xl. 22.

24.

furniture of that room a golden table, à golden candlestick or lamp, and a golden Exodus, altar. And he (Moses) put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward without the vail; or to the right hand of the entrance into the holy place, the holy place fronting the east, as we shall presently see. And he put the candlestick (or golden lamp) in the tent of the congregation, over against the table on the side of the tabernacle southward; that is, on the left hand of the entrance into the holy place; and, finally, Exodus, He put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation, before the vail; that is, in the middle of the holy place, near the end of the room or entrance into the most holy place or oracle.

xl. 26.

viii. 16.

Here it will be proper to observe the situation of the sanctuary, with respect to the points of the heavens. The holy, and most holy place, were to the west of the entrance, or the building fronted to the east. So Ezekiel represents the idolatry of Ezekiel, the Israelites: Behold at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar were about five and twenty men, with their backs towards the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east, and they worshipped the sun towards the east. Spencer, Dr. Spencer thinks, this situation of the Hebrew temple might be taken from a custom of the Egyptians, to place their

1. III.

c. 11. Dissert. vi. p. 310.

temples in like manner; but does not the Prophet intimate a truer reason, the custom and practice of the idolatrous wor shippers of the sun to worship him toward the east?

.worth

on the

Some, I believe, are justly charged with finding more mysteries in these things than the ritual designed. It should teach caution not to indulge imagination, but not make us conclude too hastily, they have no meaning at all. Dr. Cudworth, from one of the Hebrew doctors, observes, concerning the things thus placed in the sanctuary; "The temple being as an house Cud"for God to dwell in visibly, to make up "the notion of dwelling, or habitation, Lord's complete, there must be all things suit- Supper, "able to an house belonging to it; hence, 31. "in the holy place, there must be a table " and a candlestick, because this was the ordinary furniture of a room, as the "forementioned Nachmanides observes; " he addeth a table and a candlestick, be"cause those suit the notion of a dwell❝ing-house."

66

66

c. vi. p.

You will observe yet further, that the golden table for the shew-bread was as an altar on which was laid an offering, in the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; so the ritual directs, And thou shalt take Levitifine flour, aad bake twelve cakes thereof: cus, xxiv. two tenth-deals shall be in one cake. And 5, 6, 7. thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a

row, upon the pure table before the Lord. And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the Lord. It seems, as Bishop Patrick observes, an offering made by fire unto the Lord, because the frankincense which was put on each row of the cakes, was burned as an oblation to God, when the bread was eaten by the priests. The shew-bread then, and the frankincense upon it, were properly offerings of the whole nation of Israel to Jehovah their God. The ritual appointed meat and drink offerings, as well as sacrifices of birds and beasts. The Apostle to the Hebrews alludes to the distinction of sacrifices, gifts, and Hebrews, offerings. If animals were offered, they were called sacrifices, on; or if the fruits of the earth, flour, oil, wine, frankincense, were offered, were called offerings; meatofferings and drink-offerings,

viii. 3.

Ant.Heb. p. 290.

and Reland, D. Hence you see the reason why a table and altar have much the same signification, according to the Prophet, But ye have profaned it in that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted, and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.

Mal. i.12.

You see reason to consider the golden altar of incense in like manner, as it stood nearest the most holy place, separated from it, and the Presence in it, only by a vail, or curtain. Upon this golden altar,

incense was offered every day, morning and evening. "A figure," says Mr. Light- Lightfoot, "if you apply the action to Christ, of foot, Temple, "his mediation, and if to men, a resem c. xiv. "blance of the duty of prayer." It will § 6. be a figurative expression of prayer, or intercession, applied to either: thus the Psalmist usesit, Let my prayer be set before Ps.cxli. 2. thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands, as the evening sacrifice. St. John, alluding to this part of the ritual, observes, There was given unto him (the angel) much Rev. viii. incense, that he should offer it with the 3, 4. prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne: and the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. This explains the custom of the Hebrew church, that, when the incense was offering on the golden altar, the congregation of Israel was at their prayers, or the whole multitude of the Luke, i. people were praying without, at the time of incense. The ascending up of the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints, may well signify the acceptance of their prayers, and that Jehovah as their God would answer their prayers, continuing to protect and bless them. By these actions, then, the whole church of Israel worshipped Jehovah, offered a tribute of honour to him, as Governor of the world, as their God and King, who received them

H

10.

as guests to his table-a proper rite to express his favour, and covenant with them. "For the eating of sacrifices, which were worth, ib... God's meat," as Dr. Cudworth justly ob

Cud

p. 30.

Lightfoot,

xxxvii.

17, 18.

serves," was a federal rite, between God "and those that did partake of them, and signified there was a covenant of friendship between him and them.'

66

66

Besides this golden table and altar, the ritual appointed a golden candlestick— Temple, this candlestick, or branch of lamps, for it c. xiv. § had seven branches, one straight shaft in the middle, and three branches going out from the middle branch, on each side, at proper distances, and with proper ornaments, acExodus, cording to the description of Moses: He made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers were of the same: and six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof. These seven lamps, so called, ver. 23, were dressed and lighted every day at the time of the morning and evening sacrifice, and offering of incense on the golden altar : from hence it should seem, it was intended to express some part of the honour and worship given to God by the church, rather than a symbol of some blessing of the Presence, with the church; though

Lightfoot, Temple Service,

c. ix. § 3,

5