Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-09-27
&eadiuq fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED By
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
TOrlginal.1
THE PASSOVER.

rorlgInal.l
THE PASSOVER.
The most important of all the Jewish fes.
tiyals, was the Passover. It was instituted
by God and by him given to the children Of
Israel on the eve of their departure out OF
the land of Egypt. The history of this fes'
tival will be found minutely related in the
twelfth chapter of Exodus. The design for
which God gave it to bis ancient people, was
to afford them an easy and appropriate mode
of commemoratiug the wonderful deliverance
which was wrought in their behalf, in that
they were suddenly freed from long and
sore bondage 1t WAS observed in the month
Abb, which corresponds to our April. So
The materials which composed the feast
were male lamb, without blemish, of the
first year-either a sheep or goat; unleav'
ened bread and bitter herbs. The manner in
which the feast was to be prepared, and also
the manner in which it was to be eaten, is
minutely described. On the tenth day of the
month, the lamb was to be selected. 1t was
to kept be up until the fourteenth day of the
month, and on the evening Of the latter day
it was to be killed. The passover was to be
eaten, by those celebrating it, standing, with
their shoes on their feet, their slaves in their
hands, and their loins girded. The festival
continued for seven days. The first and the
last were, however, the great days. On these
days there was to be holy convocation
Exodus xii :16.
The passover was typical in its nature and
design. The lamb without blemish typi6ed
Christ, who is called "the Lamb of God which
taketh away the sin of the world" In mum
Der of other particulars, the passover was
typical of the person and work of Christ. The
last passover feast that was observed with
divine appreciation, was the one which took
place Immediately before the apprehen
sion and subsequent cruci6xion of Jesus
Christ.
It is evident from the account given BY
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, that the
mode Of observing this feast had been, in many
minor points, changed since its first institu
ton. We say minor points, for the reason
that they seem to have been matters of indif
ference, since the Saviour did not censure
these innovations, if we may 80 call them. Al
some period, the Jews had introduced the use
of wine at the celebration of the passover
They had also introduced kind of sauce
made ofraisine, dates and several other things
This was the sop" which Jesus dipped fol
Judas. John xiii 26.
A close and accurate study of the mode OBJ
served by the Jews, at the time of our Saviour
in celebrating the passover, will enable us
more fully to understand the account which
we have of the last supper. 1t was at this
last passover feast, that Jesus Christ institu.
ted the Lords supper. The passover was, to
the Jew, a memorial of deliverance from
Egyptian bondage, and type of the Mes
siah who would, by offering himself up, free
his people from spiritual thraldom. The
Lords supper is new testament ordinance
in which Christ's death is remembered.
At the time of our Saviour, the guests, in
stead of standing whilst eating the Passover
reclined upon couches. This is evident from
John xiii i: %, where it is said, John was lean
ing on Jesus BOSOM" The couches were
placed around the table, and the guests re-
clined or leaned over each on his left arm
When one or more families united together in
observing the Passover, one of the number
was chosen as master. The guests being ar
ranged on couches around the table, cup o.
wine was mingled with water, and the master
gave thanks and the wine was drank. This
done, they washed their hands. To this Gus
tons, possibly. the psalmist refers in the sixth
verse Of the twenty.sixth Psalm: 81 viii
wash mine hands in innocency. So will
compass thine altar, O, Lord" After wash
ing their hands, the paschal lamb-roastec
whole-the bitter herbs, two cakes of unleav
ened bread, the sauce made of dates and raj
sins, and whatever of the peace offering o.
the previous day remained, were placed OF
the table. The master now took some of tht
bitter herbs, and having given thanks to Goo
for creating the fruits of the ground, he and
all the guests eat of the bitter herbs
Everything was now removed from the
table, and the master instructed the enquirine
children with respect to the nature of the
feast. See Exodus Xii 26, 81. Deuterono
my twenty.sixth, from the fifth to twelfth
verse, was quoted and commented upon. Il
was at this point of the ceremony that oul
Saviour pronounced those sublime words o.
comfort and instruction contained in the four
teenth, fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of the
gospel according to John. Whilst the expla
nation was going on, the supper was replaced
upon the table. Another cup of wine was
now drank, and the little hallel, consisting OF
the hundred and thirteenth and the hundred
and fourteenth Psalms, were repeated. A
prayer was then offered up The guests again
washed their hands, and after offering up ar
eiaculatory prayer, the master proceeded te
bless and break the unleavened bread and
distribute it among the company. Half 6
cake was reserved and covered up with nap
kin. The guests eat the half cake, which
was called the last morsel, with bitter herbs
dipping the bread in sauce or "sop" as it ii
translated in our English New Testament
This was the time that John asked Jesus who
would betray him, and he answered, "He it ii
to whom I shall give q sop when l have
dipped it," It was whilst the twelve disciples