Il. THE TABERNACLE OR TEMPLE WAS THE EFFECTIVE SIGN OF, UNITY TO TIIE JEWS BECAUSE IT CONTAINED THE ABK. The ark was the visible symbol of the presence of God among his chosen people. Therefore the hearts of the people went out towards the sanctuary with adoration and love. Therefore all the sacrificial rites had to be performed before the door of the sanctuary, not only while they lived in the wilderness, but when they were settled in Canaan. The journeys up to Jerusalem at the three great festivals intensified their love for the temple, and made them feel their union and communion with one another and with God. Nor did the institution of synagogues throughout the land interfere with this feeling, as the worship conducted in them was recognized as being of an inferior description to that which could be celebrated at the temple alone. The temple was, in the estimation of the Jew, the local abiding-place of God upon earth. Even when the ark and the mercy-seat were gone, it retained this character above every other spot. III. THE IDEA OF A LOOAL PBEBl!.'.NCE 01!' Goo IN ANY GIVEN PLACE ON EARTH IS ABOLISHED. "Believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. . . . the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (John iv. 21-24). "For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles ; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my Name, and a pure offering: for my Name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts" (Mal. i. 11). There is no local or material centre to the Christian Church; no one city holy because it contains the temple; no one temple holy because it contains the visible presence of God ; no one high priest on earth holy because alone privileged to enter into that presence. The spiritual has superseded the material. IV. THE UNITY 01!' THE CBIIISTUN DODY IS TO BE OTHERWISE MAINTAINED. Its unity is co=anded and prayed for by Christ : " Holy Father, keep through thine own Name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are." "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word ; that they all may be one ; as thou, Father, art in me, and I iu thee, that they also may be one in DB: ••• that they may be one, even as we are one : I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one" (John xvii. 11, 20-23). And it is enjoined by the apostle, "Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace 11 (Eph. iv. 3). So far and at such times as Judaical and materializing views have prevailed in the Church, attempts have been made to preserve this unity in the Jewish manner, by making an earthly head of the Church, round which the members might gather. V. 'l'HE TRUE BONDS OF UNITY IN THE CHnIBTIAN CHURCH. 1. 'l'he common posses- sion of the "one Spirit 11 (Eph. iv. 4), who unites all the members by the internal cohe- sion of unanimity and love. 2. The common possession of the "ono Lord 11 (Eph. iv. 5), the invisible Head of the body, from whom there flows down into the members a life shared by all alike. 3. 'l'he common possession of tho " one God and Father of all 11 (Eph. iv. 6), whose Fatherhood makes us all brethren. 4. The common possession of" one faith 11 (Eph. iv. 6), "once (for all) delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). 6. The common possession of" one hope" (Eph. iv. 4) of eternal life. 6. The common posses- sion of "one baptism'' (Eph. iv. 6), by which we were made members of the "one body" (Eph. iv. 4). 7. '!'he common possession of tho other sacrament 11ppointed to continue "till he come" (1 Cor. xi. 26). 8. The common possessionrof the miuistry instituted "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ : . . . that we may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even ChriBt" (Eph. iv. 12-16). VI. THE NATIONALITY .um INDEPENDENCE OF CHURCHES NOT INCCHPATIDLE WITH CATHOLIC UNITY. If there were one visible head of the Church on earth, or one divinely constituted earthly centre of Christendom, there could ho no such thing as an independent or a National Church. But this conception of the Church C11tholic, partly Judaical, partly feudal, is wholly false. The possessiou of the above-named qualifica- tions makes a particular Church partaker in Catholic unity, the illeal Christian Church consisting of a federal union of such Churches in union and communion one with 264 THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. [cu. XVII, 1-16.
another, agreeing in tlieir belief, but not necessarily uniform in their ceremonies and rites (Art. XXXIV.),
Vers. 10-13.- The eating of blood is strictly prohw1·ted; therefore OUl Lord's words must have sounded so much the more strange in the ears of the Jews when he said "Ex,;ept ye e:i:t the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life i~ you (John v1. 53). The reason why blood may not be eaten is that the life of the flesh is its blood (ver. 11). Eating the blood was the same thing as eatina the life ol the animal. 'lherefore his Jewish auditors would understand our Lord to mean by the words, " Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life • and I ~ill _raise him up at the last day" (John vi. 64), that whoso became a partaker of Ins bfe, would thereby become a possessor of eternal life and, possessing that would ~bare in (ts privile~~-_resurrectio~ and immortality (see 'Wordsworth, ad Zoe.)' There 1s an eatmg and dnnkmg of Christ's flesh and blood, that is, a partaking of his life and Spirit, which may be accomplished without any outward act whatever • but no doubt a special method of pe1forming this mysterious act was instituted wher: "Jesus took br~~• and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this 1s my body, And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament which ~ shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matt. xxvi. 27, 28). It ~ay well be questioned whether a Church which forbids its members to drink of that cup does- not shut them out from a full partaking of the life of Christ, so far as that blessing is imparted by that ordinance,
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS.
Grar,e before meat. Ch. xvii.; cf. 1 Cor. x. 31. From the perfect ntonement Goll provides, we are invited next to turn to the morality he requires. And no better l eginning can be macle than the acknowledgment of God in connection with our food. 1