to consider the various Curtains and Hangings, and the Courts formed by them: and subsequently, the Boards, Bars, Pillars, and Sockets; first the Gershonite, and then the Merarite charge. In doing so, the Vail has been selected by way of commencement, because we have a distinct Scripture in the New Testament, directing us to its typical signification. "The Vail, that is to say, His flesh."-Heb. x. 20. And if we can, by means of this key, unlock some of the hidden treasures contained in this type, we shall be better able to arrive at the true interpretation of the other parts.

THE VAIL.

"And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made." -Exod xxvi. 31.

"And he made a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubims made he it of cunning work.”— Exod. xxxvi. 35.

FINE TWINED LINEN.-One material only is specified in the construction of the Vail, "fine linen :" the blue, purple, and scarlet, were simply colours. Upon this ground-work of fine linen these colours were displayed; so that the observer would be first arrested by the beauty of the blue, the depth of the purple, and the brilliancy of the scarlet, before he perceived the material, over which these tints were spread. Does not this aptly exemplify that wondrous truth, "God was manifest in the flesh?" "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us; and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the onlybegotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

The Wife, in Rev. xix. 7, is represented as having made herself ready for the marriage supper, and it is added in the succeeding verse, "To her was granted, that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean, and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." ver. 8. Here a twofold, yet united, aspect of the truth is beauti

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fully presented: the Church makes herself ready, and yet she is clothed by another. So in Rev. vii, 14, believers are said to have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb: while, in chap. i. 5, it is written "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood." We may view the saint as clothing or washing himself; for he may be regarded as, by faith, appropriating to himself the precious blood of Christ; or, we may consider the work as all accomplished for him by the Lord Jesus, through the grace and mercy of God. The word "righteousness of saints" is remarkable, being in the plural number; it may be rendered righteousnesses; the fine linen displaying every form of bright and holy purity; righteousness in every aspect; according to that beautiful word "Thou art all fair, my love: there is no spot in thee." But whence were these garments derived? If we turn to Jer. xxiii. 6, "This is His name, whereby He shall be called, Jehovah our Righteousness."-here again righteousness is in the plural. Jehovah Jesus is the righteousnesses of the saints. He is the spotless robe; they are clothed with Him; they stand accepted (graced) in the Beloved. God has made Him to be unto them "righteousness, sanctification, and redemption," and His name is placed upon them; as, in Jer. xxxiii. 16, Jerusalem on earth will have "Jehovah our Righteousnesses" as the name whereby she shall be called.

The fine linen of the Vail seems, then, especially to present to us "the Righteous One," who in His life of toil and sorrow, and most especially in His death of shame and suffering, manifested that unsullied purity, that perfect obedience, and that delight in accomplishing the will of His Father, whereby He has earned for Himself a name, which is above every name, the name of Jesus; "who was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."

THE COLOURS.

BLUE. This ranks pre-eminent, being always the first mentioned in the frequent enumerations of the colours given in the latter chapters of Exodus. It attracts, without dazzling the eye; and the epithet lovely is very appropriately attached to it. It is seen spread over the expanse of heaven, of boundless extent. When the thunder-cloud vails the sky, and the tempest bursts in fury on the earth with its desolating power, this serene colour is concealed; but we hail its gradual reappearance as a sure presage of the returning calm, and of the sun's genial beams. It is peculiarly a heavenly colour; and throughout these types, is closely linked with gold. Thus in Exod. xxviii. 6 and 15, the word "and" is omitted between the gold and blue; so that the passages may be read as follows: "They shall make the ephod of gold, blue, and purple; the curious girdle of the ephod shall be of gold, blue, and purple, &c. Thou shalt make the breast-plate of gold, blue, and purple, &c." The same order is precisely repeated in chap. xxxix. 2, 5, 8, the "and" being again omitted between the gold and blue. Taches of gold were inserted into loops of blue, connecting together the curtains of the Tabernacle. Laces of blue, passing through rings of gold, fastened the breast-plate to the ephod, and a lace of blue bound the golden plate to the mitre of the high priest. The golden vessels of the sanctuary, with the exception of the ark, were all covered with a cloth of blue. If the gold was a type of the glory, majesty, and eternity of the Son of God, blue will fitly represent the grace and love He manifested as declaring the character of God. "God is love." So inseparably and exclusively is this blessed attribute descriptive of Him, that He affirms it to be His very nature. It is not of earth. As the blue vault of heaven, with its vast

dimensions, defies our puny measurements, so the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of the love of Christ passeth knowledge. The thunders of God's wrath and holy indignation against sin, may for a time, seem to obscure His love. But " His anger endureth but a moment." Judgment is "His strange work," for "He delighteth in mercy."

The dark cloud only intimates a passing storm, needful, it may be, to purify the air. Compared with the azure depth beyond, it is but superficial and momentary. And, since we have known the full outpouring of His wrath upon His Son, no cloud, however black, can cross our sky, without the heavenly blue being seen in the bow, which God has set there as a token of eternal mercy, that judgment once poured out shall never more be repeated.

In looking at the Vail, the first colour, which would draw the attention of the beholder, was the Blue. The sinner's first glance of faith on the Lord Jesus recognises Him as from above, "God manifest in the flesh," "the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Grace is ever the attraction to one who is burdened with guilt. The woman who was a sinner, Luke vii. 37-50, despised and shunned by her more decorous neighbours, broke through all restraints, to welcome Christ. She heard that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house. God had, in very deed, come down to visit fallen man: but no thunders of Sinai, no fearful voice of stern rebuke, no trumpet sound of judgment heralded His approach. He came upon one errand, that of mercy. He made known the depth of God's heart, and the woman felt she had a claim above all others upon His compassion, for she knew herself most guilty. Conscious of her unfitness for His presence, and yet assured that her very unfitness had brought Him down from heaven-loathing herself on account of her sin, and yet aware that her loathsomeness was her best plea to be in the company of Christ, she rushed, unbidden, into that assembly; all considerations of propriety giving way before the one

engrossing thought, that it was her Saviour, her God, who sat there, neglected by all but herself: and there she remained, satisfied with her nearness to Him; lost to all around her, her heart more broken, the more she tasted His love; arrested by the heavenly beauty of Him on whom she gazed. At length, she heard words which could come from no lips but those of the Son of God: "Thy faith hath saved thee: go in peace." Well might she have exclaimed, "Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips." (Psa. xlv. 2.) She recognised the loveliness of the blue.

It would be deeply interesting, to trace through the Gospels this beautiful colour, exhibited in the ways of the Lord; and above all, its intensity, in those last scenes of anguish and distress, when He proved how He loved us. But this may suffice to direct others into these green pastures, and to the still waters, where refreshment and rest are found.

THE RIBAND OF BLUE.

As a confirmation of the typical import already proposed respecting the colour, Blue, it may not be amiss to insert here a short exposition of Numbers xv. 32-41, a peculiar ordinance, giving directions concerning the dress of the children of Israel. One of that people had been found transgressing a commandment of God by gathering sticks on the sabbath-day. He had, by this act, violated the direct precept, "Thou shalt do no manner of work :" and had he been allowed to carry out his purpose, he would have broken another statute, "Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the sabbath-day." For this offence he was stoned to death; an early example of the severity of that law under which Israel had voluntarily placed themselves, and which they had promised to obey. He perished without mercy :