wears a veil, and others, who will not come to its light, lest their deeds should be reproved. But let it not be so with any of us. Let us value the gospel as the power of God and the wisdom of God. It is the perfection of all his former previous revelations, for which they were preparatory, and in which they are now absorbed. Its truths are so glorious that they may well occupy the attention of men of the most capacious minds and richest endowments and acquirements, while it is given to the poor also with such plainness that the way-faring man, though a fool, cannot err therein, and with such clearness that even he who runs may read it. But we must remember that although there be no veil upon the gospel, there is yet a veil of natural ignorance upon our minds, so that "the carnal mind discerns not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them;" and there is still also the god of this world, labouring by every possible deceit and delusion to keep up this blindness. We need therefore the Spirit, the divinely

illuminating Spirit of God, that we may be enabled to discern the glory of Christ in the dignity of his person, and the richness of his grace. We must earnestly pray that he may take away the veil from our understandings, remove all the natural unwillingness and opposition of our hearts, and infuse into us that knowledge and love by which we may both intelligently and gladly receive the truth as it is in Jesus.

Moreover let us earnestly desire that the transforming influence of the gospel may abundantly appear in us, and make it evident to ourselves and to all men that we are renewed in the spirit of our minds. As with open face we behold the glory of the Lord, may we be changed into the same image, that our souls may be glorious in holiness, and that our light may shine before men. Oh! that by the reflection of his rays in us others may be led to imagine how great must be the glory of that sun of righteousness which shines in the gospel, and so may be induced to come themselves to the brightness of his rising.

SERMON XXVI.

THE OFFERINGS FOR THE TABERNACLE.

EXODUS XXxv. 29.

The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord; every man and woman whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.

EXAMPLE has often a greater influence than precept, and a glorious example is here recorded in the conduct of the children of Israel. It is not always that we can propose this people as examples: they were too commonly rebellious against the Lord, as Moses afterwards testified of them, and as they had painfully shewn on the late occasion of the golden calf. In such records both of their good and ill conduct not only does the

faithfulness of the scriptures appear, but a great addition is made to their usefulness. Let us learn from them to shun whatever was amiss, and to follow them in every thing in which they were deserving of praise. Let us not be idolatrous, as we have lately seen that they were, but let us be zealous for the house and service of God, and liberal of our substance for whatever is for the honour of his name, as we now shall find them to be.

Moses has here a great concern in hand, no less indeed than the erection and furnishing of the Tabernacle of the Lord, his house of sacrifice, of prayer and praise, the sanctuary in which he should dwell among them. God had been pleased to give him particular instructions for the making of it, while he was with him in the mount, and had directed him to call for the contributions of the people for this purpose. He now repeated that direction, but he did not put any compulsion upon the people: Moses was only ordered to take the offering of every man that should give it willingly with his heart. Neither was the quantity prescribed; that also was left

entirely to their own liberality, that they might shew the regard which they severally had to the house of God, and the services thereof. In obedience to his instructions Moses assembled the whole congregation, and declared to them the thing which the Lord commanded them to do. "Take ye,"

said he, "from among you an offering unto the Lord; whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering unto the Lord, gold, and silver, and brass.' He went on to mention to them various articles which would be needed either for the Tabernacle itself, or for the services which were to be performed in it; and to the great praise of the Israelites upon this occasion we find that they immediately began to bring in their contribuThey came every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord's offering to the work of the Tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments." They all brought of such things as they had, according to their ability. The rulers brought gold and precious

tions.

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