7. THE BRAZEN LAVER.---The brazen laver was a large round vessel, or bason, standing on a pedestal, and filled with water for the use of the priests, to wash their hands and feet before they performed their sacred functions. The Laver had probably cocks in it to draw off the water, as it is generally represented. The priests were obliged to wash themselves every time they entered into the tabernacle, or when they came near to the altar to minister. This washing was necessary, because the priests all ministered barefoot ; but it was equally so, because of the guilt they might have contracted, for we may consider the washing as emblematical of the putting away of sin, or what St. Paul calls" the laver of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." Tit. iii, 5.

III. Calculation of the value and immense weight of the Gold, Silver, and Brass, employed in the erection of the Tabernacle.

THE riches, costly workmanship, and splendour of the tabernacle, can scarcely be conceived by us: but every reader cannot but be struck with the curious and costly nature of this building as described by Moses. There were twenty-nine talents, seven hundred and thirty shekels of gold; one hundred talents, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels of silver; and seventy talents, two thousand four hundred shekels of brass, employed in the erection of the tabernacle

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and its furniture. If, with Dr. Prideaux, we estimate the value of the silver shekel at three shillings, we can obtain the weight of the shekel by the following proportion: As 62 shillings the value of a pound weight of silver, as settled by the British Laws, is to 240, the number of pennyweights in a pound Troy, so is 3 shillings the value of a shekel of silver, to 11 dwts. 14 gr. si 3, the weight of the shekel required. In the next place, to find the value of a shekel of gold, we must make use of the following proportion: As 1oz. is to £3. 178. 10d. the legal value of an ounce of gold, so is 11 dwts. 14 grs. 3, the weight of the shekel, to £2.5s, 2d., the value of the shekel of gold required. From this datum it is easy to ascertain the value of all the gold employed in the work of the tabernacle; by the following arithmetical process: Reduce £2, 58, 2d, to the lowest term mentioned, which is 201852 ninety third parts of a farthing; multiply this last number by 3000, the number of shekels in a talent; and the product by 29 the number of talents, and add in 730 times 201852, on account of the 730 shekels, which were above the 29 talents employed in the work, and we shall have for the last product 17,708,475,960, which divided successively by 93, 4, 12, and 20, will give £198,347, 128, 6d, for the total value of the gold employed in the work of the tabernacle and its furniture.

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The value of the silver contributed by 603,550 Israelites, at half a shekel, or eighteen pence per man, amounts to £45,266, 5s.

The value of the brass, at 1 shilling per lb. amounts £513, 17s.

which reduced to avoirdupoise weight, is equal to 14 tons, 266 pounds! and the total value of all the gold, silver, and brass, of the tabernacle, will consequently amount to £244,127, 14s, 6d!

Thus, from all this cost and expence, we can form some idea of the magnificence of the tabernacle, and may suppose that one reason why so much riches should thus be employed, was, to impress the people's minds with the glory and dignity of the Divine majesty, and the importance of his service.

The tabernacle, like the temple, was a type of the human nature of our blessed Redeemer, in which dwelt the fulness of the Deity. So St. John says, "the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (εσunνwσɛv ev nμiv,) made his tabernacle among us." Chap. i, 14. The Evangelist adds, "And we beheld his glory." As the Israelites beheld the glory of God resting on the tabernacle, so did the disciples of Christ see the Divine glory resting on him, and manifesting itself in all his words and works. As the design and purpose of the tabernacle was that God might dwell in it among the Israelites, so the design and purpose of the incarnation of Christ was that the Godhead might dwell in it; and that God and man might be reconciled, through this wonderful dispensation of divine grace. And as the glory of God was manifested between the Cherubim above the mercy-seat, in the tabernacle, so God “ was

in Christ reconciling the world unto himself." 2 Cor. v, 19. Jehovah designed that this building, and all that belonged to it, should be representations of good things to come; and we may consider it, with all its furniture as emblematical of Christ and his salvation.

It is worthy of remark here, that, as in the tabernacle of old, almost every thing was placed out of the sight of the people; the Holy of Holies was inaccessible; the ark of the covenant, the mercy-seat, and the divine glory, were comparatively hidden: so, under the Gospel, all these things are laid open; the way to the Holiest is made manifest; the vail is rent, and " we have an entrance to the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the vail, that is to say, his flesh." Heb.x, 19, 20. Now, under the Gospel, the awful distance is abolished, the ministry of reconciliation is proclaimed, the kingdom of heaven is open to all believers, and the Lord is in his holy temple.

From the magnificence of the tabernacle, we may consider how pure and holy the Christian church should be, of which the tabernacle was a very expressive type; and what manner of persons they should be in all holy conversation and godliness, who profess themselves members of that church, for which, it is written," Christ has given himself, that he might sanctify and cleanse it; that he might present it unto himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish." Eph. v, 25-27.

"I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God," (Exod. xxix, 45.) is the great charter of the people of God, both under the Old and New

Testaments.* God dwells among them: he is ever to be found in his church to enlighten and support it, to dispense the light of life by his word, and the influences of his Holy Spirit, for the conviction and conversion of sinners. And he dwells in all who believe; and this is the very tenor of the new covenant which God promised to make with the house of Israel. † And because God has promised to dwell in all his people, hence the frequent reference to this covenant and its privileges in the New Testament. †

Before the subject of the tabernacle is dismissed, it may be proper to observe that, during the travels of the Israelites in the wilderness, a pillar or column of a cloud stood over the tabernacle, which appeared as a cloud by day, and as fire by night, to guide and direct them in their march and encampments; for "when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. For "the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys." Exod. xl, 36-38. The Israelites struck or pitched their tents, as this miraculous cloud removed or became stationary; and all their movements were directed by it. It appears that this pillar of a cloud assumed three different appearances, for the performance of three very important offices. 1. In the day time, for the purpose of pointing out

* Exod. xxv, 8; Lev. xxvi, 11, 12; 2 Cor. vi, 16; Rev.xxi, 3. † Jer. xxxi, 31--34; Ezek. xxxvi, 25--27; xxxvii, 24--28; Heb. viii, 7 -12; 2 Cor. vi, 16,

Ephes. ii, 22; Rom. viii, 16; Gal. iv, 6; Col. i, 27, 28. See Dr. A, Clarke on Exod. xxv, xxix, &c.

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