gold, wherein was the golden a pot that had manna, and Aaron's manded to burn incense in a 'censer' in the most holy place before the mercy-seat. This was to be done on the great day of atonement, and but once in a year. Lev. xvi. 12, 13. (3.) There is every probability that the censer that was used on such an occasion was made of gold. All the implements that were employed in the most holy place were made of gold, or overlaid with gold, and it is in the highest degree improbable that the high priest would use any other on so solemn an occasion. Comp. I. Kings vii. 50. (4.) As the golden censer was to be used only once in a year, it would naturally be laid away in some secure situation, and none would so obviously occur as the most holy place. There it would be perfectly safe. No one was permitted to enter there but the high priest, and c Ex. 34. 29; 40. 20; De. 10. 2, 5. being preserved there it would be a.. ways ready for his use. The statement of Paul, therefore, has the highest probability, and undoubtedly ac cords with what actually occurred in the tabernacle and the temple. The object of the incense burned in worship was to produce an agreeable fra grance or smell. See Notes on Luke i. 9. And the ark of the covenant. This ark or chest was made of shittimwood, was two cubits and a half long, a cubit and a half broad, and the same in height. Ex. xxv. 10. It was com pletely covered with gold, and had a lid, which was called the 'mercyseat,' on which rested the Shekinah, the symbol of the divine presence, between the outstretched wings of the cherubim. It was called 'the ark of the covenant,' because within it were the two tables of the covenant, or the law of God written on tables of stone. It was a simple chest, coffer, or box, with little ornament, though rich in its materials. A golden crown or moulding, ran around the top, and it had rings and staves in its sides by which it might be borne. Ex. XXV. 12-16. This ark was regarded as the most sacred of all the appendages of the tabernacle. Containing the law, and being the place where the symbol of the divine presence was manifested, it was regarded as peculiarly holy, and in the various wars and revolutions in the Hebrew com. monwealth, it was guarded with pe culiar care. After the passage over the Jordan it remained for some time at Gilgal (Josh. iv. 19), whence it was removed to Shiloh. I. Sam. i. 3. From hence the Israelites took it to their camp, appai ently to animate them in battle, but it was taken by the Philistines. I. Sam. iv. The Philistines, however, oppressed by the hand of God, resolved to return it, and sent it to Kirjath-Jearim. I. Sam. vii. 1. In the reign of Saul it was at Nob. David conveyed it to the house of Obed that they were in the ark. Indeed, that would be the most safe place to keep them, as the tabernacle was often taken down and removed from place to place. It is clear from the passage in I. Kings viii. 9, that they were not in the ark in the temple, but there is no improbability in the supposition that before the temple was built they might have been removed from the ark and lost. When the ark was carried from place to place, or during its captivity by the Philistines, it is probable that they were lost, as we never hear of them afterwards. is simply 'a pot,' without specifying Edom, and thence to his palace on Mount Zion. II. Sam. vi. At the dedication of the temple it was placed in the Holy of Holies by Solomon, where it remained for many years. Subsequently, it is said, the wicked kings of Judah, abandoning them selves to idolatry, established idols in the most holy place itself, and the priests removed the ark, and bore it from place to place to secure it from profanation. Calmet. When Josiah ascended the throne he commanded the priests to restore the ark to its place in the sanctuary, and forbade them to carry it about from one place The golden pot. In Ex. xvi. 33, it to another as they had before done. II. Chron. xxxv. 3. The subsequent history of the ark is unknown. It is probable that it was either destroyed when the city of Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchadnezzar, or that it was carried with other spoils to Babylon. There is no good reason to suppose that it was ever in the second temple, and it is generally admitted by the Jews that the ark of the covenant was one of the things that were wanting there. Abarbanel says, that the Jews flatter themselves that it will be restored by the Messiah. Wherein. That is, in the ark-for so the construction naturally requires. In I. Kings viii. 9, however, it is said that there was nothing in the ark, "save the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb," and it has been supposed by some that the pot of manna and the rod of Aaron were not in the ark, but that they were in capsules, or ledges made on its sides for their safe keeping, and that this should be rendered by the ark.' But the apostle uses the same language respecting the pot of manna and the rod of Aaron which he does about the two tables of stone, and as they were certainly in the ark, the fair construction here is that the pot of manna 1.nd the rod of Aaron were in it also. The account in Ex. xvi. 32-34; Num. xvii. 10, is, that they were laid up in the most holy place, before the testimony,' and there is no improbatility whatever in the supposition And Aaron's rod that budded. That budded and blossomed as a proof that God had chosen him to minister to him. The princes of the tribes were disposed to rebel, and to call in question the authority of Aaron. To settle the matter, each one was required to take a rod or staff of office, and to bring it to Moses with the name of the tribe to which it appertained written on it. These were laid up by Moses in the tabernacle, and it was found on the next day that the rod marked with the name of Levi had budded, and blossomed, and produced almonds. In perpetual remembrance of this miracle, the rod was preserved in the ark. Num. xvii. Its subsequent history is unknown. It was 5 And over it the cherubim "seat; of which we cannot now of glory shadowing the mercy-speak particularly. a Ex. 25. 18, 22. nient to carry them from place to place. Of the form and design of the cherubim much has been written, and much that is the mere creation of fancy, and the fruit of wild conjecture. Their design is not explained in the Bible, and silence in regard to it would have been wisdom. If they were intended to be symbolical, as is certainly possible, (comp. Ezek. x. 20 not in the ark when the temple was built, nor is there any reason to suppose that it was preserved to that time. And the tables of the covenant. The two tables of stone on which the ten commandments were written. They were expressly called the words of the covenant' in Ex. xxxiv. 28. On the word covenant, see Notes on vs. 16 and 17 of this chapter. These two tables were in the ark at the time-22), it is impossible now to deter. the temple was dedicated. I. Kings viii. 9. Their subsequent history is unknown. It is probable that they shared the fate of the ark, and were either carried to Babylon, or were destroyed when the city was taken by Nebuchadnezzar. mine the object of the symbol. Who is authorized to explain it? Who can give to his speculations anything more than the authority of pious conjecture? And of what advantage, therefore, can speculation be, where the volume of inspiration says no 5. And over it. That is, over the thing? They who wish to examine ark. The cherubim of glory. A this subject more fully, with the vaHebrew mode of expression, meaning rious opinions that have been formed the glorious cherubim. The word on it, may consult the following cherubim is the Hebrew form of the works, viz: Calmet's Dictionary, plural, of which cherub is the singu- Fragment, No. 152, with the numerlar. The word glory used here in ous illustrations; Bush's Notes on connexion with cherubim,' refers to Exodus xxv. 18; and the Quarterly the splendour, or magnificence of the Christian Spectator, vol. viii. pp. 368 image, as being carved with great-388. Drawings resembling the cheskill, and covered with gold. There rubim were not uncommon on ancient were two cherubim on the ark, placed on the lid in such a manner that their faces looked inward towards each other, and downward toward the mercy-seat. They stretched out their wings on high,' and covered the mercy-seat, or the lid of the ark. Ex. xxv. 18-20. Comp. I. Kings viii. 6, 7; I. Chron. xxviii. 18. In the temple, the cherubim were made of the olive tree, and were ten cubits high. They were overlaid with gold, and were so placed that the wing of one touched the wall on one side of the Holy of Holies, and that of the other the other side, and their wings met together over the ark. I. Kings vi. 23-28. It is not probable, how ever, that this was the form used in the tabernacle, as wings thus expanded would have rendered it inconve 6 Now when these things went always into the first tawere thus ordained, the priests" bernacle, accomplishing the service of God. a Nu. 28. 3. Shadowing. Stretching out its wings sprinkled there. This was undoubtso as to cover the mercy-seat. The edly designed to be a symbol of his mercy-seat. The cover of the ark on dispensing mercy to men in virtue of which rested the cloud or visible sym- the blood which the Saviour shed as hol of the divine presence. It was the great sacrifice for guilt. See vs. called 'mercy-seat,' or propitiatory-13, 14. Of which we cannot now Aaorpiov-because it was this which speak particularly. was sprinkled over with the blood of atonement or propitiation, and because it was from this place, on which the symbol of the deity rested, that God manifested himself as propitious to sinners. The blood of the atonement was that through or by means of which he declared his mercy to the guilty. Here God was supposed to be seated, and from this place he was supposed to dispense mercy to man when the blood of the atonement was That is, it is not my present design to speak particularly of these things. These matters were well understood by those to whom he wrote, and his object did not require him to go into a fuller expla nation. 6. When these things were thus ordained. Thus arranged or appointed Having shown what the tabernacle was, the apostle proceeds to show what was done in it. The priests went always into the first tabernacle. The с 7 But into the second went | 8 The Holy Ghost this sig the high priest alone once eve- nifying, That the way into ry year, not without blood, the holiest of all was not yet which he offered for himself, made manifest, while as the and for the errors of the peo- first tabernacle was yet stand. ple: ing: c Jno. 14. 6; c. 10. 19, 20. like others. Lev. xvi. 12. ¶ And for the errors of the people. The blood of the goat was offered for them. Lev. xvi. 15. The word rendered errors— dyvónpa-denotes properly ignorance, involuntary error; and then error or fault in general-the same as the Hebrew from i—to err. The object was to make expiation for all the errors and sins of the people, and this occurred once in the year. The repetition of these sacrifices was a constant remembrancer of sin, and the design was that neither the priests nor the people should lose sight of the fact that they were violators of the law of God. 7. But into the second. The second apartment or room, called the most holy place. Ver. 3. Went the high priest alone once every year. On the great day of atonement. Ex. xxx. 10. On that day he probably entered the Holy of Holies three or four times, first to burn incense, Lev. xvi. 12; 8. The Holy Ghost. Who appoint. then to sprinkle the blood of the bul- ed all this. The whole arrangement lock on the mercy-seat, Lev. xvi. 14; in the service of the tabernacle is then he was to kill the goat of the represented as having been under the sin-offering, and bring that blood with- direction of the Holy Ghost, or this in the veil and sprinkle it also on the was one of his methods of teaching mercy-seat, and then, perhaps, he en- the great truths of religion, and of tered again to bring out the golden keeping them before the minds of censer. The Jewish tradition is, that men. Sometimes that Spirit taught he entered the Holy of Holies four by direct revelation; sometimes by times on that day. After all, how- the written word; and sometimes by ever, the number of times is not cer- symbols. The tabernacle, with its tain, nor is it material, the only im- different apartments, utensils, and serportant point being that he entered it vices, was a permanent means of keeponly on one day of the year, while ing important truths before the minds the holy place was entered every day. of the ancient people of God. This Not without blood. That is, he bare signifying. That is, showing this with him blood to sprinkle on the truth, or making use of this arrange. mercy-seat. This was the blood of ment to impress this truth on the the bullock and of the goat-borne in minds of men that the way into the at two different times. Which he holiest of all was not yet made manioffered for himself. The blood of the fest. That the way into the holiest bullock was offered for himself and of all. Into heaven- of which the for his house or family-thus keeping Most Holy place in the tabernacle impressively before his own mind and was undoubtedly designed to be an the mind of the people the fact that emblem. It was the place where the the priests even of the highest order visible symbol of God-the Shekinah were sinners, and needed expiation-dwelt; where the blood of propitia |