overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about. And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal. And thou shalt make the staves of shittim-wood, and overlay them with gold. And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy-seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee. And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it: a perpetual incense before the Lord, throughout your generations. Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt-sacrifice, nor meat-offering; neither shall ye pour drink-offering thereon. And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year, with the blood of the sin-offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the Lord."--Ex. xxx. 1–10.

The original denomination is hup hupp nain, mizbëah miktar keto reth, an incense-altar of incense, or an altar, a perfumatory of perfume. Gr. Ovotaarnpiov Ovpíaparos, an altar of incense. Chald. "Thou shalt make an altar to offer upon it incense of sweet spices." The original implies an altar on which odorous substances were to be burnt and resolved into a fragrant and grateful fume. In the subsequent account of its construction, Ex. xxxvii. 25, it is called simply an "altar of incense," as rendered by the Greek here, and in Num. iv. 11, " the golden altar," as the other covered with brass was called "the brazen altar." But as the Hebrew term for altar (m, mizbeah, from 1, zabah, to slay), legitimately carries with it the idea of slain sacrifices, and as no such service was performed upon this, it is for distinction sake termed pp, miktar, from p, katar, to fume, to fumigate, to make to smoke. The practice of burning incense upon altars as a religious rite is to traced to a very remote antiquity; but we have nothing more ancient, in the way of historic record, relative to this custom, than what the present chapter contains. It seems scarcely probable, however, that the custom originated on this occasion in the order here prescribed. Incense altars appear in the most ancient Egyptian paintings, and when it was required to be compounded " after the art of the apothecary (perfumer)," it would seem to be implied that this was an act which was practised, and which the Israelites had learned in Egypt. Plutarch moreover assures us, that the Egyptians offered incense to the sun; resin in the morning, myrrh at noon, and about sunset an aromatic compound which they called kypi. But the custom was in ancient times by no means confined to Egypt. It pervaded all the religions of antiquity, and like many other features of the Hebrew worship, derived its origin from the Ancient Church. On this point Swedenborg speaks as follows:-"Inasmuch as the fuming of incense signified such things as are elevated upwards, and are accepted by the Divine (being), therefore also they were applied by the Gentiles in their religious ceremonies; that.

frankincense, censers (thuribula), and censers (acerra), were in use amongst the Romans, and amongst other nations, is known from history; such religious ceremony was derived from the ancient Church, which was extended through several regions of Asia, as through Syria, Arabia, Babylon, Egypt, Canaan; this Church had been a representative Church, thus consisting in externals, which represented things internal, which are celestial and spiritual things; from this Church several religious ceremonies were translated to the nations round about, and amongst others the fumings of incense also; hence through Greece into Italy; in like manner also perpetual fire, for the guarding of which chaste virgins were appointed, whom they called vestal virgins."-A. C. 10,177.

As to its materials and form this altar was made, like the ark, of shittim-wood overlaid with plates of gold. When it is said to have been "four-square," the meaning is, not that it was, as a whole, of a cubical form, but that upon its upper and under surface it showed four equal sides. It was, however, twice as high as it was broad, being twenty-one inches broad, and three feet six inches high. From the four corner posts arose four horns or pinnacles, doubtless of similar form to those of the altar of sacrifice, which were covered with gold like the rest, and its top was surrounded with an ornamental ledge or border of solid gold, here called a crown," like that which adorned the upper edges of the ark of the covenant, and of the table of shew-bread. Beneath this were placed two golden rings, probably on the opposite corners, for the conveniency of carrying it on staves during the marches of Israel in the wilderness, and afterwards when removed to different places in Canaan. The annexed cut will give an idea of its form.

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As in the case of the branches issuing from the trunk of the candlestick, so here the phrase respecting the horns, "they shall be of the same," properly signifies "they shall be of it, or out of it ;" i. e. of the body of the altar. The Heb. for top is the usual word for roof, and implies that its top was fashioned like the flat roofs of eastern houses. These were furnished with parapets, battlements, or balustrades, to which the border or crown of the altar bore, on a small scale, a striking resemblance. The rendering of the Greek taxapar, hearth, and the Lat. Vulg." Craticula," grate, is entirely erroneous, as the original

word is different from that applied to the grate of the brazen altar, and there is not the least mention made of cleansing the altar from ashes, or of anything to receive them. The incense was not burnt upon a grate, but in a golden censer, which was placed, filled with coals, upon the altar, so that no ashes or refuse whatever fell upon the altar. The term in the original for sides denotes walls, as if a designed analogy were kept up between the form of the altar and the

structure of a house.

As to the position of this altar in the tabernacle, it is said, "thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy-seat that is over the testimony;" i. e. before the separating vail suspended between the Holy and Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle. It would of course be "before the mercy-seat," though the vail interposed. It was stationed about midway between the candlestick and table of shew-bread, though considerably nearer to the vail than either. To remind the reader more distinctly of its location, we re-insert the cut of the interior of the Tabernacle given in a former number.

"And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning." Heb. ketoreth sammim, incense of spices. Gr. Ovμapa ovverov λENTOV, incense delicately compounded. It might seem from the letter, that Aaron or the High Priest alone was entitled to burn incense on this altar. But the word "Aaron," is often used to designate the whole

priestly order. There is no doubt that Aaron did in person perform this service on the present occasion, and the High Priest, whoever he was, did the same on other great occasions; but it was ordinarily executed by the inferior priests in their courses. Whatever priest was appointed by lot to be in waiting during the week, he every morning and evening filled his censer with fire from the brazen altar, and introducing the sacred incense went into the holy place, and set the censer upon the altar. This offered incense was called a "perpetual incense," because it was regularly offered at the appointed time without cessation. By a like phraseology we are exhorted to "pray without ceasing," i. e. to continue in the daily practice of prayer without omitting it. The command to have the incense burnt at the same time that the lamps were dressed gives occasion to Henry to remark in his ordinary spiritualizing vein, that it was designed "to teach us, that the reading of the Scriptures, which are our light and lamp, is a part of our daily work, and should accompany our prayers and praises. When we speak to God, we must hear what God says to us, and thus the communion is complete." It will appear on a subsequent page that this comes very near to the spiritual

sense.

"When Aaron lighteth the lamps at even." Heb. behaalath, when he causeth to ascend. The rendering "lighteth" is rather a paraphrase than a literal version. The meaning of the original will be plain if we bear in mind that the "lamps" or sconces were to be detached and taken down from their sockets in the top of the candlestick. When they were cleaned, filled with oil, and lighted, they were to be put up again in their places, and this is the exact sense of the Heb. haalah, to make to ascend, i. e. to raise, to elevate. Gr. Engels tous Auxvavs, thou shalt put on the lamps. So also the Vulg. "Thou shalt set them upon the candlestick." As the lamps were thus put up in a lighted state, it is easy to see how the term came to be rendered by the verb to light. When the lamps were all lighted below, and duly raised up to their proper places, the candlestick might be said to be lighted.

The spiritual scope and design of the altar of incense now claims our attention. Its primary or external use is sufficiently evident from its name, and from the explanations already offered. As the table was for the bread, the candlestick for the lights, and the brazen altar for the sacrifices, so the golden altar was for the incense which was

to be burnt upon it. That the general import of incense has a near

relation to the constituents of true worship, such as prayer, praise, confession, adoration, &c., as prompted by and proceeding from their appropriate affections, is obvious even from the letter of many passages of the Word. Thus Ps. cxli. 2, "Let my prayer be set forth before thee (as) incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." Rev. v. 8, " And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them lamps and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints." Again, Rev. viii. 3, 4, " And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers

of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand." Here it is evidently implied in the letter that while the sacerdotal angel was officiating at the golden altar, the saints were to be at the same time engaged in offering up prayers which might, as it were, mingle with the fragrant incense, and both come up in a grateful and acceptable cloud before the Lord. In like manner it is said, Luke i. 9, 10, that while Zechariah was "executing the priest's office according to the custom, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of the incense." Here the two services were performed together, the one being an emblem of the other.

But as every thing is resolved, in the teachings of the New Church, into its primary principles, so the spiritual elements which enter into worship are mainly love and charity, and the mounting upwards of the cloud of incense denoted the grateful hearing and reception, on the part of the Lord, of all the spiritual offerings made in worship that were grounded in love and charity. "The reason," says our author, "why the altar of fuming incense represented the (Lord's) hearing and reception of all things of worship which are grounded in love and charity, was, because by fume, and hence by fumigation, were signified that which is elevated on high, and by the odor of fume that which is grateful, consequently that which is heard and received by the Lord; and that alone is grateful and is received by the Lord which is grounded in love and charity: hence also it was, that that altar was covered over with gold, and was called 'the golden altar,' for gold signifies the good of love and charity. And whereas

love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbor are from the Lord, and love is spiritual conjunction, therefore whatsoever proceeds thence, is heard and received by the Lord: but what is holy and pious, which is not grounded in love, is indeed heard, but is not received gratefully, for it is an hypocritical sanctity and piety, being only external without an internal principle; and a holy external without an internal principle penetrates no farther than to the first threshold of heaven, and is there dissipated; but a holy external principle derived from an internal penetrates even into heaven, according to the quality of the internal, thus to the Lord.-A. C. 10,177. Taking together then the articles of the outer room of the Tabernacle, the Table of Shew-Bread represented love to the Lord; the Candlestick, charity and faith; and the Altar of Incense, the worship thence derived. By fuming or burning incense in the opposite sense is signified worship from opposite loves, that is the love of self and of the world. This is alluded to by burning incense to other gods, Jer. i. 18 and xliv. 3, 5; by burning incense to idols, Ezek. viii. 11; and by burning incense to Baalim, Hos. ii. 13.

The materials of which the incense was composed were fragrant substances or spices, such as stacte, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense, of which the latter signifies specifically the truth of faith, which never fails to co-exist with genuine good. Therefore our author remarks, "Inasmuch as the good which is of love cannot be given