bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart, before the Lord continually.'

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Now this breast-plate of judgment, with the Urim and Thummim, was the recognised medium for consulting the Divine oracle. The meaning of the word Urim is 'fires or lights,' while Thummim means perfections;' and both terms are obviously to be taken in a metaphysical sense. The Seventy, accordingly, in rendering this passage, call the breastplate the oracle of judgment,' and say "Thou shalt establish in the oracle of judgment significations and truths.' The meaning of the directions given to Moses, then, with respect to the breast-plate, appears to be that he was to establish it as the medium of obtaining intellectual light, and ascertaining perfect truth—more especially, for ascertaining the Divine decision and judgment on difficult points. Hence we find that the Ephod with the breast-plate, in which were established the Urim and Thummim-the lights and the truths-was always resorted to, when it was wished to obtain the Divine decision on any question of difficulty. The exact manner in which this was done, and in which the responses were given, is unknown; but it may be conjectured that the twelve stones composed a sort of telegraph, by which the response was conveyed. Those acquainted with telegraphy may easily form to themselves a conception of the manner in which such responses might be given, by causing certain of the gems to glow or emit sparks-an idea confirmed by the term 'lights' employed in the original instructions. But whatever might have been the mode in which the responses were indicated, there seems little reason to doubt that the gems constituted the recognised medium through which the Divine responses were conveyed. Hence these jewels, as a collective body, would become so associated with the Divine oracles as to be regarded as their most appropriate emblem.

Thus the gems, forming the foundations of the wall of the New Jerusalem, may symbolise the fact that the testimony to the Divine truth, given by the great body of the witnesses represented by the wall, was founded on the oracles of God-on the communications which Heat sundry times and in divers manners' has made to mankind. The circumstance that the gems were inscribed with the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb appears to denote that the latter were, under the Christian dispensation, made the depositories of the Divine oracles— the lights and the truths—and entrusted with the duty of communicating them to mankind. Hence it is that St. Paul speaks of the great spiritual house as being 'built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,' who were 'the lively oracles of God.'

CHAPTER X.

THE EMBLEM OF THE STREET, AND OTHER PARTICULARS CONCERNING THE CITY.

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ST. JOHN winds up his description of the general aspect of the city by saying (v. 21), And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.' The mention here of the street of the city,' in the singular number, confirms the idea previously suggested, that this city consisted of one continuous street, winding round the four sides of the pyramid by a gentle ascent from its base to its apex. It also strengthens the conclusion that the true figure of the city was a pyramid, and not a cube-a form with which the idea of a street would be incongruous.

The word 'street' is here probably applied to the broad path of the city, rather than to the buildings. These had been already described as of pure gold, like unto clear glass; but this additional information appears to convey the idea that the very pavement of the city was of the same beautiful and precious material. There is in this part of the emblem a shade of metaphysical meaning, somewhat distinct from that conveyed by the statement respecting the city itself. The latter symbolises the character of the persons composing the redeemed church, the purity of their moral affections, and the clearness of their intellectual perceptions. But the street of pure gold, as it were transparent glass, appears

to denote the purity and perfection of their ways. The citizens of the holy city tread the golden paths of holiness and virtue, and their course is transparent as glass; for they follow after nothing of which they need be ashamed.

The apostle, having thus described the general appearance of the city, proceeds to mention some further peculiarities by which it was distinguished (v. 22): And I saw no temple therein, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.' This passage is decidedly mistranslated. It ought to stand thus: And a temple I saw not in her; for the Lord God Almighty is her temple, even the Lamb.' According to the mistranslation of our version, the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are spoken of as if they were a pair, and as together constituting the temple of the city; whereas in the Greek, the Lord God Almighty is spoken of as a unity, with whom the Lamb is identified, as being the temple of the city. In describing the first appearance of the city, the apostle makes no mention of the Lamb. He merely says, 'the tabernacle of God is with men' ; but in the above verse he indicates the precise manner of God's presence with mankind; namely, that it is to be through the medium of the Lamb, which means the human person of Christ, the true temple which the Jews destroyed, and which He rebuilt in three days. The conclusion at which we have already arrived is thus confirmed- namely, that in the future state God is to dwell among men in the person of Christ, He being the sole medium through which mankind can see Him who is essentially invisible, and whose presence is illimitable.

The next verse contains an expansion of the same idea. As it is, like the foregoing, not very correctly rendered by our translators, it may be well to translate it literally from the original. And the city has no need of the

sun, neither of the moon to shine upon her; for the glory of God enlighteneth her, even her luminary the Lamb.' Thus we see that in this passage also the Lamb is identified with the Deity, more especially with His glory, and is not mentioned as a distinct and separate source of illumination, as would appear from the manner in which the verse is rendered in the authorised version. The true meaning is, that the Lamb is the luminary of the city: and He illuminates it with the glory of God, of which He is the embodiment and impersonation.

Now the light which the Lamb thus diffuses around Him is not physical, but moral and intellectual; whence it is evident that the whole passage is to be understood spiritually. The sun and moon are to be taken in that same metaphorical sense in which they have been previously used in the prophecy, as denoting supreme civil and ecclesiastical authority. Of any such vested in the person of any of their number, the great body of the redeemed stand in no need; for the Lamb is both their king and high priest. He is an impersonation of the Supreme Ruler of the universe, the sun and centre of all wisdom and power.

Even were we to understand the sun and moon in the physical sense, however, the passage before us would not warrant the conclusion that there is to be neither sun nor moon in the new system of the world. It merely means that the welfare and happiness of the redeemed shall not, to any extent, depend on the shining or not shining of those luminaries; for it is secured to them by the presence of the Lamb, who illuminates their mind with the Divine glory. That the physical sun and moon are not to be absent from the new system, we shall find a distinct intimation in the sequel. This idea, that the sun and moon are to subsist as physical luminaries in the