prayers are offered on the altar of incense, our pleas must be taken solely from the altar of burnt-offering, even from the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, " by whom alone our offer- ings can ascend to Godb," and " through whom alone they can be acceptable in his sightc."
In this manner we are to approach God, whilst we go in before him to trim our lamps, and to have them duly supplied with oil. Every morning and evening at the least must the odours of our incense ascend up before God ; or, as the Apostle says, we must "pray without ceasing4:" and we may be sure that " God will meet with us," and bless us in all that we solicit at his hands : " However wide we open our mouth, he will fill ite:" yea, "he will do for us exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think'."]
2. The ground of their acceptance in the use of it —
[This is strongly marked in the annual atonement made on this altar. Day and night was the priest to officiate there : yet, after he had presented incense on that altar for a whole year, he must make atonement on the altar with blood. And however much or devoutly we pray, we must trust, not in our prayers, but in the great Sacrifice that has been offered for us. Yea, our very prayers need that sacrifice : the very best ser- vice we ever offered, needed an atonement ; nor could it come up with acceptance before God, if it were not washed in the Redeemer's blood, and presented to God by him. Hear what St. John says, in the book of Revelation : " Another angel came, (the Angel of the Covenant, the Lord Jesus,) and stood at the altar, having a golden censer : and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar that was before the throne : and the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God, out of the angel's handg." " Were God to call us into judgment for the very best prayer we ever offered, we could not answer him for one of a thou- sand11;" no, nor for one during our whole lives: but when cleansed in the Redeemer's blood, both our persons and our services shall be regarded by God as pure, even " without spot or blemish1."
Of course, it is here supposed that we harbour no wilful sin within us: for, "if we regard iniquity in our hearts, God will not hear usk:" our very " incense will be an abomination to him1;" and, in offering it, " we shall be as though we offered swine's blood, or blessed an idolm." But, if we " draw nigh
h Heb. xiii. 15. c 1 Pet. ii. 5. d 1 Thess. v. 17.
e Ps. lxxxi. 10. f Eph. hi. 20. s Rev. viii. 3, 4.
h Job ix. 3. > Eph. v. 25—27. k Ps. lxvi. 18.
1 Isai. i. 13. m Isai. lxvi. 3.