all the perfection of its related parts. So far ae me.n w11.11 concerned, it might be R purely ideal structure; but the ideals of earth e.re the realities of hooven. The holy of holies, and the holy place, and the outer court--all these must exist, or Moses could not have been shoWD them. May we not e.lso discern dimly the.t ree.lity which Moses se.w? The holy of holies, where God's throne is set-heaven in its innermost recesses, screened off from earth by the blue eky-eurtain, which no unaided eye can pierce. The holy ple.ce and the outer court, God's earthly 8Snctuary, his Church in this world, related on the one side to heaven, and on the other to the world around it; the visible heavens a.re, in some sort, an expression of this Divine idee., illumine.ted by the sun (cf. Ps. xix.), aud \\;th the earth-from man's standpoint-forming e. kind of outer court. Even this true tabernacle ( cf. Heb. viii. 2) is only an embodiment of the Divine idea; but then it is the Divine embodiment, the ex~reasion found for it by God himself. II. THE HUMAN con. 'Ihe divine ideal as divinely embodied is still beyond man's understanding ; it needs to be translated for men into language with which they a.re familiar. The child must be spoken to aa a child (Is. xxviii. 11), "with stammering lips and a feigned tongue." The tabernacle of nature expresses God's idea in poly- syllables; the tabernacle which Moses reared translates it into easier language. Notice -1. The holy of holies. (1) The sanctity of the Divine dwelling-place emphasises the sa.nctity of its Divine inmate. " Clouds and darkness a.re round about him." " Holiness becometh bis house for ever." (2) "Righteousness and iudgment are the establishment of his throne ; " it is founded upon e. gua.rded law. (3) Mercy rejoicetb over judgment. God is just, or righteous, but also the ju,,1ifier who makes righteous. "Mercy and truth a.re met together; righteousness and peace have kissed ea.eh other." 2. The holy place. G-od ha.s made it possible for man to a.pproach him. They who may not bear the presence ma.y yet be a.dmitted to the ante-chamber. The Church is the link between h&ven a.nd earth, a.s the high priest is the link between the Divine and human. Notice-(1) Tlltl golden a:Uar. The fumes of the incense may penetrate the veil, which shuts out the priest who offers it. Prayer can go where the worshipper cannot, ~-,. (2) The goukn candlestick. No lamp needed in the holiest place ~cf. Rev. xxi. 2:S). Here, when man meets with God, for man's sake the lamp is needed. The light derived from God must be guarded by man, so only is the required illumination to be secured. (3) The golden table. Furnished week by week with food satisfying alike to God and man. Such the Church-a heaven on earth. Prayer ascending towards the unseen holy ; light from Goel carefully guarded ; offerings wherein God a.nd man both find satisfaction -such a.re the not.es of a true Church, one wherein man may have communion with his Maker, holy as preluding to the holy of holies. ( 4) The ov.ter r.ev.rt. Here we have the first stage in man's progress from the world God-wards. The altar and the !aver, sacrifice ltild purification, must come before communion. Consecration and cleansing precede intercourse end fellowship, and these again prepe.re for the beatific vision. GonclusiOfl.-What is the central thought thus shadowed forth? Is it not this:- God's holiness can only be approached step by step, whilst the road by which we must approach it is that which will ensure for us growth in holiness. "The pure in heart i:,hall see God; " the beatific vision is for those only whose spiritual eyesight has been
prepared for its reception. We cannot come up to the throne of God save through the outer court a.nd through the sanctuary ; sacrifice and cleansing, illumination cd communion ; then, for those who can receive it, the open vision and the presence of God.---G.