and by its own light afforded the Ifraelites, as it were a torch or flambeau from evening till the rifing of the fun." Such is the protection and guidance, that we have in Chrift, who, by his fhadow, fcreens us from the heat of divine wrath, Ifa. iv. 5, 6. and enlightens us by his 'word and Spirit, " as the light of the world, which whoever followeth, fhall not walk in darkness," John viii. 12. who, in VOL. II.

2.

a word, is the "author and finisher of our faith," Heb. xii. 2. 4thly, As this cloud placed itself in the middle between Ifrael and the Egyptians; foChrift takes upon himself those evils, which threaten his people, and "the glory of the Lord is their reward," Ifa. lviii. 8.

XV. We may observe in the passage through the Red Sea, the following things. Pharaoh and the Egyptians are the figure or emblem of the devil and fin, who use, their utmost endeavour, to keep the elect under their yoke of bondage, and when ever with a generous mind, they aspire to liberty, to pull them back again. But they fhall lofe their labour, and in the end dearly pay for their wickedness, in a way answerable to their crimes. Because Pharaoh commanded the young children of the Ifraelites to be drowned in the river, Exod. i. 22. himself with all his hofts, is, by the law of retaliation, drowned in the fea. The angel of the waters publishes a fimilar procedure of divine juf tice, Rev. xvi. 6. "because they have shed the blood of faints and prophets, thou haft given them blood to drink: for they are worthy."

XVI. Mofes was a type of Christ, our deliverer and Saviour. (1.) Mofes, by his prayers, interceded for the people, and obtained for them this great falvation. Chrift is our advocate with the Father; and all the good that befals us, is owing to his interceffion. (2.) Mofes with his rod, as a moral inftrument, divided the waters: Chrift, with the wood of his crofs, hath opened a new and living way to heaven. (3). Mofes was the leader of the people, and went before them, through a way, by which none ever went before. Chrift, alfo went before us in the road of fufferings, "leaving us an example, that we should follow his fteps," 1 Pet. ii. 21. (4.) Mofes with the rod, with which he divided the waters, that the Ifraelites might pass through, got the waters to return and drown the Egyptians. The fame crofs of Chrift, which " unto them which are called, is the power of God, is unto the Jews a ftumblingblock, and to the Greeks foolishness," 1 Cor. i. 23, 24. " to these the favour of death unto death; but to those the favour of life unto life," 2 Cor. ii. 19.

I

XVII. The waters of the Red Sea fignify afflictions, and even death itself fo likewife do the waters of baptifm, the fellowship in the sufferings, death and burial of Christ, Rom. vi. 3, 4. But as the Ifraelites marched to their deliverance through the midst of the waters, as through the midst of death: fo, in like manner, the fufferings, which we undergo for Chrift, work for us a far more exceeding weight of glory, 2 Cor. iv. 17. and death itfelf is the paffage to eternal life, John. v. 14. The

waters