in heaven half as reluctant to sing the new song, or to lay his crown at the feet of the Lamb, we should condemn him at once, and expect his expulsion from heaven. We should no more think of excusing or palliating his conduct, than that of "the angels who kept not their first estate ;" nor would his imprisonment in their chains of darkness, nor his impalement in their penal fires, surprise us. Thus promptly and justly do we judge, in the case of those who have access to God in heaven. We expect them to "serve him without weariness." Let not the impression of this supposed case be defeated by the fact, that the spirits in heaven have nothing else to do. The difference between their lot and our own is, indeed, immense. They have no cares, nor corruptions, nor temptations to hinder or harass them; but 66 "What various hinderances we meet True; and just because they are many and great, the greater need we have for coming often and regularly, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help. For if glorified spirits could neither be happy nor safe without communion with God, how much less can we be happy without it in a world so trying, or safe in a world so ensnaring! They need communion with God, in order to sustain their "eternal weight of glory :"-how much more do we need it, in order to sustain our patience under afflictions, and our character amidst temptations! It will assist us still farther, in forming a just judgment of our own hearts and habits, if we review some of the instances of special "access" to God, which have been vouchsafed "at sundry times, and in divers manners, to the fathers." Under the Law, the high priest had access, annually, to the mercy-seat in the holy of holies; and, when within the vail, God communed with him from between the cherubim. He could say with certainty, as he entered with blood and incense, "I will hear what God, the Lord, will speak; for he will speak peace to his people." Now, with such an introduction as the typical blood of atonement, and such a welcome awaiting him, what should we have thought and said of the high priest, if he had neglected to go into the holy of holies, or had not gone up to the mercy-seat, or had come out before he heard what God, the Lord, would speak? Had any priest been guilty of this neglect, all hearts would have been shocked at his impiety, and all voices united in condemning him. We should have expected to hear that, like the offerers of " strange fire," he was suddenly and signally consumed by penal fire. You feel this through all your soul, and are glad that there is no instance of a high priest neglecting to draw nigh to God, when within the vail. But is it not more shocking and sinful not to draw nigh to God, now that the eternal throne is the mercy-seat, and the blood of the Lamb our introduction and plea? That precious "blood" is both the plea for, and the pledge of, our success in prayer. And access to God on the mercy-seat is now daily. At all times, in all places, and under all circumstances, we may come boldly to the throne of grace, to obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Why, then, is this freedom of 66 B access so little prized or improved? We cannot say that it. is less interesting to enter our closets to commune with God, than it was to enter the holy of holies. The scene is, indeed, less impressive in its external circumstances, and it makes no appeal to our senses; but, when it is duly examined, it is really more useful than all the glories of the holy of holies. The ark of the covenant was, no doubt, splendid, and the golden mercy-seat sublime, and the cherubim majestic, and the cloud of glory, crowning the whole, effulgent; but the whole were only "shadows of good things to come; whereas we have, in our closets, the "good things" themselves. There we may behold the brightness of the Father's glory, in the face of Jesus; and see, in his person and work, the substance of all that was shadowed within the vail, and more than all that was typified throughout the temple. Our perfect and preserved BIBLE is, itself, more wonderful and glorious than "the cloud of glory." That Shechinah of the Divine presence was, even when its radiance "filled the temple," a dark cloud, compared with the light which is embodied in and shines from the sun of Scripture. Possessing this great and true light, we have no need to regret the loss of any thing which the ancient temple contained for this light shows God to be all, and to be doing all, upon the throne of grace in heaven, that he was and did upon the mercy-seat on earth. If, indeed, God had become less accessible, less sympathizing, or less faithful in reference to prayer, than he was in the temple, there would be reason to regret our transfer from the temple to the closet; but, as God himself is the same for ever his heart the same in kindness-his hand the same in bounty and power-the changes of place and circumstances are of no consequence whatever. All the real value of the holy of holies and its magnificent mercyseat was that there God heard and answered prayer. But for that, and what they typified of Christ, they would have been mere gorgeous ornaments: and, as types are now useless, and the answer of prayer secured by the intercession of Christ, the "closet" is preferable to the temple, if communion with God be our |