in us, and to build us into living temples in which His Holy Spirit can dwell. This imparted righteousness of our Lord, in whom alone all merit dwells, then, is the shittim wood. The gold with which it was covered represents the highest love to Him, which embraces and encircles the good we receive from Him. This gold of highest holiest love, we have when we have been faithful in temptation and come out purified by the trial. "I counsel thee," said the Lord, "to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich,"-Rev. iii. 18. We have become rich indeed, when having again and again become more than conquerors through Him that loved us.

The Table of fragrant cedar then covered with gold, on which were every Sabbath placed the twelve loaves, represented this celestial state of the soul, in which the Lord supplies goodness, peace, and every blessing.

The Table was two cubits in length, to intimate the conjunction of love to God and love to man. The breadth was one cubit, to intimate the truth of this state all the expression of love. Its height was one and a half cubits, to denote its ever rising holiness. The crown border is the loving wisdom which forms a sphere round such a celestial state.

The staves and the rings represent, as in the case of the ark, the power of adapting the deepest and holiest things of religion to daily life. The religion that does not go wherever we go to keep us unspotted in the world, has not yet acquired its divine power in us. The true Christian has his Table of Shewbread always with him. His supply of bread never fails. The staves, like arms, are always ready to bear the treasure of food onwards, and they are connected with the Table itself by golden rings, significative of a feeling of everlasting love in all we do. The rings connected on the one side with the Table and on the other with the staves, exhibit the two sides of everything we do. We work on earth, but we work for heaven. However low the use we may be engaged in performing, if done from love to the Lord, it has a celestial virtue in it linked with the eternal sanctuary and prepares us for heaven.

There were four kinds of golden vessels on the Table besides the loaves themselves, and to these we would call attention, for they, too, had their lessons to yield to all generations.

They are called dishes and spoons, covers and bowls.—v. 29. The first two kinds were for the frankincense which was sprinkled upon the bread (Lev. xxiv. 7); the second two kinds were for the wine of the pour-offering, called usually drink

offering, which was not, however, drunk, but poured upon the animal offered up by fire.-Num. xv. 5. The latter two kinds would be better rendered bowls and cups, not as the text calls them, covers and bowls.

The two uses to be accomplished by these vessels are both most important in their spiritual signification. The incense sprinkled upon the bread representing the grateful aspirations of the heart attributing all good to the Lord, while the wine taken from within the holy place and poured over the burnt offering at the door, would represent the union of inward truth with outward worship.

Both these acts are essential to the real devotion of the soul to the Lord. Whatever good we find in our hearts to do, we should adoringly acknowledge the Lord alone to be its Author. "O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men." The angels of heaven are ever in their hearts, saying, “Holy, holy, holy." On all their good there is the blessed frankincense of interior adoration, ascription, and praise. "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy."

The wine which was poured out on the burnt offering, and which was taken from the Table of Shewbread and poured from the golden cup, being taken from the golden bowl, is a beautiful emblem of the inner spirit and life of religion blessing that outward worship which is in accord with itself. The mind wellinstructed from the Word, and warmed by a regenerate heart, has always a cup running over with the new wine of the kingdom, which it is ready to pour over worship in prayer, and worship in work.

All the vessels are of gold. The soul has upon its inner table choice portions of the Word, like golden vessels, selected and arranged so that the frankincense may go upward, and the wine go outward, and man be taught, and God be praised.

The name of the Table is worthy of notice. It is called the Table of Shewbread, or in the Hebrew, the "bread of faces," because it is the manifestation of the divine goodness. It shews the infinite bounty of the Lord: His pity, His compassion, His loving-kindness. His faces, or aspects, are mercy, tenderness, love, and the shining forth of these, in wisdom, holiness, purity. The bread of goodness provided by the Lord is the result of all these divine graces, and hence, is called "the bread of faces." It contains sustenance for time and for eternity. It is the bread of life.

And now, may we not ask, Christian traveller, are you provided with this store of the bread of heaven? Are you supplied, or are you attempting to make your journey of life with hardly any bread? If the latter, no wonder you are cast down, weak, and discouraged, you are not half fed. "Come, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." Remember how careful the divine mercy was in the days of Joseph, to lay up abundant stores of corn in Egypt, and thus provide against the years of famine. Have you been thus provided for? Have father and mother and friends, directed by the Lord, forestalled your wants, and provided that as your day is, so shall your supply be? Never forget to take bread. You have much work to do, and many hard battles to fight, but eat heartily of your Lord's bread, and strength will be given you, and all will be well.

Do

Look well to yourself. Many a great general has declared that his victories have been won quite as much with good food as with strong arms. Do you take your food every day? Do you ask the Lord's blessing and read His Word daily? The direction for the Table of Shew bread was, that it should have a fresh and full supply every Sabbath. you attend well to the Christian Sabbath, and replenish the Table fully then? Is the language of your gratitude, "When I found thy words I did eat them, and they were the joy and rejoicing of my heart?" If so, you will be ready for Christian work, and will do it with Christian ease.

There is one feast above all others, prepared of divine mercy with especial regard to our necessities, we mean the Holy Supper. Do you diligently and faithfully seek that?

The Lord honours this feast with the title of His flesh and His blood. His flesh is meat indeed, His blood is drink indeed. "Whoso eats His flesh and drinks His blood hath eternal life." What a wonderful effect! Eternal life! Eternal love! Love is life.

Life, my beloved, is what we need, to live in goodness filled with sweetness and with peace. "Whoso eateth me," the Lord says, "shall live by me." Do we not wish to live? How can we live unless we receive Him. "With desire," He once said to His disciples "have I desired to eat this Passover with you, before I suffer." To abide in love, to work in love, to be grateful and full of praise in love. This is to be in life. Heaven is the land of the living. There is the Fountain of life; there the trees of life, the river of life. The Lord is life itself, and all live to Him.

Once more, do not forget there is defiled bread. The soul that has been forgetful of the bread of heaven is seduced to take polluted food. We can no more do absolutely without spiritual food, than we can without natural food.

Some people live on works of the imagination. These, when illustrative of true principles of life, and calculated to diffuse sympathy and kindness have a noble mission. When used to lighten our own grave duties in the world in the intervals of goodly work, the result of our own sense of duty, they are things to cheer, to strengthen, and to bless. But woe to those who live wholly on the imagination. It is spiritual dram-drinking; it is living on chaff; what is the chaff to the wheat? The greedy devourer of novel after novel, who is yet yearning after a sense of solid satisfaction, is seeking it where it cannot be found. These things at the best are the condiments of life, not the solid food. If your duties in life lie in its lower walks, do them faithfully, justly, from a spirit of religion. If you have no necessity to labour, yet look around for useful action. Life was not made for dreaming. What will your soul be in the eternal world if you have dozed its powers away in helpless inactivity. Remember who said, "Thou sayest thou art rich and hast need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked."-Rev. iii. 17.

Take relaxation, but do not neglect the ministries of life. "Work while it is day, the night cometh when no man can work."-John ix. 4. An early life spent here in brilliant nothings, promises later years of wearisomeness, repinings, heartachings, and regrets. The life of a moth spends itself in producing a worm. Vain dreamer! "Let your light so shine before men, that they can see your good works." Die not a sloth, to rise a fiend.

Once more, let us turn to the food provided by our Lord in the Holy Place. It is good, like the delights of angels, the bread of heaven. It is served on a golden table, beneath the smile of the Most High. Angels minister while you eat. The food itself gives life, eternal life and happiness. You are filled with joy unspeakable, and this meat endures to everlasting life. The Divine King of the feast Himself invites you. Hear His gracious voice, and obey, "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your souls shall live."-Isa. lv. 2, 3.

SERMON XXX.

THE SACRED CANDLESTICK.

"And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side: Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick. And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers. And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick. Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all of it shall be one beaten work of pure gold. And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it. And the tongs thereof, and the snuff-dishes thereof, shall be of pure gold. Of a talent of pure gold shall ye make it, with all these vessels. And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount."-Exodus xxv. 31-40.

One of the grand distinctions between a true religion and a false one is, that the true seeks light, and diffuses it, the other shrouds itself in mystery, and cries stand still: the one opens the mind, the other closes it.

The characteristic of opening the mind, and making it free by enlightening it, which is the virtue of true religion, is presented to us both in the world and in the Word by many symbols. The world rejoices in the light, trees grow in light, flowers derive their varied hues and loveliness from the light, and disclose them to the light. The sun, moon, stars, are things of light, and things of beauty.

So with Israel in Egypt, while their oppressors were in thick darkness, they had light in their dwellings. During the forty years of the sojourn in the wilderness the pillar of fire by night gave light to the camp.

The Lord Himself is light.-Ps. xxvii. 1. His Word is light.-Ps. cxix. 105. "Light is sown for the righteous.”— Ps. xcvii. 11. "The path of the just is as the shining light."Prov. iv. 18. The disciples of the Lord are to walk in the light. -John viii. 12; believe in the light.-John xii. 36. The light of the wicked will be put out, and they shall never see light.