CHAPTER XXVI.

REASONS FOR MINUTE MECHANICAL SPECIFICATIONS. ANALOGIES BETWEEN GOD'S WORK AND WORD. EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. THE VEIL. THE HOLY OF HOLIES.

You will remember, that, in the course of a few remarks upon the previous chapter-explained at greater length in the discourse I preached subsequent to it-I showed you that all this was constructed after a pattern shown to Moses on the Mount; and that we had there the symbol and indication of the relative spiritual bearing and importance of this institution; that there can be no hesitation in concluding that it was prefigurative of a yet more glorious tabernacle to be pitched a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. It is in allusion to this that John, in the Apocalypse, records, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men." Here, in the desert, it was the tabernacle of man, wrought after the pattern shown by God; but in that glorious world that is to be, the original itself is revealed, the copy is for ever superseded, because unnecessary; and there shall be no need of the light of the sun and of the moon; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the light thereof.

I showed you what was the meaning and import of the various arrangements of the Tabernacle, by referring to that beautiful explanation of them the Epistle to the Hebrews. If you were to look at these minute details of minute mechanical and architectural arrangements, and to

see nothing beyond, it would seem that this chapter contains prescriptions utterly unworthy of God, and altogether derogatory to what we should suppose worthy of the glory of the Great King, that he should lay down rules for “taches,” and for "couplings," and for "corners," and for “rings,” and all those minute and little details that seem to us in themselves so contemptible -I say, seem to us contemptible, for they really are not so. There is as much architectural skill displayed in the creation of a beetle or a bee, as there is in the arrangement of one of the fixed stars; and there is as much of God's omnipresence, omniscience, and beneficence revealed in minute things that the microscope shows us, as there is displayed in the majestic and magnificent things that come within the sweep and range of the telescope; so that many have often doubted as, indeed, they maywhether the unseen world beneath us that art enables us to detect, or the great and countless orbs that are above us, tell most forcibly the greatness and the goodness of Him that made them. And just as in the material world there are great things and small things, all mingled together, yet each having its place, so it is here, where we see great things spoken of as in the twentieth chapter of this book, where the Law was revealed, and here, where these minute and mechanical details are arranged; proving the connection between God's made book, the earth and universe, - and God's written or revealed book, the Bible. And, as I believe I noticed last Sunday, it does not follow that because we cannot see the use of every arrangement here, we are therefore to conclude that it is useless. cannot dig twenty feet into the earth, we cannot look very far into the sky, without finding ten thousand things that we cannot tell the end, the object, and the reason of. The fact is, we think ourselves much greater than we really are; and it is a lesson that we need to learn, to lean upon an Omnipotence that we cannot comprehend, and to be thank

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ful for an Omnipresent watchfulness which we can neither trace nor detect, and that we do not deserve. Let us believe that whatever God has made in the outer world has its meaning, its end, and its object, though we cannot see it; and that in the inner world - the Bibleevery thing — the taches, rings, curtains, coverings- all have their meaning, their end, and use, though we do not now understand it. Man thinking, man saying that things are not right, because he cannot comprehend them, is like a man denying the extent and magnificence of the firmament, because he cannot meet it by a footrule in his hand; and because he cannot comprehend a thing, he thinks that it has no meaning, no end, and no object, and therefore that it is worthless. Let us remember that, in all that God has made, there are many things that we can easily comprehend, and for which we will bless and praise him; there are many things to test and try our humility, and to make us feel that what we know not now, we can only hope that we shall know hereafter.

But you will notice that all this is alluded to by the apostle as having special meaning, when he said, "Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; 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 cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy-seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the highpriest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: the

Holy Ghost thus signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as yet the first tabernacle was standing; which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come an high-priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." There is a beautiful and expressive commentary.

But, you say, Why should God give the minute regulations here? I answer, first of all, that, in the erection of a building now, before you can get men, who are merely mechanical in their office, to execute your orders thoroughly, you must lay down very minute laws. And here was a semisavage, semibarbarous, murmuring, ungrateful race, in the midst of a desert, come out from the slavery of Egypt. God left nothing to their own invention, but laid down minutely and exactly-line upon line, and precept upon precept - certain regulations and laws, so that the very worst builder of Israel might not err therein.

The close of the chapter refers to the distinction which existed of the holy place, which the apostle alludes to in Hebrews ix., namely, the vail that hung between the holy place and the most holy. There was the outer court for the laity; there was the holy place for the priests; and there was the most holy place, or the holy of holies, into which the high-priest went, not without blood, once a year.

Now, before the holy of holies there hung a very magnificent curtain or vail; and you will recollect that when Jesus died upon the cross, and said, "It is finished!" this

vail, which was in the tabernacle, and also in the temple, was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, signifying that from that time all Levitical sacredness was gone; that all distinction between the outer and the inner court, the chancel and the nave, the holy of holies and the holy place — all was gone; the sacredness now is made by the work in which we are engaged. "Wherever two or three are met

in my name," says the Saviour, "there am I in the midst of them " that is, there is a true church of the Lord Jesus

Christ.

But while the ancient economy existed, this distinction was kept up, and ever taught and impressed a great and precious truth that Christ must come, and die, and enter into the true holy place, before there could be access from grace to glory, and from the outer to the inner court.