The candlestick was one, but had seven branches which gave light to the whole sanctuary; so Jesus in the church, with his seven eyes and seven Spirits of God, lightens the temple of God, and the whole church in heaven and earth. He is the Shew-Bread, which none might eat but the priests alone, none but those who are anointed of the Holy Ghost to minister before God, and are priests clothed in white raiment, washed in the blood of the Lamb, may eat of this bread.

The sacrifices were of all others the most lively shadows of Christ. Every morning a lamb was offered, that was for the sins of the night, and every evening another, and that was for the sins of the day; this was called the daily sacrifice, or morning and evening oblation. Thus day and night a lamb lay bleeding upon God's altar, and the smoke of his burning came up without ceasing before the Lord. Thus Jesus having offered up himself, the "true Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world," ascended to the golden altar in the heavens, where day and night he appears in the presence of God for us, as a Lamb that has been slain, atoning for the sins of every day, and making intercession for his poor people. On the feast day of expiation he was shadowed by a goat, which always represented the wicked, and when the goat on that day was brought into the tabernacle, the high-priest laid his hand on its head, charging thereon all his sins and the sins of the congregation of Israel, so did the other priests, and then while they condemned it to be slain, they took a second goat by the horns and brought it out, and one led it into the wilderness bearing away the iniquity of the congregation of Israel, into a land uninhabited; mean while the other goat, with a calf or bullock, was made a sinoffering, while all the Levites blew their trumpets,

and

and all the people shouted for joy, because now they saw their sin carried away in the scape goat, and atoned for in the sacrifice. This was fully accomplished in the day when Christ was sacrificed, for then first the high-priest charged him with all sins and crimes, the chief priests and elders did the same, to which all the people consented; and after the high priest had said, "It is better that one die and the whole nation perish not," they dragged out the victim black with our guilt and sin, for God laid upon him the iniquity of us all, and he made his death with the wicked; and as he died making an everlasting and perfect atonement for all sin, his Spirit, like the scape goat, entered the state of the dead, as into a wilderness, and carried away all the iniquity of the land in one day. This was the day that the Lord had made, the day of expiation and making an end of sin; and while he destroyed and cancelled transgression, all the priests of God round the throne blew their trumpets, and sung the new song, "Salvation to the Lamb," while all below shouted with barbarous, and all above with divine joy.

The high-priest that officiated yearly among the Jews, and was particular on this day, was also a shadow of our good High-Priest; for he was chosen out from among his brethren, that, being a man like them, he might be merciful and compassionate: Also he was to wash his clothes, to put on his head a golden crown or mitre, with the name of JEHOVAH written thereon, for that he represented God. He was also clad in a white linen ephod which reached down to his knees, over which he had a robe wrought with gold, scarlet, and blue, and on his breast the names of the twelve tribes; and thus dressed he took of the ashes of the heifer, and the blood of bulls and goats, and seven times sprinkled

towards

towards heaven, and then having sprinkled all the vessels of the ministry, he sprinkled himself, and then entered in behind the veil into the holy of holies, where he made prayers for the whole church, and at his return besprinkled all the people with blood, saying, "This is the blood of the covenant which God has enjoined to you," and this was a sort of sign of absolution.

This also was accomplished in our High-Priest, for first he washed his clothes in a bloody sweat, he wore the white ephod, which was the shadow of righteousness, only with this difference, that he wore it down to the foot, to signify the complete righteousness which he brought in; whereas the righteousness of the law was figured by an ephod which reached only to the knee, to signify the imperfection thereof; for the law was weak and could make nothing perfect. His torn, mangled, and rent body resembled the embroidered robe, and upon his breast he truly bears all his people's names, they are graven on the precious stone of his heart. He only wears indeed the name of JEHOVAH on his crown. He is the LORD, the High-Priest over the whole house of God, yet he was made man, and chosen out of the people a merciful and com passionate High-Priest, having experienced, and undergone, and proved the force and weight of all temptations, sins, and afflictions, that he may pity and help us when we are tempted. And like as the Jewish priest sprinkled the blood seven times toward: heaven in making the atonement, so did Jesus, in his scourging, in being crowned with thorns four times, in his hands and feet, and lastly in the opening of his side, and thus has fulfilled all that was written concerning him, in his own body, and "with his own blood he entered the holy place, where he makes intercession for us," while his Spirit

ministers

ministers in his name, and brings the deep sense of our being vile dust and ashes to our hearts, (and this was meant by sprinkling ashes on the people) and then reveals the blood of Jesus, saying, "This is the blood of the New Testament which was shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins;" and this is done at that happy moment when a soul obtains pardon, aud is justified by looking and believing in Christ.

The new moon festival was a shadow of Christ ; for when the new moon appeared, then the people rejoiced, that now their nights would be changed into day, and all would be light; so Jesus becomes our Sun by day and our Moon by night, and our light shall go no more down. This comes to pass when he rises in the heart, and dissipates and chases away the darkness and night of unbelief and heaviness, and we become enlightened by the Day-Spring from on high. We thenceforth no more walk in the night and stumble, but see our way and know whither Our eyes are open, and we see the Sun of righteousness is risen upon us, with healing in his wings: The Lord will be our light and our everlasting brightness.

we go.

The sabbath also was a shadow of Christ; for when that commenced, all labour, work, and fatigue ceased, and they rested; so Jesus saith, "Come unto me and I will give you rest for your souls." We then enter the preparation of the eternal sabbath, and cease from all self-workings and stirrings of nature, which have caused such pain and misery to our hearts, and at last it has been but labouring in the fire, and beating the air, and like the disciples who toiled all night and caught nothing."We have been in pain, we have travailed, saith the prophet, and brought forth wind," so is it with an awakened soul till he has seen the Redeemer

Redeemer in his sufferings and labours. His obedience, and toil, and servitude, satisfy the hungry, and afford a rest to the weary and heavy laden. The moment we look to him in faith, or come to him, we are at home, as it were, we have arrived at our port, we have done with fruitless labours, and strive no more to wash the Ethiopian white, or cleanse the leopard from his spots: We have found at once a cure in the blood of Jesus, that penetrates and pierces to the very root of indwelling sin, drives the old dragon from his seat, and makes the fainting soul free from the bondage of sin and death, and he obtains a sabbath, the antepast of that which shall have no end, and this we have only in Jesus. "We that believe enter into his rest, and his rest is glorious."

The temple was yet another shadow of our Saviour. Thither all the tribes went up to worship God. That was the house that God had chosen wherein his name should be. His presence dwelt there. It was often called his holy habitation, his throne. All prayer must be made there, or looking toward the temple, all sacrifices offered there, and there only was the mercy-seat, and holy of holies: but all this was only in shadow, for the "Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands," as saith the prophet; but in Jesus is the true temple. More than once our Saviour, speaking of his body, called it the Temple; and this was the house which the Lord had pitched, and not man, where he would dwell. All the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily in him. The name of God is upon him, he is verily the Lord and true God. Here is the very mercy-seat, where all find mercy! Here is the open door, namely, in the veil of his flesh, into the holiest place of all. Here all prayer must be made, and looking to this house, turning