leaves us all behind. We need some better solace in the declinin" hour than the expectation that the kingdom will go to our sons, and thus be retai~ed by ourselves. And we have a better one in- IV. THE CHRISTIAN ASPIBATION, There are two worthy and honourable ambitions we may cherish respecting the future. 1. To live on, ourselves, in another sphere. Though not acting directly on the men and things we leave behind us, we shall be Jivin" and acting elsewhere in some other province of God's great domain. Enough for us that in the sphere which God chooses for us, we shall be using our powers for good-mor; than enough, for that will be a wider sphere, and they will be "enlarged and liberated powers." 2. To leave behind us in many hearts and lives the holy influence we have been exerting. If day by day we are scattering "the good seed of the kingdom" in true thoughts, in holy principles, in Obrist-like impressions, these must and will appear again in other lives, and be again resown to reappear in others still; thus shall we have a blessed share in a far future, even in this lower realm.-O. Vers. 3-32.-The sacred tribe: their service and ours. We have her- I. THE SPECIAL SERVICE WHICH THE LEVITES RENDERED TO ISRAEL, This was four- fold. 1. Assisting at the service of sacrifice. '!'hey were "to set forward the work of the house of the Lord" (ver, 4); "their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord," etc. (vers. 28, 29); "to offer [i.e. to help at the offering of] all burnt sacrifices," etc. (vers. 31, 32), 2. Rendering the service of praise. "Four thousand of them praised the Lord," etc. (ver. 5). These were to stand every morning and evening to thank and praise the Lord (ver. 30). 3. Administration of civic business and pacification: "officers and judges" (ver, 4). 4. Guardianship of the gates; preserving from profanation, and so from Divine displeasure: "porters," i.e. gatekeepers (ver. 5). II. THE CHAN0ES WHICH OCCUR IN THE FORM OF SERVICE. Even under the same dispensation occasional changes occurred of the way in which God was served. An instance and indication of this is found here. 'l'he Levites had no more need to carrv the tabernacle from place to place; they thus lo.id down one of their most solemn and important functions (vers. 25, 26). They were also henceforth to be numbered from twenty (instead of thirty) years of age (vers. 27, 28). And, further, they entered now on the service of instrumental music, systematically arranged (vers. 5, 30). If such minor changes occurred in the same era of religious history, how much greater changes in the order of service might we expect to find when one dispensation gave pince to another, when the Law was lost in the gospel? Such we do find. We look, there- fore, at- III. OuR CORRESPONDING SERVICE UNDER CHll.IST. 1. In the matter of sacrifice, the Levites cannot properly be said to have any successors; for, the one all-sufficient o.tonc- ment having been offered, there is no sacrifice to be presented, and, there being no officiating priest and no altar" in Christ Jesus," there is needed no ministering Levite. Only that we o.re all to be priests and Levites in that we are all to present" spiritual sacrifices" of prayer and praise, and of "doing good and communicating," continually unto him. However, there are humbler services to be rendered, needful work to be done, "for the service of the house of the Lord" (ver, 24); and in this useful o.nd worthy ministry, those who take their part cheerfully and do their work faithfully are "approved of him." 2. In the matter of praise, the Levites find their successors in (1) those who teach and lead in the service of song in the Christian sanctuary; (2) nil who join in and thus encourage others in that service, And they who do their best to perfect the praises of God-understandin~ by that not only attaining to tho vcrfect scientific form of service, but reaching the moral and spiritual ideal of a service in which the music of tho instrument and of the voice is subordinated to the melody of tho heart (Eph. v. 19),-these render an invaluable ministry t-0 the Church of Christ. 3. In respect of administration (officers and judges), as eccles)astical law has given place to civil law, this function of Jehovah's servants has passed mto other hands; yet perhaps they who are peacemakers between their fellows and help to decide disputes between brethren may bti said to be the" jud~es" of the present time.. 4. As to guardianship of the go.tea, with the open throne ol grace and access at e.11 times to all men, there 1s little room for us to perpetuate this work of the Levite. llut we can, and should, take 384: THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [cu. xxm. 1-32,
great pains to preserve the spirit of reverence and pure devotion in the hearts of all who come to worship Christ.-O.