V.

There was this remarkable diftinction be- LECT. tween the two apartments of the tabernacle; that as the one was the place of God's refidence, the habitation of his holiness; the other had a conformity with this present world; whence the apostle calls it a worldly Janctuary, or world-like fanctuary, that is, a fanctuary resembling this visible world; as muft indeed be evident to those who confider what relation it bore to the other fanctuary: how it was diftinguished in its use from the most holy place which was the habitation of God; and how it was furnished with lights, as the visible heavens are, the chief of which are seven in number, and the lights of the tabernacle were made to answer them. From this known relation between the visible world and the fanctuary, the heavens are called the tabernacle of the fun; the whole

of the Cherubim, more particularly than the intention of
these lectures will permit me to do, as being defigned for
general ufe, I must refer him to the last edition of Mr.
Parkhurf's Hebrew Lexicon; the moft ufeful work, with-
out exception, that has ever been published on the Lite-
rature or Philology of the facred Language.
I 3

world

LECT. world itself, and the firmament of heaven,

V.

with its glorious furniture, being one great tabernacle, comprehending the luminaries of the day and night, represented in figure by the lamps of the tabernacle. Jose phus, in his Jewish Antiquities, has preferved a tradition, that this was the defign of them, and that they had respect to the system of the heavens*. And this alliance between the furniture of the tabernacle and the furniture of the heavens, gives us a grand idea of the vifible world; the inhabitants of which are all to confider themselves as comprehended in one great fanctuary, where the first and best employment (by neceffary inference) is the fervice of that God who has brought them into it. Therefore the indevout mind, which is either ignorant or infenfible of this doctrine of a facred alliance and communion betwixt God and his crea

*The Emperor Numa placed a facred fire in his temple, with the like allufion to the fire of the heavens: focum Vefta virginibus colendum dedit, ut ad fimilitudinem cœleftium fiderum caftos imperii flamma vigilaret. Flor. Hift. 1. C. 2.

tures,

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tures, is a poor intruder into the great tem- LECT. ple of the world; on whom we ought to look as we should upon the rude favage, who should come staring into a Christian church in the time of divine service, without understanding what the nature of the place is, and how the people are employed.

From this description of the tabernacle we must proceed to the figurative acceptation of it for that it actually was a figure, and had respect to things beyond itfelf, is fhewn by the reasoning of St, Paul throughout the Epiftle to the Hebrews; who there speaks of a true tabernacle, of a nature superior to that of the law, but fignified and fhadowed out by it. The fame appears from the words fpoken to Mofes, fee thou make all things according to the pattern fhewed to thee in the mount: which direction was preferved, and is quoted in the new teftament twice, to teach us, that the visible tabernacle was nothing more than a copy from an heavenly original, which came down from God out of heaven (like the New Jerufalem in the

V.

Hence the

LECT. Revelation) and was exhibited to Mofes in a vision on the mount. apostle argues for a prophetic relation to heavenly things in the earthly tabernacle. As we hear of a Jerufalem that is above, correfponding to the earthly Jerufalem; fo was there always understood to be a heavenly tabernacle; the eternal refidence of God, as the tabernacle below was his temporary refidence, while his prefence was with Mofes and the Jews. This heavenly original must be understood, where the Pfalmift fpeaks of the dwelling of the righteous man in the fecret place of the moft High, under the shadow of the Almighty, covering him with his wings, as the cherubim of glory are faid to spread forth their wings in the fecret place of the earthly fanctuary*. So where he faith in the 15th pfalm, Who shall dwell in thy taber nacle, or who shall rest upon thy boly bill? No man can be fo ignorant as to think that the godly were to expect their rest and reward in a tabernacle, which had no exiftence after the days of David. The words

*Pfalm xci, 1. 4:

muft

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must refer to that other tabernacle spoken LECT. of by Isaiah, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down, not one of the ftakes thereof Shall be removed *. As there is an eternal throne of David, on which the Meffiah fits and reigns for ever; fo is there an eternal tabernacle, in which he is exalted as the head and ruler in his church; and both are united on another occafion.-In mercy fhall the throne be established, and be Shall fit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging and feeking judgment and bafting righteousness: which words cannot be understood of the literal tabernacle, though they refer to the mercy-feat in the most holy place, over which God appeared enthroned in glory above the cherubim; with which in Ezekiel's vifion of them, there was a likeness of a throne, with the appearance of a man upon and the whole together is called the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord: whence we collect, that what Ezekiel saw was a vifionary appearance of that seat of glory in the holy place, which Ifaiah xxxiii. 20. + Luke i. 32.

it ;

Ezekiel i. 26.

was