in the end of the year, when they had gathered in all their labours out of the field, and had finished their vintage; and hence, it was called "the feast of ingathering," Exodus xxiii. 16. The circumstance of their dwelling for a season in booths, would also enable them the better to perceive this contrast, and would tend to fill their hearts with joy, and to inspire them with gratitude to their kind benefactor. Hence, the feast of Tabernacles was eminently a season of gladness, Deut. xvi. 14. And this is one reason why New Testament worship is signified by the keeping of this festival, Zech. xiv. 16, 18. And a promise of restoration to the church is expressed by making the parties to dwell in tabernacles, as in the solemn feasts, Hosea xii. 9. It marks the joyful nature of christian worship; and proceeds on the principle, that the redeemed on earth form but one family with those in heaven, and that the services of the former are a preparation for the glory of the latter. And as the period when the ingathering of Jews and Gentiles shall take place, will be the most joyful and most spiritual of all periods of the church, so in language descriptive of the feast of Tabernacles, the glory of the latter day is exhibited, because that state of things will be most like to the celestial world. The everlasting Sabbatism above, will be as it were a continuation of the festival, though in a manner surpassingly glorious.

This festival prefigured the happiness and joy of the redeemed in the celestial Canaan, when their warfare shall have ceased, and their wanderings in

the wilderness shall have ended, and when the precious fruits of that delightful land shall be enjoyed. Then they "shall remember all the way in which they have been led," and shall contrast their exalted blessedness in the "city of habitation," with the inconveniences and trials of the wilderness. They shall be "glad according to the days in which they have been afflicted, and the years wherein they have seen evil." The recollection of the length and roughness of the way will sweeten the comfort of this final home, the conflicts and dangers through which they have passed will endear to them the peaceful sanctuary of God,—and the labours and hardships, the marches and countermarches, and the alternate failures and successes attendant on a scene of perpetual contest, will swell the shout of victory and triumph, when" through him that loved them, they are made more than conquerors." Yes, the recollection of the thorns and briars, the serpents and the snares, the barrenness and the bitter waters of the wilderness will add exuberance and sweetness, beauty and glory, to the "land flowing with milk and with honey," and to the goodly and the holy mountain, where there shall be nothing to defile or to destroy.

The appointment of the feast of tabernacles was requisite to Israel, as a means of preserving them from forgetting the divine goodness; but no such means shall be necessary in heaven; for there the redeemed shall be perfected in holiness. In thinking of this subject, therefore, we must fix our minds on the constant remembrance, which "the nations of

the saved" shall have of the goodness of God to them while sojourning in the present world, and on the influence that this will have on their final enjoyment. In the celebration of this festival, there was a gradual decrease of the number of bullocks to be offered. Thus, on the first day of the feast thirteen were offered, on the other six days the number was decreased by one each day, so that on the seventh day only seven bullocks were offered, and on the eighth day the number was reduced to one. This ordinance appears to have signified the imperfection, and the gradual vanishing away of the Levitical sacrifices, while it also signified that they were all to terminate in the one offering of Christ, Num. xxix. 12-40.

There was a particular connection between the feast of Tabernacles, and the great day of atonement. On the tenth day of the seventh month, was the annual and most solemn fast of the Israelites; and on that day, the high priest "made an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and also for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation," Lev. xvi. 33. And then on the fifteenth day of the same month, came the joyful feast of Tabernacles. The origin of all true joy is thus strikingly exhibited. "We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement," Rom. v. 11. And the connection between genuine contrition and true christian joy was also thus marked. The former is quite compatible with the latter; for joy through the atonement supposes a deep sense of guilt and of demerit, and indeed, will

be proportioned to it. The purification of the sanctuary, previous to the feast of Tabernacles, was a token that the thing signified should be enjoyed in the celestial temple. And accordingly, we enter the sanctuary of God, in consequence of its having been consecrated for our habitation through our priestly forerunner, and through him we shall there enjoy that exalted bliss of which the festivity of this, the concluding feast of the Israelites, and which as the concluding feast, concentrated the joys of all the preceding feasts, was but a faint emblem. In the mean time, in so far as we enter into the spirit of the heavenly worshippers, we have even on earth an earnest of the bliss which shall then be fully enjoyed. And hence, as we have seen, New Testament worship in general, is signified by the keeping of the feast in question. What is religion here but an anticipation of heaven; and what is heaven but the perfection of that which is begun on earth?

Thus, the Passover represented the redemption obtained by the blood of Christ,-the feast of Pentecost represented the application of that redemption by the Holy Spirit; and the feast of Tabernacles, represented the full enjoyment of its blessings in the heavenly country.

The new moon, or the first day of the month, was dedicated by divine direction to a religious festive purpose, Num. xxviii. 11-15. And the appearance of the first moon of the civil year was hailed with a peculiar festival, denominated "the feast of trumpets," Num. xxix. 1. These festivals were appointed to be observed on those occasions, in order to pre

serve the conviction, that Jehovah alone was the creator, preserver and ruler of the sun and the moon, and of all things whatsoever, and so preserve his people from idolatry. As in the fourth commandment, the remembrance of the works of creation was united with the work of redemption from Egypt; so by the distinct sacrifices which were required at the new moon, and at the commencement of every new year, his character as the God of creation and providence, was united with his character as a Saviour from guilt and from misery. It is not the design of the revelation of mercy through Christ, to turn the mind away from the visible works of the Almighty, or to cloud his glory as the Creator and preserver of all. Its object is, to restore us to the love and service of the God of creation, by unfolding to us his character as the God of all grace. At last, creation, providence and redemption will appear as one great system in which the two former have all along been subservient to the latter. And of this truth, the festive observances at the new moons were a figure, and hence, they are called a shadow of things to come; the body of which is Christ, Col. ii. 16, 17. It is in him that the glories of the Creator are blended with the glories of divine love, mercy and grace. To a sinner, the glory of the Creator is a fearful display of the power of the offended Judge; and to him, if aware of his condition, it can yield no joy, but must rather be an object of terror. Whereas, when the conscience has found peace in the atonement, it is truly delightful to dwell upon the grandeur displayed in the