II. That the PBIMABY UBE OF THE BAOBED TRUMPET was-(1) for summoning the people into the more immediate presence of God ; (2) for ordering their march towards Canaan. The gospel is preached, on the one hand, to call men from their caree, and pleasures, and earthly ties, in order to present themselves for pardon and for blessing before him who is their covenanted God and King; on the other hand, to instruct men in an orderly Christian walk, seeking the kingdom, not as isolated individuals, but as members of one body, soldiers in one army, unite in one vast and organised whole, Ill. THAT A PLAIN DIBTINOTION OJ!' BOUND WAS TO BE MADE IN CALLING THE ABBEMDLY, AND IN ORDERING THE MARCH. The persuasions of the gospel, by which we call men to draw nigh unto God, must needs differ in sound and in tone from the precepts of the gospel by which we seek to direct their onward march ; but both are equally sacred, and equally necessary to be observed. IV, THAT THE SUBSEQUENT UBE OF THE SACRED TRUMPETS WAS TO INVOKE, WITH HOLY AND CONSECRATED BOUND, THE DIVINE AID AGAINST THE Jl'OE, THE DIVINE ACCEPT- ANCE UPON THE SACRED ll'EABT OB OFJ!'EBING: IN DANGER OB IN WORSHIP TO BRING HIS OWN INTO REMEMBRANCE WITH TREIB GOD. The facts of the gospel which we preach, and whereby we" persuade men," the same do we plead; and thereby we "persuade God." All true prayer and intercession of the faithful for aid against spiritual enemies, for acceptance of spiritual sacrifices, is not only f01J,nded upon the gospel; it is the gospel, pleaded (whether in holy words or in holy rites) before high heaven; it is "the Lord's death" shown "until be come;" it is the sacred trumpet sounded in the ears of God prevailingly according to bis commo.nd. V. THAT THE UBE OJ!' THE TRUMPETS FOR THOSE PURPOSES WAS TO BE" AN ORDIN- ANCE ll'OB EVER." The calling of men to draw nigh unto God; the ordering of their onward walk; the cry to heaven for promised aid against our unseen foes; the plead- ing of the finished work of Christ wherein we trust, will never cease until there shall be no more time. Neither can the Church at large, nor can any faithful soul, dare to despise or to ignore any of these uses of the gospel trumpet; for they are of Divine and perpetual appointment.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vera. 1-10.-The silver trumpets. The blowing of the silver trumpets by Aaron and his sons has generally been taken to denote the preaching of the gospel. Dut the interpretation is a mistaken one, and arises from confounding the trumpet of jubilee (Levit. x:xv. 9; Luke iv. 16) with the silver trumpet. Although bearing the sam~ name in the English Bible1 these are quite different instruments, and are called ~y d!:fferent Hebrew names. TJ:!e former is the shopliar or cornet, which, as its name imphes, was of horn, or at least born-shaped ; whereas the latter, the chatsotser, was a long straight tube of silver with a bell-shaped mouth. The true intention of the s1lver trumpets is distinctly enough indicated in the luw before us. They were to be to the children of Israel for a memorial before their God (ver. 10); the promise was that _when the trumpets were blown, the people should be remembered before the ;Lord then· God, and he would save them from their enemies (ver. 9). In other wonls .!he blow!ng of the silver trumpets was a figure of PRAYER (cf. Acts x. 4). An exceed~ mgly stnking and suggestive figure it is. l lT PRESENTS CERTAIN ASPECTS OF PRAYER WHICH CAN HARDLY DE TOO MUCH REMEMBERED.. For one thing, it admonishes us that prayer ougld to be an effectual fervent. exercise ( James v. 16). A trumpet-tone is tlie opposite of II timid whisper. There 1s a clear determinate ring in the call of a silver trumpet. This is not mea~t to suggest that there ought to be loud and vehement spe11king in pmyer. But 1t does mean .t~ut we are. to th~ow heart into our prayers and put forth our strength, The spmt of adoption cries, Abba Father (sell 2 Chron. xiii. 14). When we call on ~od we ought to s_tir ours~lv~s u~ to take hold of him (Isa. lxiv. 7.) More- ?Ver, ~he silver trumpet emits a nnging, ;oy01J,S aound. In almost every instance m which the blowing o_f these trumpets is mentioned in Scripture it is suggestive of gladness, hope, exultation. And ought not a note of gladness, hope exultation to pervade our prayers? When we pray we ar1> to use e. oertain holy boldness ; we l\re 86 THE BOOK .OF. NUMBERS. tou. x. .1-10.