entangled by any yoke of bondage as regards works, or rites, or ceremonies, as if anything could be added to the perfect justification of the blood. Neither let us give way to the seductions of the god of this world, who would fain ensnare us with its vanities and ambitions, its honours and its wealth, who would bring a dark veil of coldness and deadness over our hearts, hiding from our eyes the glory of our heavenly calling, alienating our hearts and affections from the Lord, seeking to set them upon things on the earth. Let us be satisfied with the favour of the Lord, and be full of the blessing of Jehovah." Deut. xxxiii. 23.

Having endeavoured to connect the precious stones on the breastplate with the names of the tribes, and to seek their typical import; let us now turn to the further description of the high priest's dress, contained in Exod. xxviii. 22-25. "Thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold. And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate. And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings, which are in the ends of the breastplate. And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod before it."

The object of these two chains was to fasten the breastplate so securely to the settings, in which the onyx-stones were enclosed in the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, that by no possibility could they be separated.

The chains were wreathen and twisted like a rope; for both words are employed: wreathen, interwoven, or intertwined.

The same word is used, Judg. xv. 13, 14; and xvi. II, 12; also Psa. ii. 3, for cords or ropes. Ezek. xix. II, and xxxi. 3, 5, thick boughs or branches. Hosea xi. 4, bands of love. "Twisted work" is Gesenius' translation of the Hebrew word, which our version

gives, "at the ends." Exod. xxviii. 14; and xxxix. 15. Thus he would translate the passages : "And two chains of pure gold, wreathen, thou shalt make them twisted work." The object in adding the word "twisted" to "wreathen" appears to imply a combination of skill and strength; and that the breastplate might be indissolubly connected with the shoulder-stones. Every movement of the high priest's shoulders would affect the breastplate and every beat of his heart which agitated the breastplate would be conveyed, by means of the wreathen chains, to the covering of the shoulders.

There is a beautiful significance in this, reminding us how the mighty power of the arm of the Lord is intimately linked on with the tenderness of His heart of love. No action of His strength is disconnected from His counsels of mercy and grace towards His saints. He makes all things work together for good to them that love Him. His arm and His heart are combined incessantly in sustaining them in their high calling. He is able to keep them from falling, and to present them faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. They shall never perish; neither shall any pluck them out of the Shepherd's hand: and who shall separate them from His love?

Every stone is set in solid gold; and rings of gold, and chains of gold, firmly knit together the jewels upon the shoulder and the heart. It is by His divine glory and power, of which the gold is a faint emblem, that the Lord upholds in unceasing brilliancy, each member of His body, in union with Himself; maintaining all in their place of strength upon His shoulders, as children of God. And notwithstanding their waywardness and frequent acts of disobedience, preserving them upon His heart, as the servants and soldiers of the Most High.

In the Song of Solomon, the bride alludes to these two positions, in which she desires to be maintained by her Beloved. "Set me as a signet upon thine heart, as a signet upon thine arm." Let my name be graven deep

in thine heart, where love is strong as death; which many waters have not quenched; which the floods of Almighty wrath have not drowned. And let my name be also graven in the place of thy power; that I may be upheld from sin and folly, and give thee no cause for jealousy. That I may not be like the adulterers and adulteresses, who seek the friendship of the world. We are exhorted to be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus; to remember our place in His affections. To "be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might;" to keep in mind the strength of His almighty

arm.

"The

There is a very blessed connection between the breastplate and shoulder-pieces of the high priest, and the wave-breast and heave-shoulder of the peace-sacrifice. These portions of that offering were peculiarly given by a statute of the Lord to Aaron and his sons. wave-breast and the heave-shoulder, have I taken of the children of Israel, from off the sacrifices of their peaceofferings, and have given them unto Aaron the priest, and unto his sons, by a statute for ever, from among children of Israel." Lev. vii. 34, and x. 15; Num.

xviii. 18.

the

The breast was waved to and fro before God. It called the attention of the Most High to its intrinsic purity and spotlessness. Also, like the waving of the hand when one friend salutes another-it silently proclaimed peace. The heave-shoulder was the right shoulder; and as its name implies, was lifted off the earth towards Jehovah. These portions of the sacrifice were given to Aaron for food, to sustain him in his priestly service, and to strengthen him for his duties on behalf of the people Israel. Our great High Priest having, as the peace-sacrifice, presented Himself without spot to God, and made reconciliation for the sins of the people, now bears, engraven on His.very heart, the names of those for whom He suffered. He proved Himself worthy of the charge committed to Him, by

His deep love in giving His life for them. He has borne their names in judgment through the deep billows of God's wrath: therefore He bears their names in glory, and keeps them with unwearied love and diligence until He shall present them unto Himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but holy, and without blemish.

The strength also of His shoulder has been proved. for He has been lifted up on the tree, bearing the heavy burden of all our guilt, misery, and sin: and He has borne it away for ever. That same shoulder of Almighty power now upholds in glory the names of God's children, and will bear them on until He shall present them faultless in the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. Ephes. v. 25, tells us of the wave-breast, of the peace-sacrifice, and consequently, of the heart of the great High Priest. "Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it." Ist Pet. ii. 24. Who, his own self, bare our sins in his own body on the tree," fulfils the heave-shoulder: and Jude 24 presents the same shoulder of power, preserving the saints onward, faultless to the end.

THE MEMORIAL.

EXOD. xxviii. 12. "And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod, for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial." xxxix. 7. "And he put them (the onyxstones) on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should. be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel, as the Lord commanded.". xxviii. 29. "And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually."

Israel had one feast, to which this word "memorial" was peculiarly attached-the feast of the passover. "This day shall be unto you for a memorial: and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations: ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.” Exod. xii. 14, and xiii. 9. They had therefore two constant reasons for remembering the Lord-their deliverance from judgment and bondage in Egypt, by the blood of the paschal lamb; and their acceptance in the brilliancy and glory of precious stones before the Lord, on the shoulders of the high priest, where their names were engraved according to their birth; children of Israel; of him who as prince with God and with men, had power, and had prevailed.

There are two memorials to us, as believers, which should be constantly kept in remembrance-our redemption through the precious blood of the Lamb-redemption not only from wrath, but from this present evil world-and our standing before God as His children, upheld in His presence, in all the glory and beauty of His Son.

The names of the children of Israel, on the shoulderstones and on the breastplate, were also borne as a memorial before the Lord. Aaron could not enter the holy place without reminding Jehovah of the love and perfection in which Israel stood accepted before Him. The sevenfold light of the candlestick in the holy place, and the light of God's glory from between the Cherubim, over the mercy-seat, in the holy of holies, caused the precious stones to send forth their brilliancy and various beautiful tints, so as to attract the eyes of the Lord of Hosts. In like manner, we have a constant memorial before Him, in our great High Priest, who presents us, in the fulness of His love and power, bright with His own glory; spotless in His own holiness ; righteous, because He is our righteousness; and strong, for He is our strength; emblazoned on the heart of love, and on the shoulders of power; shining forth with