ciousness of His death is unheeded and unknown. The thought of sacrifice, and shedding of blood, is repulsive, instead of attractive, to these Satan-bound souls. They picture the blessed Lord on the cross as a hero, bearing sufferings and indignities from the hands of men; they know Him not as the sin-offering, of unspeakable value to the sinner, and to God.

The expression, "dyed red," or reddened, seems to have the same import, as regards the rams' skins, as the word "red" has respecting the heifer, selected in that peculiar type described in Num. xix. In this chapter a red heifer was to be chosen for sacrifice. It was to be without spot or blemish; ungalled by any yoke; marked in its very birth, by its colour, for the slaughter; while intrinsically pure and spotless. In like manner, the reddened rams' skins implied, that they had been taken from slaughtered victims.

THE COVERINGS OF BADGERS' SKINS.

MUCH question has arisen respecting the animal, in our translation called the badger. The Septuagint renders tachash vazivliva, or skins of a blue colour. Upon comparing the conjectures of many writers on this subject, that suggested by the late Colonel Hamilton Smith seems to be the most probable, viz. that they were skins of a blueish-grey colour, from an animal of a stag-goat species, common in the East. Be this as it may, this covering was not measured, and therefore has reference rather to the outward aspect than to the intrinsic costliness of the material. We read of badgers' skins being used for sandals, (Ezek. xvi. 10;) and throughout the details of the tabernacle, these skins were employed for external coverings to protect the vessels on the march from the sun or rain.

Again, referring to the estimate in which the Lord

D

Jesus was held by the unbeliever, we find it written of
Him, "He hath no form nor comeliness: and when we
shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire
Him. He is despised and rejected of men.
He was
despised, and we esteemed Him not." Isa. liii. 2, 3.
Persecution, opposition, rejection, a life of sorrow on
account of the ruin and misery which He saw around
Him; the havoc that sin and Satan had caused; a life
spent in ceaseless watchings, prayings, fastings, and
going about doing good, had wrought their results on
the blessed Lord; so that in Him, there was no beauty
to attract the outward eye. And at length when lifted
up in shame and ignominy on the tree, bearing in
addition to the buffetings of men and Satan, the out-
pouring of the wrath of God; men beheld One from
whom they would rather hide their faces in dislike, than
gaze upon in love and admiration. No one, who looked
merely upon the rough badger-skin exterior of the
tabernacle, would have conceived that it was the
dwelling-place of God. The eye of faith alone be-
held in Jesus "the glory as of the Only Begotten of
the Father."

The visage marred, those sorrows deep
The vinegar and gall,

These were His golden chains of love,
His captive to enthrall.

The priest. who had title, by reason of his consecration through the blood, to enter within the holy place, saw around him only glory and beauty.

The Church of God, in her wilderness journey, strikingly presents the same features as we have been considering in this type. "I am black, but comely,' she can say: black, as to outward appearance and the estimate formed by sense; like the tents of Kedar, the rough dark camels' hair dwelling of the wandering shepherd; black, not by reason of evil or sin, but because the sun of persecution and tribulation in the service of Christ had marred all outward beauty: but comely

within, as the curtains of Solomon, the curiously wrought tapestry of divers colours, resplendent with the beauty and glory of her Lord.

"I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me." Cant. i. 5, 6. In Psa. xlv. the Queen, the king's daughter, is seen after the wilderness journey is passed. The way-worn exterior is no longer presented. It is a resurrection-scene of complete and eternal glory. "Upon thy right hand standeth the queen, in gold of Ophir. The King's daughter is all glorious within (her palace :) her clothing is of cloth interwoven with gold. She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needle-work." Even now, Christ's estimate of the Church is, that she is as one pearl of great price, (Matt. xiii.) for the sake of which, He has parted with all, making Himself poor: for He "loved the church, and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." Eph. v. 25-27.

The tabernacle must have appeared, to the eye of a stranger, as a long dark coffin-like structure. So also must the ark, that Noah built as a place of refuge, have seemed to men around a strange ungainly black wooden building. Christ in His death, presents no object of attraction to the natural heart; while to the believer He is, by reason of that very death, altogether lovely. In like manner, the Church of God is as the filth and offscouring of all things to the world. But the Lord is able to say of her, "Thou art all fair, my love: there is no spot in thee."

False prophets in Israel wore a rough garment to deceive. In modern days, men have affected an outward garb of humility, and separation from the world: while beneath the serge garment and rope of the recluse, or

the unadorned vestments of some nominal Christian sects, has lurked a heart of unsubdued pride, and an eager desire for human approbation. The flesh, to accomplish its own ends, can mortify itself. There may be a shew of wisdom in will-worship and humility, and neglecting of the body. But by these very things, the flesh may be satisfied. The true badger-skin exterior should be the result of the walk and ways of a risen heavenly man, in the midst of an unredeemed wilderness earth. We must be first transformed, by the renewing of the mind, into the likeness of Jesus, and walk according to the rule of the new creature, if we would not be conformed to this world. Gal. vi. 15, 16. The unregenerate earthly man may make a fair shew in the flesh; may become a devotee, and thereby pacify his own conscience, and gain the esteem of men. But the Lord seeth not as man seeth: for man looketh on the outward appearance; but the Lord looketh on the heart. And the day is fast approaching, when realities will take the place of false appearances. The true follower of Jesus will, by reason of fellowship with God, and a heart set on things above, unconsciously acquire a stranger, and pilgrim-like character. He will be little esteemed amongst men, and may have a Galilean name of reproach. But he is a king and priest to God, and will be soon manifest in the glory of his Lord. The blessed Lord Himself was despised, as of Nazareth. But this very name of contumely was one of distinguished holiness: for it implied entire separation to God.

THE DOOR OF THE TABERNACLE.

"And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.

"And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them."-Exod. xxvi, 36, 37.

"And he made an hanging for the tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of needlework.

"And the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their chapiters and their fillets with gold; but their five sockets were of brass."-Exod. xxxvi. 37, 38.

THE hanging, which formed the door of the tabernacle, was made of the same materials as the vail, arranged in the same order, "blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen." The only difference between the two was, that the latter was of cunning work, Cherubim : the former of needlework, without Cherubim.

The word, here translated needlework, is in some places rendered "work of the embroiderer." Exod. xxxv. 35: xxxviii. 23. Also "divers colours." (I Chron. xxix. 2; Ezek. xvii. 3,) and once, "curiously wrought." Psa. cxxxix. 15. This word on the whole seems to mean, minutely variegated.

And probably the difference between this work and cunning work may be, that in the "door curtain," "gate of the court," and the under girdle of the high priest, where the word needlework occurs, the colours were skilfully intermixed: but in the vail and curtains, a pattern of Cherubim was cunningly or ingeniously embroidered.

The priests, who entered within the door of the tabernacle, alone beheld the cherubim of glory worked into the vail and roof of the tabernacle; whilst the worshipper in the court saw the same colours intermingled in the door-curtain. May not this be intended to teach us, that every worshipper of God recognises the beauty