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The altar of incense. 1 And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.

2 A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same.

3 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.

4 And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof,upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal.

5 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

6 And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.

7 And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.

8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.

The ransom money. atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.

11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.

13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.

14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.

15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls. 16 And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls. LECTURE 162.

9 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon. 10 And Aaron shall make an

That we are bound to pay acknowledgment to our Redeemer. The altar of incense was to be overlaid with pure gold, and to have a crown of gold round about it. It was to be put into the tabernacle outside the vail, over against that part of the most

holy place, which was appointed for "the mercy seat that is over the testimony." It was to be used for no other purpose but burning incense morning and evening. And no other incense might be burnt on it, except that which is presently afterwards appointed. Only there was an atonement to be made "upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements." This incense probably foreshewed the intercession of Christ, which goes up with our prayers, and makes them acceptable unto God. See Rev. 8. 3, 4. And the altar of incense was to stand over against the mercy seat, because it is in answer to prayer offered through the intercession of our Lord, that God is pleased to be merciful to us miserable sinners. And then the blood of the sin offering of atonements, applied yearly to the altar of incense, would signify, that the intercession of Christ becomes effectual by reason of his atoning blood. May we have grace to remember constantly, when we pray, that the success of our petitions depends upon the mediation of our Lord, and that his mediation derives its efficacy from his death! And when we offer our daily sacrifice of prayer and praise, may we never fail to burn incense on the golden altar, by praying to God and praising Him, in the name of our only advocate and mediator Jesus Christ!

But though Christ alone could really make atonement for our sins, by his most precious blood, Moses is here instructed to require of every man a payment in money, half a shekel, as "a ransom for his soul unto the Lord;" also called "an offering unto the Lord to make an atonement for your souls ;" and again, “a memorial unto the children of Israel before the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls." This amounted to an acknowledgment on the part of the Israelites that they owed their lives to God. And it was to be paid when the children of Israel were numbered, as they passed before the person who took the numbers, in order that no man of twenty years old might fail to pay it. If the same sum was to be paid by rich and poor, this was not so much by way of shewing that the life of each was of the like value, as to signify that this payment was not really the thing which redeemed them; for else each must have paid according to his ability. If it was levied as a tax binding upon all, and appointed for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, this was to make it manifest that all are bound to acknowledge how much they owe to their Redeemer, and that all are concerned to prove their sense of this obligation by upholding his public worship. We indeed know, as St. Peter has reminded us, that we "were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold." 1 Pet. 1. 18. But we know also, as God has told us by the prophet, that the silver and the gold are his. See Hag. 2, 8. Let us therefore pay cheerfully what is demanded for his service; and also give largely, whensoever we can find means of giving more than is demanded, towards promoting divine service in the congregation of the church.

The laver; the holy oil; and the perfume. 17 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

18 Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. 19 For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:

20 When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD: 21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations. 22 Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

23 Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,

24 And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: 25 And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.

26 And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony.

27 And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense, 28 And the altar of burnt of

fering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.

29 And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.

30 And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.

31 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations. 32 Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.

33 Whosoever compoundethany like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.

34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight :

35 And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:

36 And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.

37 And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall hot make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.

38 Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.

LECTURE 163.

The vanity of the sign when we may have the thing signified. The laver of brass, in which the priests were to wash their hands, with a lower part or foot of brass, in which they were to wash their feet, and the injunction that they must do this each time they went into the tabernacle of the congregation, or drew near to the altar to minister; all this very plainly denotes the necessity of inward purity. But we learn from St. Paul's Epistle to Titus, that it is neither by outward washing, nor by inward purity of our own, that we are really made clean in the sight of God; but "by the washing," or laver, "of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." Tit. 3. 5. The composition of the "oil of holy ointment," the directions for anointing therewith the ark, the tabernacle and its furniture, the altar, and the laver which stood without in the court, and also Aaron, and his sons and their successors, the warning not to put it on any one else, and not to compound any imitation of it; these signify the dedication of the things and persons anointed, to the service of the Lord. But St. John has instructed us, that our separation from the evil world, and our consecration to the service of God, are to be effected, not by an outward anointing, but by "an unction from the Holy One." 1 John 2. 20. 1 John 2. 20. The instructions for making "a perfume," of sweet spices, that which was to be burnt on the altar of incense, and the threat held out to those who should attempt to make any "like unto that, to smell thereto," shew that it is no waste to consume in God's service the best of what we have; and also teach us how precious a thing that must be, which is signified by the incense offered up. And if we have rightly interpreted this burnt incense, of the intercession of Christ, we see here the sin of joining with Him any other supposed intercessors, as for instance saints, or angels, or the mother of our Lord, in the work of pleading our cause, and presenting our prayers, before the mercy seat of God. Now it is remarkable that both these particulars, in which all imitation in the way of counterfeit is so strictly forbidden, were very generally adopted in the ceremonies of heathen worship; as were also the ceremonial washings of the priests. And hence it has come to pass that the like use of holy water, holy oil, and holy incense, prevails so largely in the services of the fallen church of Rome. Christians have learnt from pagans, what pagans learnt from Jews; things that were to be done by Jews only, and only until the time that there should be Christians; ceremonies that were to cease when the substance had come, signs worse than vain when we may enjoy the things signified. Oh that whilst we reject the worthless shadows, we may lay hold on the inestimable realities! Oh that God may purify our hearts by faith, anoint our souls with the unction of the Holy Ghost, and accept our unworthy devotions through the intercession of our Saviour, Jesus Christ!

Wisdom given to the workmen. The sabbath. The tables of testimony.

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2 See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah : 3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

4 To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and

in brass,

5 And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.

6 And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee;

7 The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle,

8 And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense,

9 And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot,

10 And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office,

sweet incense for the holy place:
according to all that I have com-
manded thee shall they do.
12 And the LORD spake unto
Moses, saying,

13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.

14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God. LECTURE 164.

11 And the anointing oil, and

Of edification, rest eternal, and the testimony of the Spirit. Let it not be thought a strange thing, that the Spirit of God should have appointed a man by name for the work of making the tabernacle; and should have qualified of Bezaleel, "to work in

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