1. The fire on the altar, therefore, denotes that inner life of reverence and love, trust and consecration and loyalty towards God which constitutes the religious spirit and creates the truly religious character.
2. The fire on the altar is not the outward acts of devotion, but iJie spirit which expresses itself in these acts. By multitudes the rehgious life is looked upon as consisting or made up of a series of religious duties or acts of worship continually repeated. It is thought that those are undoubtedly religious who are con- scientious in the performance of the public and private duties of religion as they recur. But this is an utter misconception of the true nature of the religious life. We may be most exact in our discharge of the external duties of religion and yet be
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utterly devoid of true religion itself. Were not the Pharisees of our Lord's day as diligent as it was possible to be in all these duties ? and yet, did not our Lord say to His disciples, " For I say unto you that, except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and of the Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven"? And so, too, the apostle speaks of some whom he describes as " having a form of godliness " — a phrase which, of course, includes a diligent attention to the externals of religion — but who, nevertheless, " deny the power thereof." No ; true religion consists not in the inter- mittent practice of religious duties, but in the ceaseless burning of the fire of devotion to the will of God.
3. The fire on the altar transforms every act and makes it an ad of devotion. Just as the sun shining upon the dark drops of falling rain transforms them into shining prisms of rainbow beauty, so "the fire" of the " ever-bm ning " Christian life renders everything done by the Christian a spiritual act, well- pleasing in the sight of God. " Whatsoever toucheth the altar," says Moses, " shall be holy." Even things so common as " bulls and goats, and doves and flour and oil " became " holy " by mere contact with "the altar." And, in like manner, the earthly duties of the man who is truly living to God are rendered holy ; for " the fire " of devotion to the will of God is " ever burning " on the altar of his heart. Charles Wesley has well caught the spirit of the text in his hymn —
0 Thou, who camest from above
The pure celestial fire to impart, Kindle a flame of sacred love
On the mean altar of my heart.
There let it for Thy glory burn
With inextinguishable blaze; And trembling to its source return
In humble prayer and fervent praise.
Jesus, confirm my heart's desire,
To work, and speak, and think for Thee,
Still let me guard the holy fire. And still stir up Thy gift in me.
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Ready for all Thy perfect will, My acts of faith and love repeat;
Till death Thy endless mercy seal, And make the sacrifice complete.
4 In what spheres of life is the devotional spirit to be manifested ?
(1) In the Personal Life, — In that temple of God which we each are, upon the altar of the personal heart and life, the fire of devout desire and afifection ought ever to be kept burning and never allowed to go out.
There is a secret place of rest
God's saints alone may know; Thou shalt not find it east nor west,
Though seeking to and fro. A ceU where Jesus is the door,
His Love the only key; Who enter will go out no more,
But there with Jesus be.
If thou hadst dwelt within that place,
Then would thine heart the while, In vision of the Saviour's face.
Forget all other smile; Forget the charm earth's waters had
If once thy foot had trod Beside the river that makes glad
The city of our God.
(2) In the Home. — Eeligion is necessary to the home. A house where we merely lodge and eat together is not a home ; and a home, though it may have all things else — love, friendship, comfort, refinement — does not fulfil its true idea unless the influence of real religion is adequately there. To preserve family life from decay, to give strength and beauty to the domestic relations, to bind the home together and make its circle a unit and a source of elevating influence, nothing helps BO much as simple and sincere devotional usages and habits.
^ A worldly home cannot be a deeply united and happy one. There must be a common life in God and union there. The best we can do for our children is to create in the home an atmosphere that is favourable to reverence and faith. For they
GEN.-NUM. — 22
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grow, like air-plants, chiefly by what they absorb from the atmosphere around them. If allowed to grow up in a non- worshipful atmosphere they will be injured for life. Herbert Spencer has enriched our educational vocabulary with the phrase "complete life," and the quiet and gradual awakening and culture of the religious affections are as necessary, yea, more necessary, to the complete life of our youths and maidens than any physical or mental training.^