into the service of the BBnctuary. Withrmt some wreBth, or monlding, where the grating began, the nltnr would have had a bBre and unfinished look. It. wo 11 J<l hnv~ been wanting in elegance nnd beBnty. The pattern shown to Moses in the m,,1Jnt did not allow of this. 1t left nothing bare, unsightly, inelegant, out of taste. Go,\ di,,, 0 to be worshipped "in the beauty of holiness." It is easy to disparage beanty • aT11l cerLainly beauty alone, not accompanied by purity and goodness, is worthless, 'vain trivial. But, as men desire beauty in their own houses, furniture, utensils, vessel.; implements, so natural piety leads them to desire even greater beauty for the houses: vessels, etc., used in the service of God. " The house," said David, "that is to be builded for the Lord, muRt be exceedingly magnifical" (1 Chron. xxii. 5). And congruity requirea that, if e. house be magnifical, all its contents, down to the meanest vessel, should possess some beauty ; otherwise, the law of harmony is broken-a discord manifests itself. (2) The horns at the four corners, uprearing themselves to heaven, and showing conspicuously, as symbols of power and strength, spoke of the God to whom the altar was reared, and indicated his ability to help, protect, and succour his worshippers. But there was o.lso a human side to their symbolism. They further indicated the victory which man gains over death and Satan by means of expiation, the height to which he is exalted when the atonement made for him cleanses him from all sin. "0 death, where is thy sting? U grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord! " IV. ITS PURPOSE. We have assumed throughout that the purpose of the altar-its main purpose-was expiation. Its proper title was" the altar of burnt-dforing." .dlt offerings, except those which the high priest offered at the altar of incense in the holy of holies, were to be ma.de at this brazen altar before the door of the tabernacle. Hither were the Israelites to bring alike their peace or thank-offerings, their burnt- offerings, and their sin-offerings. Expiation was the sole idea of the last of these, and a ma.in idea of the second; it was absent only from the first. Thus it was the pre- dominant idea of sacrifice. The altar witnessed to the guilt of man in God's sight, and the need of an atonement being made for him before he could be reconciled to "the High and Holy One." It witnessed also to God's eternal purpose, that a way of recon- ciliation should be devised, and made known to man, and that thus it should be put into his power to make his peace with God. The true victim was not indeed as yet offered. Bulls and goats, lambs and rams, could never of themselves, or of their owu proper force, sanctify the unclean or take away sin. It was only by virtue of the death which their sacrifice prefigured, that they had any atoning force, or could be accepted by God as expiatory. Each victim represented Christ-the one and only sacrifice for sin which could propitiate the Father. And the altar therefore represented and typified the cross on which Christ died, offering himself thereon to the Father as both priest and victim. Shape and material were different, and the mode of death was different; but each was the material substance on which the a.toning victim died, each was stained with the atoning blood; and each was unspeakably precious to the trembling penitent who felt his need of pardon, and, if possible, even more precious to him who knew that atonement had thereon been made for him, and felt his pardon sea.led. No true Israelite would sacrifice on any altar but that of the sanctuary. No true Christian will look for pardon and atonement anywhere but to the cross of Christ. and to h1m who on that altar gave his life for man.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS Vers. 1-21.-The tabernacle and its teachings. I. Tm: ALTAR OP' SACRIFICE. 1. The situation of the altar. (1) It faced the worshipper as he entered. The cross of Christ must be held up before men, if they are to be brought nigh to God. (2) It stood before the holy place, and had to be passed by all who entered there. The realis~tion of Chr_i~t's atonement for sin. is the only path to God's presence.. 2. The alt~J\ on which the sacnlice for sin is laid, is the place of power. The horns, the symbol ~f DlVlne ~wer. The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation. 3. In Chru;t Go~ gives us a place for accepted offerings. The altar was Israel's as well as God's: upon it were laid their TIIE nooK OF EXODGS, [<'H. xx,·n !l-18.
offerings Rs well as those prescribed for the daily service and the great day of atonement, In Chri~t we e.re e.ble to offer se.crifices the.t are well plee.sing to God. 11. THE counT OF THE TADERNACLE. 1. Its limits were appointed by God himself. The Church must be made no broader than his commandment makes it. In his own time h<' ,vill make it conterminous with the world; but meanwhile we must obey his commandment and fulfil his purpose by making it conterminous with living faith. 2. It wa~ for all lsrnol. Living faith in Christ should be a passport to all his churches. 3. How the court w&s formed--(1) Its walls were made of fine linen. Tho distinction between the world and the Church is righteousness. (2) The ge.te was formed of bluo and purple e.nd i;co.rlet. Entrance is had not by man's righteousness, but by bowing beneath the manifested grace of God in Christ. III. THE orL FOR THE LAMPS. 1. It was the free-will offering of the people. The light of the world springs from the consecration of believel'll. 2. It was to be pure. Believers must keep themselves unspotted from the world. 3. It we.s to be beaten, not pressed, and thus be the finest which the olive could yield. The highest outcome of humanity is the Christ-like life. 4. The le.mps :were to burn always. Our light, the fie.me of love, must burn constantly before God, and its radiance be shed always before men. 5. The lamps were to be tended by the ministers of God. The aim of those who labour in word and doctrine should be the development of Christ-like life, love to God and ma.n.-U.