The furniture of the most holy place, was simply the ark of the covenant in shrouded and mysterious solitariness.

That of the holy place, was; first, the table for the reception of the shew-bread or bread of the presence; secondly, the candlestick, designed to illuminate the place, and to cast the reflection of its lamps especially upon the memorial-bread of the tabernacle; and, thirdly, the altar of gold whereupon to place the fuming incense, and which was commanded to be set directly before the vail or covering of the gorgeous mercy-seat.

And that of the courts without, namely, first, the altar of burnt-offering; and, secondly, the laver, as put between the tent and the altar in order to wash withal.

Agreeably to this arrangement, it is manifest that there would be three gates or doors of entry to the tabernacle, each succeeding the other in position and convenience; the first admitting into the courts of the tabernacle; the second into the tabernacle itself; and the third into the innermost recess, or the holiest of all. These several entries were covered by vails or hangings, various in material and construction, and suited to their respective uses and situations.

Over all these holy precincts and their sacred adjuncts, there supervened a cloud or congeries of vapour, assuming sometimes probably a spiral form, and therefore termed a Pillar: emitting occasionally a luminous and resplendent light, and therefore also called a Pillar of fire. At other times this supervening cloud might become diffusive in appearance, affording grateful and refreshing shade unto the hosts of Israel amidst their sultry and fatiguing way. At all times, whether stationary or on their journey, the cloud was indicative of the Divine presence, and promissory of celestial guid

ance and protection to the favoured nation. Ex. xiv. 24-26. Ps. cv. 39.

And finally, Jehovah himself, in some wonderful and inexplicable form of visible glory, filled the heaven-constructed tabernacle, and took up his abode between the cherubim of the seat of mercy.

Thus, as St. Paul observes to the Hebrews, was there a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shew-bread, which is called the Sanctuary. And after the second vail, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant and over it the cherubim of glory, shadowing the mercy-seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. Ch. ix. 2-5. Whereon I would observe: Although the apostle speaks here of a first and a second tabernacle, we are not thereby to understand that there were two tabernacles; but merely that the tabernacle was divided into parts by a vail or curtain, crossing it from side to side. This remark will farther explain the meaning of the psalmist in Ps. xliii. 3; xlvi. 4; lxxxiv. 1; and cxxxii. 7; in all which scriptures the tabernacle is mentioned in its plurality of form. Moreover, the term Sanctuary, as applied by St. Paul to the holy place, was more generally applicable, as we have already intimated, to the most holy place, as being the most secret and retired, and made the more especial scene of Divine manifestation. iv. 6, and Ezek. xlv. 3. Hence to worship Jehovah in the beauty of holiness, was to render homage in his glorious sanctuary or sanctuary of glory. Ps. xxix. 2, margin. The mention also of the golden censer, the

Lev.

preserved manna, and of Aaron's rod, along with the ark of the covenant and the tables of the Lord, as being found together in the most holy place, must be taken with some limitation: for, the three former were adventitious to the latter, and were not contemplated in the original construction of the tabernacle. Lastly, on this quotation from the Hebrews, I would remark, We are by no means to understand an implied prohibition of the study and spiritual improvement of the Mosaic ritual in the apostle's language, when he says, Of which we cannot now speak particularly. The expression amounts to no more than that St. Paul did not find it necessary on this reference to the tabernacle, to dilate more fully upon its form and instruments, in order to the completion of his present argument: in proof of which, you will discover repeated subsequent references in the course of his Epistle to the Hebrews, made by St. Paul himself to the tabernacle and its various ordinances. Herein, then, I conceive, we have the strongest possible warrant for our purposed elucidation of the tabernacle, and we doubt not but as the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, possessed and revered by the fathers of the Jewish nation, Acts vii. 44, it will at once demonstrate much of the Divine glory to our understanding, and awaken much admiration of God's goodness in our hearts. It will witness of the Divine beneficence, and thereby confirm our faith in the covenant of grace. Let each one pray, O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill and to thy tabernacles, Ps. xliii. 3, and we shall not be denied the help and comfort of the Holy Ghost. Moses said, Shew me thy glory: and the Lord shewed him his goodness plenteously. Ex. xxxiv. 18, 19.

Dropping now all farther discursive topics, we will revert to the single subject of this discourse, namely, the ark of the covenant. This august symbol of the Divine sovereignty and government in Israel, I will endeavour,

I. To describe;

And II. To interpret.

I. We will describe the ark in its component parts, and name those parts in the order of succession in which the Mosaic narrative records them: They are,

1. The ark or chest properly so called;

2. The mercy-seat or lid designed to cover it; And 3. The cherubim overshadowing both.

1. The ark may be considered (1.) in its materials ; (2.) in its construction; and (3.) in its use. (1.) The materials of the ark were shittim-wood and gold: the one being chiefly remarkable for the solidity of its texture and its consequent durability: and the other for its costliness and splendour. In combination, they were to form a suitable depository for the law of God. (2.) The construction of the ark was very remarkable. The required length of it was two cubits and a half; a cubit and a half the breadth thereof; and a cubit and a half the height thereof. To this admeasurement of the sacred chest, we call your particular attention, for reasons which will afterwards appear. A crown or projecting rim of gold was entirely to surround the opening of the ark, and to form, as it were, a ledge or groove for the reception of the mercy-seat, and that so as effectually to conceal the point of contact between the ark and

the mercy-seat from all casual observation. Four rings of gold were affixed to the four corners of the ark, through which were passed staves of shittim-wood, which also, like the ark itself, were overlaid with gold. The assigned use of the staves was to bear the ark in the journeyings of the people; and the striking singularity of this appointment was, the staves were on no occasion whatsoever to be withdrawn from their specified position in the rings of the ark. Hence, we find that the ark of the covenant of the Lord, borne by the priesthood of the nation, always preceded the movements of Israel, until the streams of the Jordan had been forded, and the land of promise was shared among the tribes of Jacob's race. Jos. iii. 11; and iv. 18. Eventually the ark abode in Shiloh, where the Lord revealed himself unto Samuel by the word of the Lord. 1 Sam. iii. 21. (3.) The use of the ark, as we have already intimated, was for the reception and preservation of the moral law: hence, upon its completion, Moses took and put the testimony into the ark, Ex. xl. 20; and thenceforward its appropriate designation became, The ark of the testimony, or, The ark of the testimony of the Lord; inasmuch as it contained the transcript of that will, by which the King immortal governs and will judge the universe. Deut. xxxi. 26. Jud. xx. 27.

2. The next thing calling for our observation is the mercy-seat. This was altogether of gold. In length and breadth, it was required to be precisely equal to the ark, namely, two and a half cubits by one and a half cubit. It was to form the lid or cover of the holy chest, wherein the tables of the law were to be deposited. This seat of mercy became to Israel the grand propitiatory of the nation. The blood of atonement