The inner curtains represented the inner truths of the soul, derived by meditation on the Word of the Lord; their number beauty and richness being represented by the fulness of the curtains. The golden hooks, or pins, supporting the curtains, will represent the affections of holy love, supporting the truths everywhere diffused in the soul, while the loops of blue represent the purity of these inner meditations. "Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom."

The blue, purple, and scarlet of these inner curtains were not for beauty only, but for wisdom. Blue represents the depth and purity of inner wisdom, the purple and the scarlet being expressive of the love to the Lord, and the mutual love which inner wisdom expresses ever. The golden threads, and cherubic forms inwoven and shining everywhere in the curtains, represented goodness diffused throughout, and appearing in every truth. The whole of these particulars amount to that beautiful description given by the Apostle James of the wisdom which is from above (iii. 17). "The wisdom which is from above is first pure (blue), then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy (purple); and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy (scarlet)"! When the heart is right with the Lord,there are inward sentiments which come down from the Father of lights, which form a system of sentiments, clear, loving, and good, surrounding like these glorious curtains the inmost affections with hallowed principles; everywhere, and in every way illustrating and announcing the presence of deep and holy thought with love to God and man. In this sanctuary of the soul no polluted intrusion is ever permitted. It is the inward, or rather, inmost mind which "delights in the law of God after the inward man.” Rom. vii. 22. It is the little centre where the Saviour makes His abode with us, abides in us, and we abide in Him. It is the one inward abode where the truly heavenly minded man yearns to dwell. "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me."

The curtains which surrounded and beautified the Holy of holies, and which, with the vail, made that into one apartment, did not stop there; they went forward and surrounded also the holy place. The truths of the inner man do not only rise to the

Lord, they go forward and embrace all things relating to the spiritual and heavenly condition of the neighbour. They care for his faith, and desire to enrich that with an abundance of heavenly wealth. They desire to unveil to him the spirit of the Holy Word, to open, as it were, heaven to him, to unfold the nature of his own soul, to shew him his grand inheritance, and enable him to say: "The lines have fallen unto me in pleasant places, mine is a goodly heritage." Faith is enriched, and love expanded by the number of truths which are continually being multiplied to the regenerating mind.

The length of the inner curtains was twenty-eight cubits, a number which being compounded of four and seven, denotes the complete and holy character in which goodness predominates.

The outer curtains were threefold, were thirty cubits long, and were, evidently, laid plain upon the Tabernacle, for their length is the same as that of the Tabernacle, only there was one curtain which was to hang over the front, (v. 9) and there was also a portion to hang down behind.-v. 12. The number thirty, compounded of three and ten, designates the quality of their representative character, as being in perfect accordance with literal truth.

The inner curtain of the outer covering was to be of goats' hair, the next of rams' skins, dyed red, and the outer-most of all was of badgers' skins.

The outer covering of divine things is the letter of the Holy Word. When the letter of the Word is truly understood it teaches precisely the same things, though in relation to actual life, as are taught by the spirit of the Word. The goat in the world, and in the Scripture is the symbol of those who are especially earnest in faith. Where the goats are condemned as in Matt. xxv. 33, they represent those who pride themselves upon "Faith alone." When the soul, however, is genuine and true, and delights in the grand truths of revelation, which, like so many sublime rocks on the mountain side, lift the spirit up into the very sunlight of heaven, the goats represent such earnest, vigorous, and delighted spirits, and the goats' hair the thoughts, views and sentiments they make their own. The women spun the hair, the men wove it, and thus the tent, or top, of the Tabernacle was made.

The women denote the affections of the soul; the men, the intellectual powers. The affections select and draw out the truths of religion towards practical life. They seize hold of sacred truths, and elicit their results idea after idea in linked

sweetness, long drawn out. Men delight more in making systems of them. The intellect, like a busy weaver, compares, combines, connects, arranges, and makes a mental cloth by which it can be covered, defended, and adorned.

The two outer coverings were of skin, one of rams' skins dyed red; the other, that of an animal called a badger, but which was probably a species of deer. The badger is not found out of Europe. The skin of the animal in question was especially commanded to be used in wrapping up the most sacred vessels for removing.-Num. iv. 6, 14. The skin represents, in religion, the outward character, consisting of virtuous words, and works. The rams' skin, dyed red, denote the words of genuine truth, "spoken in love;" the skin of the deer, denote the works of genuine goodness which ever distinguish the Christian.

The skin of the ram, as the male of the sheep, is the appropriate emblem of the intellectual things of charity, while the redness of the skin would represent words that burn with heavenly affection.

But as with the representative sanctuary, whether it was at rest or in motion, the other skin, that, probably, of the soft and gentle deer, was always used for covering, so will loving, just, and gentle deeds, be ever the surrounding of the Christian. Whatever may be passing within, his works will be pure and good. His light will shine in a gentle, courteous, orderly life.

The wicked weave the spider's web, combined of subterfuges and lies. The good weave the fine linen "which is the righteousness of the saints." The wicked spirit, like a spider in his web, lies in wait to ensnare, to entrap, and to devour. The good man robed in purity and truth walks with His Saviour in white, and does not defile his garments. His pavilion also is protected by the covering of goats' hair, in which he can dwell and hold sweet converse with Him who keeps him secretly, and to whom he can say, "Oh, how great is thy goodness, that thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men."--Ps. xxxi. 19.

Let us seek to be such tabernacles of the Most High. And while our supreme aim is to have the spirit of the Lord Jesus within us, yet let us also ask from Him those blessed gifts which will enable us to say, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation; He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness; as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with jewels."-Isa. Ixi. 10.

SERMON XXXVIII.

THE COURT OF THE TABERNACLE.

"And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle."-Exodus xxvii. 9.

The Court of the Tabernacle, in relation to the Church upon earth, represents the Church visible in the world. The Church before men, in harmony with the sacred things of the heavenly mind, seen only by the Lord, is described by the particulars of the Court erected in accordance with the pattern shewn to Moses, and commanded in the language of the chapter before us. The courts of the Lord's house, when in heavenly order, are delightful to the true Christian. "Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to dwell in thy courts.”—Ps. lxv. 4. "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord : my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God."—Ps. lxxxiv. 2. "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come unto his courts."-Ps. xcvi. 8. "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise, be thankful unto him and bless his name."-Ps. c. 4.

Let us, therefore, attend to the particulars of the divine directions for the Court of the Lord, and in that shadow of good things to come, learn the principles upon which our court of the Lord's house may be constructed, in obedience to His holy will. The court was to be one hundred cubits long, by fifty broad.

V. 9.

It was to be surrounded by white hangings of fine twined linen. It was to be supported on the north and south sides by twenty pillars of brass resting on sockets of brass; but joined at the top by hooks and fillets of silver.-v. 10.

At the east and west ends there were to be ten pillars of brass also resting on sockets of brass, but joined at the top by hooks and fillets of silver.-v. 12.

For the gate of the court, there was to be a hanging of twenty cubits of blue, purple, and scarlet, made of fine twined linen,

wrought with needle-work, and resting on four pillars.—v. 16. All the vessels of the Tabernacle in the court, and all the pins of the Court were to be made of brass.-v. 19.

The hangings of the Court in general were of fine twined linen, and as the hanging of the door has its colours particularly specified, the inference seems clear, that the hangings generally were colourless, white.

The first particular to which we would draw attention is, the order and gradation visible in the metals and arrangements of the Sanctuary and the Court. The objects within the Sanctuary were of gold. The planks of the Sanctuary were of shittim wood, covered with gold, but resting on bases of silver. The hooks and fillets of the pillars of the Court were of silver, but the pillars themselves, their bases, and the pins of the Court were of brass (copper.) How beautiful is this order. The inner things of love to the Lord, represented by the gold, and resting upon, and flowing into that interior wisdom, which is heavenly silver. Then, in a lower, the inner wisdom represented by silver, flows down into and rests upon the lower things of heavenly goodness, represented by brass; the things of charity and outward deeds of use. So one principle gives rise to another in heavenly order, from the inmost to the outer-most.

He who enters the Lord's court comes first to the things of brass, or to those feelings and duties which his state will then bear. He cannot yet go into high things, but he can do what he is commanded. He can shun evil, do good, and love his brethren. These are represented by things of brass. When the new Christian has become initiated into these lower principles, and made them his own, he will then be brought to things of silver; that is, those pure interior truths which shine to the eye of the mind like bright silver. "The words of the Lord are pure words, they are as silver tried in a furnace of earth." Ps. xii. 6. When he has made the things of silver his own, he will be admitted to those of gold, that is, to the principles in which the highest treasures of heaven consist, the principles of celestial love. When the Church is in its highest glory it is like Jerusalem, when Solomon's reign was in perfection. All things are of gold, none are of silver. "It was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon." How forcibly are we reminded here of that divine prophecy respecting the Lord's coming, "For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood, brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thine officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness."