and employment. They proceeded from the mercy-seat, and over, shadowed it. Their work is to minister in mercy to the heirs of salvation; to execute all the judgments of that throne, for the preservation and salvation of God's elect. They completely overshadow that seat, their wings meeting one another. Wings are the emblems of protecting mercy; thus, our Lord himself, when weeping over Jerusalem, exclaims, How often would I have gathered thee, as a hen • gathers her brood under her wings.' In like manner, Ruth is said to have sought refuge and shelter under the wings of the God of Israel. When it is written in the 91st Psalm, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou shouldst dash thy foot against a stone,' we have certain evidence that it was spoken of Christ himself in the first instance; but, compared with the context, it has an undeniable respect to all his seed, over whom his angels have charge, and whom they keep in all their ways. Their faces are to the mercy-seat, for the angels desire to look into the manifold grace of God, which they see proceeding from the mercy-seat. The angels have a near and intimate concern with the affairs of the church of Christ. They sang together when they saw the foundations of the earth laid, and heard that God's delights should be with the children of men. Throughout the Old Testament, they appeared the protecting guardians of God's people. They celebrated the birth of the Saviour, Christ the Lord; they ministered to him after his temptation in the wilderness; they strengthened him in his agony; they rolled the stone from the sepulchre door, and waited by his tomb to communicate the glad ti dings of his resurrection. Angels attended the Lord of Glory to his heavenly throne, where all the angels of God now worship him.' There they bless and praise the worthy Lamb; and such is the interest which they now take in the concerns of his church, that every guilty sinner who obtains repentance from the heavenly mercy-seat, occasions joy and rejoicing among them. He who descended on Si nai among thousands of angels; he who dwells among his Mahanaim, his cherubim in the heavenly holy place, will shortly descend from hea. ven, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God, and all the holy angels with him; they will then look with wonder and rapture at the finishing of the mystery of God. They will have a busy day when the great harvest of the earth comes! But we forbear enlarging. From this mercy-seat, and from between these cherubims, God met with Moses, and communed with him of all things which he gave him in charge.

The next article to which our attention is called, is the Table, verse 25-30. It was made of the finest species of cedar, viz. Shittim-wood, and this overlaid with pure gold. A golden crown and border were upon it; which, with all its vessels, were of the finest gold. This table was a striking figure of the word of life; and, in this view, may be considered as pointing to him, whose name is called the WORD OF GOD. It has been frequently said of this and other vessels of the sanctuary, many of which were constructed of cedar, and overlaid with pure gold, that the wood represented the human,

and the gold the divine nature of the Son of God; and as the gold overlaid the wood, so the divine overlaid his human nature. But this manner of separating the two natures of the Son of God, is erroneous and unscriptural. This may be considered as rather arrogant language, as so many eminent men have adopted it; but this is no suf, ficient reason for adopting any doctrine, if inconsistent with the word of God. The power of the Highest overshadowed the virgin, and that Holy Thing born of her, was The Son of God. While, of his incarnation, it may be truly said, I am fearfully and wonderfully made, yet Revelation speaks in a manner sufficient to inform us, as far as it is necessary we should know. Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Man, was the Son of Mary, espoused to Joseph, and partook of flesh and blood, with all their infirmities, from her. But he was, as truly, the Son of God. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' Perhaps he never appeared more truly God, than when he bowed his head and gave up the ghost. Let us not then separate what God connected in the womb of the virgin; and, if it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulness dwell, even all the fulness of the Godhead, BODILY, in that body, which was conceived and brought forth by Mary; which lay in the manger; which was nailed to the cross; laid in the new tomb; raised from the dead; made higher than the heavens- let us not separate, as we would cedar and gold, the two natures of the Son of God; but let us rejoice in him, who was not ashamed to call us brethren.-Lord, what is man that thou shouldst so remember him!

The reader must excuse this digression; we shall only farther sup port this view of the subject, by reminding that both the cedar and the gold were highly figurative, both of the Word himself, and what he said. Cedar is well known to be remarkable, not only for its beauty, value, and sweet flavour, but in a particular manner its incorruptible nature: what a fit emblem of the eternity of him who saw no corruption! How descriptive of that word, of which it is said, Heaven and earth may pass away, but my words shall never pass • away.' All flesh is grass, and the glory of man as the flower of the grass; the grass withereth, and the flower thereof passeth a6 way, but the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the

word, which by the gospel is preached unto you.' It was surrounded by the golden crown and border, for it was for royal use; to hold forth the bread of the mighty, Psalm lxxviii. 25. And this leads to the remark, that although the table and the shew-bread are mentioned as distinct, in order to understand the force of the figure as to the table, we must remember the shew-bread. The word of God is emphatically called the word of life, because, as the table held up the twelve loaves, so the divine word, and what he said, holds up to our view life for evermore. Hear and your souls shall live. The great table of the Levitical Tabernacle, we may now consider the scriptures of truth among our hands. They appear indeed to have been made of Shittim-wood; many attempts have been made to cor rupt them, but while the prophets and apostles, whose pens indited much of their good matter concerning the King, are in the dust, they

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remain inviolate, uncorrupted and entire. They appear also overlaid with gold in the eyes of all who have tasted in them that the Lord is gracious. They are more to be desired than gold, yea much fine gold. They wear the crown and every emblem of royalty, as the word of that king against which there is no rising up; and they have their staves and rings, to be carried with Israel in all her marchings; for, wherever the church is, there is the table.

The shew-bread is particularly so called, as the figure of him who appears in the presence of God. The name literally is, the bread of faces, and corresponds with that bread of life, of which, whosoever eateth, shall never die. The loaves were twelve, because the food of the twelve tribes of Israel was there. That precious table, well stored with the fatness of his house, was filled with bread for every tribe; no lack, no famine, no scarcity here. There is bread enough in my father's house, and to spare.' It is precious food; of the finest flour, and frankincense poured on it; it must not even remain to be old; but must be renewed every Sabbath. In all which, we have represented, that this bread of life contains every thing that can make it savoury to a guilty wretch, hungering after righteousness. Perhaps, the renewal of this bread every Sabbath, may also remind us, that every first day of the week the bread is to be broken, in remembrance of Christ our passover, sacrificed for us. And thus, these loaves, as the breaking of bread now, is a memorial before the Lord; compare Levit. xxiv. 7. with 2 Cor. xi. 24, 25. It may also be added, that as this bread was sacred, so that only the priests durst eat it, it corresponded with the bread in the ordinance of the supper, which can only be eaten by those who minister in his house. The priests of old were distinguished by no inherent holiness, but the anointing alone; so all the spiritual house of Christ, who have received their unction from him, the Holy One, are built up, to offer gifts and sacrifices, acceptable to God, through Christ Jesus.

From the 31st verse to the end of this chapter, we have the pattern given Moses of the candlestick. It was made of solid gold, viz. a talent, about sixty pounds weight. Three branches, with a knop and flower to each, extended on both sides, making in all seven lamps, which were kept constantly burning with pure olive oil; see Exod. xxvii. 20, 21. To light and dress these lamps was a principal part of the duty of the priests, Lev. xxiv. 2, 3. In every state of revelation, symbols were used by God to illustrate the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; in paradise, stood the tree of knowledge, and the tree of life-In the wilderness, the pillar of fire and the manna-in the tabernacle, the candlestick and the table of shew-bread; and at this day, baptism and the Lord's supper.

The figurative meaning of the candlestick is expounded by the Great Teacher himself, whom John saw, walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, (answerable to the candlestick and its six. branches in the tabernacle,) who says, the seven candlesticks are the seven churches.' It therefore represents the church of the living God in all ages; and is a most apt emblem of that body. The design of a candlestick is to support the light; the candlestick

furnishes no part of that light, but holds it up to view. The divine righteousness of the Son of God, is that which illuminates the heavenly tabernacle. Thus, Zion above, needs neither sun nor moon to enlighten her, for the glory of God and of the lamb is the light thereof. The church of the redeemed, will through the endless ages, hold up the glory of this righteousness, as a lamp that burneth. And even the little dwelling places of mount Zion on earth, are as cities on hill tops. No man (says the Lord) having lighted a candle, puts it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house.' Even the Old Testament church was as a lamp before the Lord in Jerusalem.' And thus will the church of Christ be ever distinguished; she is not to be known, by the light of worldly honours or splendour-it is the light of the glorious gospel, as it shines in the face of Jesus Christ, which distin guishes her.

The Levitical candlestick was of pure gold. In the vision of Zech. iv. 2. it is said to be all of gold, no mixture of baser metal; and in Rev. i. 12. they are denominated seven golden candlesticks. In scripture, gold is generally an emblem of the divine nature; and always implies what is very valuable in the sight of heaven. When Jeremiah is lamenting the desolation of Zion, he says, The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!' Lam. iv. 1, 2. He who purchased his church with his blood, holds her as fine gold indeed. And when all the sons of Zion, now considered as earthen pitchers, are delivered from the corruption that is in the world, through lust, and made partakers of the divine nature; when the bodies of their humiliation are made like to his glorious body; when the ransomed company appear in Zion, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, then will the candlestick appear as the fine gold, for the King's daughter shall be all glorious within; her clothing of WROUGHT GOLD. At the King's right hand shall the Queen stand, in GOLD OF OPHIR.' Psal. xlv. 9. 13.

Zechariah's vision of the candlestick deserves particular attention, and serves to illustrate what has been hinted at above. Having already exceeded our purpose, which was merely to sketch an outline, we will leave it to an abler pen to enter minutely into the subject, which will be found to repay abundantly any labour bestowed on it, We shall therefore only remark, that as the lamps in the golden candlestick of old, were kept burning by pure olive oil, so Zechariah sees the olive trees, one on each side, from which the lamps are supplied. This oil can only be the holy spirit, which the foolish virgins wanted; and this is supplied from the two olive trees, or anointed ones, which stand before the Lord of the whole earth. These are manifestly the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, by which the spirit only operates, and from which it is conveyed to the lamps. Men's minds have been much led astray, by searchings after the Spirit. His operations are from the word of God, and that only. The Holy Ghost can alone bring home that word in much assurance: from it he teaches to call Jesus, Lord: by it he strengthens, sup.

ports, comforts and rebukes; and by it, not by human might or power, he carries on and completes the building, till the Head-stone is brought forth, with shoutings and acclamations!

In the last verse of this chapter, we have the remarkable charge given to Moses, as to making all things after the pattern shewn to him. There are many who pretend that Moses erected the tabernacle in the wilderness after the pattern of those he had seen in Egypt. Even the learned Spencer contends, that the Egyptians and neighbouring nations had the images of their gods placed in houses or tents, from which Moses borrowed the leading parts of his tabernacle; and he particularly founds his opinions on the tabernacles of Molech and Chion, which are mentioned in scripture; and between which and the tabernacle of Moses he enters into a long comparison; adding, as a principal reason, that the Israelites who had been so long in Egypt, had a great attachment to their ceremonies and worship, which they often discovered in the wilderness; and that Moses took this method of alluring them to the worship of the tabernacle, from its similarity to the Egyptian temples. But this doctrine, however confidently advanced, or learnedly supported, leads away from the simplicity of Moses' narration, which gives no ground for such opinions; it is destructive of the purity of the worship of God, which has no connection with the superstitious idolatry of Molech; it is contrary to the avowed intention of God, who is at great pains to keep his Israel separate from the nations, lest they should learn of them their ways, particularly their religious ways; and, in a word, it totally undermines the gospel, which the tabernacle was erected to prefigure. Of a truth the tabernacle was indebted to no Egyptian, no, nor to human wisdom for any part of its plan; Bezaleel and his assistants were not sent to Egypt to learn their business; and in the hearts of all 'that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they make all that I have commanded thee,' Exod. xxxi. 6. The peculiar strictness of the charge laid upon Moses, see that thou make all things according to the pattern showed thee,' &c., plainly shows, 1st, That as it was to be a pattern of things in heaven, it could only answer that purpose in so far as it was exact; any deviation destroyed the very design of its creation; therefore, 2dly, None but God himself could give a pattern of what is in heaven. Vain would all the wisdom of Egypt prove, to depict what is within the heavenly veil, whither the forerunner is entered. Therefore Moses is not left to adopt any of his Egyptian learning; he was not referred even to Jethro's wholesome advice; but he was faithful as a servant, by obeying the Lord. Thus are we taught how opposite it is to scripture to introduce human wisdom into the church of Christ even on earth. He who gave Moses a perfect pattern in the mount, has left us in the scriptures the form of his churches on earth; and it is only in such as are reared according to his pattern, that he dwells and walks as a tabernacle.

CHAP. XXVI. In this chapter we have a particular description of the tabernacle strictly so called; that tent which was reared up for the residence of the God of Israel, which was in many respects a remarkable figure of the church of the living God; ten curtains,