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flour mingled with oil, for a meat-offering; one spoon of ten shekels of gold, full of incense; one young bullock, one ram, one lamb, of the first year, for a burnt-offering; one kid of the goats, for a sin-offering; and for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, and five lambs of the first year. Here were burnt-offerings, sin-offerings, peace-offerings, and meat and drink-offerings, for the dedicating the altar.

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The burnt-offering was a figure of reconciliation, by the death of Christ. The sin-offering was a figure of the putting away of sin, by the sacrifice of Christ. The peace-offering shewed how Christ would make peace by the blood of his cross, and would thereby become our peace; and that our sacrifice of prayer and praise, should be offered up to God by faith in him, the glorious Mediator. The meat-offering was symbolical of our sanctification before God, in Christ. The drink-offering was expressive of our Lord's pouring out his soul unto death, and that his love to his church was stronger than death, and would be remembered by his church and people more than wine. The services repeated by each of the princes for twelve days together, shew how the Lord esteemed these religious services, which when done, it pleased the Lord to sum up the offerings of the princes, the number of vessels, and the weight of them, and

the number of all their services, to shew how acceptable this their service was unto him. He adds, as a testimony of his acceptance of these their services, "This was the dedication of the altar after that it was anointed."

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This brings me to my third particular, what we may understand as shadowed forth, and represented hereby. The altar now dedicated, was a type of Christ; the oblations offered were memorials of his most precious blood-shedding, sacrifice, and death. The princes of the twelve tribes, shewed their faith, hope, and love, towards God in Christ Jesus; and also hereby testified the faith and hope of Israel, in the everblessed Messiah, the prince of peace. The apostle seems to say the very same, when giving in his testimony for Christ, before king Agrippa; he says, "And now I stand, and am judged for the hope of the promise, made of God unto our fathers; unto which promise our twelve tribes instantly serving God day and night, hope to come."

These persons, by their offerings, professed their knowledge and faith in the Lord Jesus, declared hereby that they were seeking to enjoy communion with him, in all the benefits of his death that they were ready to honor the Lord with their persons and substance, and with the first-fruits of all their increase; that they would willingly offer to the maintenance of the Lord's

continual and public service; and that they should account it their highest privilege to be accepted of him, and to be remembered by him, with the favour he bears to his beloved ones. As some of their oblations were peace-offerings, so they, with the priest, fed and feasted on some portions of these, and kept a feast with joy before the Lord, for his mercy towards his people. Solomon, in after time dedicated the house of God, 2 Chron. vii. 5. and kept the dedication of the altar seven days, 2 Chron. vii. 9. and at the jews return out of Babylon, they kept the dedication of the house of God with joy, and of fered at the dedication of it, one hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, &c. Ezra vi. 16, 17.

Thus Christ, as solemnly consecrated for all the people of God, as the one altar, priest, and sacrifice, for his whole church, was set forth; and these persons by faith, received him as their propitiation, and fed on him as the one sacrifice for sin. Mr. Romaine says, 'The altar now dedicated, was a type of Christ; so the oblation of the princes of the twelve tribes, shewed the faith, hope, and love of Israel towards God in Christ.'

On the fourteenth day of this second month, a private passover was kept by some persons, who could not keep it on the fixed time in the first month. And on the twentieth day of this

second month, the cloud removing, the taber nacle was taken down, and the people went from mount Sinai, towards Canaan. The Lord gave the signal by taking up the cloud from off the tabernacle, and Moses prayed, "Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee flee before thee." The priests with the trumpets blew the alarm, then Judah rose up, with Issachar and Zabulon, in which camp were one hundred and eighty-six thousand, and four hundred men of war, and they marched foremost; then followed the levites of Gershon and Merari, with six waggons, bearing the boards and coverings of the tabernacle. The trumpets sounded an alarm the second time, then Reuben, Simeon, and Gad, with their army of one hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty fighting men, rose up and followed the tabernacle. After them went the levites, the sons of Kohath, in the midst of the twelve tribes, bearing on their shoulders, the ark, candlestick, table, altar, and other holy things. At the sound of the trumpet's third alarm, the standard of Ephraim rose, under which were of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin, one hundred thousand and eight thousand, and an hundred men of war, and these followed the sanctuary. The psalmist hath reference to this when he prays thus, "Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up thy strength, and come and save us."

Psalm viii. 2. When the trumpets sounded the fourth alarm, the standard of Dan arose, in whose camp were one hundred and fifty-seven thou sand and six hundred fighting men of Asher and Naphtali, who not guarding the tabernacle had charge of gathering all, and looking to the feeble, that nothing should be lost or left behind. Thus the sanctuary was in the midst, in the most safe and honorable place. The largest camp was before, the next in greatness went hindmost, to resist all enemies; but the Lord himself went before them, and he, as the God of Israel, was their rereward. He marched before his people in the wilderness, and the earth quaked, the hea vens dropped, and he confirmed his inheritance when it was weary.

May the Lord bless what I have here laid before you. Amen.

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