should be reared, and the time is also fixed for it: this was to be on the first day of the first month, in the new moon. Among the Jews, the months of the year were the months of the moon, as their years were the years of the sun. And all new moons, or first days of the month, were solemn feasts unto Israel. See Numb. xxviii. 11, 14. Psalm 1xxxi. 3. This, which was the first month of the second year after their coming out of Egypt, was solemnized the first day by rearing up the tabernacle. A very particular account is given from the Lord, who spake out of the cloud to Moses concerning the placing every part of the furniture belonging to the most holy and holy place; and also about placing the brazen altar and laver in the open air in the court. The Lord commands that the tabernacle and all its vessels, the laver and its foot, the altar, with all belonging unto it, and also Aaron and his sons, should be anointed; all which seems to have been performed at the time when they were inaugurated into their office. See Levit. viii. Some account of the unction of the tabernacle, and the high priest and his garments, will come under consideration elsewhere. I shall, in my present discourse, with a professed and particular design to cast light upon the old testament scripture, endeavor,

First, to treat of and set before you the tabernacle and its sacred utensils, or furniture.

Secondly, I will speak concerning its court, hangings and vessels of worship, viz. the brazen altar and brazen laver.

Thirdly, I shall treat concerning the rearing up the tabernacle, and placing in it the sacred types and emblems of Christ which belonged to it, in the most holy and holy place. And,

Lastly, shew how the cloud of glory filled it, which was a full proof of the Lord's acceptance and approbation.

These are the particulars. May the Holy Ghost help and assist me in setting before you each of these heads.

With a professed and particular design to cast light upon old testament scripture, I will, First, treat of, and set before you the tabernacle and its sacred utensils.

The command for making it, with the matter of which it was composed, is recorded in the 25th chapter of this book; and in the 35th, you have Moses repeating the divine directions which he had received concerning the sabbath, with the command concerning what they were to bring towards building the tabernacle, and the voluntary contribution which they brought for the rearing and furniture of it. The tabernacle was a figure, or type of the body of Christ, which, in allusion to it, is called by the apostle, the "True tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” Heb. viii. 2. It was a kind of tent, or pavilion, in

the form of an house. It was the dwelling-place of the Most High. It was in length thirty cubits, and ten in breadth, and in height. Dr. Lightfoot says, the cubit by which the tabernacle was measured, was the common cubit, or half-a-yard. The tabernacle had pillars, boards, and bars of shittim wood. Its foundation was silver sockets. The pillars were fixed in ninety-six sockets of silver. Forty-eight boards of shittim wood served as the walls of it: these were bound together with five cross bars of the same wood. was divided into two partitions: the first was called the holy place, which was twenty cubits long, and ten wide; the second was called the most holy place, the length of which was ten cubits, and breadth ten.

It

The frame when reared, was covered with four sets of curtains: the innermost consisted of ten embroidered curtains of fine linen, each about seventeen yards in length, and about two yards and a half in breadth, coupled with tatches or buttons of gold. Over this was a covering of eleven curtains of goat's hair, coupled with tatchets of brass. The next was of rams' skins, dyed red. The uppermost was of strong leather, called badgers' skins.

The whole east end was the entrance into it; and over it was hung a fine vail, or curtain of fine linen, embroidered with cherubic emblems; this was suspended on five pillars of shittim

wood, overlaid with gold, and hooks of gold; and five sockets of brass received those pillars, and were the supports of them, as the hooks of gold held the curtain at the top. The holy and the most holy place, were separated by means of a very rich curtain, or vail of fine linen, curiously embroidered, which was hung on four pillars of shittim wood, which were covered with gold. All the inside of the tabernacle was covered with plates of gold.

The furniture of the tabernacle was the ark, mercy-seat, cherubims, the altar of incense, the table of shew bread, and the golden candlestick. In the holy of holies, which was directly west, was placed the ark, with its mercy-seat, and cherubims of glory. The vail being hung up, which separated the most holy from the holy place, the golden altar was placed just by the vail; and on the north side of the tabernacle, the table with the shew bread was placed; and on the south, the candlestick, so that the altar of perfume was just in the middle betwixt them. I omit here to speak of what these sacred things prefigured, reserving it for the third head of this discourse; and proceed,

Secondly, to speak concerning the court of the tabernacle, its hangings, and vessels of worship.

The court of the tabernacle was an inclosure six yards long, and half as much in breadth; it

was surrounded with hangings of about nine feet in height, suspended by silver hooks, on fiftysix brazen pillars, filleted with silver, and fixed in large sockets of brass. The only entrance from the east was twelve yards wide, and hung over with a fine vail, or curtain, of embroidered linen, suspended on four pillars: here stood the brazen altar, and laver with water, at which the priests washed their hands and feet when they entered on divine service. At the west end of the court stood the tabernacle itself. In this open court the sacrifices were offered and burnt on the altar, and all the camps were pitched round about it; so that the tabernacle was in the midst, like as Christ is in his church, and with his people.

I proceed to my third head, concerning rearing up the tabernacle, and placing in it the sacred types and emblems of Christ, which be longed to it, in the most holy and holy place.

On the first day of the month Abib, when the children of Israel had been out of Egypt almost a full year, Moses, at the command of the Lord, reared up the tabernacle under mount Sinai, after the following manner. He laid the silver foundations in their rows, and in them he set the pillars, and placed between them the boards, and bound or fastened them with the bars. Then he set up the four pillars in the tabernacle, whereon to hang the vail, and the five