hat they
had been in bondage went for naught, because this was the first month
of the year to them. And in like manner throughout all the years that
we have served the devil, and all the time that we have been in Egypt,
whatever good we may have done in this world is to be reckoned as
naught. Everything dates back to the Passover night--to the time the
blood was put upon the door-posts. All the time we are serving the
world goes for naught. If you have not come to Calvary you are losing
time. Everything you do on the wrong side of the cross counts for
naught; the first thing is to be saved by faith in Christ, and then we
commence our pilgrimage to heaven. We don't start, as some people
suppose, from the cradle to heaven. We start from the cross. We have
got a fallen nature that is taking us hellward. We must be born of the
Spirit, and

SHELTERED BY THE BLOOD,

and then we become pilgrims for heaven.

Each man was to take a lamb for his house. "And if the household be
too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house
take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to
his eating shall make your count for the lamb." The lamb was not too
little for a household, but the household might be too little for the
lamb. Christ was enough for every household, enough and to spare, and
we ought to pray that salvation may come to every member of our
households.

Let us next turn to Exodus xxix. 16: "And thou shalt slay the ram, and
thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the
altar." Even Aaron could not come to God until he sprinkled blood
round about the altar; and when the high priest went into the holy of
holies, he had to take blood with him. From the time when Adam fell
there has been no other way by which a man can approach God than by
the blood. You cannot have an audience of God until you come by that
appointed way. So it has been for 6000 years. When Adam fell in Eden
he broke the golden chain that linked humanity to the throne of God,
but Christ came and made atonement for that fall.

Again, observe in Leviticus viii. 23: "And he slew it; and Moses took
of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and
upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right
foot." I used to read a passage like this, and say it seemed absurd. I
think I understand it now. The blood _upon the ear_ means that we are
to hear the voice of God. The un