all true charity. The walls of Jerusalem rose rapidly under Nehemiah and his faithful coadjutors, for the defence and security of the holy city against Sanballat and his arrogant compeers; and the reason assigned for the successful prosecution of their labour is, The people had a mind to the work. Ch. iv. 6. With likemindedness, like results would follow: whereas, without a primary consecration of ourselves to God, our most laborious efforts may prove abortive. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give : not grudgingly or of necessity: for the Lord loveth a cheerful giver. 2 Cor. ix. 7. It is principle which the great Father and Giver of all good, chiefly regards in the conduct of his creatures. 1 Sam. xvi. 7. Hence it is, that mites may be inestimable, while millions may be contemptible. Look well, then, unto the state of your hearts before God; and let no attention, however sedulous and constant, to the outward customs and duties of religion, make you forgetful of your inward frame. And at the same time, remember, the higher your station in society, the more commanding your influence and wealth may be, still greater are the responsibilities which rest upon you. Freely give: for freely have you received. God has given you his SoN: can you refuse him any thing? Our house not made with hands is on its earthward way: shall we not go forth in grateful and rejoicing hope to meet our glorious destiny? We are leaving much of the wilderness behind us has the heavenly country no attractions for

us

? God is rearing the tabernacle wherein he will dwell for ever shall we contribute nothing towards its completion? The enemies of the Lord are mighty : shall we not come to the Redeemer's help? The ne

cessities of his cause are vast beyond all former precedent shall we not give ourselves and all that we possess a free-will offering to his Name and glory?

Is there a thing beneath the sun,

That strives with thee my heart to share?

Ah! tear it thence, and be alone

The Lord of every motion there :
Then shall my heart of earth be free,
When it hath found repose in thee.

DISCOURSE II.

THE ARK OF THE COVENANT: WITH ITS SEAT OF MERCY, AND THE CHERUBIM OF GLORY OVERSHADOWING IT.

EXODUS XXv. 22.

And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

THESE words relate to the ark of the covenant, from whence, as from the throne of his terrestrial glory, the King of Israel, even Jehovah of hosts, through the intervention of his servant Moses, would dispense his will unto the chosen and peculiar nation. A commandment of a general kind had already been issued to construct a sanctuary, that the Lord God might dwell among them; now, more particular instructions are given respecting the furniture and the various appointments of the holy tent. Of these, the first in order, as being particularly the symbol of Divine majesty and sanctity, is the ark of the covenant, with its simple yet sublime accompaniments. Before, however, we enter upon the

consideration of this article, we will state the prescribed arrangement of the tabernacle, and then specify the furniture especially appropriated to its respective divisions.

The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation. And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail. And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof. And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle. And thou shalt set the altar of burnt-offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation. And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein. And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate. ... Thus did Moses: according to all that the Lord commanded him, so did he. And it came to pass, in the first month in the second year, (after the departure out of Egypt,) on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up. And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reeard up his pillars. And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as the Lord commanded Moses. And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercyseat above upon the ark. And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony, as the Lord com

manded Moses. And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the vail. And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward. And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail. And he burnt sweet incense thereon; as the Lord commanded Moses. And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle. And he put the altar of burntoffering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt-offering and the meat-offering: as the Lord commanded Moses. And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water therein to wash withal. And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Ex. xl. 1-8, and 16-34.

This description of the tabernacle, given to you in the language of the Sacred Book itself, places the holy tent before you under a threefold aspect: its several compartments, with the appropriate furniture of each, are as follow:

1. The most holy place, or the sanctuary, properly so called, comprehending the space included within the embroidered vail.

2. The holy place, or the immediately adjoining portion of the tabernacle.

And 3. The courts of the tabernacle, formed by curtains of finely woven threads of linen, suspended upon pillars of shittim-wood, and entirely encompassing the holy tent.