o that
the destroying angel may not get in." Do you think, if they had done
so, their first-born would have been saved? No; there would have been
death in every such household; these high walls would have proved
useless. Nothing but the red mark on the doorway of the dwelling would
be of any avail in warding off the fell stroke.

So it is with the sinner. All the walls which pride, and
self-righteousness, and good works can rear, will do nothing to keep out
the sword of avenging Justice. But _the sprinkled blood of covenant
mercy will_; for "_the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth_ (and
alone cleanseth) _from_ ALL SIN!"[65]

I remember, many years ago, attending the deathbed of a young man in
E----. He told me, one day, he had dreamt of being in a shop in ----
Street, which seemed to be hung round with armour and coats of mail. A
number of people in the shop were girding these on; while a man was
standing with a drawn sword in his hand outside the door, ready to slay
them as they passed into the open street. One after another he cut
down;--the armour was no protection to them--their bodies were lying
dead and wounded on the pavement. In great fear and terror, the young
man said, his turn seemed at last to come, when he, too, must try to
cover himself with the same armour, and rush out by the fatal door. He
knew not what to do. In looking around him, he observed, in the
uppermost shelf, something resembling a web of coarse linen, lying
apparently neglected. He resolved to take it down, and wrap himself in a
portion of it, instead of the unavailing sheaths of iron and steal.
Covering his head and body, he darted out, following the footsteps of
the others. The sword descended; but it bounded back again. It was
unable to pierce the linen covering. He alone was safe in that crowd of
dead and dying.

Beautifully did this youthful dreamer apply his own "vision of the
night." It was:--How vain are all the boasted sheathings of the armour
of self-righteousness; and how safe and glorious is that "white linen"
covering of the righteousness of Jesus! To the eye of reason, the
panoply of iron and steel seems the best, and strongest, and securest.
Many will not "submit themselves to the righteousness of God," and
persist in using the others. But they will be a poor protection against
the sword of God's avenging justice. Happy are those who have been led
to look _above_ for another righteousness, and who have listened to t