LESSON LXXI.

THE TABERNACLE-ITS MINISTERS AND SERVICE.EXOD. XXVIII-XXX.

Text--Mal. ii. 7.

The garments of the high priest we are told, Exod. xxviii. 2, were for glory and for beauty; not only to distinguish him above the people and excite in them respect for his office, but also as a type of the holiness and righteousness with which Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, was clad as with a garment. The most remarkable ornament of the dress was the breast-plate, which you should describe to the children. As Aaron was to bear the names of the children of Israel in his breast-plate upon his heart, as a memorial before the Lord; so does our great High Priest bear on his heart all the names of the saints, and presents them and their offerings with acceptance to God. On the mitre was engraven "Holiness unto the Lord." Which teaches us what must be the character of all who approach the Lord. Round the skirt of the robe were golden bells and pomegranates embroidered. The sound gave notice to the people when the high priest went into the holy place to burn incense, that they might then commence their devotions. We have an High Priest, who ever liveth to make intercession for us.

The great object of these two lessons should be,

to lead the children more fully to understand and appreciate the work of the Lord Jesus Christ: the atoning sacrifice by which he has opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers; his constant intercession, by which he makes our persons and services acceptable; his righteousness, in which we must be clad; the food and the light that he has provided for our souls; all these blessings he offers to us freely.

LESSON LXXII.

THE SPIES SENT TO VIEW THE PROMISED LAND.

NUMB. XIII. XIV.

Text-Heb. iii. 19.

First. Acquaint the children with the history; the promise that God would bring the Israelites into a land flowing with milk and honey; (Exod. xxiii. 2, 3.) their sending twelve spies when they arrived on its borders, to view it; their evil report, and its effect in sowing in the people the spirit of discontent and unbelief; the punishment this drew down upon them.

Second. Lead the children to determine in what respects the Israelites were guilty. After all that the Almighty had done for them, they disbelieved his promise and forgot his power. They saw the difficulties before them, and overlooked the faithfulness and power of their covenant God. Though

he had brought them out of the land of bondage with an outstretched arm, though he had fed them in the wilderness with bread from heaven, and brought water out of the stony rock, yet they again provoked the Almighty by their rebellious unbelief, and in consequence they never entered the promised land, but all perished in the wilderness.

God

Third. By application lead the children to consider how we can act as the Israelites of old. has promised us a place of rest, a heavenly Canaan. Strait is the way to it, and narrow is the gate; a powerful enemy opposes our entrance, and we have no strength in ourselves; but Christ has taken possession of it for his people, and we have only to believe and follow Him who is the way.

LESSON LXXIII.

THE BRAZEN SERPENT.-NUMB. XXI. 4—9.

Text-John iii. 14, 15.

After reading or simply narrating the history, your endeavour should be to bring forcibly and clearly before the children, the type. The Israelites were diseased, bitten by fiery serpents, whose venom caused the death of their bodies. We are all diseased, but it is a disease of the soul, sin; the poison of the old serpent, the devil; and the consequence is, eternal death. A cure for the Israelites is proclaimed by God; a brazen serpent is lifted up on a

pole, and all who look at it are made whole; (they could not tell how,) they do not reason, but believe and obey. Are we left worse off than the Israelites ? No; the Son of God has been lifted up, and all, however diseased, who look unto Him, shall not perish, but have eternal life.

LESSON LXXIV.

THE ISRAELITES CROSSING JORDAN AND ENTERING

THE LAND OF CANAAN.-JOSH. III.

Text-Heb, ii. 9, last clause.

When the children of Israel had finished their forty years' wanderings in the wilderness, they came to the river Jordan, which separated them from the land of rest. Let the children trace the resemblance to this history in that of every Christian. The world is a wilderness, Christ is our Guide by his word and his Spirit; he is the bread of life for our spiritual support, and the Rock that yields water for our cleansing. We must all pass the stream of death, before we enter into our rest. How did the Israelites cross Jordan? The priests bore the ark, and when it arrived at the brink of the river, the waters divided, and the Israelites passed over. So Christ has passed the stream of death, he has tasted death for us, and is gone to prepare a place for his people, and will come again to receive them.

HINTS FOR LESSONS ON THE

COMMANDMENTS.

First. What is the truth declared? That there is but one God. What do we know of Him? That He made everything, and preserves everything; that He knows all things, every thought of our heart as well as our actions; that He will judge us for all we do; that He is a God of love. And what is the great proof of this? That He gave us his own Son to die for us. What is our duty? To love God with all our heart and soul, and strength; to serve Him, to obey Him, to put our trust in Him, to fear offending Him, to seek to worship Him, to know Him. How shall we be enabled to do this? By the assistance of His Holy Spirit. How shall we obtain the help of the Holy Spirit? diligently in prayer.

By seeking it

are forbidden

We are not

Second. In this commandment we to make any representation of God. only not to make any idol and to worship it as if it were God, but we are not to make any representation of God by image or picture to help us in our