same Lord." The Holy Ghost gives the capacity and the gift for service; but, in the exercise of this capacity and of this gift, we are the servants of Christ. Thus, as regards our service, we have these three princiciples:-1. We are redeemed, delivered from the judgments, under which are the enemies of God, being taken from the midst of those enemies;-2. As a consequence of this first fact, we belong absolutely to God; bought with a price, we are no longer our own, but God's to glorify Him in our bodies and in our spirits which are His;-3. We are entirely given to Christ, who is the head of the house of God, the priest for the service of His tabernacle. Blessed bondage, happy self-renunciation, true deliverance from a world of sin! Service is rendered under the dependence of Christ and in the communion of the Lord: it is linked to the priesthood.

Service appears to be limited to the tabernacle, that is, to be exercised within the Church. The preaching of the Gospel made no part of the Jewish system, which was the shadow, but not the perfect image of the present state of things. The institution of the Levites is here presented to us in principle; we shall find further on, their purification and their consecration to God.

We may remark, on this occasion, with regard to that which is most elevated in the calling of the Church, that she is one. The priests, the high-priest excepted, accomplished all equally, or together, the service of the offerings to God. And so it is with the Church; all its members equally draw near unto God, and are with Him in the same relationship. (A priest acting for another Israelite who brought an offering or who had sinned, rather represented Christ Himself.)

The order of the service of the Levites was according to the sovereignty of God, who put each one in his place. Thus, in the service of the Church, the greatest differences are found, and each one has his own place assigned him. The same thing will likewise, I believe, take place in the glory (comp. Eph. iv. and 1 Cor. xii.). We are all brethren having only one Master. But the Master gives grace to each one according to his own will, according to the counsels of God the Father. He who

denies brotherly unity, denies the sole authority of the Master. He who denies the diversity of services, equally denies the authority of the Master who disposes of His servants as He pleases and chooses them according to His wisdom and His divine rights.

Next in order come the arrangements prescribed for the carrying of the things which the tabernacle contained, as well as their coverings, when the camp journeyed in the wilderness. I shall point out what appears to be the typical meaning of these prescribed ordinances. This is of the utmost importance.

After the instructions intended to teach us how it is given us to draw near God, the connexion between the manifestations of God in Christ and our walk here below are, for us, what is most essential. Now, this last subject is the one treated of in type, in the arrangements made for the carriage of the chief utensils destined for the service of God. When they were in their place, while the camp rested, they were uncovered. Those which were shut up within the tabernacle, had reference to heaven; the altar and the laver were outside, before coming to it.

In the wilderness, they put on certain characters, one especially; but others also, in certain cases. I consider them therefore as the manifestation of certain relations existing between the walk of the Christian and various manifestations of God in Christ".

The ark of the covenant represented the throne of God in heaven, the holiness and the justice which are

b I say the walk of the Christian, applying it to our consciences; but the expression is imperfect, for the subject seems to me to embrace the life of Christ himself upon earth, and even, in some respects, His life in the time to come, but always upon earth. They are the relations between the manifestation of life here below, the forms and the characters it assumes, and the sources of life in the manifestation of God in Christ: a subject of the deepest interest. The badgers'-skins and the circumstances with which this book is occupied, still suppose the walk to be in the wilderness. It is only when we abstract, as to these circumstances, that we see the manifestation of things to come. Thus faith, that of the thief on the cross for example, saw, in Christ suffering, the King, though all was hidden. I have, therefore alluded to it without fear. I only present the idea contained in the type, without unfolding all the consequences of it.

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there manifested in God. It was first of all covered with the veil of the humanity of Christ, such as He was here below in His person; that is, that divine holiness and righteousness have clothed themselves in humanity. Over all were the badgers'-skins. We have seen, in these skins, that practical and watchful holiness down here, which keeps itself from the evil we are liable to in ing through the wilderness. However, when there is an immediate connexion with what God is in heaven itself (and it is thus that He has manifested Himself in Christ), the entirely heavenly character which results therefrom manifests itself outside. It is what took place with regard to Christ; the ark, by the way, in the wilderness finds no perfect antitype but Himself, considered in His personal walk down here.

Nevertheless, the walk of the believer, in as far as it reaches this height, has also its expression in that type. After the ark, comes the table of shew-bread: it was a figure of Christ in the divine perfection of justice and holiness, according to the power of the Eternal Spirit, in connexion with the perfection of human administration, which manifests itself in the number twelve and in the loaves, of which the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles were the expression. Here the heavenly covering was placed upon the table; the part properly divine put on the heavenly character. Upon this covering were put the utensils and the loaves, which were covered over with a second covering of scarlet, that is, as it appears to me, human glory and splendour. This glory and this splendour were of God, but they were human. Over all were the badgers'-skins to preserve the whole from evil. This external protection is always needful for any one, save the person of Christ. Christ was assuredly sheltered from evil; but it was in an internal and deeper manner. That which was heavenly was seen in Him at the first

c It is the idea which has been suggested to me by the examination of all the passages in the word where scarlet is mentioned. Saul adorned the maidens of Israel with scarlet and other delights. Babylon is clothed with scarlet. The colour of the beast is scarlet. Scarlet was cast into the fire when the leper, and he who was defiled by a dead body were purified. Scarlet is a very brilliant colour.

glance, by those who had eyes to see" the second Adam was the Lord from heaven." As regards us, we have within ourselves that which is heavenly; but we must keep it carefully with a vigilance most decided, and commensurate with the evil we are passing through, and from which it is of consequence we should keep ourselves. Therefore Christ, in His relations with the government of the world, in Israel, in the age to come, will put on, in principle, that which is here represented by the badgers'-skins, which, in the case of the ark were inside. There will be in Him the divine character, then the heavenly, then the perfection of human government covered over with the brightness of the glory.

Next to the table of shew-bread, came the candlestick covered with a cloth of blue and badgers'-skins. It was the spiritual perfection of the light of the Spirit; that which covered it was simply heavenly, with the covering of badgers'-skins. All its utensils bore the same character.

The altar of incense (spiritual intercession) was covered in the same manner. I leave them to the spiritual reflections of the reader,-the intelligence of the things which have been explained in their principles. It was so with all that was contained in the holy place, for the sanctuary represented the heavenly places.

With regard to the brazen altar, it was different. Its covering was a scarlet cloth, the royal colour. If we suffer, we shall reign. There is a connexion between the cross and the crown upon the earth and in heaven. Thus was it with Christ, the king of the Jews, according to the superscription written on the cross; and the very throne of God was the answer to His sufferings, in as much as He was the burnt-offering, offered according to the power of the Eternal Spirit acting in man, according to the exigency of the Divine majesty. But what

The comparison of Ps. xix. xx. xxi. xxii., is, under this point of view, most interesting. Ps. xix. contains the testimonies of the creation and the law; Ps. xx. presents Messiah suffering, but externally, so that man can take an interest in Him: Ps. xxi. Messiah exalted, and, as a consequence, vengeance striking His enemies who had rejected Him; Ps. xxii. His sufferings as forsaken

was thus crowned, was Perfection itself; that which was being accomplished in man according to the energy of the Eternal Spirit, was also divine; so that the Lord could say, "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again." However that which was divine in the act, was divine in the sense of the Eternal Spirit acting in man, the Godhead itself was the source of it, and on that title it could claim the glory of it. The circumstances of the death of Jesus were consequent upon His humanitya truth most precious to us. He was crucified through weakness; He was delivered into the hands of the Gentiles; His throat was dried up, whilst He waited on His God. He was perfect in all these things. They were manifested outwardly, seen of men: it was man. He who could look within, saw Him who through the Eternal Spirit, offered Himself without spot to God.

Thus all that related to the service was placed on scarlet; the altar was under this covering. The badgers'skins here, as always, were spread over all.e

Let us pursue the study of the book. Chapter v. presents three things, in connexion with the purity of the camp, looked at as the dwelling place of God. Every defilement was to be purged out. God took knowledge of the wrong done there against a brother. If that be always true, it is the more so, when it is a question of

by God Himself; this is the expression of Christ alone, whilst in Ps. xx. and xxi. the Jewish remnant were speaking of His outward sufferings. There is no vengeance in connexion with those sufferings consequent on His being forsaken of God, for it was expiation; there is nothing but blessing which the mouth of the Saviour announces, and to which He Himself responded by praising in the midst of His. This blessing will extend to the ends of the earth during the millennium.

e The laver is not among the things to which these commands relate. The reason for this omission is apparent, from the explanation we have just given of these figures, and confirms this explanation. The laver did not represent a manifestation of God, the efficacy of which is reproduced in the Christian life, or in the glory of Christ; but a means for the purification of man.