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with the remark, that she was all alone. "Yes," she replied in

B.C. 1490.

to be valued for

a peculiarly sweet and cheerful voice, "I am alone, and yet not And where is the alone." "How is that?" "I feel that the Lord is constantly virtue, say I, that with me." "How long have you lain here?" "For sixteen has not? But years and four months; and for two years and four months I still the virtue is have not been lifted out of my bed to have it made yet I have itself, and not for much to praise and bless the Lord for." What is the source of the profit that your happiness?" "The thought that my sins are forgiven, and attends it."dwelling on the great love of Jesus my Saviour. I am content to lie here so long as it shall please Him that I should stay, and C. Simeon, M.A. to go whenever He shall call me." g

66

Seneca.

g The Book and its Mission.

a Spk. Comm.

Ex. xii. 10.

The holy flesh

16-21. (16) sacrifice.. vow, i.e. a peace-offering vowed upon certain conditions. voluntary offering, i.e. one offered Bush. as the simple tribute of a devout heart at peace with God and man offered on no external occasion." (17) remainder,' etc., as being then unlawful to be eaten. (18) imputed, placed to his account. abomination, polluted, foul. shall iniquity, i.e. punishment due to it. (19) flesh, the holy flesh.c asflesh, i.e. the undefiled flesh. (20) soul.. people, i.e. he shall be destroyed, shall perish.d (21) soul.. thing, the person doing so became himself unclean, and hence was under the law of v. 20.

of the peaceofferings.

d

e

Le. xxii. 3, 9.
Le. xv. 3.

"True religion is
the poetry of the
heart: it has en-
chantments use-

ful to our manners; it gives us both happiness

Eaten the same day that it was offered.-We here see that the flesh of some sacrifices was to be eaten on the day of offering; in some cases, however, what remained might be eaten on the next day, but nothing was to be kept for use till the third day-whatever then remained was to be consumed by fire. As the people of the and virtue." East generally eat their meat the same day on which it is killed, Joubert. and almost never later than the second day, we are inclined to "The pleasure of concur in the view of Harmer (Observations, i. 457), who thinks the religious man that this regulation was intended to preclude any attempt to is an easy and preserve the meat, by potting or otherwise, so that it might be sure, such an one taken to different parts of the country, and used superstitiously, as he carries perhaps, as peculiarly holy food, or applied in some way incon- about sistent with the intention of the law. That intention was, that bosom, without alarming either what became the offerer's share of the sacrifice he had presented, the eye or the he should eat cheerfully before the Lord with his friends, and envy of the that the poor and destitute should partake in the benefit. This object was insured by the regulation which precluded the meat f Dr. Kitto. from being kept beyond the second day.

a

portable plea

in his

world."-South.

law concerning fat and blood

xxii. 17-20.

c

22—27. (22, 23) ye.. fat, etc., prob. for physical as well as moral reasons. ox.. goat, i.e. of such animals as were offered in sacrifice. (24) may.. use, to wh. fat is applicable, save for a Le. iii. 17, xvii. sacrifice or food. (25) beast, named in v. 23. (26, 27) eat.. 10; Ma. xxii. 21. blood, etc., no exception made as in the case of fat. b Ge. ix. 4; Jo. Ye shall eat no manner of fat.-This is a very remarkable law; vi. 53, 54; Lu. but it is not to be understood as an interdiction of all fat, but See Kitto, Note only the properly fat pieces which were offered on the altar in on De. xiv. 21. certain sacrifices, and which, partly, no doubt, in consequence of "It is the prothat appropriation, became too sacred for common food even in perty of the religious spirit to animals which had not been sacrificed. The parts of which this be the most relaw interdicted the use were: the fat with which the intestines fining of all inΝο are covered, that is, the omentum, or caul, all the fat upon the fluences. external advanintestines (mesenterium), the fat of the kidneys, and the fat tail tages, no culture of a particular species of sheep. It is even uncertain whether of the tastes, no

B.C. 1490.

treasures of wis

all secret things

Him, which He

something of the practice of ablution before, and sometimes after mass; and Calmet says that the holy-water vessels at the enand Thummim signified, saith trance of their churches are in imitation of the lavers of the one,that in Christ tabernacle. The Oriental Christians have also their solemn washare hidden all the ings on particular occasions, such as Good Friday. The practice dom and know- of ablution was adopted by Mohammed in a very full sense; for ledge (Col. ii. 3), his followers are not only obliged to perform their ablutions and that He hath before they enter a mosque, but before they commence their most perfectly prayers, wherever offered, which they are required to repeat five known and num- times each day. This is certainly the most burthensome system bered out before of ablution which ever existed either in ancient or modern times. The Hindoos also rejoice in the purifying virtues of their idolrevealeth continually to His ised Ganges, and wash also in other waters, because they believe Church and that such will be equally effectual, if, whilst they bathe, they chosen, as need say, "O Ganges, purify me!" In fact, nothing is or has been requireth, by more common than ablutions in the worship which different Himself hath nations render to their gods; and there are few acts connected sanctified (Ps. with their service which are not begun or ended with some rite XXV. 14; Jo. xiv. symbolical of purification. In the religion of classical antiquity, 21, 26, xvii. 14, 17, the priest was obliged to prepare himself by ablution for offering sacrifice; for which purpose there was usually water at the entrance of the temple. In very ancient times the priests seem to have bathed themselves in some river or stream. But such ablutions were only necessary in sacrifices to the celestial gods, sprinkling being sufficient for the terrestrial and infernal deities.c

such means as

26)."-Trapp.

c Dr. Kilto.

the priest's sin-offering

a Ex. xxviii. 2, 40; Is. lxiii. 1, xi.

5; Ezek. xliii. 20 -26.

b Jerome.

the priest's

burnt

offering

a Le. i. 6, S.

"One of the al

most numberless

13-17. See Ex. xxix. 8-14.

The holiness of the priests.-The priests were chosen from among men to be more holy, of which their washing was a sign, as their splendid robes were to remind them of their dignity and authority over the people. The high priest had seven special ornaments:-1. White linen to denote purity; 2. A curious girdle, intimating that he must use discretion in all things; 3. The long tunic of various colours, with bells, etc., signifying heavenly conversation upon earth, unity and harmony in faith and morals; 4. An ephod, with two precious stones on the shoulders, teaching him to support the failings of the multitude; 5. The rational, with its ornaments, showing that the high priest should teach sound and profitable doctrine; 6. The mitre, indicating that all his actions should be referred to God above; 7. The plate of gold denoting that he should always have God in view.

18-21. See Ex. xxix. 15-18.

Convincing power of holiness.—I would give more for one poor woman, whose poverty only makes her laugh and sing, who is contented with her humble lot, who bears her burdens with cheerfulness, who is patient when troubles come upon her, who advantages of loves every one, and who, with a kind and genial spirit, goes goodness is, that about doing good, than for all the dissertations on the doctrines it blinds its pos- of Christianity that could be written, as a means of preventing sessor to many of those faults in infidelity. I have seen one such woman who was worth more others which than the whole church to which she belonged and its minister could not fail to put together; and I was the minister, and my church was the be detected by church! She lived over a cooper-shop. The floor of her apartfective. A con- ment was so rude and open that you could sit there and see what

the morally de

the men were doing below. She had a sort of fiend for a B.C. 1490. husband a rough, brutal shipmaster. She was universally called sciousness of un"Mother." She literally, night and day, went about doing good. worthiness renI do not suppose all the ministers in the town where she lived ders people carried consolation to so many hearts as she did. If a person sighted in disextremely quickwas sick or dying, the people in the neighbourhood did not think cerning the vices of sending for anyone else half so soon as for her. I tell you, of their neighthere was not much chance for an infidel to make headway bours; as persons can easily disthere. If I wanted to convince a man of the reality of Christ- cover in others ianity, I said nothing about historic evidence; I said, "Don't the symptoms of you believe Mother is a Christian?" and that would silence those diseases him. Where there is a whole church made up of such Christians they themselves as she was, infidelity cannot thrive. You need not be afraid of have suffered."its making its way into such a church. The Word of God stands Godfrey. sure under such circumstances, so that nothing can successfully b Beecher. rise against it."

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beneath which

the ram of consecration

xiii. 12.

now enabled to offer sa

which

Use of blood in consecration.-Banier, in his work on the Mythology of the Ancients, gives, after Prudentius, a remarkable a He. ix. 11, 12, instance of the personal application of the victim's blood in the ceremonies of consecration. He calls it a sort of baptism of "The filling of blood," which was thought to convey a spiritual regeneration. the hand with sacrificial gifts It occurs in the Taurobolium, a sacrifice which was offered to signifled that the Cybele at the consecration of her high priest, but not wholly priest was henceconfined to that occasion, and which had rites and ceremonies forth different from all other sacrifices. In order to consecrate the crifice to God, and high priest, a great hole was made, into which he entered, was endowed dressed in an unusual manner, wearing a crown of gold, and with the appurwith a toga of silk tucked up after the Sabine fashion. Above tenances the priesthood the whole was a sort of floor, the boards of which, not being received from the closely joined, left certain chinks, besides which several holes altar. Correwere bored in the boards themselves. Then they led up to the sponding to it is the delivery of place a bull (sometimes a ram or goat) crowned with garlands, the Holy Bible, bearing on his shoulders fillets covered with flowers, and having accompanied his forehead gilt. Its throat was cut over the hole, so that the blood fell upon the floor, which, being perforated, allowed it to pass through in a shower upon the priest, who received it eagerly upon his body and clothes. Not content with this, he held back his head to receive it on his cheeks, ears, lips, and nostrils; he even opened his mouth to moisten his tongue with it, and some he swallowed. When all the blood was drained, the high-priest came out. The horrible appearance he presented may well be conceived; but he was received with congratulation, and the people, not daring to approach his person, adored him at a distance, regarding him now as a man quite pure and sanctified. They, who thus received the blood of the Taurobole, wore their stained clothes as long as possible, as a sensible evidence of their regeneration. Might it not be, to prevent such a practice as this last, that in the sin-offering, if any of the victim's blood was Antiq. II. xix. 17.. sprinkled upon a garment, that garment was directed to be care-b Dr. Kitto. fully washed in the holy place?

with prayer for the Holy Ghost, the reception of for the office and work of a priest in the Church of

God,' and with a conveyance of

authority to preach the Word

of God, and to minister the holy Sacraments,' with which the Christian priests are inaugurated." Wordsworth, comp. Bingham,

anointing
"He that is a

27-30. (27-29) See Ex. xxix. 24-26. (30) See Ex. xxix. 21. the priests" Holiness and sanctity.-Holiness is to the mind of a man what sanctity is to his exterior; with this difference, that holiness, to a certain degree, ought to belong to every man professing Chris

good man is three quarters of his

B.C. 1490.

way towards the

being a good Christian, wheresoever he lives, or

whatsoever he is called."-South.

"Goodness con

sists not in the outward things we do, but in the inward thing we To be is the great thing." Chapin. a Crabb.

are.

the days of consecration

"There is a great deal we never

think of calling religion that is

still fruit unto God, and garnered by Him in

firm that if these

tience as a woman

tianity; but sanctity, as it lies in the manners, the outward garb and deportment, is becoming only to certain persons, and at certain times. Holiness is a thing not to be affected; it is that genuine characteristic of Christianity which is altogether spiritual, and cannot be counterfeited; sanctity, on the other hand, is, from its very nature, exposed to falsehood, and the least to be trusted; when it displays itself in individuals, either by the sorrowfulness of their looks, or the singular cut of their garments, or other singularities of action and gesture, it is of the most questionable nature; but, in one who performs the sacerdotal office, it is a useful appendage to the solemnity of the scene, which excites a reverential regard to the individual in the mind of the beholder, and the most exalted sentiments of that religion which he thus adorns by his outward profession."

31-36. (31) See Ex. xxix. 31, 32. (32) See Ex. xxix. (33, 34) See Ex. xxix. 30–35. (35) abide.. days, not to leave the tabernacle for the sake of worldly occupations. (36) See Ex. xxxix. 43.

Description of holiness.-Christian holiness is no fabrication of man, and differs as much from ritual and conventional sanctity as the temple filled with God differed from the same temple just as it was left by the builder's hand. To be holy is not to be wrapt in entranced and unearthly contemplation, as was Simeon the harvest. The Stylites, and the so-called pillar saints; it is not to retire into fruits of the Spirit solitude, to leave the active duties of life and the trying anxieties are love, joy, peace, long-suf- of the Church unto others, with a view to gain that grace in fering, gentle- seclusion which Christ has chiefly promised to impart to His ness, patience, people in fellowship (Eph. ii. 5, 6), as did Basil. It is not to be goodness. I af-clad with a white garment at Easter, and, in connection with fruits are found others, a surpliced band, to overawe the imagination with the in any form, shadow of piety, as did the catechumens of Chrysostom. It is whether you not to take monastic vows, to cross the Creator's design, to forshow your pasake domestic life, as devout men were advised to do by Jerome. nursing a fretful It is not to interlard our common conversation with religious child, or as a man phrases, and passages of Scripture, and to be continually advertattending to the ing to the feelings and actings of the soul, as did Oliver Cromvexing detail of a business, or (as well and the more rigid of the Presbyterian Puritans. It is not a physician fol- to bend and bow before patterns of sacred things, as did Archlowing the dark bishop Laud, and as do the modern Tractarians. It is not to invest the family circles to which we belong with the solemnity of a funeral, and to cast upon every person and thing the frown joints and valves of a rebuking censorship. No; that which resembles some of of a locomotive; these things may be associated with holiness, but the blessing being honest and true besides, you itself is of a totally different nature. It consists in our having bring forth fruit the moral image of God, in our being like our Father in heaven. unto God."-R. The power of sin is broken, and the Divine likeness is impressed The likeness, it is true, is immensely distant from the original, so faint is the copy; yet it is a likeness of Him, and no the other. The seal has been applied to the wax, and the identical rising sun fell on features have left their stamp. As Howe well observes, "the Memnon's statue, image is made in the wax in hollows; while it exists in the seal sic in the breast in an outbulging fulness." This well represents the fact, that of stone. Religion the likeness of God is seen in us, rather in our receiving and condocs the same taining His character than in our possessing it as a part of our

mazes of sickness, or as a me

chanic fitting the

Collyer.

"When

it awakened mu

with nature." Theo. Parker.

upon us.

selves. We are holy, just as here and there a point or feature of God's gracious fulness is imprinted upon our nature, when that

nature is made soft and yielding by converting grace. How little then has anything formal and external to do with this great and blessed attainment."

CHAPTER THE NINTH.

B.C. 1490.

a A. Barrett.

the offering self and people

of Aaron for

a

magistrate

his

1—4. (1) on .. day, first day after the week of consecration. the.. Israel, the senate of Israel witness the perfect performance of these initiatory rites. (2) calf,a lit. son of the herd: beast of the first year. (3) children of Israel, acc. to LXX., He. vii. 24, 27. elders of Israel. kid, which was the sacrifice for the sin of the b Ezra vi. 16, 17. ruler. (4) for.. you, i.e. the glory of the Lord, see v. 26. c Ex.xxix. 43; Re. Reconciliation through Christ.-Themistocles having offended xxi. 22. King Philip and not knowing how to regain his favour, took "Religion in a young Alexander, his son, in his arms, and so presented himself strengthens before the king; and, when he saw the young child smile upon authority, -behim, his wrath was soon appeased towards him. The sinner cause it procures should approach God with his Son Jesus Christ in his arms. Comfort of reconciliation.—A boy who had offended his father came to him, saying, "Papa, I cannot learn my lesson unless you are reconciled. I am sorry I have offended you, and hope I shall never do so again. I hope you will forgive me." This confession won from the father the kiss of reconciliation. "Now," exclaimed power." -Tillotthe boy, "I will learn Latin and Greek with anybody."

veneration, and gains a reputa tion to it. In all the affairs of this world, so much reputation is in reality so much

son.

5—7. (5) all.. Lord, i.e. bef. the dwelling-place of the atonement Lord's glory. (6) shall.. you,a Divine recognition of human made for the obedience and acceptance of the offering. (7) go.. altar, etc., people hitherto Moses had offered for Aaron, see viii. 13-17.

a Ex. xxxiii. 18; Hag. ii. 6-9.

Sufficiency of Christ's atonement.-One cannot help a feeling of pity for the great Dr. Johnson, when he stood for an hour with uncovered head in the pitiless storm, on a spot which had witnessed his undutiful conduct to his father in early years. It is saddening to think of such an intellect looking upon any penance he could do as an atonement for sin, turning away from the only He. v. 1, 3, vii. true and perfect atonement. Vain are all such efforts to find 24, 27, ix. 7-9. peace to the troubled soul. Poor Niebuhr, the famous historian, when he lost the loving Amelia, with whom he had walked the paths of life for fifteen years, regarded his anguish at the parting as an atonement for the errors of his life. Yet ever present to his soul was the bitterness of insufficiency."

c S. S. Times.

for the priests first

8-14. (8) which.. himself, the priest must be accepted the offering before he sacrificed for others. (9) put.. horns, (10) See iv. 9, 10. (11) See iv. 11, 12. (12) slew .. the ram, see v. 2. (13) pieces, i.e. piece by piece. inwards, etc., see i. 9.

etc., see iv. 7. offering, i.e. (14) he..

Holiness and sanctification.-By most writers on the subject of Christian purity, holiness is regarded as synonymous with sanc

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tification and " perfect love." To our mind, however, there is

a He. ix. 22.

b He. xiii. 12; Lu. xxiii. 20-26, 33.

c 1 Jo. v. 6, 8; Eph. v. 26; Ps. cxix. 140.

"It has been said such a distinction between them, as to forbid their use interthat true religion changeably, when we essay to give clear and definite notions of will make a man the specific Scriptural import of evangelical holiness. Sancti- a more thorough fication and holiness are not duplicates of the same idea, what- gentleman than ever plausibility may arise to the contrary from their etymology; in Europe. And or they are so only in the sense that two circles may have a it is true. You

all the countries

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