HOMILETICS. Ven.. 23-25.-The sweetneas of the Holy anointing Oil. The holy oil had infused into it the essence of four "principal spices "-myrrh, that scents the garments of the great king (Ps. xlv. 8; Cant. iii 6) ; cinnamon, the choicest of the spices of distant Ind ; sweet calamus, that exhe.les its best fragrance when bruised ; cassia, which, together with sweet calamus, formed one of the glories of the market of Tyre (Ezek. xxvii. 19). How passing sweet mUBt have been the odour of these blended perfumes-each delicious alone----4ill enhanced by the combination, which had taxed the best skill of the "apothecary" (ver. 25) I But the sweetness of our anointing oil is greater. "We have au unction from the Holy One." Our "anointing oil" is the Blessed Spirit of God. What is there in all the experiences of this world so sweet w the weary soul as he? How sweet and dear is he-- L IN THE SOFT GE!IT'n.ENEB8 OF BIB DESCENT UPON us. Silently, unperceivedly, without sight, or sound, or stir, the gentle influence comes-steals into the heart--only by degrees makes its presence known to us. A crisis---a manifest change--" tongues of fire," or the rush of a "mighty wind" would cause the weak believer to tremble with fear, and perhaps draw ba.ck to his undoing. Our "anointing oil" descends upon UB 80ft as " the dew of Hermon, which fell upon the bill of Sion." "He comes, sweet influence to impart, A gracious willing guest, While he can find one hnmble hearl Wherein to rest." II. IN THE MET!f:OD OF ms ORDINARY WORKING. Not by rude shocks, or suddon wribli, alan.w;; bui by t.be mild coercion of little checks and i;carcely-folt restraints- CII. XXX. :14-38.] TllE BOOK OF EXODUS. 311
by whispers softly breathed into the ear of the soul-by the suggestion of good thou<1ht~ -by the presentation of holy memories----does he effect his ends. Wise M any serp~nt, harmless as his own emblem, t.he dove, he feeds us e.e we are able to receive of him. He hBS " milk" for such as stand in need of milk. .He has " strong meat" for such as can bear it. Manifold and diverse are his gifts, but given to every man "to profit withal" (1 Cor. xii. 7). "His is that gentle voice we hear, Soft as the breath of even, That checks each fault, that calms each fear, And speaks of Hila.Ven. " And every virtne we possess, And every conquest won, And every thouglit of holiness, Are his alone."
111. IN ms PATIENCE WITH us WHEN WE ABE WAYWARD. God once declared, "My spirit shall not always strive with man" (Gen. vi. 3); and Scripture warns us that the Holy Ghost may be " resisted " ( Acts vii. 51) and even " quenched " (1 Thess. v. 19). But how wonderful is his patience and forbearance towards those who thwart and oppose him I How unwilling is he to give them up I How loth to quit their souls, and leave them to their own guidance I Assuredly he is "provoked every day " by each one of us. But he is not even angry-he simply" grieves" (Eph. iv. 30)--is "vexed" (Is. I.xiii. 10)--made sorrowful. No sooner do we show any signs of relenting than he forgives---encourages us, cheers, comforts, consoles. "There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." Such a friend to man is" the Comforter." IV. IN ms KINDNESS TOWARDS us WHEN WE TURN TO HIM. It is the Christian's privilege to speak with God "as a man to his friend" (Ex. =xiii. 11). With the in-dwelling Spirit we may ever have this "mystic sweet communion." Would we speak to him at any moment, his ear is attent to hear. Unworthy as we are, unclean as we are, rebellious as we are, and self-willed, and self-seeking, he will commune with us, if we will commune with him-he will tell us of the things of heaven, "guide us into all truth" (John xvi. 13), "receive of Christ's and show it unto us" (ib. 14). The sweetness of such commune is inexpressible-it may well" ravish our heart" (Cant. iv. 9) and make us "sick of love" (ib. v. 8).
EXPOSITION. Vers. 34--38.-Tm: BOLT INCENSJ:. It the.t given with respect to the holy oil : no remained to give directions conceming the one is to make any like it for private use, composition of the incense, which, according under pain of being "cut off from his people " to verse 7, WIIS to be burnt upon the altar of (vers. 37, 38). gold. That it wllS to be of ooe wid one only Ver. 34.-Ta.ke nnto thee sweet spices. peculiar kind had been already implied in the Rather, "Taite nnto thee spices," or ·' per- prohibition to bum "strange incense" (ver. fumes." The word hllS no epithet. Stacte. 9). Moses is now told exactly how it wllS to The Hebrew word used mee.ns simply be composed. As the oil WIIS to contain four "a drop" (Job xxxii. 27), and might be applied to e.ny gum or resin which exuded spices, so was the incense to be lll6de of a from a tree. We have no clue to the like number-ste.cte, onyche., galbanum, and gum here intended but that which is fur- frankincense-of ea.eh the se.me quantity (ver. nished by the rendering of the LX.X., fJ'Tcz,c-r-1,, 84). The art of the apothecary we.s to be which our tranwtors have followed. Nuw c11lled in for making it up (ver. 35). A the Greeks seem to have celled two gums by this name--one, the natural exudation !rum portion of it was to be " bee.ten very small," the myrrh tree, called above (ver. 23) .. pure and placed in front of the ark of the covenant, myrrh," or "the myrrh thut flows freelv ; " probubly on the golden altar outsiole the ve.il anol the other gum sturax. A, it is not likdv (vor 36). A prohibition is 111lded, si1nilar to that the same suhst.u,ce hllS b.-en givrn twu 312 THE BOOK OF EXODUS. [cH. XXX. 34-38.