mation, that he might see who were still faithful to Jehovah their God, he sent forth the sons of Levi, and they slew three thousand of those who persisted in their sin. God himself also sent a plague among the people to punish them.

It was very wicked in the Israelites to set up this Golden Calf, especially when they had just before received the commandment that they were 66 not to make to themselves any graven image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven. above, or in the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth." We are surprised that they should be so wicked and so silly as to do this; and yet there are many people now living who are quite as much to blame as they were.

We do not, indeed, now see golden calves set up, and people offering sacrifices to them; but we see people forgetting the God who made them, and following their own evil inclinations, instead

of the laws which He has given them. We see them forgetting how holy, just, and good, their Creator is, and we hear them say that He has forsaken them.

But let us not be like them. We know that God sees us always, and that his wisdom is great, and that He is the kind Father of all the creatures which He has made. Let us, therefore, pray to Him with reverent and with thankful hearts. Let us worship Him as the only true God. Let us think often of his goodness, and never suffer ourselves to do any thing which we know that He has forbidden.

THE TABERNACLE AND ITS FURNI

TURE.

(Exod. xxv.-xxxi., xxxv.—xl.)

GOD called Moses, as we have seen, to go up into Mount Sinai, that he might give him directions respecting the place

in which He was to be worshiped. He told him that he was to exhort the people to bring offerings of gold and silver and precious stones, and fine linen, and other materials, and then that he was to make such a building as he described to him.

Moses did as God had directed him. He erected a building which was called the Tabernacle. It was a kind of small church or chapel, formed of boards at the sides, and with thick curtains drawn over the top. The entrance was at one end, and at the other was a small part, separated from the rest, called the Holy of Holies, or the Most Holy Place, into which no one but the high priest was allowed to enter.

In this Holy of Holies was placed the ark, which was a large chest made of wood, and covered all over with fine gold both inside and out. The lid is commonly called the Mercy-seat, because there was above it a bright appearance,

which was a sign of the peculiar presence of Almighty God, who is the merciful Father of his creatures. At each end of the mercy-seat there was a gold figure with wings, called a cherub; and in the ark itself was kept the holy book of God's law. This ark was, therefore, acknowledged by the Israelites as a very sacred thing: when they moved from one place to another it was carried on the shoulders of priests, by staves which went through rings in the sides; and no one was permitted to touch it but the priests themselves.

In the tabernacle were placed the table of shew-bread, and the candlestick, and the altar, on which they burnt sweet incense; and on the outside, before the door, stood the larger altar, or altar of burnt-offerings, and a laver, or vessel of water, in which the priests used to wash themselves before the service. The tabernacle also, and all its furniture, which has now been described, was in

closed in a large court, surrounded with rich hangings of fine linen.

The priests, who kept the tabernacle in order, and offered the sacrifices which God required, were all descendants of Levi, one of the sons of Jacob; and the first high priest was Aaron, the brother of Moses. They wore a particular dress, and that of the high priest was very rich and costly.

It was at this tabernacle that the Israelites were directed to assemble themselves together to worship God. Here they had the book of the law read to them by the high priest; and here they offered up bullocks, and lambs, and turtle-doves, and various other things, which God commanded them to bring in honour of Himself. They were also forbidden to eat the flesh of certain kinds of animals; and many other things they were required to do, which were all described to them by Moses at the command of God.