HOMILETICS. Vers. 1, 2.--The Babbatk 'l'Ut iwt to be broken even /or sacred work. Note here a difl'erence. Some work ill rendered necessary by the very nature of that public worship which iB es~i&!ly commanded on the sabbath. " On the sabbath days the priests in the temple, •YB our Lord, "profane the sa.bbath day and are blamelua" (Matt. xii. 6). Offering sacrifice was a ti.vy work--clea.nsing the altar and its preciDcts after BBCrifice was perhaps a heavier one-reading aloud. teaching, preaching are works, the last-named to many a most exhausting work. Against such kiDds of work there is no law. But physical toil, not needed for Divine worship, and so not necessary to be undergone on the ~bbath day, st.ands on a different footing, and was forbidden, at any rate to the Jew,;. The spinning, weaving, dying, embroideriDg, carpenteriDg, metallurgy, which occupied hunchwis during the rest of the week, were to cease upon the ssbbath. Men were not to consider the.t the fact of the purpose whereto the fsbrics were about to be applied so 111mctified the making of them as to render that a fit occupation for the .. day of holy rest "--of "rest to the Lord." .&pplication.-Christians will do well to apply the ,esson to themselves, and not allow themselves iD occupations, on their" day of holy rest," which are really secular, be- cause it may be argued that they have, iD some respects, a BBCred aspect. To play BBCred music, for the excitation of devotional feelings iD themselves and others, is a fittiDg Sunday occupation ; but to practise Handel as an exercise, for the acquirement of skill in execution, would be no better than to practise Rossini or Auber. To write articles for the press on Sundays, if otherwise wrong, is not justified by the fact that they are written for a "religious" newspaper. To cast up accounts does not become a right act because they are the accounts of a charity. Whatever our rule of Sunday observance, let us beware of evading it under the excuae the.tour employment has a connection with religion when it is euentially secular in it.s character.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-4..-TJ-.e wiw Bt,arl. Moses' second absence, though, like the fi.n!t, it lasted forty days and forty nights ( eh. xxxiv. 28), wu not followed by the same disastrous effects as the former one. The people ha.d meantime ha.d enough of " god& of gold." They were too frightened at what ha.d happened to think of seeking out any more " iDventioilB" (Eccles. vii. 29). They were penitent and well disposed. When at length the news came that God had forgiven them, no bounds could be set to their zeal for service. Learn-1. How God brings good out of evil. The Divine physician so treated the <listemp<-r oi the people that it ended, not simply in restored health, but in increased v1La11ty aud cl.lergy. The lap6e int..i lilil was made tl,e meam of imparting to the CR, XXXV, 4-20.) THE BOOI{ OF EXODUS. 379
teople the stimulus necessary for the erection of the tabernacle. 2. ThRt revival ,,r religion evinces its reality by the effects which it produces. (1) Willin!!lless to hear. "I will hee.r what God the Lord will speak " (Ps. lxxxv. 8). Happy ~ould it have been for Israel had it not "turned age.in to folly." (2) Willingness to gi·ue. Liberality in the Lord's service. (8) Willingness to w<Yl'k. The joy of BBlva.tion cannot better spend itself than in the doing of the work of the Lord's kingdom. Willing hearts, ready hands. On the injunction to keep the BBbbath, see Homily on eh. xxxi. 12-lrl. -J.O. EXPOSITION. Vere. 4-20.-TBE PEOPLE INVITED TO BRING ing, ib. 14; the boards, w. 15-25; the b11r1, Oll'TS, AND ABSI8T IN TBE WORK 011' THE TABER· ib. 26-29 ; the pillars. ib. 32-37 ; and the NAOLE. Having warned the Israelites against sooketl, ib. 19, 21, 25, 32, aud 37. The breaches of the sabbath, Moses proceeded to enumeration comprises all the main parts of which the tabernacle consisted. enwnerate the offerings which God had said Ver. 12.-0n the ark and the stavea there- that they might bring ( vers. 4-9), and tho of, see eh. xxv. 10-15; ou the meroy-seat, works which he had reqnired to be con- ib. 17-22; on the vail of the oovering, see structed (vers. 10-19). In the former enume- eh. xxvi. 31. ration, he follows exactly the order and word- Ver. 13.-On the table and its appurte- nances, see eh. xxv. 23--30. ing of the Divine command to himself, as Ver. 14.-For the oandlestiok, its furni- recorded in eh. xxv. 3-7; in the latter, he ture, and its lamps, compare eh. xxv. 31-39. changes the order, mentioning first the build- Ver. 15.-The inoense altar. See eh. xxx. ing, with its component parts ( ver. 11 ), then 1-10. Hill staves. See eh. xxx. 5. The the contents of the building (vers. 12-15), anointing oil is described in the same chapter, vers. 23--25; the BWeet incenae in vers. 34. 35; then the court with its contents (vers. 16, 17) the hangings for the door in eh. xxvi. 36. together with some details which had been Ver. 16 is a reference to eh. xxvii. 1-8, omitted in the former account (ver. 18), and eh. xxx. 18-21. Ver. 17 to eh. xxvii. 9-18. finally the holy garments (ver. 19). After Ver. 18.-The pins of the tabernaole and hearing him, the people returned to their the oonrt had not beeu previously mentioned. They must be regarded as tent-pegs, whereto several tents (ver. 20). were attached the cords which kept taut the Vers. 5-10 correspond to vers. 2-7 of eh. covering of the tent over the tabernacle, and xxv ., the correspondence in the list of offer- which steadied the pillars whereto the hang- ings being exact. ings of the court were fastened. Ver. 11.-0n the tabernaole, see eh. xxvi. Ver. 19.-The olotha of aerviae. See the 1-6; on the tent, ib. 7-13; on the oover- comment on eh. x.x.x.i. 10.