from uncertainty and variation in these matters, the many openings for fraud, and many occasions of strife and litigation, have made this a subject of great interest in the laws of all civilized nations. With a view to these objects it has for some time past been attempted amongst ourselves, to reduce all weights and measures to one uniform standard. So much the more must we admire the ample provision here made by God, at the outset of the Jewish polity, for securing to his people, though strangers to science, an advantage, which a mighty and understanding nation like our own has hitherto sought for in vain. That there should be so great a weight of gold and silver to be met with, for the construction of the tabernacle, is readily accounted for, by the fact, that in those early times the precious metals would be found in abundance on the surface of the earth, having been laid bare by the waters of the flood. Though therefore we cannot accurately compare antient weights and measures with those which are in use amongst ourselves, we must by no means suppose that the same weight of gold and silver was of the same value then, as it would be now, when it is by no means so easy to be found, and when there are so many more to use it, and waste it, and wear it away. But whatever might be the comparative value of all this gold, and silver, and brass, there is no doubt that it was of great price amongst the children of Israel, and that they in giving it, gave freely to the Lord of that which was most precious to themselves. But was it indeed all given freely? Or was not "the silver of them that were numbered" a kind of rate or tax, which every man, whether willing or unwilling, was bound to pay? See cli. 30. 12. And how can this be reconciled with the command of God to Moses, "of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering?" Ch. 25. 2. We answer that a tax or rate may be paid as freely, and as truly given, as a voluntary offering. It is the pride, and perversity of our corrupted nature, the love of money, and the spirit of resistance to authority, fomented by the oppressive manner in which authority has oftentimes been used, these have given rise to the monstrous notion of resisting a lawful tax on a principle of conscience. Let us learn to submit ourselves one to another in the fear of God, let us study to be of one mind, and not to please our own selves but God, let us esteem it more blessed to give than to receive, let us bear in mind this rate established by God amongst the Jews, not forgetting that a tax founded upon this was paid cheerfully by our Lord Himself; see Matth. 17. 27; and we shall then need no law to enforce our taxes, but the law of love, and the bond of charity. We shall pay, but at the same time give. Our voluntary gifts are but payments made to God of that which is all due to Him. Our compulsory payments, paid with cheerfulness and thankfulness, are in reality gifts to God. The ephod, and breastplate, made. 1 And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses. 2 And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 3 And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work. 4 They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together. 5 And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses. 6 And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel. 7 And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses. 8 And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 9 It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled. 10 And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row. 11 And the second row, an eme rald, a sapphire, and a diamond. 12 And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. 13 And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings. 14 And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes. 15 And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold. 16 And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate. 17 And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate. 18 And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it. 19 And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward. 20 And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. 21 And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses. LECTURE 180. The happiness of working for God. The great quantity of work, and length of time, that it must have taken, to make the holy garments for Aaron, in addition to the tabernacle, and its furniture, and its court, must seem surprising to those who spend their whole day long, and almost every day of their lives, in labouring for the meat that perishes. And it may be thought strange that God should allow, much less command, so much pains to be spent upon clothes for the high priest, when we are well assured, that it is the heart and not the dress that He looks to, both in them that worship, and in them that minister. But let it be remembered, that during the period when this work was in hand, the Israelites were stationary in the wilderness; and that whilst there, they were fed by bread from heaven; so that they had little time to spend in obtaining their food. They were in this respect like the wealthy among ourselves, whose time is for the most part at their own disposal. And let it be considered, that in this employment they felt that they were obeying the command of God. And let it further be observed, that these holy garments were not only well suited, at that time, to engage the respect of the people, for the person of him who was to wear them; but also were probably significant of that spiritual dress, the robe of righteousness, with which our great High Priest is clad Himself, and also clothes his faithful people. We shall then see that this work was not in vain; that it was not unworthy of the attention of God Himself; nor an unfit employment for his most devoted servants. And hence we may be led to think, how much better time might be now employed, by those who have leisure at command, in such work as helps to do God service, than in such as merely ministers to their own pleasure for the moment. Ought not every Christian to be a priest unto God? And are not many still unprovided with the holy garments? And ought not all who have any time to spare, to employ themselves in awakening the careless, in consoling the afflicted, in teaching the ignorant, in bringing up the young in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, or in such studies, pursuits, and labours, as help forward objects such as these? Happy are they, who find means to give assistance in the work of the Lord. Oh how much happier than those, who are servants of mammon! Happy are they, who become instruments in the hands of God, for converting sinners from the error of their way. Oh how much happier than those, who waste their time in vanity, and have pleasure in such as follow their example! God grant, that we may diligently use our time in such work as may best do Him service, and most largely promote the eternal happiness of our fellow creatures! The holy garments completed. 22 And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue. 23 And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend. 24 And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen. 25 And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates; 26 A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses. 27 And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons, 28 And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen, 29 And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses. 30 And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 31 And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses. 32 Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they. The work brought to Moses. 33 And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets, 34 And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the vail of the covering. 35 The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat, 36 The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread, 37 The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light, 38 And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door, 39 The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the layer and his foot, 40 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation, 41 The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons' garments, to minister in the priest's office. 42 According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work. 43 And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them. LECTURE 181. The saints, and the church, the workmanship of God. "Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished." "Thus," by the gifts of many joined together, by many working together in one spirit, under the direction of one person, and that one directed by God. Thus was all the work finished. Not half done, and half left undone; as we are too apt to treat God's work. But all finished. Oh happy they who do all that God commands; that can say with our blessed Lord, "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." John 17. 4. "And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did they." This is our way to finish the work of God; we must do according to all that God commands his servants the prophets; according to all that He has revealed to us in his holy word. Well, is it when for every thing which we do we are able to find authority in the Scripture, and can say with our Saviour in his reply to Satan, "It is written." Matt. 4. 4. The several things which were thus made, and completed, are called in the Epistle to the Hebrews, "patterns of things in the heavens." Heb. 9. 23. They represent heavenly things. They relate to another world; to the redemption of mankind by the blood of Christ; that blood, which shed on earth, made peace for us in heaven; to the covenant of grace; to the gift of the Holy Ghost; to the good things which God has prepared in heaven for all that love Him. This, as is also written in the Epistle to the Hebrews, is "the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man;" Heb. 8. 2; the tabernacle of the church, which is the body of Christ; with all its privileges, and graces, and glorious ornaments. And this is a work in which we must look to God for success, feeling that He alone can give the increase. The foundation has been laid by Him, in Christ Jesus. Every believer is gathered in for the materials of the work. Every holy heavenly temper is an ornament. Most curious and precious workmanship of God, to make of one so vile as man a saint meet for heaven! to make of many prone to envy, emulation and strife, one holy catholic church! The curtains thereof are all of one size. The boards are of one height; the sockets of one weight. There is for all one standard, and all will be weighed by one balance. But, "if thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss: 0 Lord, who abide it"? Ps. 130. 3. may No; such is thy abundant mercy that Thou dost justify the ungodly, by faith which is in Christ Jesus; and for his sake dost count us, amidst all our failings, to have done according to all thy commands; and wilt say to us, after all our transgressions, repented of, and forgiven, and blotted out from thy remembrance, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Matt. 25. 21. |