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<CONTENTS>
PREFATORY NOTE. 4
CHAPTER I. 7
ON WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH. 7
ON WORSHIP IN CHAPTER II.

THE SUPREME IMPORTANCE OF
29
SPIRIT AND TRUTH CHURCH WORSHIP.

LEVITICUS, Chap. xvi.
29
42
HEBREWS, Chap. ix. 42
AN EXPOSITION OF THE RIGHT ORDER
OF THE PUBLIC WORSHIP OF CHAPTER III. 48
THE HEAVENLY PATTERN OF THE
THE CHURCH. HOUSE OF GOD. 48
BY CHAPTER IV. 65
THE GRANDEUR AND MINUTENESS
WILLIAM RENNIE CAIRD OF GODS ORDER. 65
CHAPTER V. 75
"THE LAW IS THE EXAMPLE AND SHADOW THE SERVANTS OF GOD, AND THEIR
church documents
OF HEAVENLY THINGS." ST. PAUL SERVICE. 75
LONDON. THOMAS BOSWORTH, 198, HIGH CHAPTER VI. 88

THE REVEALED ORDER OF DAILY
HOLBORN.
WORSHIP. 88
1877. CHAPTER VII. 107
PRAYER IN THE HOLY GHOST, HOW
TO BE OFFERED. 107
CHAPTER VIII. 118
THE CANDLESTICK A SYMBOL OF A
englische version
WORSHIPPING CHURCH. 118
© CHURCH DOCUMENTS . MICHELSTADT JANUAR 2007

Der vorliegende Text ist eine wörtliche Abschrift des Originals
unter gegebenenfalls orthographischer Anpassung
PETER SGOTZAI . MÖMLINGER WEG 3 . D-64720 MICHELSTADT Seite 2
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CHAPTER IX. 129 PREFATORY NOTE.

PECULIARITY OF THE WORSHIP ON
THE LORD S DAY. 129 AMONG British Christians the subject of Public
CHAPTER X. 143 Worship, its form and accessories, has been of late
THE HOLY TABLE: INSTITUTION OF very warmly debated, and the agitation thereby
THE EUCHARIST. 143 caused is not likely to be speedily appeased. In the
CHAPTER XI. 159 National Church of England attempts have been
LOSS OF ORIGINAL ORDER, AND made to re-introduce forms laid aside at the Reforma-
ONLY MEANS OF RECOVERY. 159
tion; and in order to enable the bishops to deal
CHAPTER XII. 174 promptly with these, the aid of fresh legislation has
SOLEMN CONCLUSIONS, HOPE AND
ENCOURAGEMENT. 174 been invoked, and the issues of an impending conflict
are engaging the hopes or fears of many, while other
dangers are descried by all who observe the signs of
the times in which we live. In the Established Church
of Scotland some ministers of mark have sought to
change the long existing usages of sitting while sing-
ing, and standing during prayer; and the Church
courts have bestirred themselves to prevent such
changes. A society has, nevertheless, been formed by
some leading ministers and influential laymen, called
"the Church Service Society," which seeks to revive li-
turgical forms. In Ireland the recently Dis-established
Church is agitated by discussions involving important
points noted in the Book of Common Prayer; and al-
though now free from State control, the clergy are far
from being so united in their views either of doctrine
or discipline as they ought to be.
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The warmth of spirit manifested in all these de- May the Father of the whole Christian family
bates, both by the innovators and the opposers of in- make it a means of blessing for His Name's sake.
novation, is evidence of the importance attached by
all of them to the subject of Church order, and espe- Amen.
cially to that of the form of public worship. Nor is this
warmth to be blamed. The rights of conscience are *****
ever to be respected. All that concerns the intercourse
between God and the spirits of His children demands
earnestness and decision, and must be reverently and
tenderly handled. Every intelligent Christian regards
the system of worship followed by himself as the best.
The standards of authority on this subject are only
two in number, viz: either the direct declarations of
Holy Scripture, the words of our Lord and His Apos-
tles, or the tradition, which claims to be regarded as
the voice of the Church, interpreting and enforcing by
canonical rules, these original declarations.
To the one or other of these standards must

every Christian give allegiance. To come to the help of
those who are halting between the two opinions the
following treatise has been written. The author, now
an aged disciple, presents it to his brethren the
clergy, and to all devout members of the laity, in the
spirit of brotherly love, trusting that it may enable
many of them to decide upon that form of holy wor-
ship which is most pleasing to God, and, therefore,
most becoming and beneficial to man.
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erly conducted, are designed by Himself to supply lar-

CHAPTER I.
ger measures of grace, deeper draughts of living wa-
ON WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH. ter, and richer stores of heavenly food, than can be
obtained by any one in the solitude of his own cham-
COMMUNION with God is unquestionably the
ber, or in the limited circle of his own family.
highest privilege of angels and of men. It is their su-
premest joy, and it shall be the abiding blessedness of
Even under the Old Testament dispensation,
the saved in the world to come. Everything that can
which the Apostle to the Gentiles declares to be infe-
assist Christians in their endeavours to attain to it,
rior in glory to the New (2Cor.iii.), the worshipper
and to abide in it, ought to be diligently sought for
could exclaim, "How amiable are Thy tabernacles, O
and reverently employed. Secret prayer, reading
Lord of Hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for
Scripture, and meditation, family devotion, singing
the courts of the Lord. . . . Blessed are they that dwell
psalms or hymns, the perusal of good books, listening
in Thy house, they will be still praising Thee" (Ps.
to scriptural sermons, conversation or correspon-
lxxxiv.) "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will
dence on religious truths; all these certainly are, and
I seek [003] after; that I may dwell in the house of the
are generally acknowledged to be, helps in promoting
Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of
[002] the knowledge of God and communion with
the Lord, and to inquire in His temple" (Ps. xxvii.) This
Him.
language warrants the assertion that in the services
of the sanctuary, conducted as they ought to be, the
But there are still more abundant sources of
blessings above noted should be enjoyed by the de-
help. "The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all
vout worshipper. But is this really the case? Do those
the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of
who come together, even on the Lord's day, so taste of
thee, O city of God" (Ps. lxxxvii.). The services of the
this blessedness that they can adopt this language,
house of God, the assemblies of His children, where,
and return to their homes rejoicing in the light, and
leaving their own dwellings, they come together ac-
strength, and purifying power of the public worship of
cording to His command, to worship Him as His fam-
the Church? It is to be feared that the number of
ily, to hear His word, to receive His blessing, and to
those who do so is very limited. The conscience of
partake of His holy ordinances; these services, prop-
every faithful shepherd must bear witness, that not-
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withstanding his zeal and diligence, the major part of that this light of nature is utterly powerless to show
his flock manifests little or nothing of that spiritual how God is to be worshipped. All heathen nations
joy of which we read in the record of the Church at have groped, and still are groping, in the darkness of
the beginning: "The disciples were filled with joy, and their foolish hearts, unable to discover the way of ap-
with the Holy Ghost" (Acts xiii.52). And yet we all ac- proaching Him, and consequently ignorant of the na-
knowledge that the ground of joy is unchanged, and ture of the service that can alone be acceptable to
that the call upon us now to be filled with the Holy Him. Among the descendants of Noah the true idea of
Spirit is as binding as ever(Eph. iii.19; v.18). sacrifice doubtless lingered for a time (as we find in
the instances of job, Melchizedek, and Jethro) [005],
The conclusions to which the examination of but it gradually died out from all save one family, and
Scripture on which we now enter will lead us, will was succeeded by that idolatry and utter corruption
[004] cast light upon the present condition of joyless- described by St. Paul (Rom. i. and Acts xiv. 16).
ness over which we mourn; and may, by the blessing
of the great Head of the Church, become instrumental As Christians, having the light of God, we believe
in its removal. To obtain a firm foundation for these and confess that the living and true "God made
conclusions, it is necessary to enumerate some ele- known His ways to Moses, His acts unto the children
mentary, but universally recognized, sound princi- of Israel" (Ps. ciii.7); that He preserved among His
ples, and to call attention to portions of holy Scrip- covenant people of old the knowledge of His name and
ture, which there is much reason to fear are not by faith in His promises, notwithstanding their frequent
any means appreciated as they ought to be. and grievous departures from His ways, and provok-
ing Him to anger (Ps. lxxviii. and cvi.) He spoke to
A very brief enumeration of these elementary them by His prophets; He committed to them His holy
truths will suffice for our present purpose. and lively oracles; and, in the fulness of time, by the
mission of His own Son, and the subsequent sending
While the testimony of the natural conscience of of His Holy Spirit, He has brought life and immortality
all men proves that there is a mighty God, a Creator to light. And we believe that all who have been re-
and Preserver, who should be honoured and feared, ceived into the number of His children by adoption,
the history of all nations no less clearly demonstrates and thereby made partakers of all the blessings of the
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New Covenant, are being trained for the kingdom of cal intrigues; she no longer maintains one faith and
heaven; and if they abide faithful, shall be in due time one hope, and abounds in charity, but presents to the
introduced into the inheritance of it, at the appearing eyes of Jews, Turks, and heathens, the spectacle of
of Christ in glory (1Peter i.3-7). many discordant tribes and families, among whom
the prevailing temper [007] towards each other is, an
As, however, the children of men, both before almost entire absence of that charity which should
[006] and after the Flood, fell away from God, and have been the distinguishing feature of Christians in
committed grievous wickedness; and as even the fa- every age.
voured seed of Abraham proved unfaithful to the
covenant made with them under the hand of Moses; Had not Our Lord warned His disciples that such
so have the members of the Christian family neglected evils should come in among them; had He not spoken
the warnings of the Lord, repeated and enforced by of false prophets (Matt. vii.15; xxiv.11), of whose
His apostles. They have grieved and vexed, and all but manner of working and the effects of it St. Peter gives
quenched the Holy Spirit, and are now come into a ample details (2Pet.ii.), and St. Paul and St. John
condition very different from that into which the first confirm this (2Thess.ii.; 1Tim.iv.; 1John iv.), we might
generation of the Church was brought, and in which well doubt whether the promise of the Lord to be with
all succeeding generations ought to have continued. His Church to the end of the age had not failed. Had
The Church is no longer seen as1 one body, but she is not the Lord warned His apostles of false Christs aris-
divided into many parts; she no longer abides in ing, who should deceive many (Matt, xxiv.5,23,24),
peace, but abounds in strife and hatred; she no and had not St. Paul and St. John clearly described
longer stands forth as a heavenly polity, giving light to the working of the mystery of iniquity, the perilous
all the dwellers on earth, but practically denying her character of the last days, and the manner of the de-
divine origin, character, and calling, she has in many liverance of a faithful remnant from the abounding of
lands settled down among earthly institutions and lawlessness and the snares of the Man of Sin, we
confederacies, having in these countries her doctrines might well despair of the purpose of God - to have a
and discipline controlled by the civil courts and politi- people ready for the appearing of the Lord - being at-
tained. But as we believe that every word of the Lord
1
„Seen as" was added. shall be fulfilled, we take comfort from the assurance
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given, that even in those last days of "distress of na- mind and will of God, and by His servants specially
tions and perplexity," [008] when "men's hearts are set apart for this service. That all worship must have
failing them for fear, and for looking after those things a common ground of sacrifice is shown by the institu-
which are coming on the earth;" the powers of heaven tion of sacrifice immediately after the Fall of Man; and
being shaken, there shall yet be some who then "look now that the one grand and all-sufficient sacrifice has
up and lift up their heads;" who are then found been offered and accepted, every approach of sinful
"watching and praying always, and shall be ac- man to God must be through Him, Who is "the Way,
counted worthy to escape all those things that shall the Truth, and the Life," and Who said, "no man
come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" cometh to the Father, but by Me" (John xvi.6). As to
(Luke xxi.25-36). the right, therefore, or warrant to draw near to God,
there can be no difference between the worship of an
The connection here established by the Lord be- individual or that of a family, and the worship of the
tween watching and praying, and being accounted whole Church as one body. Nevertheless, as the ap-
worthy to escape coming evils, shows the vast impor- pointed morning and evening sacrifice of old, offered
tance of prayer, the need of correct apprehension of and accepted in the name of all Israel, had a distinct-
its nature or character, and of its value or power. Es- ness of object from the sacrifice of any individual
pecially is this the case in regard to the united man, or that of any single family of Israel, and was
prayers of the Church, which is the dwelling-place of accompanied by services peculiar to the House of
the Spirit of God, the depository of every blessing for God, which only the anointed priests could fulfil; so
mankind, the dispenser of all the sacraments, for the prayers of the Church, when presented in the way
communicating and sustaining the life of God to the that the Lord has appointed, have a speciality of
faithful in this world, and the guardian of the hope of character not found elsewhere, and are answered by a
a better world to come. All men as individuals may speciality of [010] blessing which is not attainable
pray at all times, and in all places, lifting up holy apart from the fellowship of the one great family of
hands, and every head of a family ought to conduct God.
prayer and praise at the head of his household. But
the worship of the great congregation [009], which is Of the constitution and character of this family it
God's household, must be offered according to the is essential to our purpose to treat in the following
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pages, but we shall do this in so far only as is neces- We begin by calling attention to the fact, that
sary to the development of our special theme, namely, when the Lord had brought the descendants of Abra-
the order of the public worship of the Church. All our ham out of Egypt and formed them into an organized
arguments and illustrations shall be exclusively nation; when He had revealed to them, through
drawn from Scripture; so that every Christian, who Moses, His purpose to dwell in the midst of them; and
has enjoyed but a moderate amount of instruction, had made a solemn covenant with Israel, in which He
will be as competent to follow the course of our dem- took them to be a peculiar treasure to Himself, a
onstration, and as capable of observing whether we kingdom of priests, and a holy nation (Ex. xix.5-6), He
reason accurately and quote fairly, as the most immediately proceeded to direct a house or sanctuary
learned student of theology can be. Some of the con- to be built for Himself, and to prescribe an order of
clusions to which we shall come may, and doubtless holy worship and service so comprehensive, that in it
will, be found in contradiction to the long cherished the fullest provision is made, not only for the re-
ideas of many of our readers. We therefore entreat a quirements of the nation as a whole, but also for
patient hearing, and a careful consideration of the those of every tribe, and those of every household,
numerous texts of holy Scripture which we shall find yea, and of each individual worshipper, in every va-
it necessary to quote or refer to in support of our ar- riety of condition and circumstance of life. There is
gument; above all, we beg for an earnest desire on found in it a minuteness of detail which leaves not
their part for the sending forth of God's light and the smallest room for the exercise of human ingenu-
truth, that is, for the leading and teaching of the ity, either as to the service required [012], or as to the
Spirit of Truth, Who is promised to all that pray to the appointment and duties of the ministers charged with
Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ [011]. the fulfilment of it. In this revealed order are pre-
scribed, not only the nature and number of the sacri-
We lay our hand, therefore, reverently upon the fices to be presented, but also the time, place, and at-
Sacred Volume, and address ourselves to all who be- tendant circumstances of these - some daily, others
lieve with us, that in its pages alone are to be found weekly, some monthly, some yearly, some every seven
the materials needful to enable us to know what we years, and some every fifty years - in short, in this
are to believe concerning God and what duty He re- comprehensive and minute revelation a complete or-
quires of man. der of holy worship was instituted and commanded to
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be observed by the covenant people, among whom ing all the details of the law and the service of God
God had taken up His residence by filling His taber- (see Rom. ix.4), all dictated of God to His most hon-
nacle with the visible cloud of His glory (Ex. xl.). oured and faithful servant, were merely designed as a
passing arrangement or institution of a provisional
The large space assigned in the Sacred Volume to nature, to test the faith and obedience of the Israelites
this branch of revelation cannot fail to surprise those during the early stages of their national history, and
whose attention may not have been specially called to can, therefore, have at best but a secondary interest
it. It occupies the latter half of the Book of Exodus, for us, and little or no practical application to us? Do
the entire Book of Leviticus, a large portion of the we not, on the contrary, find that these statutes and
Book of Numbers, and portions of the Book of Deu- ordinances not only form the ground of all the Lord's
teronomy, thus occupying no less than sixty chapters dealings with His ancient people, and the theme of
of that volume which is "all given by inspiration of almost all the prophets [014] and psalmists, but also
God, and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for cor- that our Lord Himself declares that He came not to
rection, for instruction in righteousness" (2Tim. iii. destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfil, that
16). We may not question the authority by which not a jot or tittle of the law shall pass from it, till all
[013] the Apostle to the Gentiles declared to the saints be fulfilled (Matt. v.17,18), and repeats after His res-
in Rome that "Whatsoever things were written afore- urrection that all things written in the law concerning
time were written for our learning" (Rom. xv.4); nor Him must be fulfilled? (Luke xxiv.44.)
dare we, among the things so written, take exception
to these sixty chapters in the Books of Moses. These considerations ought surely to satisfy every
student of Scripture, that the institutions of the law
We may pause for an instant on the threshold of given to Israel of old must contain things of the deep-
our argument, and ask ourselves the question: Can est interest for us, who are the spiritual Israel, the
we, Christians, in the face of these plain and broad true circumcision, who worship God in the spirit
declarations of the Apostle, permit the thought to (Phil. iii.2). For did they not all proceed from Him who
form itself in our minds, that the contents of such an is our Father in heaven? Do they not all speak of
amount of Scripture, affecting the constitution of the Christ our Saviour? Are they not all fitted to the con-
people of God under the Old Testament, and contain- dition of man, his sinfulness and ignorance, his
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wants and weaknesses, and his need of salvation? are many terms, of the utmost importance to Chris-
And are not we partakers of all the frailties, and ex- tians, employed in all parts of the New Testament
posed to all the temptations of those whom the Apos- Scriptures, of which the meaning must be sought,
tle, writing to Christians, calls "our fathers?" and can only be found in that very record of the law of
(1Cor.x.1). Moses, which is considered by many to have less in-
terest for us than other portions of the Sacred Vol-
Let no one imagine, that by indulging in such a ume. Among these terms let it suffice for the present
train of thought we should be forgetting the higher to note the [016] following: "sanctuary," "house of
and better standing of the Christian covenant - the God," "altar," "morning and evening sacrifice,"
fact that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of "priest," "offering," "shedding and sprinkling of blood,"
the law (Gal. iii.13), and called us to [015] stand fast "atonement," "anointed," "redemption," "mercy-seat,"
in the liberty wherewith He has made us free (Gal. "first-fruits," "harvest; " and still more directly essen-
v.1). So far from inclining for a moment to the error of tial to our present inquiry: "worship and service of
the Galatians, we shall make the vast superiority of God;" and even these holy names: "Lamb of God,"
the New Testament dispensation the very basis of our "High Priest," and "Minister of the true Tabernacle."
argument, and shall contrast it with the Old at every
point of our progress. But in proposing to call atten- We are well aware that many devout persons,
tion to the record of the order of holy worship and while admitting the value of the Old Testament Scrip-
service given to Israel of old, we do so for the following tures as an essential part of Divine Revelation, do
among other reasons: First, that record is an ac- nevertheless maintain that many parts of these have
knowledged part of Divine Revelation. Secondly, it oc- already completely served the end for which they were
cupies a very large space in the Sacred Volume. given, and cannot now be regarded as furnishing spe-
Thirdly, it is expressly said, in the New Testament cial materials for direction as to the worship of the
Scriptures, that these institutions of God regarding Christian Church, because our Lord has declared
worship were types or shadows of better things for us. that the worship offered at Jerusalem since the days
Fourthly, we know Him, of Whom Moses in the law of Solomon was to cease, and in fact did cease, on the
did write, and Who is the end of the law for right- destruction of that city by the Romans; and was suc-
eousness to all believers. And finally, because there ceeded by a spiritual order of worship, in which not
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only no part of the ceremonial law prescribed to Israel We call attention in passing to the seven times
had or could have any place at all, but thenceforth repeated word "worship," as showing of what supreme
any form that might be adopted by devout men was importance it is in the sight of God, and [018] proceed
acceptable to God and profitable to the [017] wor- to inquire into the precise meaning of the words "in
shippers, provided only that it was sincerely and rev- spirit and in truth." A popular opinion prevails that
erently practised. these two words mean much the same thing as spiri-
tually and truly; and that Our Lord merely employed
In order to ascertain whether the declaration of both in order to give more emphasis to His discourse.
Our Lord really bears this meaning, we must very This opinion, however, is a very superficial and unsat-
carefully examine the passage in which it occurs. It is isfactory one; for if the former of these words, "wor-
in St. John's Gospel, chap. iv. Our Lord, having in His ship in spirit," be held to include all that can be meant
journey come to Jacob's well in Samaria weary and by such expressions as "inwardly, heartily, and sin-
thirsty, asks a woman of Samaria to give Him to cerely; with all the powers and faculties of the spirit of
drink; and after some conversation the woman recog- man; the opposite of merely formal, or external, or
nizes Him as a prophet, and immediately propounds corporeal worship, and the absence of all falsehood or
the great national question between her nation and duplicity," there is left for the latter word, namely,
the Jews regarding the place of worship most accept- "worship in truth," no special or distinct signification
able to God. Jesus thereupon says: "Woman, believe at all. Nevertheless, a very short examination of the
Me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this import of the word "truth," as employed in other parts
mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. of the same Gospel of St. John, will suffice to con-
Ye worship ye know not what; we know what we wor- vince us that it bears in this passage a very distinct
ship; for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour and important signification.
cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall
worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Fa- In the first chapter of St. John's Gospel we read:
ther seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit, "The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth
and they that worship Him must worship Him in came by Jesus Christ" (v. 17). Here the law, God's
spirit and in truth." own ordinance for Israel, is put into contrast with
grace and truth. But we know [019] that the law itself
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was God's true revelation of His will, and contained With this light upon the import of the words
nothing but pure truth, although veiled under sym- "truth" and "true," as employed in the Gospel of St.
bols and types which pointed to better things that John, let us look again at the passage (chapter iv.23),
should afterwards be revealed (Gal. iii.23). Here, "the true worshippers shall worship the Father in
therefore, the contrast is not between truth and false- spirit and in truth." If the former part of this sentence
hood, but between the law as given by Moses, or re- be understood as opposed to the ignorant worship of
vealed to Moses, and the truth now revealed in Jesus the Samaritans, offered on Mount Gerizim, the second
Christ. part can only be held to signify that worship which
was now about to take the place of the Temple service
Farther, we read in the same first chapter of St. at Jerusalem. This latter was, indeed, an intelligent
John: "That was the true light, which lighteth every worship, i.e., not an ignorant worship like that of the
man that cometh into the world" (v.9). Here the appo- Samaritans; for Jesus had just said, "we know what
sition is not between the Lord Jesus Christ and any we worship;" but still it was a worship by means of
false light; but the meaning is evidently this: Jesus is types, symbols, or shadows. All these types pointed to
that of which Light, the first creature thing called into Christ, the coming One, and all must find in Him
existence by the word of God, is but the form or sym- their substance or antitype. Again, the solemn repeti-
bol, or, if we may say so, the shadow. In chapter tion of this word in v.24 teaches, as plainly as words
vi.32, we read that Jesus spake, "My Father giveth can do, that worship "in truth," as well as worship "in
you the true bread from heaven," and again, chapter spirit," is what the Lord now requires. And this wor-
xv.1, "I am the true vine." In both these expressions ship shall never, can never, cease. It shall constitute
the meaning can only be, I am that whereof bread, the the blessedness of the saints in the world to come. "In
sustainer of man's life, and wine, the gladdener of spirit," indeed, that is, with the [021] highest powers
man's heart (Psalm civ. 15), are but the types or em- of their being - heart, soul, mind, and strength -had
blems. This is confirmed by such words as (Colos- all believing Jews from the days of Moses onwards,
sians i.16): "All things were created by Him and for and all the faithful patriarchs and holy men of old be-
Him," and [020] (St. John xiv.6), "I am the Way, the fore the days of Moses, worshipped the Father. The
Truth, and the Life."
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language of the psalmists and of the prophets shows

doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well;
this too plainly to require any argument.2 seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for
the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:
though your [023] sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
2 See Psalm l,8-15,23: "I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be will-
or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before Me. I will take ing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse
no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds; for every and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the
beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I Lord hath spoken it." Jeremiah vii.21-23: "Thus saith the Lord of
know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacri-
are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is Mine, fices, and eat flesh. For I spake not unto your fathers, nor com-
and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood manded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt,
of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: but this thing commanded I
most High: and call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be
and thou shalt glorify Me. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me: and to My people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you,
him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of that it may be well unto you." Micah vi.3-9: "O My people, what have
God." Psalm li.16,17: "For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against
give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are Me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed
a broken [022] spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aa-
not despise." Isaiah i. 10-20: "Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of ron, and Miriam. O My people, remember now what Balak king of
Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him
To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me? saith from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the
the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed Lord. Wherewith shall I [024] come before the Lord, and bow myself
beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of before the high God? shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
he goats. When ye come to appear before Me, who hath required with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of
this at your hand, to tread My courts? Bring no more vain oblations; rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn
incense is an abomination unto Me; the new moons and sabbaths, for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He
the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord re-
solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts My quire of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly
soul hateth: they are a trouble unto Me; I am weary to bear them. with thy God? The Lord's voice crieth unto the city, and the man of
And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from y- wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath ap-
ou: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are pointed it." 1 Samuel xv.22: "And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as
full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice
Seite 25 Seite 26
And yet all these servants of God, while they so Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one
spake and wrote, were using all the appointed forms God, is adored by saints and angels; and shall be so
of the law of Moses. But Jesus declared to the Sa- for ever.
maritan woman that from a coming hour and thence-
forth men should worship, not only "in spirit" (without *****
which no worship was ever really offered to God, or
could be accepted by Him), but also "in truth," in real-
ity, for the type has [025] now found in Him its anti-
type; the shadow must now give place to the sub-
stance; the darkness is past, and the true light now
shineth (1 John ii.8).
The meaning, therefore, of the words of Our Lord

is, that as worship is that which God requires of us,
and which it is our privilege as well as our duty to of-
fer to Him; so it is worship "in truth," as well as "in
spirit," that we must offer, according to the word of
Him Who is the one Head of the Church, our High
Priest at the Father's right hand; Who presents the
worship of all the redeemed creation; Who is the alone
Mediator between God and man; through Whom alone
we can approach the Father; and
of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken

than the fat of rams."
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brief ejaculations, or sighs and groans, for the relief of

CHAPTER II.
the burdened heart, which reveal the longings and
THE SUPREME IMPORTANCE strugglings of the Spirit who maketh intercession for
OF CHURCH WORSHIP. us (Rom. viii.26). Oh the mystery of prayer! The Spirit
HAVING thus so far cleared the way to the con- of God calling from our hearts to the Father in
sideration of the important subject of the worship of heaven, through the Son, the alone Mediator, the all-
the Christian Church, we proceed to notice briefly the prevailing High Priest!
only other modes of worship in which we can draw
near to God. These are the worship of an individual, Nevertheless it is worthy of the most serious con-
which may be termed private or closet worship, and sideration, that it was in reference to this very subject
the worship of a family or household; both quite dis- of secret prayer that Our Lord prescribed that sub-
tinct from the worship of the Church, the assembly of lime and comprehensive form which is called by His
the congregation of the children of God, constituted Name - "The Lord's Prayer." "Thou," said Jesus, select-
according to His appointment. ing an individual as a model for each one of His great
family, "Thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy
I. Private or secret prayer may be classed among closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy
those things which cannot possibly be brought under Father which is in secret, and thy Father, which seeth
special rules, or exercised according to a fixed form. in secret [028], shall reward thee openly." After a
Doubtless the varied wants of each [027] individual warning against vain repetitions, He added: "After this
soul, its temptations and trials, its joys and sorrows, manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father, which art in
the bitterness known only to itself, and the joy heaven," &c. (Matt. vi.6-9). Compare Luke xi.1-4,
wherewith no stranger meddleth, the amount of self- where the context shows that the disciples had on
knowledge, and the result of self-examination before that occasion asked for instruction regarding secret
the Lord, these must suggest to each one who really prayer.
holds communion with God in secret, both the sub-
stance and the form of prayer; and the command, The change from the singular "thou," "thy closet,"
"Pray without ceasing" (1Thess. v.1 7) must prompt to "thy Father," in the context, to the plural "our" in the
prescribed form, shows that in offering this prayer no
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one is ever really alone; that although no human alluded in the case of private prayer. The head of each
heart on earth may at that instant be beside us, and house alone knows, or should know, the condition of
presenting prayer with us, yet there is One always all his family; and according to that condition must
present, inspiring and sustaining us, namely, He in the devotion of the house be expressed. No social wor-
Whose sympathy and communion we can draw near, ship can be imagined where no order of any kind is
even in secret, to our common God and Father in observed. Time, place, and circumstance may vary in
heaven. each house, but some fixed time and place of assem-
bling, and some form, must be arranged for united
From the emphatic "enter into thy closet and shut prayer and praise; otherwise the family would lose al-
thy door," and the twice-repeated "in secret," we can- together its character of a well-ordered Christian
not fail to see the ground of the deep indignation of household. The examples of Noah (Gen. vii.1), and of
the Lord against the hypocrites who made a parade of Abraham (Gen. xviii.19), of Job (chap. i.5), and of
their personal devotions, and who had their reward. David (2 Samuel vi.2o), are all recorded as models for
the imitation of heads of families. The commendation
It will doubtless occur to our readers, that for a of Christian [030] bishops and deacons in the primi-
service of a special personal kind prescribed to the tive Church was, that they ruled their own houses
Jews (although not in this case secret), a beautiful and children well (1Tim. iii.), which, without goodly
[029] liturgical order of observance has been written, order in the matter of family worship, is utterly incon-
which no one can read without emotion. We allude to ceivable; and their example was doubtless the rule for
this in order to commend it to the careful meditation all fathers of families in the best days of the Church.
of such as are tempted to say: "What is there in a Little do the heads of families, where worship is ne-
form of words, or reverential act or attitude, provided glected, imagine what fearful words are recorded
the heart be full of prayer or thanksgiving?" See Deut. against them in the book of the prophet Jeremiah
xxvi.1-15. (chap, x. 25).
II. For domestic or family worship there seems to There is, however, one passage in the history of
be, in a great measure, the same difficulty in regard God's ancient people, from which much valuable in-
to a settled form or order, as that to which we have struction in regard to the household worship of Chris-
Seite 31 Seite 32
tian families may be drawn. We refer to the institution The lesson for a Christian household is this: The
of the Passover in Egypt. Into the typical signification family is gathered together in the evening; sin con-
of that solemn rite, or into the spiritual meaning of all fessed and put away through the blood of Christ; pro-
the parts of that service, it is not needful to enter tection sought and found by the head of the family
here. Enough for our purpose is attained, if we learn covering all by his faith, and feeding his charge by
that a form of action was prescribed for each several loving exhortation and words of rebuke where re-
house, not only for that memorable night in which the quired; thus strengthening all and keeping them
Lord brought them forth out of Egypt, but during fu- watching during the night of trouble when evil is
ture generations; that the remembrance of their deliv- abroad, uniting them as one family in the spirit of
erance might be preserved in their families, and the watchfulness (Luke xii.35-38; xxi.34-36; Mark xiii.33-
way prepared for that greater mystery of divine love to 37); looking for [032] that blessed hope and the glori-
which the apostle refers when [031] he says, "Christ ous appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Je-
our Passover is sacrificed for us therefore let us keep sus Christ (Titus ii.13; 2Peter iii.12-14; Phil. iii.20,21;
the feast" (1Cor. v.7, 8). Heb. ix.28). And in the morning a song of praise and
rejoicing, thanksgiving for preservation during the
The order given to the families of Israel was, that night, and for the blessing of light and renewed health
the head of each house should, on a given day, take a and strength, in anticipation of that song which shall
lamb without blemish, and in the evening slay it, dip burst forth from all creation when the morning of the
a bunch of hyssop in the blood, and strike it upon the Resurrection dawns.
door-posts and lintel of his house; thereafter roast
and eat the flesh of the lamb with unleavened bread Thus is a family sustained in faith in the blood of
and bitter herbs, eating in haste with loins girt, shoes the Lamb of God, in unity and love of the head and
on feet, and staff in hand (Exod. xii.3-11,22). Obedi- members; and in the hope that even now gives cour-
ence to this order secured the families of Israel from age to face all the trials and to fulfil all the duties of
the plague that fell on the Egyptians, and the light of life.
the following morning found them already free from
the house of bondage. The conviction that this sacred feast, prescribed
for the Jews, is most intimately connected with all
Seite 33 Seite 34
those spiritual blessings which distinguish the Chris-

III. The Public Worship of the Christian Church.
tian Dispensation, must be strengthened by the re-
membrance of the fact, that it was while Our Lord
Perhaps one of the simplest definitions of the
and His Apostles were assembled as a family to keep
Christian Church is "God's household, or family"
the Passover, that the holy ordinance of the Lord's
(Ephes. iii.15); that is, the community or society
Supper was instituted, by partaking of which the life
which Jesus, after His Ascension, began to gather
of the Church has been preserved during the long
around the apostles whom He had chosen, and which
night of Our Lord's absence, and in celebrating which
He has since continued to gather and to train, by
she shows forth His death "until He come again"
means of ordinances given by Himself, for the inheri-
(1Cor. xi.26) [033].
tance of His heavenly kingdom.
Another very plain and significant, though short

Of this family all baptized persons are members,
word of the Lord to Israel regarding the goodly order
just as all the circumcised were members of the [034]
of a devout family, may be read in Deut. vi.7, and the
Jewish family. By the sacrament of baptism, which is
connection of verses 20 to 25 with the ordinance of
God's ordinance and means of grace, we are cut off
the Passover is too close to be overlooked.
from the common stock of fallen humanity, and
brought into a spiritual relationship to God, having
As the Church, however, is the Lord's appointed
privileges and responsibilities peculiar to that rela-
teacher of all the ways of God to all men, the public
tionship. There are other names or definitions of the
worship of His one great family, and the order ap-
Church employed in Scripture, such as "spiritual
pointed for that, will doubtless be found the best
house," of which those introduced in the Lord's ap-
guide and instructor in all that concerns the worship
pointed way are "living stones;" the "body of Christ,"
of families and individuals: we proceed, therefore, to
in which we are made members, not only of Christ the
the principal subject of our treatise, namely,
Head, but also one of another, as the branches are
members of a vine. Each of these definitions serves to
illustrate some special portion of the truth of the
unity or oneness of the Church. (See 1Tim. iii. 15;
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2Tim. ii.2o; Eph. ii.22; 1Cor. vi.19; 1Pet. ii.4-6; 1Cor. revolve. In the pages of the New Testament Scriptures
xii.12,27; Johnxv.1,5.) we find the same names of "chosen family," "people or
nation," "household of God," and "kingdom of priests,"
The process of gathering and training the mem- applied to the Church, but with this marked differ-
bers of this family of God, the members of the mysti- ence, that while the Jews had in their midst the
cal body of Christ, the fitting of these living stones for house or dwelling-place of God, the Christian Church
their places in the spiritual house or temple of God, is is herself called by that name. The analogy between
the work of the Holy Ghost, begun at Pentecost but the two families, peoples, or nations, would naturally
not yet finished. It shall continue until the number of lead us to the conclusion that there must [036] be a
the elect be completed, which will be at the second close connection between the laws and ordinances
coming of Our Lord, His coming again to judge the prescribed for the natural and the spiritual Israel; es-
quick and the dead [035]. pecially those connected with the service or worship
of the house or dwelling-place of God; and we have al-
Keeping these definitions of the Church distinctly ready seen how the Lord, while declaring that worship
in view, and entering directly upon the questions, should continue to be presented to the Father, de-
What is the character of the worship which God de- fined the worship that should take the place of that
sires the Church to present? and according to what formerly offered at Jerusalem as "worship in spirit
form must it be presented? we must be permitted to and in truth," that is, in substance or reality, instead
repeat what we have already briefly stated, viz.: That of in type, symbol, or figure.
the Lord, having chosen the family of Abraham, and
multiplied them so that they became a nation, called If we now take up the words of St. Peter regard-
them His kingdom or dominion (Ps. cxiv.), gave them ing the Church, as coming into the place towards God
His law, and prescribed for them a constitution most of the literal Israel, and called to offer spiritual sacri-
minute, but expressed in types or symbols, of which fices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1Pet.
the Tabernacle or Sanctuary was the centre; and ii.5); and if we ask how these sacrifices are to be of-
around which the entire system of their worship, their fered? we cannot but be reminded that the Epistle to
feasts and festivals, and their observances, public or the Hebrews supplies the fullest exposition of the doc-
private - that is, national or individual - were made to trine of priesthood and sacrifice, showing how Our
Seite 37 Seite 38
Lord fulfilled what was written of Him, as Himself the of the Tabernacle and its furniture) "were thus or-
sacrifice and the officiating Priest. Here we may ex- dained, the priests went always into the first taberna-
pect the clearest and most positive indications of the cle, accomplishing [038] the service of God. But into
nature and order of that better worship, that worship the second went the High Priest alone once every
"in spirit and in truth" which the Church of the New year, not without blood, which he offered for himself,
Testament is called and [037] privileged to offer unto and for the errors of the people; the Holy Ghost this
the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not
yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was
But here another objection is made by a very yet standing; which was a figure for the time then
numerous body of Christians, to our going for help in present, in which were offered both gifts and sacri-
the matter of our inquiry to the epistle to the He- fices that could not make him that did the service
brews, because, say they, the words of the Apostle in perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; which stood
chap. ix. of that epistle amount to a declaration that only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and
all the symbols, forms, and ceremonies of the law carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of
have received their appointed fulfilment in the person reformation" (Heb. ix.6-10).
and work of Our Lord Himself, and being thus by Him
accomplished, can in no way be now regarded as con- Here we have an inspired exposition of the mean-
taining anything binding on the Christian Church. ing of a part of the typical order of worship prescribed
Consequently, say they, any attempt to apply what is to the Jews; but this part furnishes the key to the rest
said of these forms to the order of the worship of the of the type, by showing that not only was the grand
Church is a returning to the law, and a bringing of purpose of God symbolically set forth by the ar-
Christians under bondage to Jewish ordinances. rangements of the Tabernacle and the services
therein, but even the successive steps of that pur-
Let us turn to the passage referred to and exam- pose. To keep close to the text, we observe that there
ine it attentively, that we may ascertain whether it was -
does really contain such a declaration, and warrant
such a conclusion. The words of the Apostle are 1. A continual service of God accomplished by
these: "When these things" (namely, the arrangement the priests, who went "always" for that purpose into
Seite 39 Seite 40
the first or holy place of the Tabernacle [039]. Now

this was a most orderly service, every step of it having
LEVITICUS, HEBREWS,
been prescribed to Moses. And being a figure wemay Chap. xvi. Chap. ix.
ask: Of what was it a figure? Clearly of something bet-
ter in substance, but we may not add "in which better
1. On the 10th day of the 1. In the fulness of time
service order is a matter of indifference." Farther
7th month (v.29), (v.26),
there was -
2. Aaron the High Priest 2. Jesus, Our High Priest

2. An occasional service only once a-year, fulfilled
(v.3) (v.1 1)
by the High Priest alone. But the fact, that in this an-
nual service was foreshadowed the work of atonement
3. entered within the vail 3. entered into heaven it-
which in the fulness of time Jesus Christ Our Lord
(v.12), self (v.24); [040]
and Saviour should fulfil, this fact invests the ordi-
nance with a solemnity and importance for us which
4. not without blood of 4. with His own blood
no words of ours can express. We shall, therefore,
animals (v.5-11), (v.12);
carefully follow the Apostle in his exposition of it. The
details of this service, as to time, place, and circum-
5. sprinkled it, and 5. appearing in the pres-
stance, are given in the verses immediately following
burned incense (v. 12- ence of God for us
those already quoted, and to show the wondrous mi-
16); (v.24). Compare
nuteness of the type or figure we put these into a
chap.vii.v.25.)
tabular form, and contrast them with the truths or
6. All this he did alone (v.
realities foreshadowed by them: -
17): 6. Jesus is the alone Me-
diator; and
7. And when he had fin-
ished the service, 7. When He shall have
ended His interces-
8. he put on his glorious sion,
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garments, and came He shall Temple, recorded in three of the Gospels (Matt.
forth and blessed the xxvii.51, Mark xv.38, and Luke xxiii.45), as indicating
people (v.23). Com 8. come forth in glory and the change that then passed upon that part of the
pare Exod.xxviii. majesty for the sal Jewish Ritual which related to the annual entrance of
vation of them that the High Priest into the holiest; the true Sacrifice, full,
look for Him (v.28). perfect, and sufficient, being now once for all con-
summated, and admitting of no repetition; the Victim
having been slain can die no more (Rom. vi.9,10).
3. In addition to this marvelously beautiful detail
of the ministry of the High Priest, we note that the This is confessedly the foundation truth (if we
Apostle expressly declares that the ministry of the may so speak) of our common Christianity, the work
priests, or their service of God in the first Tabernacle, done by Christ for us, the work of atonement, the ex-
namely, the holy place (v.6), was a figure for the time piation for our sins, the reconciliation of our persons,
then present, that is, before the Way into the holiest of and the way opened for our return to God, to be
all was made manifest. How that was made manifest washed, justified, and sanctified, by the ministry of
we are not for a moment left to doubt. When He, Who the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, which is accordingly
is "the Way," the only Way to the Father, left the followed by the work of Christ in us, shadowed forth
world, to return to the Father from Whom He came in the type by the sprinkling of the blood by the High
forth (see John xvi.5,28), He did so by His death, His Priest within the vail. This leads us to observe, in ref-
blood-shedding, His sacrifice for the sins of the world erence to the words quoted as an objection to our ar-
(1John ii.2). By this offering of the body of Jesus gument [042] -
Christ once, the Apostle shows that all the sacrifices
and offerings of the law were taken away (made to 4. That the "gifts and sacrifices" offered under the
cease) (Heb.x.9) [041], having now been realized, and law "could not make him that did the service perfect,
their design or object attained in the sacrifice of as pertaining to the conscience," these ordinances
Christ (Ps. xl., Isaiah liii., Daniel ix.24, Zech. xiii.7, having been "imposed only until the time of reforma-
and Apostolical Epistles passim). In closest reference tion." Here we are taught that a time of reformation
to our subject we note the rending of the vail of the should come when these imperfect ordinances should
Seite 43 Seite 44
give way to something better. But surely "reformation" death, the typical services of that day set forth what
of these can never be construed to mean a cessation He is now doing in heaven, and what He will continue
of the better service which they symbolized. On the to do until He comes again in His glory. We have seen
contrary, the Apostle, after having shown what that that the change indicated by the time of reformation
service is, and who is the Minister fulfilling it, and pointed to the coming of the true High Priest, to the
where it is now being fulfilled, proceeds immediately better sacrifice, to Heaven itself, to worshippers really
to show that what the sacrifices under the law, being cleansed, consciences purged, and Christians called
shadows, could never do - namely, "take away sins" - to serve the living God, by drawing near into the Holi-
has been done by the reality which they prefigured, est of all, where Jesus now is carrying on His work of
even the sacrifice of Christ, and follows up his argu- intercession.
ment thereupon by the startling command, "Let us
draw near with a true heart, having our hearts sprin- Having also found that the holy order of the type
kled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed corresponds to an equally holy order in the reality, we
with pure water" (Heb. x.1-22). content ourselves at present with the conclusions
that the latter is not less, but, if possible, more im-
Thus, in examining an apparent objection to our portant than the former, and that a knowledge of holy
seeking for light upon the nature and order of the order is essential to our presenting [044] worship to
worship of the Church in the Epistle to the Hebrews, God in the way alone pleasing to Him, and therefore
arising from the language of the Apostle [043] in the most profitable for ourselves. We proceed, accord-
beginning of chap. ix., we have been brought face to ingly, to consider, as minutely as we can, the con-
face with the most solemn of all realities, even the struction and uses of the house of God, under the
truths typified or symbolized by the ordinances pre- hand of Moses, with a view to obtain light upon the
scribed for the great Day of Atonement. We have seen daily and weekly services of the Church, which is the
that the order of the service of that day answers step spiritual house of God, and thereby to arrive at the
for step, time, place, and circumstance, to the order solution of the question: what form of holy worship
of the vast reality; that, so far from being accom- for the Christian Church is pointed out or foreshad-
plished or exhausted by the work of Our Lord on owed by the services of worship commanded to, and
earth - namely, His ministry, and sufferings, and for a time at least observed by, the faithful under the
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Old Testament Dispensation? If we succeed in this,

CHAPTER III.
we need not fear being thereby brought into bondage,
or having our communion with God fettered, or even THE HEAVENLY PATTERN
narrowed; but shall find it, on the contrary, elevated, OF THE HOUSE OF GOD.
enlarged, and intensified by the communications of WE have seen, in commenting on a passage in
the quickening Spirit from Him Who is the Way, the the Epistle to the Hebrews (chap, ix.), that the pre-
Truth, and the Life. scribed order of service for the Day of Atonement sets
forth the person and work of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
***** as High Priest and alone Mediator, and that the most
holy place of the Tabernacle was nothing less than a
figure of Heaven itself, whither Our Lord has as-
cended, and where He is now making continual inter-
cession for us.
The revelation of this grand truth may be said to

be the almost exclusive subject of that epistle, which
more than any other furnishes the key to the entire
Ritual of the Jewish law. In other epistles we find
brief allusions to the Church as [046] the building of
God (Matt. xvi.18, 1Cor. iii.9), temple of the Holy
Ghost (1Cor. vi.19), habitation of God (Eph. ii.22),
house of God (1Tim. iii.I5), and spiritual house
(1Peter ii.5), but nowhere so fully as in the Epistle to
the Hebrews is there to be read such a clear exposi-
tion of the building and the furniture, the services
and the ministers - in a word, the worship of that
house of God constructed by Moses as a type or
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shadow of the true "house of God, the Church of the enly truth, which could not be expressed by any other
living God, the pillar and ground of the truth," as St. materials, nor even by those employed, if used in any
Paul expresses it in his first Epistle to Timothy. other forms, or in any different proportions.
We turn, therefore, to the instructions given to What Moses was charged to make was a Sanctu-
Moses concerning the pattern or model of the house ary for God to dwell in. Keeping this steadily in view,
of God, to learn something of its structure, that we we shall be at no loss to apprehend why the materials
may better apprehend the nature and order of the are to be so precious, and the variety so great; nor
worship appointed to be offered therein. A model or shall we be disposed to question the assertion, that
pattern of a house may be made of any material, that each several part of the structure and every varied
will suitably represent the form and proportions of combination of the materials are requisite to show
what is in the mind of the architect. But in regard to forth certain portions of the Divine purpose towards
the pattern of the sanctuary shown to Moses in the men, among [048] whom God condescends to dwell,
mount, according to which he constructed the taber- and the relative positions of those towards God and
nacle with its furniture, it was a heavenly building, each other, in the service of that sanctuary.
the component parts of which could only be repre-
sented [0047] by the most costly materials that the Perhaps no other illustration of this can be more
earth could furnish. The term "worldly sanctuary" apt, or more generally intelligible, than the structure
(Hebrews ix.7) evidently signifies: made of materials of the human body, the dwelling-place of the soul and
supplied by this world. These were honoured of God spirit of man. What a complex yet harmonious
to express the truths intended to be represented. The framework of bones and muscles, of arteries, veins,
Tabernacle, as is well known, was a very complex and nerves! what perfection of arrangement for respi-
structure, the component parts of it consisting of dif- ration and digestion, and for the circulation of the
ferent substances, all of them the most valuable of blood! and what marvellous organs of sense and of
their kind, and being a representation of something speech! While the bodies of all other living creatures
heavenly, we are warranted to say that each compo- are equally the work of God, there is in the very form,
nent part was designed by its substance, its form, attitude, and faculties of man that which indicates
and its proportions, to set forth a spiritual or heav- the ruler over the lower animals; and even amid the
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ruin that sin has caused, there are marks of the immediately on the subject we have undertaken to
original dignity of the Being whose formation was the examine.
completing and crowning act of God in the work of
creation. "The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto
the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering;
In this wondrous structure, in a state of health, of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye
there is no waste of power, no needless multiplication shall take My offering. And this is the offering which
of parts; but each member, even the minutest, fulfils ye shall take of them, gold, and silver, and brass, and
its function for the benefit of the whole body, making blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and
it a fit dwelling-place for its spiritual occupant. And goats' hair, rams' [050] skins dyed red, and badgers'
when we recall the [049] fact that the true dwelling- skins, and shittim wood, oil for the light, spices for
place of God is the Church, the Body of Christ, of anointing oil and for sweet incense, onyx stones, and
which the Lord Jesus is the Head, and we are the stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.
members, we require no argument to convince us that And let them make Me a Sanctuary, that I may dwell
the pattern of this House of God, wherein He is to be among them. According to all that I show thee, after
manifested for ever, must comprise all the arrange- the pattern of the Tabernacle, and the pattern of all
ments which eternal wisdom can devise, and eternal the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it"
power and goodness can bring into being; that it must (chap. xxv.1-9).
be perfection itself, not only when regarded as a
whole, but in every part of its manifold and mysteri- Here there are three things demanding special at-
ous, but all very good details. tention: the Materials, the Purpose, and the Pattern.
Let us take these in the order indicated.
Let us therefore consider attentively the account
of the Tabernacle which God directed Moses to make I. The order for the Materials.
in the Wilderness. We have the details in the Book of Remembering the words of the Apostle (Col. i.16)
Exodus, in the 25th and following chapters; from that all things were created not only by the Son of
which we shall only cite those verses which bear more God, but alsofor Him, we have in the order here given
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to Moses a glance into the reason why gold and silver worn while fulfilling the service. Finally, glancing on-
and precious stones are hidden in the rocks and ward to chap. xxxi.1-11, we learn that special gifts of
mountains, and in the deep caves of the earth, yet knowledge and wisdom were bestowed on workmen,
brought to light and made use of by man; why flow- called of God by name for that end, to devise and exe-
ers, and fruits, and oil, and wine, and gums, and cute all manner of cunning work [052], that the
spices are still produced from the ground, though it workmanship as well as the plan might be altogether
has been cursed for man's sake, and abounds in and alone of God. A new language was then and there
thorns and thistles; why the heavens are still adorned invented, and a proof incidentally furnished that it is
with fair colours, and animals, both wild and tame, in the purpose of God to redeem not man alone, but
are [051] clothed, some with fleeces, and some with also the inferior creation, to glorify His Christ; that
hair; and even why some insects toil and spin to pro- Christ, in the fulness of time, should in and through
duce substances for the use of man; for here we find His mystical body the Church, glorify the Father, that
that to provide the materials required for the dwell- God might be All in All.
ing-place of God all the kingdoms of nature are laid
under contribution: the earth yielding up her precious II. The announcement of the Purpose.
metals and her still more precious stones, the woods "Let them make Me a Sanctuary, that I may dwell
of her stately trees, and the sap and fruit of her costly among them," is the simple but solemn word of the
plants; the insect yielding its silk, and the animals Lord to Moses (Exodus xxv.8). Well may we cry out as
their skins and hair. And because nature did not fur- Solomon did at the dedication of the Temple: "But will
nish emblems enough, to set forth the variety of truth God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Be-
to be symbolized in the Sanctuary, the resources of hold, heaven, and the heaven of heavens cannot con-
human art are called into requisition; the blue, the tain Thee! how much less this house that I have
purple, and the crimson dyes of Egypt; the arts of builded!" (1Kings viii.27, and 2Chron. vi.18). This in-
spinning, and weaving, and embroidering; of cutting timation of the grand purpose of God given to Moses
and carving precious stones; and all manner of work- on this occasion is renewed and developed in the con-
ing in gold, and silver, and brass, and wood; and the text. After some minute details in the order for mak-
art of shaping and sewing curtains and veils for the ing the ark and the mercy seat, and cherubims of
Tabernacle, and holy vestments for the priests to be
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gold, we read (v.21): "And Thou shalt put the mercy These words need no comment. That they con-
seat above upon the ark, and in the ark thou shalt tain the announcement of the Eternal Purpose of God
put the testimony that I shall [053] give thee;" and towards the Church, is put out of all question by the
v.22: "And there I will meet with thee, and I will com- express quotation of them by the Apostle Paul, in de-
mune with thee from above the mercy seat, from be- claring the character and blessedness of Christians.
tween the two cherubims which are upon the ark of "Ye are the Temple of the living God, as God hath
the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will
commandment unto the children of Israel." be their God, and they shall be My people" (2Cor.
vi.16); and the future glory of the kingdom of God is
Here, then, we have the revelation of the Purpose in the very same form of words announced: "Behold,
of the dwelling-place of God! God communing with the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell
man! God's testimony to man! the meeting-place of with them, and they shall be His people, and God
God and man! What more is required to constitute the Himself shall be with them, and be their God" (Rev.
blessedness of men, than that God should dwell with xxi.3).
them and commune with them? Here we have the
elements of true blessedness, of life eternal, of com- III. The solemn charge as to the Pattern.
plete salvation. Again and again in the course of the In estimating the value of a building there is one
instructions to Moses are these words repeated that consideration of greater importance than the value of
no doubt may remain of their import: "And I will dwell the materials, be that ever so great, namely, the order
among the children of Israel, and will be their God. in which these materials are combined. Indeed, the
And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, that idea of a building is exclusively one of form and ar-
brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I rangement; for a house is not a mere mass of materi-
may dwell among them. I am the Lord their God" (Ex. als; is not a heap of stones, or of timber, or of brick
xxix.45,46). "And I will set My Tabernacle among you, and mortar; a house is a construction in which these
and My soul shall not abhor you, and I will walk or similar materials are duly arranged and combined
among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be My [055] so as to form a shelter for a man and his family.
people" (Lev. xxvi. 11,12) [054]. So soon as the requisite order or arrangement is lost,
Seite 55 Seite 56
the house or dwelling as designed ceases to exist. A ets; the size and weight of the ark and mercy seat; of
ruin is not a house. A part cannot deserve the name the altars, and table, and candlestick; the measure
of the whole. An army is not a mob. A human body is and quality of the veils, and curtains, and coverings;
not a confused bundle of bones, and muscles, and should direct the mode of setting in order all the ves-
sinews, and blood-vessels, and nerves. This truth is sels and furniture of this Divine Dwelling-place; the
too simple and self-evident to require argument or il- process of its being reared up and taken down, and
lustration. Of how much more importance must the transported from place to place; and should even
question of order be, when applied to the House of point out the arrangement of the loops and taches of
God, the dwelling-place of the Architect of heaven and the various curtains and coverings!
earth!
We can comprehend the importance of the calling
No one who has the least reverence for the things by name the High Priest and priests charged with the
of God can read the minute instructions of the Lord to service of the House, and of the assigning to each of
Moses concerning this mysterious building without them his proper place and duties; but we are as-
being deeply impressed by the recital, and compelled tounded at a minuteness of detail, which particu-
to acknowledge in his heart, if not with his lips, Yes, larizes the very dress they should wear, the food they
there must be some deep signification in all this; should eat, and even the manner of their removing
something worthy of God in those marvellous details; and disposing of the ashes of the altar fire!
some hidden wisdom, which none save God can un-
fold, but which, when unfolded, must, like every reve- While we stand amazed at the enumeration of the
lation of the Divine purpose, furnish matter for adora- materials, the precision of the order, and the [057] va-
tion and thanksgiving; enlarging our intelligence, riety and minuteness of the instructions given to
warming our hearts, quickening our prayers, and Moses regarding the Sanctuary, there is something in
confirming [056] our faith and hope. It is not, it can- the solemn injunction, "See that thou make all things
not be a matter of small importance, that the Lord according to the pattern showed to thee in the
Himself should so condescend to specify the materials mount," which compels us to believe that not one jot
of that Sanctuary; should prescribe the number and or tittle of these instructions will be found redundant
order of the pillars, and boards, and bars, and sock- or meaningless, when once the true key to these de-
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tails is found. We know from the name "Sanctuary" With this broad beam of light upon the general
the principal design of the building, and can boldly design of the Tabernacle and its vessels, its priest-
say, this is God's plan of His own House, therefore hood and services, we cease to wonder at the jealousy
must it be different from, and most unlike any merely of the Lord regarding the exact correspondence be-
human dwelling-place. The servants in this House are tween the heavenly pattern and the earthly structure;
God's servants, therefore they must in everything do but we count it good to call attention to the reiterated
His will, and in nothing their own. This is God's pat- expression of this jealousy. In the very first order to
tern of His Sanctuary, yea, of His eternal purpose to gather the materials for the making of the Sanctuary,
dwell with man, and to bless and save man, and fit we read: "According to all that I show thee, after the
him for the inheritance of His kingdom; therefore pattern of the Tabernacle, and the pattern of all the
must there be found no place in it for the exercise of instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it" (Ex.
human ingenuity, which in matters pertaining to God xxv.9) Again, after specific instructions for the making
is but another name for presumption and folly; this is of the ark and mercy seat, of the [059] table with its
in short nothing less than the revelation of the way of furniture, and of the candlestick with its branches,
God with man, and of the corresponding place of man lamps, and needful vessels, we read: "Look that thou
when introduced into God's House, and made a make them after their pattern which was showed thee
member of His family; a revelation [058] given by Him in the mount" (Ex. xxv.4o). And again, after the in-
Who is wonderful in counsel, and to Whom no man structions regarding the court and its enclosures, we
may say, What doest Thou? Therefore in everything read "Thou shalt rear up the Tabernacle according to
touching the House and service of his Divine Master, the fashion thereof which was showed thee in the
the servant has but to hearken and obey. He may not mount" (Ex. xxvi.30). And finally, after the specifica-
question; he dares not murmur or answer again. The tion of the fashion of the brazen altar, with all its
commandment of the Lord must be the alone light of many vessels, and rings, and staves, we read in al-
his eyes, and the lamp to his feet; the statutes of the most the same words: "As it was showed thee in the
Lord must be the joy and rejoicing of his heart; and mount, so shall they make it" (Ex. xxvii.8).
the fear of the Lord his all-pervading and constraining
principle of action, the mainspring of his loving ser- These words, so frequently repeated to Moses,
vice for ever. are twice quoted in the New Testament; first in the
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discourse or apology of the proto-martyr Stephen, The Christian Church, it is there said, in so
wherein he demonstrates, in presence of the assem- many words, is the House of Christ, "WHOSE HOUSE
bled Sanhedrim, that the purpose of God is one and ARE WE, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoic-
unchangeable, although times and seasons may ing of the hope firm unto the end " (Heb. iii.6). This,
change (Acts vii.44); that there is a first and a second then, is the key to the mystery; God's own light cast
stage in all the great actings of God, the first being an upon the chief institution of the Old Testament; the
apparent defeat or failure, the second a glorious tri- mystery [061] hidden from ages and generations,
umph; as the first and second meeting between Jo- plainly revealed; God's purpose unfolded to have a
seph and his brethren in Egypt; the first and second spiritual house, a living temple, a true tabernacle,
attempt of Moses [060] to deliver his brethren from whereof the Lord Jesus is the Minister, and which is
Egypt (Ex. v.12,13; and 29,35).3 And secondly, in the not constructed by the hand of man (Heb. viii.2).
Epistle to the Hebrews, wherein it is shown that
though the priesthood was changed it had not been Let no one say this is figurative language, and
abolished, but on the contrary established in Christ may not be rigorously construed. It is no mere figure
for evermore, and that while the type and shadow had of speech that St. Paul employs, when he speaks of
passed away, the truth of every part of worship or ser- the body of Christ, of which the faithful are the living
vice of God remained (chap. viii.5). In this Epistle we members, nor is it a mere poetical form of expression
have the fullest explanation of the reason of the ex- when St. Peter calls the faithful "lively stones" (1Pet.
ceeding jealousy of God over the pattern, the form, ii.5). The Body of Christ is no metaphor, but an eter-
the model, the shadow. nal reality, and so is the term House, Sanctuary, or
Dwelling-place of God. "The Father that dwelleth in
3
This mode of God's dealing may be seen in the first and se- Me," is the language of our Lord; His also are the
cond sons of Abram and of Isaac; the first and second arrivals
words, "I in them, and thou in Me!" Human language
of Israel on the border of the promised land; the construction of
the first and second tables on which the Law was written; the
cannot be more precise; and recognizing the reality,
first and second Kings of Israel, &c. All these illustrating the the truth, the substance expressed in such words we
works of the first and second Adam, and finding their perfect so- bow down and adore.
lution or explanation in the first and second Advents of our
Blessed Lord and Saviour.
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One word more ere we pass from this part of the but considered the directions for the construction of
subject. In the charges to Moses regarding the mate- the earthly model of the heavenly sanctuary.
rials and the form of the House, one of the most
prominent features is, that all the varied parts should *****
be so prepared as to be finally combined [062] and
disposed as to form but One house, one Tabernacle,
one dwelling place (Ex. xxv.8; xxvi.6,11). Unity is the
first characteristic of the Church of God. There is but
one, there can be but one Body of Christ. God made
in the beginning only one man; God built but one
house; for the Temple of Solomon was but an
enlarged and permanent form of the Tabernacle. The
ark and mercy seat were carried into the most holy
place of the Temple, and the same glory of the Lord
filled both. The name "House of God" is applied to
both. The one was a fixed and permanent, the other a
moveable and temporary form of the same one truth.
Both are shadows of the One Body of Christ4. Many
reflections arise in regard to this part of the subject,
when we look around upon the present condition of
the Church of God on earth, but we abstain from in-
dulging in any of these for the present. As yet we have
4
A very striking illustration of this is found in Haggai ii.4; "Who
is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? And how
do ye see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as
nothing?"
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but for their enemies a place of utter destruction (Ex.

CHAPTER IV.
xvi.); and as in the day when Moses spake in the ears
THE GRANDEUR of the people the message of the Lord regarding the
AND MINUTENESS OF GODS ORDER. covenant (Ex. xix.1-6), and in the day of the dedica-
VERY refreshing and instructive is it to meditate tion of the altar (Numb. vii.; Lev. viii., ix.).
the account of the ready-hearted response given by all
the people of Israel to the invitation of the Lord, The willing-hearted gave the materials, and the
through Moses, concerning the offering for His House. wise-hearted wrought them up as directed, under the
We read that not only the willing-hearted, both men immediate inspection of two head workmen, Bezaleel
and women, came and offered (Ex. xxxv.22), but that and Aholiab, both of them specially endowed of God
they brought much more than enough for the service of with the requisite gifts of wisdom and knowledge (Ex.
the work (Ex. xxxvi.5), and had to be restrained in xxxv.3o-35). We are reminded by this that the princi-
their zeal. pal workmen in the Spiritual House must be men
specially called of God, and furnished with the neces-
"I remember thee," said the Lord to Israel, by the sary qualifications (Eph. ii.20; compare. chap. iii.5;
mouth of His prophet Jeremiah, "the kindness of thy 2Pet. iii.2; Acts xv.25,27,32). We know that there was
youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest [065] a time of first love and great zeal, and oneness
after Me in the wilderness in a land that was not of heart among the members of the Church (Acts
sown. Israel was holiness [064] unto the Lord, and ii.41-47;iv.32-37; vi.7; ix.31). That part of the work
the first-fruits of His increase" (Jer. ii.2,3). Such ex- done by women (Ex. xxxv.25,26) seems to point to a
pressions as these occur occasionally in the Psalms corresponding employment of females in the Christian
and Prophets, and refer clearly to those times at Church (compare Acts ii.17, with ch. xxi.8,9, and
which all the people were united as one man to serve 1Cor. xi.3-10).
the Lord; as, for example, in the day when Moses and
all the people lifted up the song of triumph and Moses delivered all the materials offered by the
thanksgiving on the eastern shore of the Red Sea, the people to the various workmen (Ex. xxxvi.2,3), and
bed of which had become for them a way of escape, when the work was finished each part of it was
brought to Moses, who received it at their hands, and
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finding all to be as the Lord had commanded, Moses 6. In the order given to Moses to rear up and
blessed them (Ex. xxxix.32,33,43) anoint the whole, and to invest and
anoint the priests (chap. xl.1-15); and finally
The importance of each individual part of the
great whole may be clearly seen from the fact that a 7. In the actual rearing up and anointing of the
sevenfold enumeration of all the various pieces of the whole (chap. xl.16-33).
Tabernacle, and its furniture, and the priestly gar-
ments, is given in the inspired record as follows, viz.: In reference to the occasion noted above (No. 6)
- the word of the Lord came unto Moses, "On the first
day of the first month shalt thou set up the Taberna-
1. In the original order given by the Lord to Moses cle of the Tent of the Congregation" (Ex. xl.42). Here
in the Mount (ch. xxv., xxx.). we are reminded of the precision of the time of the
constitution of the spiritual house (Acts ii.1) when a
2. In the indication of the master-workmen, new period in the unfolding of the vast and eternal
Bezaleel and Aholiab (ch. xxxi.). purpose of God with mankind began, a period which,
according to all the signs of the times in which we
3. In the recital of the order by Moses in the hear- live, is now rapidly coming to a close, and is ap-
ing of all Israel (ch. xxxv.1-19) pointed to be followed by the introduction of a new
[066]. and better and permanent order of things under the
personal judgment or kingdom of the Lord Himself.
4. In the account of the progress of the work (ch.
xxxvi.; xxxvii.; xxxviii.; xxxix.1 - The command of God to Moses specified in the
32). [067] most minute manner the place of each part of
the mysterious dwelling-place, the use of or service of
5. In the delivering of all into the hand of Moses each person and thing connected with it; the same
when the work was finished (chap. command directed the anointing and consecrating of
xxxix.33-43). each individual part and person, and the setting in
order and mutual connection and dependence of all
Seite 67 Seite 68
the parts so as to form ONE HOUSE! A unity consist- seal is set upon the whole by the solemn announce-
ing of a great diversity of component parts. ment (chap. xl. 34) that so soon as Moses had fin-
ished the work "a cloud covered the tent of the con-
The corresponding truth in reference to the gregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the Taberna-
Church of Christ is obvious. The Church is a body cle." The presence of Jehovah had indeed been mani-
consisting of many members, each of which has its fested in the pillar of cloud and fire to the whole camp
proper place and function assigned to it (although few, of Israel, ever since the night of their departure from
alas! seem to know or to keep their places in the pre- Egypt; but now the Lord was pleased to limit Himself
sent day), each is partaker of the anointing which de- to His own House; here will He from henceforth be
scends from the Head (1 John ii.20; Psalm cxxxiii.) sought and found; here is His dwelling-place and
and only when all is in order and harmony can the Presence chamber; here is the sound of His voice to
glory of God be manifested. Let us reverently meditate be heard, and the counsel of His heart to be revealed!
this truth so fully and beautifully set forth by the
Apostle in 1Cor. xii., Rom. xii., Eph. iv., Col. ii., and Well may we cry with Jacob, "How dreadful is
elsewhere; and let us confess and forsake our sins of this place! This is none other but the house of God,
division and contention, and of mutual cursing and and this the gate of heaven" (Gen. xxviii.17). Who will
excommunication! not say "Amen " to the prayers [069] and meditations
of David. "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that
Moses obeyed the command of God promptly and will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the
faithfully, as we read Ex. xl. Of this noble [068] ser- Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of
vant of God it is testified expressly that he was "faith- the Lord, and to inquire in His Temple" (Psalm
ful in all his house" (Heb. iii.5). The frequent recur- xxvii.4).
rence of the words "As the Lord commanded Moses"
(they occur nearly twenty times in the course of two One important point deserves to be particularly
chapters (Ex. xxxix. and xl.) testify not only the ex- noticed, namely, that after all the parts of the Taber-
ceeding jealousy of the Lord regarding the form and nacle had been arranged and joined together, and
order of His house, but also the faithfulness of His Aaron and his sons were ready to enter upon the duty
servant in all the minute details of the same; and the to which they were called, Moses, by the command of
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God, anointed them all with oil, the Tabernacle with xl.9), and also the altar and laver, Aaron also and his
all its furniture, the altar and all its vessels, the laver garments, and his sons and their garments, all in de-
and its foot, and also Aaron and his sons, and their tail were anointed; so we learn, that the fulness of all
garments (Ex. xl.9-15). Every one will be ready to ad- ministry, service, priesthood, which dwelt in Christ
mit that all the persons and things anointed and was exercised personally by Him on earth, ought
ever to have been exercised by the several members of
under the previous dispensation were types or His body, and ministers of His house, as He hath set
shadows of the Christ, i.e., the Anointed One. But it them during the period of His absence from the earth.
may in these days be useful and necessary for some
to be reminded that, as truly as the stone which Do we not perceive something corresponding to
Jacob anointed and called "Bethel " (Gen. xxviii.18; this power of the anointing in the first love and first
xxxi.13) (which is the first anointing on record) zeal of the Church, in the fulness of her [071] gifts,
pointed to the true "Beth-El," the Son in whom the and in the presence and power of the Holy Ghost? Oh!
Father dwelleth ever (John xiv. 10), so truly is the if we but rightly apprehended the vast import of the
same mystery continued and perpetuated, through term "BODY OF CHRIST" we should have as little dif-
the in-dwelling of Christ in His body the Church, by ficulty in apprehending this as we have in observing
[070] the Holy Ghost. As truly as Jesus declared Him- that the body of a man in health shows forth in its
self the Light of the World (John i.9; viii.12; xii.46,&c.) actings the will and power of the man; and we should
so truly does He set His Church to be the light of the also see clearly that, as the human body is a creature
world (Matt. v. 14-16; Phil. ii.15); as truly as He was of God, ordained and constituted for the accomplish-
the Father's faithful witness, the revealer of His truth, ment of a specific end and purpose, and adapted in
and love, and holiness, so is the Church called to be, all the completeness of its parts to that end, so is the
and must be throughout eternity, the container and Church, the body of Christ, in its constitution and
revealer of the Son's fulness, the witness to Him, the adaptation, designed for a special place and work in
declarer of His will, and the teacher of His ways. Fur- the kingdom of God, and any attempt to change the
ther, as not the Tabernacle only as a whole was order, number, or functions of the members, must be
anointed, but likewise every individual part of it, "all always attended with loss of power, if not sometimes
that was therein, and all the vessels thereof" (Exod. even of life. Jesus fulfilled first in His own person all
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the ministries or offices which He afterwards exer- anointing. And all this is gathered into a point, and
cised and continues to exercise through the members fastened as a nail in a sure place, by the fact of the
of His Church. He was the Apostle and High Priest of Church's calling to be "Priests unto God and His
our profession (the Moses and Aaron of the law); the Christ, a royal priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacri-
Prophet mighty in word and deed; the Evangelist to fices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ" (1Pet. ii.5;
the poor, the sick, and the lost; the Rev. i.6; v.10).
Pastor and Teacher of His own disciples, the *****

Good Shepherd, the Bishop of our souls, the [072]
Deacon, washing the feet of His servants, and minis-
tering to them as a servant.
In like manner is He still revealed in and by His

Church, which, receiving out of His fulness, and exer-
cising in its separate members the varied ministry
appointed of God for the perfecting of the saints, and
the edifying of the body of Christ (Eph. iv. 11,12) con-
tinues to witness for Him, and to gather a people for
His name, as also to bless, and comfort, and govern,
and keep for Him those who receive His testimony,
and are thus gathered into His fold. The anointing,
whereby the body in all its parts is fitted to fulfil this
varied ministry, is frequently referred to in the Epis-
tles (2Cor. i.21; 1John ii.27; Rom. xii.5-8) "one body
in Christ," i.e. the Anointed One; indeed we may say,
wherever mention is made of our being "members of
Christ," "partakers or ministers of Christ," or the like,
there is the immediate or inseparable idea of the
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all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof; and
CHAPTER V.
write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole
THE SERVANTS OF GOD, form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do
AND THEIR SERVICE. them. This is the law of the house: upon the top of
"THY way, O God, is in the Sanctuary," is the cry the mountain, the whole limit thereof round about
of the Psalmist in the hour of his deep distress, and shall be most holy. Behold this is the law of the house
the assurance of this truth consoles and lifts him up (Ezekiel xliii.10,13, compare chap. xliv.2; xlviii.35).
to sing and rejoice (Ps. lxxvii.13). "Moses wrote of Me,"
said Jesus, in reasoning with the Jews (John v.46), To assist our readers in following this exposition
and surely when so much of the writings of Moses is we have prepared a ground plan of the tabernacle, to
occupied with the Tabernacle and its furniture and which we beg them to refer. We shall first describe the
services, we should expect to find much of Christ in outline of the House, and the relative proportions and
all that relates to the Sanctuary of God. And lest we positions of the parts and the vessels placed in it, and
should be tempted to think that details of form are then proceed to sketch the Service done in it by those
matters of inferior or temporary importance, the Lord called to minister to the Lord [075].
has sent us a word through the prophet Ezekiel,
wherein we read of the great jealousy of the Lord for
all the details of form and fashion of [074] His Temple,
even in the age to come, when the Glory of the Lord
shall have returned into the house to abide for ever.
"Thou son of man, show the house to the house of Is-
rael, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities:
and let them measure the pattern. And if they be
ashamed of all that they have done, show them the
form of the house and the fashion thereof, and the go-
ings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all
the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and
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THE BRAZEN ALTAR, or Altar of Burnt Offering,

was a construction five cubits square, and three cu-
bits high, formed of wood, and overlaid with brass; it
stood near the door or entrance to the Tabernacle, of
course in the inside of the Court (Ex. xl.6).
Between the Brazen Altar and the Tabernacle

[077] proper stood THE LAVER of brass, for Aaron
[076] THE COURT of the Tabernacle, as will be and his sons to wash their hands and their feet
seen from that ground plan, was a parallelogram, or thereat. Regarding the precise form or size of this
double square, an enclosure of 1oo cubits long and laver and his foot, no details are given (Ex. xxx.17-21;
fifty broad, formed by means of a series of curtains or xl.7).
hangings of fine twined linen, five cubits in height,
supported by sixty pillars of brass of the same height, The fact of there being but one door of entrance
twenty on each side, and ten at each end, all fixed in to the House of God, and the circumstance that these
sockets of brass, and sustained by cords made fast to two important parts of the furniture of that House,
pins driven into the ground. The curtains were hung the Altar and the Laver, stood in the Court, open to
on these pillars by hooks of silver, attached to filets of the light of day, while the inner chambers of the
silver (Ex. xxvii.9-19). House, with all their furniture, were carefully covered,
would seem to convey the instruction that the truths
There was but ONE ENTRANCE to the Court, represented by the one entrance, and by the brazen
called the door or gate. This was on the east side of altar and the laver should be of such a plain, simple,
the Court, and was marked by a hanging of twenty and universally intelligible kind, as to commend
cubits long, of a peculiar workmanship of blue, and themselves to every man's conscience as the very first
purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen wrought elements or principles of Christianity. And so they
with needlework, sustained by four of the pillars (Ex. are. There is but One door to the One sheepfold, One
xxvi. 16). Mediator between God and man, One sacrifice for sin,
One laver of Regeneration, One name alone in which
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is found salvation, One Lamb of God that taketh away duction to every public act of Christian worship [079].
the sin of the world. And as our sin is declared to us in all its exceeding
sinfulness, only by that which taketh it away, so we
That these first lessons of gospel truth are taught find, that this altar, which seems from its position as
by the One entrance, and altar and laver [078], is if it would bar the way of access, is in truth the very
confirmed by a glance at the relative positions of key to our free approach; the warrant for our drawing
these parts of the Tabernacle. The "altar of the burnt near, the preparation for our communion with the
offering" (Ex. xl.10), so called to distinguish it from Holy One of Israel!
the Golden Altar (ver.5), where only pure incense was
burnt, was placed exactly between the gate or door of Between the Brazen Altar and the vail forming
the Court and the front of the Tabernacle, thus set- the tent door, as already observed, stood the Laver.
ting forth that no one, not even the priest officiating, Although made of brass like the covering of the altar,
could pass from the unenclosed wilderness without yet, as above noticed, no description of its form or ca-
into the Court of God's House, to worship Him, with- pacity is given us, nor any hint of how the water was
out meeting this altar directly in face as he entered; supplied to it, nor how it descended into the foot, nor
nor might he proceed towards the tent or immediate how it was drawn from the latter for the purpose of
dwelling-place of God, to seek communion with Him washing the hands and feet of the priests. Water is in
there, where alone He could be found, until he had Scripture the most frequently employed symbol of the
satisfied the requirements of that altar by presenting Holy Spirit; whilst His mode of operation has ever
an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord. We are here far- been, and still remains for the human or natural un-
ther taught, concerning the one way by which fallen derstanding, an impenetrable mystery (see John iii.4).
man can draw near to God, that as it was once The use of the laver, however, suggests its typical sig-
opened, so is it still preserved open through the Sacri- nification in the worship of the Church.
fice of the Lamb of God, the propitiation for the sins of
the whole world; and that the continual presentation of We read in Ex. xxx. 17-21, that the priests must
His Blood, as our only but all-sufficient plea for at any wash their hands and feet both before and after the
time presenting ourselves before God, is the natural offering of the sacrifice. In Psalm xxvi.6 [080], David
and necessary, yea, only proper and becoming, intro- says, "I will wash my hands in innocency, so will I
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compass Thine altar, O Lord;" and in Eph. v.26,27, his idols "to serve the living and true God" (1Thess.
"the washing of water" is expressly declared by St. i.9), but also, and this is the aspect of the truth now
Paul to be "by the Word." The Apostle John seems to under consideration, on every occasion when the
allude to the joint truth of this altar and laver, when public assembly of the Church of Christ draws near
he says, "This is He that came by water and blood, to seek the face of the Lord (Ps. xxvii.8) and to offer
even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water acceptable worship before Him.
and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness,
because the Spirit is truth" (1 John v.6-8); and again, We proceed to examine the other parts of the
our call to offer worship or spiritual sacrifice is thus ground plan of the House of God.
expressed by St. Paul, "Let us draw near, having our
hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience" (the blood The Tabernacle itself was a tent or enclosure of
was sprinkled on the altar, Lev. i.5; iii.8-13, &c.) "and an oblong form, thirty cubits long and ten cubits
our bodies washed with pure water" (Heb. x. 22). broad, formed by forty-eight boards or posts. On this
were four separate coverings, made of various materi-
The twofold truth, therefore, of the altar and the als. The only access to it from the Court was by a vail,
laver seems clearly to be Confession and Absolution, or hanging, suspended on five pillars; and it was in-
which, as they are never separated on the part of God ternally divided into two chambers by a vail hung on
(1John i.9; Job xxxiii.27,28; Prov. xxvii.13; Ps. four pillars. These two chambers were the Holy place
xxvii.5), ought never to be separated in the ministry of and the Most holy (Heb. ix.) In the former stood the
the Christian Church; but ever found at their proper Golden Altar of Incense in front of the vail; the Can-
place, called in the symbol before the door, i.e., at the dlestick stood on the south side with his lamps, and
commencement of every act of the public worship of the Table on the north side with all his vessels for the
the Church. shewbread. In the latter (the Most holy [082] place)
was set the Ark of the Testimony, on which rested the
So much for the services of the brazen altar [081] Mercy Seat, with the cherubim of glory stretching
and laver, as presenting the indispensable requisites forth their wings on high. Between these cherubim
for the approach of sinners into the presence of God, God dwelt! (Ps. lxxx.1.) Here, then, is the centre of the
not only when each one for the first time turns from mysterious building. Within this second vail, i.e., into
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the Most holy place, as we have before observed, the ments of the Tabernacle of the congregation, and the
high priest alone durst enter, and that only once a charge of the children of Israel to do the service of the
year, on the great day of atonement; and when Jesus Tabernacle. And thou shalt give the Levites unto
died on the cross this vail was rent "in twain," and Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given unto him
thereby the Holy and Most holy places were made out of the children of Israel. And thou shalt appoint
one! Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their
priest's office; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall
Such is an outline of the form of the house, and be put to death. And the Lord spake unto Moses, say-
of the relative position of the several parts of the furni- ing, And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from
ture of it. Before entering further on the subject of the among the children of Israel, instead of all the first-
spiritual signification of these, we must briefly note born that openeth the matrix among the children of
the character of those who were called to do the ser- Israel; therefore the Levites shall be Mine, because all
vice of this house, and inquire wherein consisted the the firstborn are Mine; for on the day that I smote all
required duties or services of these persons. the first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto Me
all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast; Mine
In the times of the patriarchs it would appear shall they be, I am the Lord" (Numb. iii.5-13) [084].
that the first-born son (unless he were specially dis-
qualified) was the ordinary priest of the family, as he This important fact of the separation of the Le-
was the peculiar property of the Lord (Ex. vites for the service of the Lord is also fully and cir-
xiii.2,12,13); but when the order of God's House was cumstantially recorded in other parts of Scripture, as
fully revealed, He was pleased to [083] choose the in Numb. iii.45; viii.5-26; xvi. 8-10; xviii.1-6; Deut.
tribe of Levi, instead of the first-born of all the fami- x.8,9; xviii.1-8; and 2Chron. xxix.4-11, &c.; and the
lies of Israel, as we read: "And the Lord spake unto fact of the Lord's choosing Aaron and his family to the
Moses, saying, bring the tribe of Levi near, and pre- special work of the priesthood, His jealousy for the
sent them before Aaron the priest, that they may min- order of His house in the calling and separating of all
ister unto him. And they shall keep his charge, and His servants, in the assigning to each his special
the charge of the whole congregation, to do the service place and work, and in the prohibition to all others to
of the Tabernacle. And they shall keep all the instru- meddle with any part of it; these points are too fre-
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quently and fully recorded in Holy Scripture to re- peace-offerings, trespass-offerings, and thank-
quire the selection of particular passages in proof of offerings, for individuals and for families, under all
the vast importance of the priestly office. the various changing circumstances of life. Besides all
these, we find the most complete details regarding the
Nor are we left to doubt what the special lesson is solemn, public, unchangeable services of the House of
to the Church in all this, for we read in Heb. v.4, re- God, the daily and weekly, the monthly and yearly,
garding the calling to priesthood, "No man taketh this the feast of release at the end of seven years, and that
honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as of the jubilee every fifty years.
was Aaron." Indeed, it were a strange and anomalous
thing, if, in the choice of His servants, the Lord were The two first-named of these, viz.: the Daily and
the only householder Who had no word to say; if, in Sabbath services, we purpose to examine in detail. We
the service of His house, everyone who chose might are already in possession of the key to the wondrous
come and go, might do and let alone, just as he house, the Tabernacle of Witness and [086] its furni-
pleased! It was not so in the first days of the Church, ture, and know that all the law, with its requirements
and whatever [085] may be the case now, we may be and sanctions, the people of Israel themselves, with
sure that the final and abiding order must be in har- the wondrous history of God's favour and judgment
mony with that which was set in the beginning. towards them, all the feasts which marked the begin-
ning of the months, or the various seasons of the
Such were the servants who did the service of the year, as well as of the sabbatical and jubilee years;
Tabernacle, namely, the Priests and the Levites, all the whole of the services of every kind appointed to be
called of God, and solemnly separated and conse- done by the priests; also the priests themselves, the
crated to His service, as well as instructed in all the official dress in which they had to minister, and the
details of their offices by Moses, the faithful servant. place and function of each individual of the whole
We come now to inquire what was the service of this body of Levites in their appointed services, all pointed
mysterious house? Here is no room for any doubt, for to Jesus, His Person, His Character, His Work, His
the fullest details of it are supplied in the books of Church, and His Kingdom. Nor is this the case only in
Moses; details regarding many private acts of devotion the general outline, it is so, as we shall see, in every
and sacrifice, such as the special services of vows, individual part of this vast fabric; each detail points
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to some particular part of the Grand Original, as well

CHAPTER VI.
as to the spiritual antitype, and can only receive its
full and complete explanation when viewed in the THE REVEALED ORDER OF DAILY WORSHIP.
unity and dependence of the whole of the divinely
THE daily service of this House consisted of two
constructed model. Well may we pray: "Open Thou
parts, a Morning and an Evening sacrifice. Nothing
mine eyes, O Lord, that I may behold wondrous
was ever allowed to interrupt or set aside these. Other
things out of Thy law" (Ps. cxix.18).
services might be held and sacrifices presented at all
hours of the day between the morning and evening
But for the great neglect into which this part of
sacrifices, but these remained invariable, as did the
the Book of God has fallen, we should deem it [087]
daily recurrence of the morning and evening hours.
almost childish to utter or insist upon such self-
God's division of day is into evening and morning
evident truths as the following: The worship under
(Gen. i.5); so by this double service each portion of
the law was a foreshowing of the higher and better
time was consecrated to Him by a sacrifice and ser-
worship of the Church, that is, of worship under the
vice of His own appointment.
dispensation of the Spirit; daily worship can only be a
type of daily worship. Morning and evening worship
It is written in Ex. xxix.38-43: "Now this is that
under the Old Testament are the types of morning
which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of
and evening worship under the New. And in like
the first year day by day continually [089]. The one
manner the weekly service of the House of God, in the
lamb thou shalt offer in the morning, and the other
Sanctuary made with hands, can only be fairly inter-
lamb thou shalt offer at even; and with the one lamb
preted as the foreshadowing of a higher and better
a tenth deal of flour, mingled with a fourth part of an
weekly service in the House of God, the Body of
hin of beaten oil, and the fourth part of an hin of wine
Christ, the Tabernacle not made with hands, the Liv-
for a drink offering. And the other lamb thou shalt of-
ing Temple of the Living God [088].
fer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat
offering of the morning, and according to the drink of-
*****
fering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by
fire unto the Lord. This shall be a continual burnt of-
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fering throughout your generations, at the door of the name -"Body of Christ," or "spiritual house of God," or
Tabernacle of the congregation, before the Lord; "Temple of the Holy Ghost," but it is also expressly
where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee. And declared in the following among other passages: Rom.
there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the xii.1, "Present your bodies a living sacrifice;" 1Pet. ii.
Tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory." The same 5-9, "Ye are a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
commandment, with a special provision regarding the sacrifices.... A royal priesthood;" Heb. ix.14, "Serve
disposal of the wine of the drink offering, is found in the living God" (i.e., do Him priestly service); Heb. x.
Numb. xxviii.1-8. 19-22, "Draw near" (within the vail); Heb. xiii. 15,16,
"Offer the sacrifice of praise continually;" Rev. i.6, and
These words are as clear as they are solemn. Let v.10, "Kings and priests unto God."
us in spirit accompany the priest of those days while
offering this daily service, observe all his actions, and In thus recognizing the priestly character of the
inquire into the spiritual signification of these and of whole Church as one body - the Body of the [091]
the symbols employed. great High Priest at the right hand of God, we do not,
as some of our fellow Christians do, call in question
At the hour appointed for the morning or evening the truth, that there ought to be in every congregation
sacrifice the priest, having washed his hands [090] or assembly of Christians certain individuals espe-
and feet, and put on his robes of office, is seen, at- cially called, ordained, and commissioned to officiate
tended by his assistant priests and Levites, standing in the sacred ministry, and therefore rightly termed
by the altar of burnt-offering, having at his hand a priests. On the contrary, all that we have hitherto
lamb without blemish of the first year, together with said regarding the goodly order and edifying nature of
the materials for the meat and drink offering, as also true worship, regarding the truth of the shadow, the
salt and oil, and for the subsequent service incense reality of those forms that were prescribed by the law
(Ex. xxix.38-40). The attitude of the priest and his at- of Moses, all has proceeded upon the assumption that
tendants answers to that of a flock of the Christian in the Church as a whole, as well as in all the par-
Church assembled for morning or evening worship. ticular congregations thereof, the goodly order of min-
That the whole Church possesses a priestly calling istering bishops, elders, and deacons as established
and character is not only necessarily implied in her by the Apostles in the beginning should be seen (Phil.
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i.1; 1Tim. iii.1,2,8; Tit. i.7). The Jews were a priestly such as "Oh come, let us worship, and bow down!"
people, a kingdom of priests (Ex. xix.6); but all of &c. (Ps. xcv.6,7). The Invocation pronounced by the
them were not ministering priests in the sense in presiding minister, "In the Name of the Father, and of
which Aaron and his sons were priests. In like man- the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," brings the assembly
ner every member of the Body of Christ partakes nec- into their proper attitude towards God, placing them,
essarily of the priestly character of the Head, but so to speak [093], under the shadow of His wings; re-
every member is not a hand or a foot, an eye or an calling to their spirits their high standing as His bap-
ear; as God has set the members in the human body, tized children, and reminding them that His Name is
so has He set the ministries in the Church, as it hath their tower of strength, and a pledge that their
[092] pleased Him; and He has appointed to all His prayers shall be heard and their worship accepted.
servants their proper places and their special work.
See 1Cor. xii.12-21; Eph. iv.11; Rom. xii.5-8; 1Pet. The priest, in proceeding to the sacrifice, laid his
iv.10-11; Phil. i.1; Acts vi.3-6; Acts xiii.1; Acts xiv.23; hand upon the head of the lamb, that it might be ac-
Acts xx.28; Heb. v.4; Heb. xiii. 17. cepted for Him (Lev. i.4. - the ritual in this chapter is,
perhaps, the simplest in its details). This act is, as we
The lamb in the hand of the priest represents our shall immediately show, a solemn confession that sin
Lord Jesus Christ, Who is "the Lamb of God that ta- is deserving of death, a transfer of that sin to the sub-
keth away the sins of the world." He is the one sacri- stitute provided of God, and a prayer that, through
fice Who hath made an end of sin, and opened up for atonement to be made, forgiveness may be extended
us the new and living way to the Father. It is by Him to the penitent worshippers.
alone that we have at any time access to God, and His
Holy Name must ever be our warrant for drawing near The first part of the truth symbolized by this most
to His more immediate presence as His baptized chil- expressive action of the priest, is the open and sincere
dren, to offer holy worship and receive His blessing. Confession made by all present of their sins and
To prepare the way for this approach, it is most shortcomings as members of the one great family of
seemly and right that the hearts of all present be God, of their having transgressed the better covenant
stirred up to draw near to worship God by the in not having duly hearkened to the word of salvation;
unanimous recital or chanting of a verse of a psalm, in not having stood fast in the liberty of Christ, in the
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grace of their baptism, and the hope of their heavenly the Redemption effected by the precious blood of
calling; but in having, on the contrary, grieved and Christ (1Pet. i.19), in the free justification by His
resisted the Holy Ghost, and lightly [094] esteemed grace through that Redemption (Rom. iii.24; v.8,18);
the ordinances given for the preservation of unity, faith in the love of God, who made Him, who knew no
and the advancement in holiness. These may be sin, to be a sin offering for us (2Cor. v.21); in a word,
termed Church sins, in contradistinction to individ- faith in Him in Whom we have Redemption through
ual, personal, or domestic sins, and it is with Church His Blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the
sins alone that we have to do in the public worship of riches of His grace (Eph. i.7).
the Church.
This is, in fact, the true penitential confession of
This confession, however, is but a part of the sin. We can never truly hate sin till we apprehend at
truth symbolized by the action of the priest. By laying what a cost we have been redeemed, forgiven, recon-
his hand on the head of the lamb, he not only ac- ciled. We dare not confess sin, until we see that the
knowledged himself and those whom he represented Lamb of God taketh it away. It is "the goodness of
before the Lord to be sinners, and therefore deserving God," not the dread of punishment that "leadeth to
of death, but he actually transferred their sins to the repentance" (Rom. ii.4).
appointed substitute, in confidence that it would be
accepted for them, and atonement made for them by Having thus made confession and transferred the
the death of the provided victim, and their sins for- guilt of the people's sin, the priest proceeded to kill
given them (see Lev.i.4; iv.2o,26,31,35; v.6,10, 16,18; the lamb by pouring out its blood, and sprinkling it
vi.7; xii.8; xiv. 18,29,53; xvii.11). The counterpart of upon the altar round about (Lev. i.5,11,12). Death be-
this act of transferring the sin with its consequences ing the penalty attached to sin, the wages of sin (Rom.
to the lamb, presented before the Lord, is found in v.12; vi.23; Gen. ii.17), nothing short of death could
this, that the Church not only confesses her grievous vindicate the word of the Lord God spoken to Adam.
sins committed against God, but also confesses Christ This sentence could not be relaxed or recalled, no, not
before the Father; confesses faith in the vicarious sac- [096] even when the Sinless One, the Lamb of God
rifice of the Lamb of God, upon Whom the Father has without blemish, appeared as the substitute for guilty
laid the iniquities of us all (Isa. liii.6); faith [095] in man, when He took to Himself the flesh and blood of
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the brethren (Heb. ii.14), even for Him there could be the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live to
neither commutation nor modification of the curse of righteousness" (1Pet. ii.24). We insist on this point of
death that had come upon man. He must drink the Divine truth the more emphatically, because in the
cup. He must go down into death. He must undergo present day there is a wide-spread indifference to, if
the rending asunder of soul and body; that all the evil not even positive dislike of, the Scriptural doctrine of
that had come into humanity by the fall might be atonement, the foundation of all true confidence to-
purged out of it; and that eventually all the good wards God, the basis of all true and spiritual worship.
which God had in store for man might be introduced
into it, and manifested in it for ever; that life instead Immediately upon the pouring out of the blood of
of death, holiness instead of sin, and blessing instead the lamb unto death, followed the priestly act of
of a curse might be shown to be the abiding portion sprinkling the blood upon the altar. This denotes the
and inheritance of redeemed man; that the angels application of the blood of Christ to the conscience of
and principalities and powers in heavenly places the worshippers, that is to say, the conveying to God's
might be taught by the Church the manifold wisdom penitent people the assurance that He, for the sake of
of God, and that sinners of mankind, reconciled, for- the sacrifice of Christ, and through the efficacy of His
given, washed, regenerated, and sanctified, might blood, does truly pardon and put away their sins, and
know and for ever rejoice in the height and depth, the that, having raised Him from the dead, and set Him at
breadth and length of the love of Christ, that passeth His own right hand for us; He invites us to draw near
knowledge, and become filled with all the fulness of [098] in peace, "having our hearts sprinkled from an
God (Eph. iii.10,18,19). evil conscience," that we may without dread or doubt
receive our Father's blessing, and hold communion
From the beginning the institution of sacrifice with Him. This is indeed the grand object of all wor-
[097] had proclaimed that, "without shedding of blood ship, yea, the very essence or soul of worship (Heb.
there is no remission" (Heb. ix.22). But through the x.22,23). All the passages of Scripture that refer to
shedding of the blood of the Lamb of God there is re- the sprinkling of blood point to the same truth, viz.,
mission; there is full and complete atonement, re- that it is the sign and seal of mercy manifested, for-
demption, reconciliation, recovery of man to God giveness assured and applied, Absolution declared
(1Pet. iii.18). "He bore our sins in His own body on and confirmed. The striking of the lintel and door-
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posts of the houses of the children of Israel with blood upon the altar, the showing forth of these fun-
blood, on the night of the institution of the Passover damental principles upon which all approach to God
(Ex. xii.7,13,22,23), is expressly termed in the Epistle and addressing of worship to Him must ever rest,
to the Hebrews, "the sprinkling of blood" (Heb. xi.28); namely, Confession and Absolution, Atonement, and
and the connection between the literal sprinkling of the speaking of peace to the penitent.
the blood of the peace-offerings by Moses upon the
Book of the Covenant, and upon all the people (Ex. It seems to be not out of place here to add an
xxiv.7,8; Heb. xi.19,20), and the sprinkling, in a spiri- earnest word on the vast importance of the true wor-
tual manner, of the blood of the Mediator of the New shippers presenting this first part of worship in spirit
Covenant, is so clear and so close that it only requires as well as in truth. This is the only suitable, being the
to be alluded to in order to show the fitness, we may divinely appointed introduction to, and the right and
even say the necessity, of a ministry of the word of necessary preparation for, all the [100] subsequent
absolution immediately following upon the confession parts of the daily service. Oh! did we but feel sin to be
of sin (Heb. xii.24), for without this [099] the service the burden, the intolerable burden which God de-
of the Church would be defective in a most important clares it to be, we would not dare to think of ap-
point, shadowed forth prominently in the type; and proaching Him at any time without first putting it
the ministry of the better covenant, with its better away, by making confession and receiving absolution!
sacrifice, would be less abundant in life and blessing Did we but present the memorial of the Lamb in the
than was the shadow or type (see John x.10). The spirit of the Lamb, the spirit of a lamb of the first year
opening words of the General Epistle of Peter confirm - the spirit of first love - how different, how very dif-
this, wherein the Apostle, addressing the Church as ferent would all our worship be! With what holy
the elect of the Blessed Trinity, specifies, in reference peace, yea, with what springing joy and exultation
to the Son, her election unto obedience, and the should we then address ourselves to the reading and
sprinkling of His blood (1Pet. i.2). hearing of the Word, to the lifting up of the song of
praise, and to the offering of supplications, prayers,
Here, then, we have in the typical action of the intercessions, and thanksgivings for all men!
priest, the laying on of his hand upon the head of the
lamb, the putting it to death, and the sprinkling of its
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The completeness and perfection of every part of Christ and risen again, becomes capable of yielding
the service of God's house demands, that when once a himself to God as alive from the dead, and his mem-
true, hearty, and full confession of sin has been bers as instruments of righteousness unto God (Rom.
made, and absolution solemnly pronounced in the vi.8-13); and is so presented to the Father by our
name of God, there ought on no account to remain on great High Priest - as the whole Church shall one day
the hearts of the worshippers any burden of sin dur- be presented - without spot (Eph. v.27).
ing the act of worship thus commenced, and therefore
any renewal or repetition of confession of sin during And this great truth of the sinner's assured [102]
that service must be avoided. acceptance when coming to God in the name of Jesus
Christ, turning from his idols to serve the living God,
The next step in the offering of the morning [101] and through faith in Christ devoting and dedicating
or evening sacrifice was the flaying of the burnt offer- himself wholly to God; this grand, supreme act of sur-
ing, the cutting it into pieces, the laying of wood in or- render and dedication is really renewed or repeated
der upon the fire, and the consuming of the whole by the Church every time she draws near to the altar
lamb upon the brazen altar, as an offering made by of God, and pleads, through the blood of the Lamb,
fire of a sweet savour unto the Lord (Lev. i.6-9). This the promises of mercy declared in the Gospel to all
destruction of the victim is the testimony of the Lord's men, and receives grace to abide and persevere in the
righteous judgment against sin, the recognition of the good ways of the Lord. This renewal of dedication to
inevitable penalty of death incurred by the sinner, the Lord, in grateful acknowledgment of renewed
and of the absolute necessity of the destruction of the mercy and grace, is shown in many of the Psalms (es-
old life, and of the communication of a new and heav- pecially Ps. cxvi. and cxviii.) to be the natural and be-
enly life, before man, fallen and guilty, can be re- coming act of one delivered from a merited sentence
ceived again into favour with God, and can do Him of death, and re-instated in the service of a gracious
any acceptable service. But the ascending of the sac- sovereign. Therefore does the Church bow down and
rifice in flame and smoke towards heaven is also a acknowledge the royal grace extended to her; renews
testimony that the offering thus presented is really the dedication of her spared life to the service of her
accepted, that by the power of the Holy Ghost, sym- Lord; gives thanks for His mercy which endureth for
bolized by the fire of the altar, the sinner, dead with ever; and presents herself, body, soul, and spirit, as a
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living sacrifice, which is her reasonable service (Rom. it were, supplemented by the recital of a short [104]
xii.1), and vows to live henceforth only to His glory. summary of what the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost have done and are doing for us men and
The presentation of the sacrifice of the lamb,
whether in the morning or evening, was accompanied for our salvation, such as is contained in the
[103] by a meat offering and a drink offering. The Apostles' Creed. This, following upon each reading of
priest, having washed his hands and feet at the laver, Scripture, is a simple and expressive act of the faith
proceeded to place on the divided parts of the lamb and hope of all present, the acknowledgment of the
laid in order upon the wood, which the fire was about source of all life and strength to be in God alone. The
to consume, a prepared portion of fine wheat flour, oil mingled with the flour teaches us that the letter of
mingled with oil (Exod. xxix.40). This clearly symbol- the Word is in itself dry, dead, and unprofitable, when
izes the staff of spiritual life, the pure Word of God, not read in the spirit of joy and love, the spirit of
the Holy Scripture, the most precious deposit of the anointing and discernment, the spirit of faith and
record of the Lord's promises made to His covenant obedience; for oil5 is the symbol of joy (Isaiah lxi.3); oil
people, and of the declaration of His will for their in- maketh the face of man to shine, while bread
struction in righteousness and truth, and the history strengtheneth his heart (Ps. civ. 15). Nor was salt at
of His dealings with them in all ages. In presenting any time wanting to the meat-offering, as it is ex-
before the Lord in the spirit of worship a portion of pressly commanded (Lev. ii,13, and see Mark ix. 49).
that Word which is the food of her soul, the Church Salt is the antidote to decay and corruption, and
presents the substance of her own faith and hope, of symbolizes faith in a covenant God, faith working by
her intelligence of the purpose and ways of God, and love to all the brethren; even that love of God which,
of the experience of all the servants and saints of
God; in a word, the staff of her spiritual life, which is
quickened and sustained by the lively oracles, the 5
Remark (Scheffler): Oil - is not the symbol of joy!; See Car-
choicest of her treasures. As, however, only a small dale, J.B. „Readings - Upon the types of the law", p.281. "The
portion of Holy Scripture can be presented at any one oil signifies that grace and unction of the Holy Ghost which
time of the assembling of the Church for worship, it is should be present in the heart of him who conceives or utters
most fitting that this portion be accompanied, and, as such truths."
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penetrating the inner man, consumes the fleshly bread and to spare; that He dealeth it liberally to the
mind, and transforms us into the image of Christ. hungry soul, and that He prepareth a table in the wil-
derness for His [106] children, anointing their heads
This reading of the Word in the spirit, with the with oil, and making their cup run over (Ps. xxiii).
heart beating with joy, and the countenance beaming
with light; this reading in the power of [105] the The drink offering that accompanied the meat of-
anointing, which the Church has received from the fering was a measure of pure wine, termed, as we
Holy One, whereby she knoweth all things, and have noticed above (Numb. xxviii.7), "strong wine,"
needeth not any human teaching (1John ii.21-27); poured out upon the base of the altar, around which
this presenting before the Lord a portion of the sure the blood of the lamb had been sprinkled, and upon
record of His revealed purpose demonstrates that the which the flesh of the lamb, and the fine flour and oil
Church does not belong to that class of whom our of the meat offering were being consumed by the fire.
Lord declared, "Ye worship ye know not what" (John As bread strengtheneth man's heart, so wine maketh
iv.22), but that she belongs to the number who con- it glad (Ps. civ.15); cheereth God and man (Judges
fess openly and boldly the name of Him "Who, at sun- ix.13); maketh glad the life (Eccles. x.19).
dry times and in divers manners, spake in time past
unto the fathers by the prophets," and "hath, in these The typical signification of the drink offering is
last days, spoken to us by His own Son" (Heb. i.1). therefore abundantly clear, from the character of the
And therefore is it farther right, meet, and our symbol. The Church having made confession of sin,
bounden duty, to proceed to testify in an anthem of received absolution, and dedicated herself afresh to
joy and gladness, the Church's gratitude for the pre- her Lord, and presented to Him, in faith, and rev-
cious treasure of the faith, and thus to allow her erence, and gratitude, a portion of His own word of
heart to speak out its emotion, and be roused to the truth, is now in a condition to draw near to the holy
importance of the most jealous care and living use of place with a psalm or song of holy joy and praise, a
such a deposit as the Book of God really is. This spiri- full utterance of thanksgiving, calling upon her soul
tual meat offering, with its accompaniments, is, be- to magnify the Lord, and her spirit to rejoice in God
sides all this, the earnest and foretaste of a feast of fat her Saviour; to bless His Name and to tell forth His
things, the pledge that in our Father's house there is glory even now, as she hopes to be able one day to
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sing the [107] new song, to invite all angels and all with its lamps and its oil; and the table, with its
the works of God, yea, all His creatures to bless Him, shewbread.
and to lead the ascription of glory to God, the halle-
lujah of the redeemed and worshipping creation! *****
Having presented the drink offering, the priest

passed from the court into the Sanctuary, the Holy
Place, where, as we have seen, stood the golden altar
of incense, the candlestick, and the table of shew-
bread. The priest might at no time enter the sanctu-
ary empty handed, for in the morning, as already no-
ticed, he must carry in incense to burn on the golden
altar, and oil and requisites for trimming the lamps of
the candlestick; and in the evening he must bring in,
together with the incense, a light to light the lamps,
which had to burn all through the night. (Compare
Ex. xxv.37 with Lev. xxiv.2-4, and Numb. viii.2-3,
1Sam. iii.3, Zech. iv.2, Rev. iv.5.)
This action of the priest, therefore, clearly corre-

sponds to that of the Church " drawing near," by the
new and living way opened by her Head in the heav-
ens, to hold communion with God. As this commun-
ion is the very, soul and substance of worship, we
proceed to inquire somewhat in detail into the spiri-
tual import of the holy and mysterious symbols found
in the Holy Place of [108] God, namely, the altar of in-
cense, with the incense burnt on it; the candlestick,
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Name, and a pure offering; for My Name shall be great

CHAPTER VII.
among the heathen, saith the Lord of Hosts" (Mal. i.1
PRAYER IN THE HOLY GHOST, 1).
HOW TO BE OFFERED.
The Burning of Incense. The words of the Psalmist (Ps. xxvi.6-8): "I will
wash mine hands in innocency, and so will I compass
THAT the burning of incense on the Golden Altar,
Thine altar, O Lord, that I may publish with the voice
both morning and evening, is manifestly the crowning
of thanksgiving, and tell of all Thy wondrous works.
act of the daily worship, appears from the numerous
Lord, I have loved the habitation of Thy house, and
references to this service in the Scriptures, which,
the place where Thine honour dwelleth." These words
while they show the vast importance of it, furnish us
clearly point to this altar and its uses. Again, he sings
also with clear interpretation of its spiritual meaning
(Ps. xliii.4): "Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto
or truth. In the message sent to the King of Tyre, ask-
God my exceeding joy; yea, upon the harp will I praise
ing his aid to build the Temple, Solomon names the
Thee, O God, my God." Here the repetition of the
burning of incense before the Lord, as the very first or
name of God (four [111] times in one verse, and all in
principal object had in view in the building of the
reference to this very altar) shows us something of the
house (2Chron. ii.4). Abijah does the same in declar-
ardour of communion with God, something of the un-
ing to the rebellious and idolatrous Jeroboam [110]
utterable rapture of spiritual worship. It is recorded
the dignity of the office of the priests, the sons of
in the opening of the Gospel history (Luke i.5-11) that
Aaron (2Chron. xiii.11); Hezekiah reminds the priests
the moment chosen of God to reveal His purpose re-
of this (2Chron. xxix.11). "Let my prayer," cries David
garding the birth and mission of John the Baptist,
(Ps. cxli.2), "be set forth before Thee as incense, and
who should make
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice."
The glorious prophecy of Malachi regarding the mag-
ready a people prepared for the Lord, was that in
nifying of the Name of the Lord, runs thus: "from the
which Zacharias, the righteous, dutiful, and blame-
rising of the sun, even unto the going down of the
less priest, was fulfilling his ministry of burning in-
same, My Name shall be great among the Gentiles;
cense in the Temple of the Lord, while the whole mul-
and in every place incense shall be offered unto My
titude of the people were praying without. This cir-
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cumstance has, for those who know the character of 1. The Altar.
the days in which we live, a very special significance,
upon which, however, we do not now enter, choosing In Ex. xxx. 1-9, we have the directions for the
rather to call attention to the vision of St. John, in construction, place, and uses of this altar; its con-
Rev. chap. viii. We have seen from Heb. ix.24, that struction of shittim wood, overlaid with gold, with its
our Great High Priest has "entered into the holiest of horns and crown of gold; its place "before the vail, be-
all, that is, into heaven itself, now to appear in the fore the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where"
presence of God for us;" and from Rom. viii.34, that (saith the Lord) "I will meet with thee;" its use in the
He there "maketh intercession for us." We have also morning when the lamps are dressed or trimmed; and
seen that He is now fulfilling the ministry shadowed its use in the evening when the lamps are lighted. A
forth or typified by that of the Jewish High Priest on solemn prohibition is given regarding four things be-
the Great Day of Atonement [112]; that this vision of ing presented on this altar, namely, strange incense
St. John refers to that same ministry is put beyond [113], burnt sacrifice, meat offering, and drink offer-
doubt by the use of the golden censer (v.3), which was ing. The first of these, indeed, might never, on pain of
used on no other occasion, and the cloud of incense, death, be offered to God (see Lev. x.1-3). The other
which was never, save on that day, burned in the three were indeed acceptable, when duly offered in
most holy place (Lev. xvi. 12,13). These Scriptures their appropriate time and place; but were never to be
prove that the work of Christ now being fulfilled is the offered on this altar. Here, again, we learn the exceed-
work of intercession, and that incense is the symbol ing jealousy of the Lord over the order of His house;
of intercession. In Rev. v.8, it is simply said to mean and may catch a glimpse of what must be the grief of
"the prayers of saints." This is sufficient for our pre- His Spirit over all disorder or misplacement of acts of
sent purpose; so we proceed now to consider what is holy worship in the public solemn assemblies of His
revealed concerning the Altar of Incense, and the in- people.
cense itself.
2. The Incense.
We are not only shown what was forbidden to be

used upon the golden altar, but also what the Lord
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commanded to be there used. We have the details of is said of the Lord, that "in the days of His flesh He
four sorts of sweet spices given in Ex. xxx.34-38, and made strong cryings and supplications with tears,"
while the expressions in Ps. cxli.2, Rev. v.8, and but that now He is risen "He ever liveth to make inter-
viii.3-4, sufficiently teach that all these sweet spices cession for us." Concerning thanksgivings
symbolize prayers, yet it is only from the instructions (ευχαριστιας) it is needless to make any observations.
of the Apostle Paul to Timothy that we learn the four
parts of which the grand office of prayer ought to con- From these considerations it follows, that a [115]
sist. In these instructions (1Tim. ii.1) he says: "I ex- special act of intercession should complete the order
hort that, first of all, supplications, prayers, interces- of prayer, that in it should be gathered up the sub-
sions [114], and giving of thanks, be made for all stance of all that had been previously asked for; and
men." Here we have not only the direction that four thus the whole presented before the Lord by him who
distinct parts of prayer should be offered, but also the presides over the congregation on behalf of himself,
very order in which these various parts should be and of the people committed to his charge. Whilst
presented, an order in harmony with the wants of every priest may perform all the parts of worship in
men, the attributes of God, the plan of salvation, and the Christian Church up to this point, this is a part
the condition of the Church in all ages, from her which it belongs to the bishop or angel alone to offer,
commencement at Pentecost until the return of the who, to the individual church over which he presides,
Lord in glory. represents the Lord Jesus Christ, the only bishop or
angel of the Church Universal, and so fulfils on the
Prayer (δεησεις) is the generic term for either earth that ministry which the Lord Jesus Christ is
prayers or vows. It implies simply the request of every fulfilling for us in the heavens, thus representing in
one who seeks to obtain something from another. the visible the perpetual intercession of Jesus in the
Supplication (προσευχας) contains all that is in the invisible.
former with the additional idea of want or need. It is
the prayer of a miserable creature pouring out its sor- The due performance of the first part of the ser-
rows, and seeking relief. Intercession (εντευξεις) is the vice typified by the golden altar is provided for by the
act of one who enters into the presence of a superior, supplicatory parts of a short litany, as they have been
to plead rather for others than for himself; thus as it used at all times, and as they are still used, partly in
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the Roman and partly in the Anglican formularies. In Temple of Solomon, even in its best days! Can any of
a full and complete choir, the proper minister to offer the assemblies called churches bear the comparison
this litany is the pastor, who sympathizes with the now? In other days, within the meanest house as-
sorrows of God's people, and who, as their confessor, sembled, the Church showed forth the [117] living
knows [116] them more intimately. The prayers for God, manifested in living men! God was heard speak-
rulers and for peace, &c., are to be offered by the ing by the lips of men, women, and children; God was
other priests, according to the order of their ministry; seen working in the ministers and members of the
and the final intercession then proceeds as stated flock! Must we now write over the door of the Church,
above. "Here God once dwelt?" Has the ministration of the
Spirit ceased?
3. The Burning of the Incense.
To return to the exposition. We have seen that

In the service of the priest, therefore, at this al-
the burning of incense sets forth the highest act of
tar, burning the sweet incense of spices required and
worship, the presentation of our combined supplica-
accepted of God, we have the type of the most solemn
tions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be-
attitude and employment that mortal man can possi-
fore God. The true nature of prayer is a great deep -
bly sustain before the Lord, his Creator, Redeemer,
the Spirit of God in the Church crying out to the Fa-
and Judge; and in the Church of the New Testament
ther and the Son in heaven! In the Spirit (or by the
the truth of the office, and the truth of the service, are
Spirit) we cry Abba, Father! and the intercession of
assuredly not less solemn, not less responsible, not
the Spirit in the saints, although ever according to the
less the end and object of all the previous parts of
will of God, must often take place by groanings which
holy worship, than was the shadow in the service of
cannot be uttered! (Rom. viii. 15,26).
the Tabernacle of old. Yea, it is greater, nobler, more
glorious, even by how much the ministration of the
Oh, let us tread softly here! Let us use few and
Spirit excelleth the ministration of the letter. See 2
well-ordered words in expressing our conviction as to
Cor. iii., where the glory of a Christian Church, as-
what communion with God really is. It is infinitely
sembled in an upper room in Jerusalem, or a school-
easier to say what it is not.
room in Corinth, is declared to eclipse the glory of the
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"There can be no doubt, that the use of forms spiritual death to all who are guilty in this thing before
which do not express our own true and hearty desires the Lord.
in the sight of God, or which are not suitable to the
actual condition of the Church in these latter [118] Thus we are entirely shut up to Jesus, our Head
days, or which contain any petition exceeding or fal- in the Heavens, the one Mediator, the true [119] High
ling short of the purpose of God revealed in His Word, Priest, the alone perfect Worshipper of the Father, for
or which abound in repetitions of confession of sin af- an answer to the question, "What is communion with
ter absolution has been declared; there can be no God?" It is the communion of the Father with the Son;
doubt that such forms are not the channels through of the Son with the Father; of the Holy Ghost with the
which the spirit of communion can flow. Father and the Son; of the Spirit ever proceeding from
God, carrying the fulness of God's grace and love into
On the other hand it is equally clear, that where the bosom of the Church, the body of Christ, and
there is no form at all, but an arbitrary and confused thence returning to the throne of God with the cries of
address to God, although abounding in texts of Scrip- all His children on the earth. It is the communion of
ture, and reciting phrases which might be in other the Apostles with the Father and with the Son (1
circumstances of time and place profitable to the John i.3), into which they laboured to bring the
hearers; or where there is a seeking in prayer to con- Church from the day of Pentecost, when the first con-
vey instruction or reproof to those present, or the like; verts tasted the heavenly gift (Acts ii.42-47; iv. 32-33),
all such addresses are a grief to the Spirit of God, and and onwards throughout all the period of their minis-
must blunt the spiritual perception and harden the try.
hearts of all who utter them, or have pleasure in
hearing them uttered. It is in reference to this communion of the
Church with God, that her name as One, Holy, Catho-
As truly as the offering of strange fire before the lic, and Apostolic, is felt to be the only proper and
Lord caused the death of Nadab and Abihu (Lev. x.), worthy name by which she should at any time be
so truly must an offering of what is not truly prayer, called. Alas for our weakness! Alas for our divisions!
supplication, intercession, and thanksgiving, produce at once the fruit of our early transgressions and the
seed of unnumbered others!
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In feeling our way again to this high and holy CHAPTER VIII.
communion of the Church with her living Head in
THE CANDLESTICK
heaven, we must confess that it is only as [120] mem-
A SYMBOL OF A WORSHIPPING CHURCH.
bers of His body, of His flesh and His bones, as one
with Him Who is one with the Father, as baptized into AFTER the burning of the incense there followed,
His body and partakers of His Spirit, as having His as already noticed, the trimming of the lamps in the
mind and not our own, and as being set of Him in the morning, and the lighting of them in the evening.
places we severally occupy, that we dare to approach From the words of our Lord (Matt. v.14-16) we learn
to the altar of God to fulfil the ministry of interces- the light-bearing character of the Church, which, re-
sion. For it cannot be too steadfastly borne in mind, ceiving all her light from Him Who is the true Light,
that the Church on the earth is set to express the the light of life, is called to shine as a light (or light
mind of her Head in the heavens; to do what He does, tower) in the world (Phil. ii.15) during the time of the
to say what He says, to be His witness to all men, to Lord's absence, just as the moon, receiving her light
be the light of the world, the pillar and ground of the from the sun, gives it again by night to the earth. But
truth! the truth of the mystery of the candlestick in the holy
place is not the bearing forth [122] of light to the
To those who would enter into the spirit of inter- world, either by word or example, not the letting our
cession and enjoy its blessings, we can only suggest light shine before men, but before God: for the light of
as models of study the well-known chapter xvii. of St. the lamps on the candlestick was never seen by those
John's Gospel, the first and third chapters of the without; it burned serenely before the Lord alone; and
Epistle to the Ephesians, the opening verses of the its being trimmed in the morning, and lighted in the
General Epistles of St. Peter and St. John; and gener- evening, and its continued burning through the night,
ally the passages in the Book of Psalms that refer to were all parts of the service of daily worship offered
the building up of Zion, the gathering, uniting, and unto God. The oil which fed the light was obtained by
blessing of all the covenant people of the Lord, and the priests from the people, as an offering for the ser-
the filling of the earth with the praise and glory of the vice of the House of God. For thus it is written (Lev.
Lord by the coming and judgment of the Lord the xxiv.2-4): "Command the children of Israel that they
King [121]! bring unto thee pure olive oil, beaten for the light, to
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cause the lamps to burn continually, without the vail scattered, lukewarm, and backsliding condition of His
of the testimony; in the Tabernacle of the congrega- flock in all lands, so long and so sadly forgetful of His
tion shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the love, and grace, and gifts, so unmindful of His jeal-
morning before the Lord continually; it shall be a stat- ousy and of His holiness, and so indifferent to His
ute for ever in your generations. He shall order the promised return to judgment. Then, indeed, the
lamps upon the pure candlestick before the Lord con- Church feels her need of a new heart, and a right
tinually." The truth, then, of this symbol, namely, spirit, wherewith to love and serve her Lord, and of a
light presented before the Lord as an act of holy wor- [124] new tongue and circumcised lips, wherewith to
ship, is adoration, the devotional contemplation of the utter forth His praise.
deep and holy mysteries of our common faith, the ut-
terance of the glorious perfections of the [123] Lord; All the varied trains of thought connected with
the manifestation of the Holy Ghost in and by the light in Holy Scripture crowd here upon our spirits;
Church, of which the most perfect representative is the name of God the Father, as Light (1John i.5); es-
given in Rev. iv.5, where the seven lamps of fire burn- sential, uncreated, unapproachable light (1Tim.
ing before the throne are expressly declared to be the vi.16); the Father of lights, from Whom cometh down
seven Spirits of God. As the invisible Father is mani- every good and perfect gift (James i,17); the Name of
fested alone in the Son, and the Son is now made the Son as the true light that lighteth every man that
known in His operations in and by the Church (1Cor. cometh into the world (John i.9); the light of the Gen-
xii.6), so then truly does the Church rise up into her tiles, and the glory of Israel (Luke ii.32); the light of
high and holy standing, and bear the image of her the world and the light of life (John viii. 12); and the
Lord and Head, when, in the confidence of a child in Name of the Holy Ghost as the reprover and destroyer
its father's house, or of a wife in the presence of her of darkness (Eph. v.13); the revealer of hidden wis-
loving husband, she opens her heart to the enjoyment dom (1Cor. ii.10-12); the giver of the word of proph-
of the unutterable blessedness of communing with ecy, the light shining in a dark place (2Pet. i.19); and,
the Lord; when she yields her tongue to the power of lastly, the chastened and grateful remembrance of
the Spirit, for the utterance of the joy of her risen and our own calling as children of light (1Thess. v.5) to
coming Lord over the prodigal returned, and the lost walk in the very light of God (Ps. xxxvi.9; xcvii.1 1),
sheep recovered, or of His sorrow over the divided, yea! to dwell in the city of which it is written that it
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"cometh down from heaven, having the glory of God, the Church. The vision of the seven candlesticks of
and having no need of the sun, neither of the moon, gold (Rev. i. 12), each of which was doubtless in the
to shine in it, for the glory of God doth lighten it, and form of the [126] one made by Moses, viz., with seven
the Lamb is the light (or lamp) thereof" (Rev. xxi. lamps, and the account of the appointment of the first
10,11,23) [125]. seven deacons in the Church at Jerusalem (Acts vi.)
teaches clearly, that a sevenfold ministry in each indi-
We pause in the contemplation of these high and vidual Church is the perfect way of the Lord. So that
holy truths, and look around to see whether among in the seven branches of the candlestick of the Taber-
the varied Churches of Christendom anything corre- nacle we have the type or shadow of the ministry of
sponding to this walking in the light and worshipping the angel and elders of the Christian Church, and in
in the pure light of God can be found, but alas! we the trimming of the lamps in the morning, and the
look in vain. While every part of the holy order of daily lighting of them in the evening, we have the shadow of
worship has been neglected and perverted, this part the true spiritual ministry of the Church. The people
has suffered most of all. It has happened, as might of Israel brought the oil to Aaron and his sons "to
have been expected, that when the original order of cause the lamps to burn;" the faithful of the early
the Church fell into confusion, and was lost under Christian Church supplied their pastors, through the
forms and ordinances of man's invention, the Spirit of varied spiritual gifts, of which all were partakers, with
God, grieved, vexed, and all but utterly quenched, rays of the light of wisdom, or knowledge, or faith, or
should withdraw Himself from the public assemblies, discernment, which rays afterwards found expression
and seek refuge among contrite spirits, who tremble both in teaching and in worship, through the several
at the word of the Lord (Isaiah lvii.15; lxvi.2). office-bearers of the Church.
From the Acts of the Apostles, and from some of The special form of this ministry is sufficiently
their epistles, it is clear that in every fully constituted indicated by the order of the action shown in the type.
Church in the beginning, there were several elders or The trimming of the lamps in the morning, being the
presbyters (called bishops in Acts xx. 17-28, and Phil. act of the High Priest, finds its counterpart in a min-
i.1) who all shared in the ministry of the Church un- istry of word by the Angel of the [127] Church, who
der one presiding bishop or ruler, called the Angel of gives out in the hearing of the congregation, headed
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up by their elders and deacons, a theme or subject for them, such as the song of Zacharias in the morning,
meditation during the day, some devotional truth, and that of the Blessed Virgin in the evening.
clear and simple, yet uplifting, comforting, strength-
ening to faith and hope, taken, it may be, from the We repeat that this ministry is an act of worship,
portion of Scripture read before the Lord, and calcu- and not in any sense a testimony to the world, or to
lated to draw out the hearts of the flock in love and unbelievers, in the nature of exhortation or teaching.
worship. And what answers to the lighting of the It is a spiritual exercise, a ministering of the Church
lamps in the evening is then seen in the united seven- before the Lord; a building herself up in her most holy
fold ministry of angel and elders, giving out in few faith, following upon prayer in the Holy Ghost; a
and well-ordered words their meditations on the sub- keeping of herself in the love of God, and looking for
ject announced in the morning. As the light of the the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life
lamps shone only before the Lord in the holy place, so (Jude 20,21). The ministry of preaching, the seeking
ought these meditations to bear the character of holy to awaken and convert sinners who are living without
worship, for this is not the time for teaching or God, and to persuade all men of the truth of the Gos-
preaching, but for devout adoration. And as the shaft pel, as also the teaching of the young and ignorant,
of the candlestick sustained the branches and lamps, must have their time and place in every congregation
so the congregation ought to realize that oneness with where there is the life of God and zeal for the honour
their angel and elders which is the character of an or- of His Name; but these are very different things from
ganized body, by uniting in this act of adoration, and acts of worship, which are addressed to God. Preach-
by bearing these ministers up continually in their ing and teaching are addressed to man [129].
spirits, thus strengthening their hands and cheering
their hearts by cordial co-operation, so that the light Oh, that this truth were better understood
of their united worship should be seen [128] ascend- amongst us! then we should never hear such offen-
ing as a generous flame of common devotion, in the sive expressions as "striking ceremonies," "imposing
joy of the conscious presence and blessing of the solemnities," or "impressive prayers." Those who use
Lord. This ministry of word both in the morning and such words testify that they are standing outside of
the evening, is most suitably followed by a song or an- the worshipping family, for no one would speak of his
own prayers as impressive. Is it come to this, that the
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manner or matter of prayer is a subject of criticism? them, 'The Lord bless thee and keep thee, the Lord
Surely the Church never can be edified or blessed un- make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto
til the distinction between worship and preaching be thee; the Lord lift up the light of His countenance
clearly recognized, and the two be effectually dis- upon thee, and give thee peace.' And they shall put
joined. These services ought to be held at different My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless
hours, if not in different places; for any place where them."
man can conveniently assemble may suffice for a
preaching station, but not every place is suitable for Here we learn, not only that blessing the people
the exercise of public, spiritual worship. Is it not a is a priestly act, for the command is to Aaron and his
fact. worthy of consideration, that neither in the Tab- sons, who were specially separated to minister unto
ernacle, nor in the Temple, was there anything like a the Lord, and to bless in His name (Deut. x.8); but
pulpit? The only mention of such a thing in the Bible also that the priest in this act puts the name of God
is found in Ezra viii.4, where the erection was in the upon the people, as upon one man. The unity of the
open street! people of Israel is clearly a type or shadow of the still
closer unity of the Church of God. Israel composed
The closing act of the priest in the daily service one family. The Church composes one body. The chil-
under the law was the blessing of the people. Forms of dren of Israel were [131] blessed for their fathers'
benediction are common to both Old and New Testa- sake; the Church is blessed for Christ's sake. As God
ment services. The pronouncing of a [130] blessing at saw all Israel in Abraham when He blessed him, and
the close of an act of worship should not be a mere gave him the covenant of promise, so does God see all
pious wish that the persons blessed may prosper; not the Church in her living Head, to whom He giveth all
a mere form of prayer for them, or a mere expression things.
of friendly and kindly feeling towards them. It should
be far more than this. Rightly understood, it is the This putting of the name of God upon the people
putting of God's name upon them, as we read, Numb. is, therefore, something far deeper than merely wish-
vi.22-27: "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ing them to be blessed; for the blessing of God comes
Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, saying, On this from Himself, through channels of His own appoint-
wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto ment, and it invariably descends. The less is blessed
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of the better (Heb. vii.7); accordingly we read, not only ceed to consider the service of the Sabbath Day, with
that Melchizedek blessed Abram, but that he did so its corresponding bearing on the Christian service of
as Priest of the Most High God (Gen. xiv. 18-20). We the Lord's Day.
are not told what form of words the Lord used when
He blessed His Apostles at the moment of His ascen- *****
sion (Luke xxiv.50-51), but we have, in the forms of
blessing adopted by the Apostles in their Epistles, the
fullest assurance that the ordinance of blessing has
descended on the Church, and abides with her; and
the testimony of all liturgical forms proves, that the
pronouncing of a blessing by the presiding priest or
minister has been the invariable close of every act of
worship [132].
Finally we observe, that the blessing is the an-

swer of God to our worship, as the absolution is His
answer to our confession. Nothing can be more minis-
terial than that priestly act of lifting up the hand, and
blessing the Church in the name of the Lord; and the
answer of the people in a loud "Amen" testifies their
grateful acknowledgment of their Father's blessing,
and their assurance that the Lord is with them in
their going out as well as their coming in.
Having thus considered the order of the morning

and evening sacrifice, under the law, and shown the
corresponding order of worship in the spiritual house
of God - the Church of the New Testament - we pro-
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bath day, the day of rest from labour, and that, too,
CHAPTER IX.
in the House of God, which must be the model of all
PECULIARITY OF THE WORSHIP perfection and the teacher of all truth? Can this be
ON THE LORD S DAY. reconciled with the severity of the law, which pun-
THE Sabbath Service consisted, as we have al- ished with death the gathering a few pieces of fire-
ready briefly noticed, of a double morning and evening wood on the Sabbath day? And secondly: Why should
sacrifice, with double meat and drink offerings to each; there be more lambs than one presented to God in the
and further, of the special and peculiar service of the morning and evening of the Sabbath day, seeing there
Table of Shewbread. In other respects the order of the is and can be but one Lamb of God that taketh away
daily sacrifice was the rule for this as for every day of the sins of the world?
the week, in all that regarded the burning of incense,
the trimming and lighting of the lamps, and the bless- A very few words on the nature and object of the
ing. Jewish Sabbath must suffice us, as our treatise has
to do only with the worship on that day.
We shall take these two points in their order.
Some light on the first question is found in the
1. The double sacrifice and double meat-offerings words of our Lord (Matt. xii.5-8): "Have ye not read in
of the Sabbath are thus commanded: "And on the the law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in
Sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, the Temple profane the Sabbath and [135] are blame-
and two tenth deals of flour for a [134] meat-offering, less? But I say unto you, that in this place is one
mingled with oil, and the drink-offering thereof; this is greater than the Temple……For the Son of Man is
the burnt-offering of every Sabbath, beside the con- Lord even of the Sabbath day." Here we learn that one
tinual burnt-offering, and his drink-offering" (Numb. great end of the institution of the Sabbath was to set
xxviii.9,10). On the very threshold of our inquiry into forth Jesus as Lord, as the Alpha and Omega, the Be-
the spiritual meaning of this service two questions ginning of the creation of God, and the End of all His
arise, which must be satisfactorily disposed of. First: eternal purpose.
Why was there such an increase of work on the Sab-
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Although the Sabbath, with all its peculiar sanc- redemption for you and for all men, in which you are
tions, forms a chief point of the law of Moses, yet the called to the honour of being fellow-workers with Him.
special observance of the seventh day has an older The work of the House of God is done by priests and
date than the other parts of that law. The words of Levites, but it is God's work. Ye shall do no manner of
Moses (Ex. xvi.29), "the Lord hath given you the Sab- work in your houses (or places of business) on the
bath," show very distinctly that the Sabbath was a gift Sabbath day. All your work must stand still (Ex.
to Israel; and in Ezek. xx. 12-20, we read that the xxxiv.27). God's work alone must be done. Ye shall
Sabbaths of the Lord were given to Israel as a sign be- kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the
tween God and them, that they might know that the Sabbath day (Exod. xxxv.3); but in God's House there
Lord was their Sanctifier. These words indicate a dis- is twice as much fire, and more than twice as much
tinction between the Sabbath of rest at the close of work as on any other day. Therefore must all flesh
the work of creation, when God rested from all His rest on that day, and whoso breaks this command-
work, which cannot be a matter of gift, and the Sab- ment must die as a [137] despiser of God and of God's
baths under the law, which were expressly given as ways, a rebel against the order of his God and Saviour
signs between God and His covenant people. These (Exod. xxxi. 13-14).
pointed, therefore, as all signs do, to Jesus as the
grand end of all the works, and [136] words, and ways A solemn fact recorded in the Gospels may serve
of God; in Whom God has wrought for the redemp- to put the object of the law of the Jewish Sabbath in a
tion, and still works for the sanctifying of His people. still clearer light before us. After Jesus had cried, "It
"My Father worketh hitherto," said Jesus on a Sab- is finished" (which we know from John xix.4,28-30,
bath day at Jerusalem, "and I work" (John v.17). The applied to the work of humiliation and suffering as-
context of this passage is most instructive, as show- signed Him as the Great Sin-bearer), He died and was
ing how completely the Jews misunderstood, not only buried. He remained all the Sabbath day in the rest of
the person and work of our Lord, but the nature and the grave, and arose to that new life, of which we are
object of the Sabbath commanded by the law, when through baptism made partakers, on the first day of a
they accused Him repeatedly of being a Sabbath- new week. When we remember, therefore,
breaker! The case may be put in this form: Moses
could say to all Israel, God is now working a work of
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that the Church of the New Testament is the of God should die, what could the evening sacrifice
Church of the Resurrection, and is not under the law signify? The difficulty in that case would be not in the
(Rom. vii.4-6; Gal. v.18) as the Jews were, we have a four lambs of the Sabbath, but in the two lambs of the
light upon the nature of the Christian Sabbath (as the daily offering. And what, in such a view of the institu-
Lord's Day is improperly called) and can comprehend tion, could be thought of the twelve lambs offered in
the spirit in which the first day of every week should the day of the dedication of the altar as a burnt-
be celebrated by the members of the Body of Christ, offering? and the sixty lambs offered in the same day
the living stones of the spiritual Temple of God, the as a peace-offering? (Num. vii.87,88). And what the
royal priesthood, called to offer spiritual sacrifices ac- meaning of [139] all the other public and private offer-
ceptable to God by Jesus Christ (1Pet. ii.5). ings and sacrifices which made it necessary that a
numberless series of lambs should be all day long in
The second question, viz., why should there be course of being offered?
four lambs required for the morning and evening
[138] sacrifice of the Sabbath day? must perplex the It is clear that this is not the correct and com-
inquirer, who only sees, in the one lamb of the morn- plete signification of the typical sacrifice of the lamb,
ing and the one lamb of the evening sacrifice, a repre- morning by morning and evening by evening, con-
sentation or type of Christ as our Redeemer. Yet this tinually throughout the year, and it becomes the more
question also admits of a satisfactory answer. Had the distinctly manifest that the exposition we have given
purpose of God in the sacrifice of a lamb merely been when explaining the spiritual signification of the daily
to set forth, that in the fulness of time He would send sacrifice is the correct one, namely, that it is the per-
His own Son as the "Lamb that taketh away the sins manent, necessary, indispensable confession of Jesus
of the world," this purpose would have been attained by the Church, as the Taker away of sin, the Opener of
by the sacrifice of one lamb in a day, or one in a the way to the Father, the Speaker of peace to the
week, or in a year; but that this is not the whole truth sinner, and the Inviter of His people to draw near to
of the institution of the daily sacrifice is most clear receive God's blessing of peace. In one word, unless
from all that we have hitherto seen of the purpose of we come before God in and with the blood of Christ as
God in His house. For if the morning sacrifice merely all our plea, we may not approach Him at all. It fol-
signified that the day should come in which the Lamb lows, therefore, that not only is there no fear of a plu-
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rality of spiritual sacrifices confusing or clouding the The Service of the Table of Shewbread.
truth of the one Sacri-
The description of the Table and of its vessels is
fice for the sins of the world; but, on the con- fully given in Ex. xxv.23-29, and the directions re-
trary, every fresh approach to God is declared to be garding the preparation, presentation, removal, and
made through the blood of the Lamb as the absolutely eating of the Shewbread, are given as follows: "Thou
indispensable ground and warrant of all worship shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof;
[140]. two tenth deals shall be in one cake, and thou shalt
set them in two [141] rows, six on a row, upon the
Thus the one great and sufficient atonement for pure table before the Lord. And thou shalt put frank-
the sins of all, which has opened and keeps open the incense upon each row, that it may be on the bread
way of access for each individual worshipper, is the for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the
firm foundation on which the spirits of all who draw Lord. Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the
near to ask and receive the blessing of God can rest in Lord continually, being taken from the children of Is-
confidence and peace. rael by an everlasting covenant. And it shall be
Aaron's and his sons', and they shall eat it in the holy
As the rest from servile labour on the Sabbath place; for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of
day, when contrasted with the work of the House of the Lord made by fire by a perpetual statute" (Lev.
God on that day, said plainly to every Israelite, "Cease xxiv.5-9). From this Scripture we collect the following
from your own works, and consider the work of God," important truths: - 1st, the number of loaves on the
so must the sacrifice of each lamb on the brazen altar table before the Lord was twelve, corresponding to the
have said, "Cease from your own righteousness, and number of the tribes of Israel; 2ndly, the whole of the
learn the righteousness of God." duty of receiving the flour from the people, and of pre-
paring, presenting, removing, and eating the bread,
Having thus, we trust, satisfactorily disposed of belonged to the priests exclusively. The language of
these preliminary questions, we proceed to consider our Lord (Matt. xii.3-8) where the solitary exception is
the peculiar service of the Sabbath day in the Taber- noted, confirms this as the rule. 3rdly, the presenta-
nacle, namely: tion of this bread before the Lord is distinctly called
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an offering, which is the same with sacrifice. Compare Lord should command a quantity of bread to be con-
Lev. xxiv.7-9; xxi. 1-6,8,17; Ezekiel xliv.7; Mal. i.7. tinually presented before His face, is sufficient to as-
And 4thly, it was accompanied by frankincense, a sure us that therein much important truth lay con-
symbol of that sweet [142] savour of cealed; and the [143] revelation of God's purpose be-
ing now so far complete, since the True Bread has
love, sincerity, and truth, which is communicated appeared, we are enabled to trace this mystery from
to all our prayers and services by the one meritorious the beginning to the end. We call attention to the type
sacrifice of Christ (see Eph. v.2). under the following heads: -
The position of the table on the north side of the 1.Bread is the universal staff of life. In every country it
holy place, directly over against the candlestick, as is known and acknowl edged as such. The words of
well as all the details of its form and service, teach us the Lord, Deut. viii.3, implying the universally ac-
that it is only in the light of the Lord manifested knowl edged truth of the letter, are the ground of its
through the ministries of His Church that a full appre- spiritual signification.
hension of the truth symbolized by the table, and of
the bread set upon it, can be obtained. No doubt the 2.Bread is, in its very essence, a symbol of a new or
fuller these ministries of the Lord are, the clearer will changed life; it has nothing of the old life of its ele-
our apprehension of the meaning of the symbols be- ments - wheat, barley, rice, &c. - in it, for that having
come, for it is an undoubted truth that the longer we been violently broken and bruised out of the grains,
meditate any doctrine of revelation in the light of the cannot be restored. The flour having passed under
Lord, the more distinct will our apprehensions of its the action of water and fire (both of these being sym-
vast importance become. bols of the Spirit of God), the form and quality of the
original grain is totally changed; a new substance is
The Hebrew word translated "shew-bread" means thus presented to us, and it is the property of this
Bread of the Face or Presence of God, or of Presenta- new substance to sustain the life of man. Therefore is
tion. The simple fact that in His House (where all was bread the simplest and most instructive symbol of the
typical of mysteries that should afterwards be re- resurrection life of Jesus, which is imparted to us in
vealed and fulfilled in Christ and in His Church) the baptism, nourished in the Communion of the Lord's
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Supper, and educated and developed by all the ordi- and we may farther hope that our first parents could
nances of the Church, and the relationships [144] therein perceive a beam of light on the path of their
and conditions of human life. The Apostle Paul, in his future destiny. This, though not revealed, is a very
discourse at Antioch, Acts xiii., quotes Isaiah lv.3, as imaginable and pleasing consideration. So much for
a promise of the resurrection of Jesus, declaring that the symbolical signification of bread alone.
this is the Gospel (v.32), even the fulfilment of the
promise made unto the fathers (v.33); and on turning 4. The numerous passages of Holy Scripture
to the words quoted from Isaiah, we find them, re- wherein the elements bread and wine, corn and wine,
markably enough, to be part of a call to the hungry and oil and wine, are named as symbolical of spiritual
and thirsty poor to come and partake of true bread. blessings, confirm us in the belief, that while all
things were made for Christ as well as by Him (Rom.
3. The circumstances under which the first mention xi.36; Col. i.16), so especially those things that are
of bread was made to man con firm this, and enlarge necessary to the sustenance and re freshing of hu-
our conception of the deep truth hid in this symbol. man life have been endowed with their special proper-
So long as our first parents were in Paradise, the fruit ties, in order to ex press truths which could not
of the trees was their appointed food. But after through any other substances be expressed. See Gen.
their fall, in the moment of driving them out of the xiv.18, xxvii.28,37, xlix.11; Prov. xx.13; Eccles. xi.1;
garden, the Lord said to Adam: "Cursed is the ground Isa. xxviii.16, lv.2,10; Prov. xxxi.6; Isa. i.22, xxv.6,
for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days xxviii.28; Deut. xxv.4; 1Cor. ix.9; 1Tim. v.18; Judges
of thy life; ix.13; Ps. lxv.13, lxxii.16; Zechariah ix.17.
thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth unto thee,
and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat 5. Of similar passages of Scripture many might be
of thy face shalt thou eat bread" (Gen. iii.17-19). cited, ranging from the first di
rection regarding the use of bread given to Adam,
We cannot doubt that in giving such a command down to the time when the Lord Jesus
the gracious and merciful Lord, Who made garments said, "I am the bread of life;" "I am the true bread that
for our first parents, also gave them instructions how came down from [146] heaven;"
to prepare bread, henceforth their [145] chief food; "the living bread, whereof if a man eat he shall live for
Seite 139 Seite 140

ever" (John vi.32,48,51). Among these passages there institution under the law, like every other act in or
are two most remarkable ones, viz.: the notice of about the House of God, was but the type of some-
bread and wine as brought forth by Melchizedek when thing better; and in the light of that better thing we
he blessed Abram (Gen. xiv.8), and the ac may clearly perceive all the significancy and spiritual
count of the table of continual shew-bread which beauty of the details of the service of this table of the
stood in the presence of the Lord in the Holy Place Lord.
(Ex. xxv.30; Numb. iv.7; 2Chron. ii.4). Nor is it at all
difficult to com bine these two passages in the illus- *****
tration or exposition of the spiritual signification of
the symbol, for both of them are found conjoined in
that act wherein the Lord, of Whom Melchizedek was
but a type, took bread into His hands, and consecrat-
ing it, said: "This is My body."
Instead of minutely considering the manner of its

presentation before the Lord and the fact of its being
eaten only by the priests of the Lord's House, that is,
by Aaron and his sons, in the Holy Place on the Sab-
bath day, after the sacrifice of the second lamb has
been offered, and a fresh supply of bread placed upon
the table before the Lord; instead of dwelling upon the
letter of this ordinance, and endeavouring to appre-
hend what the feeling of a pious priest must have
been when eating the holy bread at such a time, and
in such [147] a place, we prefer to proceed at once to
consider the New Testament institution, where the
truth, the reality, the spiritual meaning of such a sig-
nificant act, in all its details, is to be found; for this
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is contained in that word! We may regard it as a

CHAPTER X.
thanksgiving, or as a direct benediction of the bread,
THE HOLY TABLE: or as both together. (In Matt. and Mark we find
INSTITUTION OF THE EUCHARIST. ευλογησας. ; in Luke and 1Cor. ix. - ευχαριστησας.) If
THE Antitype of the Holy Place, with its table, and we regard the word as a thanksgiving to God, our
bread, and ministering priests, is to be sought first of hearts go out to that rich field opened for us in the
all in that upper chamber in .Jerusalem, where Our Book of Psalms, in which we have the prophetic ut-
Lord kept the Feast of the Passover with His Apostles, terances of thanksgiving, as well as of supplication
and instituted the Feast of the Holy Eucharist, and and intercession, addressed by the Son to the Father,
subsequently in those assemblies where the Apostles, and which recount the history of the Lord's dealings
in the first days of the Christian Church, in obedience with His people, and also the personal history of Je-
to the Lord's commands, celebrated that holy feast; sus, from the manger in Bethlehem down to that hour
which celebration, in one form or other, has contin- in which we now behold Him, in the midst of His
ued in all the assemblies of the Christian Church, in Apostles, at that table! Could we grasp all these
remembrance or for a memorial of Him Who died for thanksgivings into one, then might we hope to com-
us, and Who now li-veth for evermore. prehend the power of that [150] word of thanksgiving.
Or if we should concentrate our thoughts on what
Passing, therefore, for the present all the teach- was all clear before the eye of the Lord as about to
ing [149] of Our Lord in the synagogue at Capernaum, happen to Him ere the morrow's sun should set - His
regarding the true and living bread (John vi.), we pro- hour of agony, His betrayal, His being forsaken of all,
ceed at once to the institution of the Lord's Supper. denied, scourged, mocked, buffeted, crucified! then
should we more deeply enter into the word, "Jesus
After having fulfilled all the requirements of the gave thanks" to the Father.
law regarding the Feast of the Passover, Our Lord
took the loaf (τον αρτον), or cake of unleavened bread Remembering, however, the word (Heb. xii.2), Je-
that was on the table (Matt. xxvi.26), and having sus, "for the joy that was set before Him, endured the
taken "He blessed." Oh, could we but enter into what cross, despising the shame," we prefer to think that
Our Lord looked with prophetic eye to the coming
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glory of the kingdom of heaven; to the day of all joy "Take, eat, THIS is my body!" They had seen Him be-
and gladness, where no tears shall be seen any more fore take a few loaves of bread, and give thanks, and
for ever; when many sons and daughters are brought therewith feed thousands of hungry men, and they
unto glory (Heb. ii.10), and the Church of the first- had gathered many baskets full of fragments (Mark
born shall be presented before the Lord as a pure vir- vi.38-44; viii.1-9). All this and much more they had
gin; when the scattered and dispersed tribes of Israel seen, and now they could not doubt that His word
shall be gathered, and David's throne raised up again; constituted that bread to be His Body, which He now
the earth filled with the glory of the Lord, and all men proceeded to divide among them.
blessed. We can more readily conceive that all this
was before the eye of the Lord when He "gave thanks" Having blessed, He broke the bread into twelve
to the Father! parts, apportioning to each of the Apostles a part
[152]. In this apportionment we again see the minute
If, on the other hand, we regard the word as a exactness with which the earthly sanctuary was con-
benediction immediately affecting the bread [151] structed, in all its parts and services. We have here
which He held in His hands, we know the effect of His the antitype of the Holy Place, for this upper room is a
word to sanctify what is in itself unclean and unfit for presence-chamber of the Lord; we see the table with
any spiritual service; we know that all the groaning its provision of holy bread. But in all that follows we
creation lies under the curse laid upon the earth for have something far greater than could possibly have
man's sake; but we also know the power of His word been symbolized or typified by any one of the services
to make the creature subservient to His will, to con- of the Tabernacle. As the 72nd Psalm, which is enti-
stitute that bread to be His body, His flesh, and to tled a psalm for Solomon, begins indeed with a prayer
give it for the life of the world. Long before that hour for him, but soon breaks away into a prophecy of the
the Lord had said, in the hearing of the Apostles in glory of a greater than Solomon, even the true Son of
the synagogue of Capernaum, "I am the living bread David, the root as well as offspring of David, so here,
which came down from Heaven The bread that I will with all the imagery and service of the Holy Place be-
give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the fore our spirits, and the special service of the golden
world" (John vi.51). What must the feelings of the table upon our hearts, we are constrained to say,
Apostles have been when they heard Him now say, "Here we have the reality of all the shadows of the law
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of Moses; here we have the truth of all in the person of The first of these is the commandment of Our
Him who is at once the Lamb of the burnt-offering, Lord (Luke xxii.19): "This do in remembrance of Me,"
peace-offering, and Passover; the truth of the sin- or "for a memorial of Me." That which was most
offering, and of the sprinkling on the great day of closely occupying the hearts of all present [154] was
atonement, yea, and the truth of the High Priest Him- the celebration of the Feast of the Passover. This was
self, with all the speciality of His ministry, and as the at once a sacrifice, and a feast upon a sacrifice, and
head of all priesthood and ministry; all the fulness of in order to see the importance of these words "Do
[153] His office as the Apostle and High Priest of our this," we look to the original command to celebrate
profession is manifest in His present word and act. the Passover (Ex. xii.). There we have not only minute
We behold at that table the representatives, so to details regarding the whole of the household service
speak, of the twelve tribes of the spiritual Israel, the therewith connected, but something more; for in the
priests of the new economy, the future stewards of positive precept (ver.47), "the whole congregation
the mysteries of God! We see the true Melchizedek shall keep it" (or "shall do it," as we read in the mar-
blessing Abraham; in a word, we see the true spiritual gin), we have, as already noticed, a proof of the actual
house of God, and the provision therein made for the priesthood of all Israel, for every head of a family was
sustenance of the life of God in all His children during called to sacrifice the Passover lamb. While the hearts
the long night of the absence of the Lord, and, as we of the Apostles were occupied with the original pre-
shall immediately perceive, the most efficient prepara- cept of the Lord to Israel through Moses (namely, to
tion of the Church for His coming again in glory. do that whereby their fathers were delivered from
death and redeemed from slavery), and when they
We avoid going into minute exposition regarding had just done what the Lord had commanded their fa-
the cup of the New Testament, which is the very thers to do in remembrance of that night in which
pledge of the kingdom and the inheritance, as we they were brought out of Egypt, behold, a new com-
learn from Matt. xxvi.29, as that would lead us into mand came from the lips of the Lord Himself, when
too great detail; we prefer to keep to the exposition of He had blessed and distributed the bread, and again
the Service of the Table, with which we are now occu- blessed and handed to them the cup, saying, "Drink
pied, and shall limit ourselves to two words in addi- ye all of it," at this solemn moment came the word:
tion to what we have already noted. "Do this in remembrance of Me." While [155] we dare
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not limit this remembrance of Him to the narrow field ual commemoration of all this in the Church is found
of His suffering and death, but must extend it to His in these words of the Lord.
work in heaven for us, as well as His work on earth,
so must we beware of limiting the "Do this in remem- The other word which we feel it good to add on
brance of Me" to the mere act of eating and drinking this important subject, concerns what the Apostle
the body and blood of the Lord, but must understand Paul has left on record in the recital of what he had
these words as connected with all that preceded the received from the Lord, and delivered to the Church
administration of the Communion, all that was need- at Corinth (and doubtless delivered to all the other
ful to make that eating and drinking to be in future churches of the Gentiles), "For as often as ye eat this
days the same that it then was. Therefore must the bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's
command, "Do this," be held to include the assembling death till He come" (1Cor. xi.26). We have here a very
of the Apostles (and disciples in all time to come) with principal feature of the purpose of this holy ordi-
solemnity and preparation; the lifting up of the heart to nance, namely, that the Holy Eucharist is not only
God in exercises of devotion (thus following His exam- the memorial of that great sacrifice of the Lord,
ple regarding prayer and praise, and realizing the which, as we have seen, includes the various steps of
truth of the service of the Tabernacle appointed for His mighty work, His incarnation, death, resurrec-
priests when drawing near to the Holy Table); the tak- tion, ascension, and intercession for us at the right
ing of bread and wine which has been devoted to the hand of the Father, but also that the fulness of that
Lord's service, and specially set apart for this holy purpose can only be completely manifested when He
mystery; the blessing, i.e., the consecrating them by comes again in glory and majesty to judge the world,
prayer and thanksgiving; the breaking of the bread, to take His own to Himself, to destroy His enemies,
and distributing it to each partaker with the solemn and to introduce His kingdom. From this word of
words: "Take, eat, this is the body of the Lord given [157] the Apostle it follows, that any celebration of
for you;" and in like manner giving the cup to each, this holy mystery in which there is no reference to the
saying [156], "The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ coming again of the Lord must be essentially defec-
shed for you." For all this is clearly comprehended in tive, for this reason, that while on the one hand the
the command: "Do this in remembrance of Me," and end contemplated by the Lord in the institution of the
therefore we repeat that the provision for the perpet- Supper is the preservation of His life in the Church
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until His coming again; so on the other hand the right nally, that promised endowment had been now be-
observance of this ordinance is the best preparation stowed (Acts ii.1-4). With undaunted hearts they now
of the Church for that grand consummation of her stood forth, in all public places, boldly testifying to
faith, and love, and hope. their risen Lord, and the Lord confirmed the truth by
signs following (Mark xvi.20); and when they assem-
We shall now shortly meditate the truth or anti- bled the disciples for breaking of bread, they joyfully
type of the Holy Place in the Tabernacle, together with obeyed the command of the Lord, "Do this in remem-
its higher and deeper mysteries as above alluded to, brance of Me."
as these were seen in those assemblies of the Chris-
tian Church where the Apostles celebrated the Feast Let us in spirit seek to enter into one of these as-
of the Eucharist. semblies, and behold the character of the worship
then and there presented to God. All present are filled
How changed is the scene now from that evening with the Spirit of God, and the consciousness of the
when, with troubled and sorrowful hearts, the Apos- presence of the Lord in the midst of them diffuses a
tles listened to the words of their Heavenly Master; solemn and sacred joy throughout all hearts. Here we
when, with dismay, they heard of His impending be- may see what communion with God means. The as-
trayal, and of His going away from them! How much sembly is united in the worship of Jesus, and of the
had occurred in the meantime! His death, the alone Father in Him. Jesus [159] worships in them by the
procuring cause of atonement and peace for sinners Spirit, and praises and glorifies the Father. And while
of mankind, had overwhelmed them with the dark- the Church rises in spirit to the throne of God,
ness of despair [158]; but His resurrection and ap- whereon her Head and Lord is seated in glory, while
pearing had restored their joy and confidence (John she is thus truly translated into the heavenly and
xx.20); His opening their minds to understand the eternal joy of the Lord, so must the centrepoint and
Scriptures had shown them the depth of the purpose crown of her worship be the celebration of the Holy
of God (Luke xxiv.45); His abiding with them forty Sacrament of the Eucharist. Here she learns and ex-
days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the ercises her high priestly character; here is the "wor-
kingdom of God (Acts i.3), had prepared them for the ship in spirit and in truth," of which all former wor-
coming down of the Holy Ghost upon them; and fi- ship and sacrifice, yea, all priesthood and service of
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Tabernacle and Temple were but symbols and sha- the members of His body be gathered, edified, and
dows. We say that here the Church exercises her high prepared to enter into His kingdom. And of all the
priestly character. services of the Church on earth, the celebration of the
Holy Eucharist is confessedly that which, by in-
This is a point so weighty in itself at all times, troducing her within the vail, brings her most closely
and so especially important in our day, that even at into fellowship with her glorified Head in heaven, and
the risk of repetition, we shall seek in a few words to in which she at once, as already said, learns and ex-
set it in the clearest light. Our Lord Jesus Christ is ercises her high priestly character and privileges.
the great High Priest, and therefore must have other
priests with and under Him in the service of the sanc- To return to the assembly of the Church under
tuary (Heb. iii.1; iv.14). The Church is His body, and the hand of the first Apostles. In the midst of this as-
must partake of His character. Through her alone can sembly are those chosen witnesses to whom [161] the
He testify on earth what He is now doing in heaven. Lord personally gave the plenary commission to go
All acts of true worship are priestly acts. We are into all the world and preach the gospel to every crea-
called to draw near into the holiest of all (Heb. x.19) ture, to baptize, and to teach the observance of all
[160], where the High Priest alone durst enter. We are things, whatsoever He had commanded them (Matt.
commanded to eat and drink at the Table of the Lord, xxviii.20). Here is the Table, with its provision of
which none but priests might do; to eat of the sacred bread and wine. Here are the ministering priests, and
bread of that table, which none but priests might eat; the assembled children of the great High Priest. Here
and to offer spiritual (that is, true and real, not shad- is the true candlestick, with its lamps and its seven-
owy and typical) sacrifices to God (Rom. xii.1; 1Pet. fold light. Here are the ministries, the gifts, the distri-
ii.5-9). The dignity of the Church is declared to con- butions of the Holy Ghost (1Cor. xii.1 1). Here, in the
sist in our being kings and priests to God and the Fa- supplications, and prayers, and thanksgivings, and
ther (Rev. i.6; v. 10). The work which Our Lo now intercessions, we see the fourfold truth of the incense
does in Heaven is exclusively a high priestly work. burned on the golden altar, and in the heartfelt con-
There He presents His blood for us and intercedes. sciousness of the presence of the Lord, speaking and
There He receives for us, and thence He sends down working in the midst of His family, we have the proof
upon us all spiritual blessings. There He waits till all that the vail has been rent which separated the holy
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from the most holy; that the mercy-seat is now com- and pillars of the true Temple, and the gates of the
pletely revealed, and that the Church, assembled in Holy City. In the faithful assembled with them we see
the name of her Head, ordered by His Hand, and filled all the component parts of the mysterious dwelling-
with His Spirit, is indeed the true Temple, the true place of God, and the vessels thereof, all now mani-
Tabernacle, the true House of God, where the true fested in living men, in men indwelt of God, used of
spiritual worship is offered and accepted, and where God for His service now [163], and to be used of God
the glory of the Lord, who dwelleth between the in the perfect manifestation of His glory in the ages to
Cherubim, is now manifested in a body of living men come, as the body of Him who is the Christ of God,
and women [162]. That glory, as the Apostle declares, the Revealer of the Invisible Father! For the Church is
surpasses the glory of the house of Moses, and even in one respect the prolongation and complement of
that of Solomon, by how much the ministration of the grand mystery of the Incarnation, and therefore
righteousness exceeds in glory the ministration of contributes to the highest form of that revelation or
condemnation, and by how much the law of the Spirit manifestation of God, which is the ultimate end of
of life exceeds in glory the letter of a burdensome yoke creation, the unfolding and realizing of the eternal
of external observances (2Cor.iii.6-1 1; Acts and unfathomable purpose of God!
xv.10;Heb. xi.1 ,9, 10).
Let no one suppose we are here running off into a
Here then we have, as above noted, the counter- region of fanaticism or wild enthusiasm. We speak the
part of the holy and most holy place of the House of words of truth and soberness. The Head of creation,
God in the Old Testament. In the development of the the Lord of the new creation is Jesus, the Christ of
eternal purpose of God in the Church, we learn from God, the Lord of all. The Church, His body, His ful-
the New Testament Scriptures that apostles are in the ness, shall one day be clothed with His glory, and be
most peculiar and special sense the Hand of Christ seated with Him on His throne; shall with Him judge
for ordering, arranging, correcting, guiding, and in the world, and abide heirs of God and joint-heirs with
every way blessing the whole Church; and under the Christ, kings and priests to God for ever and ever.
hand of apostles we behold, not only the truth of the The ordinances of the Lord in His Church are all ap-
services of the altar of incense, of the candlestick, and pointed by Himself with this one grand end in view;
of the table, but also in them we see the foundations and the highest act of worship on earth, and therefore
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the most immediately and powerfully influential for man can tell out its value. The most impassioned
the preparing of the Church [164] for her glorious words of the ancient fathers, one of whom names it
destiny is the ministration or Feast of the Holy "The Mystery of Mysteries," are insufficient to exhaust
Eucharist. the description of its worth and sweetness in the eyes
and to the hearts of those to whom God has given
It may be fairly gathered from the Scriptures, discernment of its holy nature and experience of its
that this feast was in the beginning celebrated as of- healing, comforting, and sanctifying power. Whoever
ten as the Church could be gathered into one place, has learned to know its twofold character as the high-
at least as often as an apostle, or an angel or bishop est act of worship, the ordinance for presenting sacri-
consecrated by an apostle, was present in the midst fices of praise and thanksgiving to God, and therefore
of the faithful. There seems to have been no special called the Eucharist; and as the provision for sustain-
time or place at first set apart for it, but every avail- ing the life of God in the Church and therefore called
able occasion seems to have been eagerly embraced also "The Communion," will require no train of reason-
for the keeping of the commandment, "Do this," by ing to convince him that the more frequently it is wor-
the rising Christian Churches. thily celebrated in the Church, the better will it be for
all who are occupied therewith, and who are partak-
Should any one now ask, "How often should this ers thereof.
holy feast be celebrated in the Church? we answer by
pointing to the order given for the service of the holy *****
table, and saying: "At the very least once every week;"
yea, we go further, and say, that from the nature of
that holy ordinance, there should be no limit to the
frequency of its celebration, and that so long as no
essential hindrance comes in the way, a daily celebra-
tion will be found most consonant with the spirit of
the institution, because, as already said, it is the cen-
tre and crown of all spiritual worship. As nothing on
earth can equal its importance, so no words of [165]
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others turned aside after Satan (ch. v.15); and of

CHAPTER XI.
some perverted by false science (ch. vi.20,21); even of
LOSS OF ORIGINAL ORDER, a falling away of all the churches in Asia (2Tim. i.15);
AND ONLY MEANS OF RECOVERY. of some denying the hope of the resurrection (ch.
THE goodly order of the Feast of the Holy Eucha- ii.16-18); and of others in the snare of the devil
rist, and the blessed and edifying effects of its due (ver.26); of Demas, who had forsaken him, and Alex-
celebration, did not continue long, even in the con- ander, who had done him much evil (ch. iv.10,14);
gregations of the Church under apostles. The Epistles and generally of a great falling away in "the latter
to the Church at Corinth present a fearful picture of times" (1Tim. iv.1-3); and of perilous times in "the last
the coming in of fleshly preferences, divisions, and ri- days" (2Tim. iii.1-9, and iv.3,4). Similar language is
valries, and even of disorder in regard to the keeping found in the Apostle's Epistles to Titus (ch. i.9-16),
of the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. The Galatians and to the Hebrews (ch. v.1 1-13). The Epistles of
had listened to Judaising teachers, and were losing James, and Peter, and John, and Jude confirm the
their standing in the liberty of Christ. The Ephesians fact, that even in the first age of the Church much evil
were warned of the incoming of wolves, who should had come in among the gathered companies [168] of
not spare the flock (Acts xx.29, 30), and, in the next the Christians, and give certain fearful intimations of
generation, had left their first love (Rev. ii.4). The Phi- still greater evils that should burst in upon the
lippians were troubled by fleshly, earthly-minded churches, reminding us of the words of Our Lord re-
[167] brethren (Phil. iii.18,19). The Colos-sians were garding false prophets and antichrists that should
in danger of returning to ordinances of men, and of arise, the abounding of lawlessness (Matt, xxiv. 12,
being spoiled through philosophy and vain deceit Gr.), and the love of many waxing cold.
(Col. ii.8,18,20-23). The Thessalonians, though gen-
erally commended by the Apostle, are warned of dan- It is impossible to conceive that the due celebra-
ger from disorderly brethren (2Thess. iii.6-12), and tion of the Holy Eucharist should not have suffered,
charged to use discipline towards them (vers.14,15). when sound doctrine and salutary discipline were so
To Timothy the Apostle writes of some who had al- attacked by the enemy, and when the rule of apostles
ready made shipwreck of the faith (1Tim. i. 19,20); of was sought to be exercised by bishops. The condition
of the churches in Asia, which was revealed to St.
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John, the last surviving apostle, may surely be taken around upon the assemblies called Churches in our
as an index of the condition of the churches of the day, and compare them with the assemblies of the
Gentiles, and that condition did certainly not improve first ages, we are constrained to ask, Where are now
as time rolled on. Nor was this speedy falling away the features of the One Body to be seen? Where the
from the original very good state of the Church with- holiness of the Temple of the Holy Ghost? Where is
out example in the history of God's dealings with His the hand of the Lord to be traced, or His voice heard,
ancient covenant people. or His rule felt? Where are the peace and joy, the love
and life, of the first Christians? Where is the one fam-
The history of the Jews as a nation has been re- ily of God [170] worshipping at one altar, eating of one
corded for our learning. Let us glance at the portion of bread, drinking all of the one cup, and lifting up the
that history most distinctly analagous to that of the one song of praise? Whither can we turn to see the
second or third generation of the Christian Church. brethren dwelling together in unity? Alas! as surely as
When the perpetuity of [169] David's throne had been Israel fell from her high standing as a kingdom of
declared, when the son of David had built the Temple priests and a holy nation (Ex. xix.6), and became a
at Jerusalem, and a period of profound peace and disobedient and gainsaying people (Rom. x.21), so
unexampled prosperity had followed upon the dedica- truly has the Christian Church fallen from her high
tion of the Temple, and the entrance into it of the calling by leaving her first love.
visible cloud of the glory of the Lord, it seemed as if
from that throne and that Temple blessing should go But we are not now writing the history of the
forth to all surrounding nations. But we know how Church. Let us limit our observation to the one point
soon the fair prospect was overclouded, and the unity of the Holy Eucharist. We ask where is now that Holy
of the nation broken, and peace banished from the Feast celebrated as it should be? In the Greek and
land. The history of Israel, from the days of the son of Roman portions of the Church we see pompous cere-
Solomon, has been a history of division and conten- monies performed by the priests alone, the people as
tion, of desecration, spoliation, and destruction. So, a rule neither offering the prayers, nor joining in the
alas! has the history of Christendom been one of con- responses, nor even partaking of the Communion,
tention and division, and of grieving and vexing the save at long intervals. In those portions of the Church
Holy Spirit since the days of the Apostles. If we look separated from the Roman, and from each other, we
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find such a painful diversity of faith and practice in The true Temple has been revealed; the true High
regard to this holy ordinance, that any attempt to Priest has come; the true Sacrifice has been slain,
enumerate or characterize that diversity would lead and the blood has been carried into the very [172] Ho-
us into a detail inconsistent with the plan of this trea- liest of all, even into heaven itself, and the work of In-
tise. We believe that it will be more [171] profitable to tercession is now being carried on by the true Mel-
give a rapid outline of the manner of keeping the chizedek; the true bread has been given, and the true
feast, which appears to us to be most according to the wine has been poured out. The vast mysteries of the
mind of the Lord, and leave it to our readers to com- Incarnation and Death, the Resurrection and Ascen-
pare this with the various and conflicting forms ob- sion, have become historical facts, and abide for us
served in the several portions of the Church in our the ever present eternal truths, on which all our con-
day. We say a rapid outline, for our object is to ex- fidence towards God, and all acceptable worship of
press something of the spirit or character of the cele- God, must ever rest.
bration, rather than to indicate a precise liturgical
form. Those readers who feel interested in the subject As the celebration of the Eucharist, though in it-
can without difficulty obtain from the London pub- self totally distinct from the office of daily worship,
lisher copies of the complete Liturgy now in use in ought never to be separated from it, we shall take for
many congregations of Christians. Here, as we have granted that, in a congregation assembled for this
done in all the preceding parts of our examination, we service, the true order of the morning sacrifice, as in-
shall seek to keep close to the letter of the order dicated in the preceding pages, has been observed,
which the Lord Himself prescribed for the Service of namely, Invocation, Confession, Absolution, Reading of
His Holy Table, as far as that can now carry us in this Scripture, Praise, Prayers, Thanksgiving, Intercession,
direction, for, as already observed, we must not forget and Benediction, and that thereby the assembly has
that we have now no longer to do with the shadow been edified and blessed, and the burdened con-
and type of a part, but with the reality, the truth, of all sciences of all penitents relieved through application
the ancient forms, the divine antitypes of all the di- of the blood of the Lamb; and that the spirits of all
vine types. present have been uplifted to communion with God,
and are longing for the participation of the highest
blessing that can upon earth be enjoyed [173].
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The worshippers thus prepared, under the guid- Mal. iii.3-10); "Honour the Lord with thy substance
ance of the ministers ordained for this end, address and with the first-fruits of all thine increase" (Prov.
themselves to the special service of the Feast, begin- iii.9; Gen. xxviii.22; Num. xxxi.50; Deut. xxvi.2-11;
ning, as in the case of all solemn acts of worship, and Mark xiv.7-9). These ought, therefore, to be solemnly
as is most fitting, by Invocation, Confession, and Ab- presented before the Lord, in token that all that the
solution, and proceeding by special Prayer for Grace Christian family possesses is the free gift of His hand,
to offer the spiritual sacrifice, and to celebrate the held in trust for His service, and sanctified through
mystery of the Holy Supper. The goodly order of all dedication of part of it in holy worship.
the ancient Liturgies shows that the versicles and re-
sponses, "Lord, have mercy upon us," were followed As the sons of Aaron on the Sabbath day brought
by the rising up of the congregation from their knees, up fresh bread for the table of the Lord, and poured
and the singing of the anthem, "Glory to God in the out the pure wine of the drink offering in the holy
highest, peace on earth, and goodwill towards men," place (Num. xxviii.7), so now the assistant ministering
and then, after the offering of a special collect or priests, receiving from the hands of the deacons,
prayer, suited to the season of the ecclesiastical year, should bring up to the chief officiating priest at the
an epistle and gospel were read, a brief homily deliv- altar the bread and wine set apart for the Holy
ered, and the creed recited by all present. Eucharist. While this is being done the congregation,
in token that it is the offering of the whole Church,
After these solemn introductory acts the congre- and not that of the priests alone, unite in praising the
gation ought to bring up by the hands of the deacons, Lord with an anthem taken from the inspired songs of
their heads and representatives, an offering to the the royal Psalmist, such as Ps. xliii., Ps. ciii., or Ps.
Lord, previously collected by these ministers, and de- cxvi [175].
liver into the hands of the priest at the altar, their
tithes and free-will offerings, and also bread and wine, In presenting the bread and wine upon the altar
the best of all created things [174], and such as the of God, the Church offers herself, body, soul, and
Lord has required to be used in His service. "Bring an spirit, which is her reasonable service (Rom. xii.1),
offering unto the Lord and come into His courts" (Ps. renewing her vows and pleading for the forthsending
xcvi.8, compare Ex. xxiii.15, xxxiv.2o; Deut. xvi.16; of the power of the Holy Ghost to make her a living
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sacrifice, holy and acceptable; and especially at this This is the highest point of holy worship to which
time beseeching the Lord to vouchsafe to her His the faculties of the Church can be raised, the true
heavenly grace, through this blessed sacrament, not sacrifice of praise - both Eulogy and Eucharist, Bless-
imputing to her her sins, nor those of the celebrant ing and Thanksgiving; ascribing glory to the name of
now about to do the acts and utter the words com- Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; joining with angels and
manded by the Lord. Rising from his knees, the cele- archangels, and all the heavenly host, the Cherubim
brant fervently invokes a blessing of the Lord upon all and Seraphim before the throne; and singing "Holy,
present, to which the congregation responds by a holy, holy, Hosannah in the highest; Blessed is He
hearty ejaculation that the Lord may be with the that cometh in the name of the Lord !"
spirit of the celebrant. On his invitation to lift up their
hearts to the Lord, which is found in nearly every Lit- This act of Blessing and Thanksgiving being
urgy used throughout Christendom, those present closed, the celebrant and all present bow down in
answer, We do lift (or we have lifted) them up to the adoration, heightened by gratitude, and quickened by
Lord. At the words "Let us give thanks," recalling the the expectation of a renewal of the gift of all gifts in
very act of the Lord at the Institution, the whole as- the consecration of the bread and wine, which shall
sembly stands up and unites with the celebrant in an make it possible for them to present the Spiritual
act of thanksgiving, at once comprehensive and con- Sacrifice, and thereafter to proceed to the participa-
densed, for all the blessings, known or unknown to tion in the Communion of the Body of the Lord given
them, that have flowed, and are for ever flowing from for them, and of the Blood of [177] the Lord shed for
[176] the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, them. The celebrant then offers the prayer dictated by
towards all men, and especially towards the Church, our Lord Himself, in which the petition for daily bread
now enjoying, through this holy Feast, the Commun- has its fullest application to the true Bread of Life;
ion of all saints, and expressing her gratitude for the thereupon rising up and standing where the bread
hope of everlasting life, and the glory to be brought to and wine are within his reach, he implores the pres-
her at the coming again, and in the Kingdom, of the ence and power of the Holy Spirit, and pronounces
Son of God.
the words of Institution or Consecration which
the Lord Jesus appointed to be spoken, and which
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are recorded for us in the Gospels, and in 1Cor. xi.23- to be saints, cease not to love the Lord, and to long
25. And now that by the power of God accompanying for His appearing); how ennobling to commemorate
His own word and ordinance, the Body and Blood of and rejoice in the faith and love of the patriarchs, and
the Lord are truly and really present upon the altar, prophets, and righteous men of olden time, of the
the Church realizes all the dignity of her high priestly Apostles and Prophets of the Christian Church, of the
calling, and conscious of her union with her glorified martyrs, and confessors, and of all the faithful army
Head, who is even now presenting His Body and of bishops, priests, and deacons, and holy men and
Blood before the Father in heaven for us (Heb. ix.1 women, through whom the faith has been preserved
1,12,23,24); she pleads the merit of His one perfect and handed down to us; how purifying to exult in the
and allsufficient atoning sacrifice offered upon the same hope which animated them all; how strength-
cross, once for all, for the sins of the whole world; and ening to abide and abound in the same faith and love
presents the sacred offering now upon the altar as the by which they overcame!
holy spiritual sacrifice instituted in the Church on the
earth, to shew forth the Lord's death till He come In such high and holy communion of all saints
again; and, having done this, she proceeds to make [179], in such living apprehension of her union with
intercession with thanksgiving for [178] the whole her glorified Head, in this highest act of worship, in
family of God, from the beginning until now, and of- the Holiest of all, with the precious memorial of the
fers prayers for all God's people in all ages, and for all great sacrifice before her eyes, the Church seeks to
men. enter into the mind of God towards all the children of
men - she prays for the ignorant, that they may be
We all profess to believe in the Holy Ghost, the enlightened; for the erring, that they may be recov-
Holy Catholic Church, and the Communion of Saints; ered; for the sick, that they may be healed; for the
but only in such a way as this can the Church truly oppressed of Satan, that they may be delivered; for
confess her faith therein. How enlarging is it to the the dead, that they may rest in peace and be raised
heart to spread before the Lord an earnest prayer for again speedily; for rulers and for subjects; for the
the whole family of God; to confirm the sweet bond of flocks of the one fold of Jesus; and for His under
brotherhood with all who love the Lord, all, whether shepherds; for parents, for children; for peace on
sleeping or waking (for the sleeping saints cease not earth, and for daily bread for all. For herself she has
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already prayed for the remission of all her sins, and This preservation of the consecrated sacrament, the
for eternal life; and in the celebration of this holy sac- symbol of the Body and Blood of Him who died for us,
rament she desires the full operation of all the spiri- within the precincts of the Church where continual
tual ministries given for the perfecting of the saints worship is offered to Him, is in the eye of God a holy
and the edifying of the body; for the fulness of the memorial of that sacrifice which is our only ground of
spiritual gifts bestowed for the profiting of all the access and hope of salvation; a memorial also of
members; and, finally, she prays for the hastening of Christ the Bread of Life; and the pledge and symbol of
the time when He that shall come will come, that is, His presence with His people [181].
for the coming again of that same her Lord Jesus
Christ, in glory and majesty to take possession of His Then follows the administration of the Holy Com-
kingdom, to [180] raise His sleeping and change His munion, the participation by all the worshippers pre-
living saints, to cast out the enemy and the deceiver, sent, of the body and blood of the Lord; for to the per-
to abolish the curse, and to introduce that Kingdom fecting of the antitype of the Passover it is necessary
of Glory which shall endure for ever! that the sacrifice be consumed by the household, and
without this it is incomplete. To be able to partake
So prayed the Church in the beginning, showing worthily of this Holy Sacrament must a man examine
forth the Lord's death, until He come again; so should himself (1Cor. xi.28), lest he procure to himself judg-
she ever have prayed. Had she done so, how different ment instead of blessing. Under the law we read that
were our condition at this day! only the clean among the sons of Aaron might draw
near to the table and eat of the holy showbread (Lev.
After these prayers of commemoration a portion xxi.), and also that none who had a blemish in his
of the consecrated gifts is reserved for subsequent body might offer that bread (Lev. xxi. 17-21); how
administrations of the Communion (as on the after- much more should this, which is the substance of all
noon of the Lord's Day to such as are prevented being shadows, the antitype of all types, the truth of all
present in the forenoon, and for the sick at their own forms, be offered and partaken of in all holiness and
dwellings), and also for purposes of worship - the holy blamelessness both by priests and people!
elements being placed upon the altar on each occa-
sion of the offering of the Intercession by the angel.
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The whole service - fitly closed by a bursting

CHAPTER XII.
hymn of praise, such as We praise Thee, O God! fol-
lowed by the Benediction - is the very best evidence to SOLEMN CONCLUSIONS,
a spiritual mind that the original Order of the House HOPE AND ENCOURAGEMENT.
of God has been restored. HAVING thus endeavoured to show not only the
character of the worship of God in the Church of the
***** New Testament, but also the order in which that wor-
ship should be presented, so that it may be accept-
able to God and edifying to all the members of the
Church, we proceed to resume rapidly and follow up
our exposition of the shadow given in the Law of
Moses by some corroborative arguments, reflections,
and observations, which we trust will be found profit-
able to our readers in reference to this most impor-
tant subject.
We have seen that both the form and order of the

worship of the House of God, having been directly re-
vealed by God to Israel, were embodied [183], not so
much in plain words as in a series of prophetic acts, a
connected chain of typical services, and significant
symbols, less liable to be changed or misunderstood
than a series of propositions in any human language
would have been; and how the counterpart of this has
been revealed in a series of acts in which the former
series has found its explanation and fulfilment; the
shadow has found its substance; the form its truth
Seite 173 Seite 174

and permanent reality; the divine type its divine anti- And should not we, to whom these things have
type. Thus the forms or rites prescribed to Israel un- been given, which were not given to others (Heb.
der the hand of Moses have found their counterpart xi.40), we, to whom those things have been revealed
in the actings of the Father, and of the Son, and of the which were hidden from ages and generations (Rom.
Holy Ghost, for the salvation of the human race. The xvi.25,26; 1Cor. ii.9,10; Eph. iii.5-11; Col. i.26; 1Pet.
darkness of the shadow has passed away, and the i.10-12), we, who are called not merely to know, but
true light now shineth. The substance of all is the to become part of those eternal realities - yea, to be-
Christ of God, "by whom all things subsist, and who come and abide for ever members of the body of the
was before all things" (Col. i.17). His incarnation, life, Son of God! should not we meditate these things,
sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension, and inter- search into these things, and find all our joy and all
cessions for us now at God's right hand; the descent our comfort in following the ways of God, in conform-
of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost, and His abiding and ing to the order of God, in learning and practising the
working in and through the Church; these are the service of the House of God? Yea, verily, inasmuch as
eternal realities which were hidden under the God- we are not called to dwell in His house, but [185] to
selected rites of the Old Testament. These and the not be that house ("Whose house we are" (Heb. iii.6), and
yet fulfilled, but [184] rapidly approaching, realities of to abide in that house for ever! What thing on earth
the Second Coming of the Lord as King and judge, can be so important for us to learn as the ways of
and all the consequences of that event to the earth God, the revelation of God given by Himself? As truly
and the dwellers therein, are the eternal truths of as the Father is revealed in and by the Son (John
which the prophets spake and the psalmists sang - xiv.9), so truly should the Son be revealed to the
the things which the angels desire to look into, and world by the Church, His body, in which He now lives
which were contained in seed and bud in the ordi- and acts, and in which He shall be glorified for ever.
nances of the Old Testament worship, and in the Have we not His commandment to walk in His ways,
feasts and festivals of the Lord prescribed to Israel, to follow His footsteps, to be witnesses for Him, as He
that sacred calendar of prophecy revealed by God to was witness of the Father? And how can we otherwise
Moses. learn these ways, how can we otherwise obtain the
strength needful to uphold us in these ways, than by
the diligent study of, and sincere submission to, the
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precepts contained in His own Word? We repeat what shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the
we have in the first part of this treatise expressed, House" (Ezek. xliii.10-12). And again: "I looked, and
that nothing in or about the House of God can be oth- behold the glory of the Lord filled the House of the
erwise than most essential to our understanding of Lord, and I fell upon my face. And the Lord said unto
the grand purpose of God. Nothing is unimportant or me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine
non-essential in this department or truth; for to a ser- eyes, and hear with thine ears, all that I say [187]
vant what can be so important as a thorough knowl- unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the House
edge of all that is in the house of his master, of all of the Lord; and all the laws thereof; and mark well
that is entrusted to his care? This, in other words, is the entering in of the house, with every going forth of
the knowledge of all his [186] duty and responsibility. the sanctuary. And thou shalt say to the rebellious,
If anything were wanting to set the seal upon this even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God,
truth, we find it in the fact that in the still future O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your
temple of Ezekiel, into which the glory of the Lord abominations, in that ye have brought into My sanc-
shall enter, the order and forms of the House are tuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncir-
among the most essential parts of the revelation of cumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary, to pollute it,
the purpose to be thereby made, as we there read: even My House, when ye offer My bread, the fat and
"Thou Son of man, show the House to the house of Is- the blood, and they have broken My covenant, be-
rael, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; cause of all your abominations. And ye have not kept
and let them measure the pattern. And if they be the charge of Mine holy things, but ye have set keep-
ashamed of all that they have done, show them the ers of My charge in My sanctuary for yourselves."
form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the (Ezek. xliv.4-8.)
goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all
the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and How far the early churches may have attained to
all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof; and the knowledge of all the spiritual truth contained in
write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole the Tabernacle of Moses, with its vessels and its ser-
form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do vices, may be a matter of interesting inquiry for the
them. This is the law of the House; Upon the top of Christian antiquarian or historian and liturgist. That
the mountain, the whole limit thereof round about it was the mind of the Lord to teach them all this
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through the Apostles there can be no doubt, as we It is worthy of remark that the Apostle, in [189]
learn from the structure of the Book of Revelation and teaching the Hebrew Christians, takes all his illustra-
the Epistle to the Hebrews. In the latter the Apostle, tions and grounds of exposition not from the Temple,
as we have [188] seen, expounds the typical charac- with the services of which they must have been famil-
ter, 1st, of the house itself; 2ndly, of the high priest; iar, but from the Tabernacle of Moses, which neither
3rdly, of Melchisedek; 4thly, of the sacrifices; 5thly, of they nor their fathers had ever seen, and about which
the vail; and 6thly, of the most holy place (Heb. iii,1-3; they could only know what is contained in the books
vi.20; vii.5-16; vii.16-24,27; viii.2-5; ix.22-24); and of Moses. Into the reason of this we stop not now to
enumerates the candlestick, table, shewbread, and inquire; suffice it to repeat what we have already so
ark of the covenant, with its contents (Heb. ix.1-5), as often said, that the purpose of God is one from the
things of which he did not then stop to explain the beginning to the end; that the revelation of this pur-
typical character. The words in the original of chap, pose to Moses is the ground of all His subsequent
ix. verse 5, are: rcepi tov ouk eoxi vuv Xeyetv Kaxa dealings with Israel; that all the forms as well as the
|xepo<;, which may be understood either of the Apos- furniture of His House are full of eternal truth, having
tle's being hindered from teaching the spiritual mean- been divinely constructed to contain and to retain it;
ing of all these things to those to whom he had before and that the most serious loss the Church has sus-
said he had much to say, which they were not pre- tained is the privation of the ministries, gifts, and ser-
pared to receive (chap. v.1 1-14), or of his not consid- vices, which were shadowed forth by these forms and
ering the exposition of these sacred symbols at that that furniture. This loss she would not have been so
moment necessary to the great argument he was then long contented to bear had she not also lost the faith
pleading with them (which, beginning at chap. vii. 15, that in these very forms the truths of God's eternal
continues till chap. x.22). Whichever of these supposi- purpose were shadowed forth.
tions we adopt, the truth we maintain is clear, that
the Lord had actually revealed all these things to the Alas for our poverty and ignorance! Woe unto us
Apostles, and doubtless sought to do so through them because of our Laodicean spirit! We turn again to the
to the churches among whom they laboured. history of God's ancient people [190] for some exam-
ples of the way in which those of Israel who stood by
the Temple and priesthood reasoned with those who
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had forsaken the one and rejected the other. We find not forsaken Him; and the priests which minister unto
in the record of that history an argument for the unity the Lord, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait
and permanence of the Lord's purpose, as revealed in upon their business; and they burn unto the Lord
the institutions of His House, and the character of His every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and
ministering servants. For instance, after the division sweet incense, the shew-bread also set they in order
of the kingdom of David into the two kingdoms of upon the pure table, and the candlestick of gold with
Judah and Israel, Abijah, the grandson of Solomon, the lamps thereof, to burn every evening, for we keep
could say to Jeroboam and all Israel, who had come the charge of the Lord our God; but ye have forsaken
to fight against him, "Ought ye not to know that the him. And, behold, God Himself is with us for our cap-
Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to tain, and His priests with sounding trumpets to cry
David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a cove- alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not
nant of salt? Yet Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, the ser- against the Lord God of your fathers; for ye shall not
vant of Solomon, the son of David, is risen up and prosper." (2Chron. xiii.5-12.)
hath rebelled against his lord. And there are gathered
unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have Alas! instead of being able to adopt this noble
strengthened themselves against Rehoboam, the son language of Abijah, we must adopt the humbling con-
of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender- fession of Hezekiah, made 230 years after this, when
hearted, and could not withstand them. And now ye Judah also had departed from the way [192] of the
think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the Lord: "Our fathers have trespassed, and done that
hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multi- which was evil in the eyes of the Lord our God, and
tude, and there are with you golden calves, which have forsaken Him, and have turned away their faces
[191] Jeroboam made you for gods. Have ye not cast from the habitation of the Lord, and turned their
out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the backs. Also they have shut up the doors of the porch,
Levites, and have made you priests after the manner and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense
of nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the
to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven God of Israel. Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was
rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He hath delivered
gods. But as for us the Lord is our God, and we have them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as
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ye see with your eyes. For lo! our fathers have fallen the history of the Christian Church, anything answer-
by the sword, and our sons and our daughters are in ing to this restoration of the original order of worship,
captivity for this" (2Chron. xxix.6-9) Oh! that our fa- after a season of total interruption, captivity, and con-
thers had followed up the noble resolution of King fusion? Is there to be no deliverance from Babylon for
Hezekiah, addressed to the priests and the Levites of the Church? And, consequently, have not the words
his day: "Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant of Haggai (chap. i.2-11, ii.4-9) and Zechariah (chap.
with the Lord God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may i.2-6,14-17, &c.) a direct and most practical applica-
turn away from us. My sons, be not now negligent: for tion to ourselves?
the Lord hath chosen you to stand before Him, to
serve Him, and that ye should minister unto Him, and Let us now endeavour, in conclusion, to sum
burn incense" (2Chron. xxix.10-11). Then had the [194] up the points of truth which in the preceding
Church long ago recovered the ground she had lost, pages we have sought to establish, that we may
recovered her ministries of apostles and prophets thereby learn something of the extent of our duty in
[193], her gifts and distributions of the Holy Ghost, this regard towards God, towards the Church, and
and her powers of faith, and zeal of love, and patience towards ourselves.
of hope; her unity, holiness, and catholicity, would all
have re-appeared. God would have been glorified, and We have seen that Worship is the first duty and
His purpose in the Church realized. highest privilege of man; that, therefore, everything
connected with it is most holy, and should always be
Finally, on this part of our subject we beg our most reverently treated when spoken of, and solemnly
readers to weigh well the history of the return of the transacted when exercised; and that however arbi-
faithful remnant of Israel from Babylon; how they trary and varied the forms of private and family wor-
reared up the altar, and offered burnt offerings ship may become, no social worship can exist without
thereon, "as it is written in the law of Moses, the Man some form or other being adopted.
of God .... burnt offerings morning and evening" (Ezra
iii.2-3). Without entering into the argument from We have seen that the public worship of the
analogy of circumstances, we simply ask: As all this is Church is the worship of the whole body, and not that
written for our learning (Rom. xv.4), where is there, in of the priests alone; therefore must the congregation
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ever take an active part in it; that human wisdom tion of Sacraments; that, according to the shadow God
cannot direct us in the matter of worship acceptable expressly commanded, and now according to the sub-
to God, which must be revealed by God Himself, and stance God requires, that a daily public, solemn ser-
that therefore no notions of human expediency, no ar- vice should take place in the Church every morning
rangements of human convenience, must be allowed and every evening throughout the year; that on the
to have any voice in the regulating of the public wor- Lord's Day (as the Feast Day of the Resurrection) this
ship of God. service [196] should be a double one; that every con-
secration of the Holy Eucharist should be followed by
We have seen that the Lord has, in the revelation the communion of the whole congregation; and that, in
to Moses, given us a perfect model of the way [195] in so far as these plain and precise directions of the Lord
which He will be worshipped; that this perfect model are not observed, the Church is in a state of disorder
consists of a series of acts all distinct, but most inti- and deficiency, and cannot therefore be offering to
mately connected, so that if one part fails, the wor- God acceptable worship, nor consequently receiving
ship is imperfect, and in so far unacceptable to God; at His hands the fulness of His blessing.
and that, in the books of the New Testament, we have
sufficient light on the spiritual signification of the acts It were easy to have multiplied these points, but
and forms prescribed for the worship of God under what has been said will, it is hoped, be sufficient. Let
the Old Testament, to enable us to trace the order of us look around now on the churches within our circle
the spiritual worship which the Lord requires from the of observation and ask, Where is the goodly order of
Church; finally, that this spiritual worship is not, and the Lord's House to be seen? and when the answer
cannot be a worship independent of all form, but the falls painfully on our heart, let us ask, Must it ever
precise counterpart of that prescribed for the Jews, remain so? Must things abide as they are for a thou-
the divine Antitype of the divine Type. sand, or five hundred, or even for ten years longer?
Must we lie still and sleep until the Lord come in
Moreover, we have seen, that as the faith of a judgment upon a divided Church, and an unprepared
Christian can only be shown by his works, so the world? What is to be done? What is the duty of each
faith of the Church can be nowhere better seen than man in his place with regard to the restoration of the
in her acts, i.e., her forms of worship and administra- order of the Lord's House? How long shall we practi-
Seite 185 Seite 186

cally declare, without shame, that the House of God is The beauty of the holy order of the House of God
the only house on earth in which order is a non- can be appreciated by none who have not learned to
important matter? that the [197] Body of Christ is the honour Him as a father, and to fear Him as a master
only body which needs not to have the members set (Mal. i.6). The thoughtless and unspiritual, the indif-
in unity and harmony, compacted and knit together, ferent and the bigoted, are alike incompetent to judge
and so seen to be one body? How long shall we be and incapable to discern. The subject lies in a region
content, that in one section of the Church the people unknown to them. Among the professed children and
shall look on while the priest reads or prays, because servants of God who manifest some zeal for the out-
they cannot hear, nor even comprehend if they could ward services of religion, how many are there who
hear, what he reads or prays? and that in another perceive the deficiency, or feel that an evil and abomi-
section the people shall think and say that listening to nable thing is committed in the house of the Lord? Is
a preacher is engaging in the worship of God? When it not so, that for one we meet sighing and crying by
people unite in prayer they do something; when they reason of the evil, there are thousands who are per-
partake together of the Holy Communion they do fectly satisfied that in what they presume to call their
something; when they sing together they do some- Zion, their Church (meaning of course their own
thing; but one who is merely listening is doing noth- chamber of the house), all is well? No one who has
ing, though he may be hearing and learning what he not made the experiment can have an idea of the
ought to do by-and-by. The great listener in the scorn and contempt with which the question, Must
Church is the Lord himself. And what does He hear? there not be one form of worship more acceptable to
How long must we continue in this state? Who shall God than another? is met. One thinks it childish, an-
first lift up his voice or his hand and say, it was not other pharisaical, a third tending to bondage; all
so in the beginning, it shall not be ever so? Let us re- agree to stifle and suppress it [199].
pent and turn to the Lord. Let us confess our sins
and the sins of our fathers. Let us seek the Lord while But he who has been led of God to know the lib-
He may be found, and call upon Him while He is near. erty of His service; he who truly believes that God is
Let us forsake our evil ways and return unto the Lord the God of order, that His house is the model of all
[198] and He will have mercy upon us, and to our houses, the pattern of perfection, because it is the
God, for He will abundantly pardon (Is. iv.6,7). Body of Christ; he who knows that all confusion is
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Babylon, and all irreverence the very opposite of that same Spirit, Who in the beginning brought to remem-
decency and order which the Apostle enjoined on all brance all things that Jesus said to His disciples, and
the churches (1Cor. xiv.33-40); such a one must feel showed them things to come, and led them into all
and acknowledge that there are laws and ordinances truth; her cry must farther be for no mere local or
in the spiritual as there were in the literal Temple, temporary healing, but for the deliverance of the
and that these, so far from quenching the motions of whole body, by the restoration of all the original gifts
the Spirit, or bringing the Christian into bondage, do and ministries bestowed by the risen and exalted Lord
only repress the lawlessness and correct the restless- for the perfecting of the saints, and for the preparing
ness of the flesh, and bring the whole man, body, the Church as a bride for her heavenly bridegroom.
soul, and spirit, into captivity to the obedience of
Christ (1Thess. v.23; 2Cor. x.5). Where such a cry ascends from a congregation,
whose eyes have been opened to see the desolations,
Such a man knows that in following the foot- and whose hearts are filled with longings for restora-
prints of Jesus (1Pet. ii.21) he must, through becom- tion of the whole Church to her original constitution
ing a servant, learn to be a master; through being a and capacity to bear witness for Christ, there can be
scholar, advance to be a teacher; through being a no doubt that the Lord, ever more ready to hear than
worshipper, learn to be a priest; through being a sol- we are to pray, will fulfil [201] the desire which His
dier and a subject, rise to be a king and a judge; in a own Spirit has awakened in their hearts. For such a
word, that not otherwise than through the presenta- cry is something totally distinct from the prayer of an
tion of his own body as a living sacrifice (Rom. xii.1) individual, feeling his own peculiar and personal
can he be prepared to [200] attain the end of his high trouble, and seeking to escape from it.
calling - namely, to share the throne of the Lord of
glory (Rev. iii.21). Such a man knows that as the The Church being, as already said, the school of
Church is one from the beginning to the end, and as the kingdom, ought ever to have exhibited to the
in all ages she has had the same calling, the same world the model of the kingdom, yea, to the powers
dangers, the same enemies, the same responsibilities, and principalities of heaven ought she to have taught,
and the same destiny, so must her cry for help and and ought she, even at this day, to teach the manifold
strength and deliverance be one prompted by the wisdom of God (Eph. iii. 10). Alas! that she can, in her
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present state, only teach them passively the vast cate ourselves to the work of the Lord with all we are
depth of the mercy and long-suffering patience of the and all we have. Let us gird up our loins and address
Lord! (2Pet. iii.9). We see the ruins of the glorious ourselves to that great work, even the preparing our-
spiritual temple all around us, and feel our total in- selves and all around us for the coming of the Lord,
capacity to do anything towards restoring its original by testifying against every form of evil, and by labour-
unity and strength, save to cry to God with a bitter ing through good and through evil report to correct
cry, to put forth His strength and power to rear up the errors, and reform the abuses and disorders that
the fallen towers, and build again the desolations, abound, especially those that have been introduced
that the wilderness around may become a fruitful into the worship of the [203] Church. So shall we has-
field, and the waste places dwellings of peace and joy. ten the coming of that day, and hear the joyful words
from the lips of the judge, "Well done! good and faith-
No form can benefit a people which is not the ex- ful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord! "
pression of the life of that people. The best [202]
forms are but hypocrisy and falsehood, unless the AMEN!
heart and spirit express themselves by and through
them. Let us seek, then, first the return of the Life of
God in His Church, the gathering of the dry bones,
the covering of them with flesh and skin, and the
breathing of the Spirit of life into the slain, that the
army of God may stand up and be seen again as in
the beginning (Exek. xxxvii.)
Let us take example from Zerubbabel, and Ezra,

and Nehemiah, and not merely weep over the ruins of
the temple and city of our God, but apply ourselves
with all our means to become fellow-workers with
Him Whose glory shall be revealed in Zion, and Who
shall yet build up the walls of Jerusalem. Let us dedi-
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church documents b-040.

ON WORSHIP IN CHAPTER II.

SPIRIT AND TRUTH CHURCH WORSHIP.

OF HEAVENLY THINGS." ST. PAUL SERVICE. 75

LONDON. THOMAS BOSWORTH, 198, HIGH CHAPTER VI. 88

WORSHIPPING CHURCH. 118

© CHURCH DOCUMENTS . MICHELSTADT JANUAR 2007

CHAPTER IX. 129 PREFATORY NOTE.

To the one or other of these standards must

erly conducted, are designed by Himself to supply lar-

language of the psalmists and of the prophets shows

The meaning, therefore, of the words of Our Lord

of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken

brief ejaculations, or sighs and groans, for the relief of

those spiritual blessings which distinguish the Chris-

Another very plain and significant, though short

the first or holy place of the Tabernacle [039]. Now

2. Aaron the High Priest 2. Jesus, Our High Priest

Old Testament Dispensation? If we succeed in this,

The revelation of this grand truth may be said to

but for their enemies a place of utter destruction (Ex.

Pastor and Teacher of His own disciples, the *****

In like manner is He still revealed in and by His

THE BRAZEN ALTAR, or Altar of Burnt Offering,

Between the Brazen Altar and the Tabernacle

to some particular part of the Grand Original, as well

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Having presented the drink offering, the priest

This action of the priest, therefore, clearly corre-

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Name, and a pure offering; for My Name shall be great

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We are not only shown what was forbidden to be

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To return to the exposition. We have seen that

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Finally we observe, that the blessing is the an-

Having thus considered the order of the morning

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Instead of minutely considering the manner of its

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is contained in that word! We may regard it as a

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