26Z State andOrdinances of theChurch, years. The duration of that Temple was 415 years. Ofthe latter, built in the.room thereof, fomewhat above soo. Some peculiar fpace being given them beyond their former trials before their utter deftru6fion. ß 13, At the expiration of the period oftime difeotirfed on, our Apofle tells us, Hb. I r. 28. that Ryfaith Mofes kept the Passover, and the f rinkling ofblood, left be that destroyed the frff -born, should touch them. This was the fecondOrdinance of common ufc to the Church, and appropriated unto them, which God instituted amongf them. The dory ofits Institution,andmanner of its celebration are at large infifted on, Exod. r 2. §, 4, The time of itsInfitution, and Annual celebration, is exadfly noted in the Scripture. It was the night before the departure of the children of lfrael out ofEgypt, which is thence called 1=3+7ow {'t' rs Exod. 12. 42. a night ofobJèrvances; unto the Lord, that is, wherein his Infitutions ofthis Ordinance were to be obferved with great care and diligence. And this night fellin direéIly upon the expiration of the 430 years be- fore limited, verfi40,41. For the time ofthe year, it was in themonth i' tAbib,as the Hebrews call the month of the Spring, which in thofe Eadene parts gave blades unto the corn, and otherfruits of the earth, Exod. 13.4. 23.15. 34.18. Dent. 16. r. which afterwardsby a Chaldee name was called Nifan, Nebem. 2. 1..40. 3. 7. and it anfwered partly to ourMarch, partly to April, beginning before or at the Vernal Equinox, ac- cording to thediliance of any year from the Embolifinical year. And from hence this month was appointed to be izr+w-m tin the head, chief or principal of the months, Exod. r a. 2. and.fo consequently thebeginning ofthe year unto them ; for before this, their yfar began and ended in September, upon the gathering in of the fruits ofthe. earth,Exod. 23, 16. being the rime, as molt of the prefent Jewsfuppofe, wherein the world was created. Neither yet was this change abfolute unto all ends and purpofes, but only as to Eccleliafiical Obfervances, and Feuds, that depended on their diffance from this of the Paffver. For their Civil Year, as to Contraeis, Debts and Liberties, continued dillto begin in September, with their jubilees, Levit. 25.8, 9, so. And from thatbeginning of the year, molt probably, are the months to .be reckoned that are mentioned in the continuanceand ending of the floud, Gen. 7. r s. See Jofeph. liber. i. chap. 4. t 15. For the time of the day wherein the Lamb was to be (lain, it is dcfgned to be t=+anyn ¿+] between the two evenings of the 14 day, ofthe Sell month. Some of the Jews, as Kimchi, make thefe two evenings to be, the hrlt declining of the Sun, which began the evening or afternoon, and,the letting of the Sun which clofeth it, anßver- ìng the antientdìvilein of the day, intomorning andevening ; fo that it mightbe done by this rule, in any time of the afternoon, though it always followed the evening Sa- crifice, at the 9th hour, or .3 ofthe clock. Others, as Aben-Ezra, make the first even- ing tobe the letting of the Sun, the other the departure ofall light. And the Jews have a di(lin6}ion of the day, wherein they call this fpace of it C7+3171 ¡G between the two evenings, rift cwn between the two Sans. So they express themfelves iii Talmud. ' Hienf Berach. cap. s. 1nt IVD7n 1=11+ 1nt i`rce1 sc mm +2w ir_t ti7 net+y tn; jlnnn'7 nor 7142yri null) 11+nwn : tòtG en¡G All the faceoftime wherein theface of the East is red is called day ; when it begins to waxpale, it is called between the Suns; (the fame withbetween the evenings) andwhen it waxethblack,the upper Firma- ment being like the lower, it is night. 4, 16. The occafion of the infitution of this Ordinance, is fo fully and plainly declared in Exodus and Deuteronomy, that we fhall not need to enlarge upon it. In brief, God be- ing about to accomplilh his great work of delivering the people out of Egypt, he thought meet to conloyn together his greateft mercy towards them, and his greatefl plague upon their enemies. To this end he gives command unto thedestroying An- gel, to pals through the Land, and to flay all the first-born therein, from his who fate upon the Throne, unto the meanest person belonging unto the body of thatNation. And although he might have preferved the Irraelites Irons this deftruerion by the leali intimation ofhis will unto the Initruments ufed therein,yet having refpedf unto the furtherance of their faith andobedience, as ale) decining their inftrudion in the way and means of their eternal Calvation, he chofe to do it by this Ordinance of the Pall= over. The formofthis fervice is given usExod. 12. 27. it is called nC9Ptfach: and the reafon of it is fubjoyned; for the Lord neA Farad, palled over the houfes of Israel. tire is to pals on by leaping, making as it were a halt in any place, and then leaping overthat which is next, whence he that goes halting is callednay Piiacb ; one that as it were leaps on, from onedeg unto the other. Some_ of the Aufienes call it Phafe Cheth
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