* Exodus xxxi., xxxv., and Hebrews viii.
"The materials to be used were of God's own creation, and were to be of the best and purest—gold, silver, and precious stones; cedar, silk, flax, skins—and the working up of them into their destined use must be by His own special instruction. So Bezaleel and Aholiab were 'called by name,' and made as it were foremen of the work, 'filled with the Spirit of God in wisdom and understanding,' that they might direct and superintend all the 'wise-hearted' work-people who were selected for the occasion. We must never forget for a moment that all these arrangements were typical of something future; and these types were to be apprehended by the senses, and obeyed in the practice, until the right time should come for the reality to appear with the spiritual truths prefigured.
"In due season, God sent forth His Son, 'the brightness of His glory, the express image of His person,' united to our human nature with all its sinless infirmities, to be, not only the manifestation of God in righteous love to man, but to be also the representative of man to God, obeying for us, dying for us, rising again for us, and re-uniting in holy harmony for all believers the link that sin had broken between God and man. Then the end and meaning of all those blood-sprinkled rites and solemn services were fulfilled and understood; God no longer spoke by altar and sacrifice, slain lambs and Aaronic priests, but by His Son, 'the Word made flesh.'
"Then to retain the shadows would have interfered with the right reception of the grand reality; and when the true Sacrifice declared the long-prefigured deed accomplished, and bowed His head, and died, the veil of the temple was rent from top to bottom, and the symbolic ritual was abolished by the same Divine Hand that had instituted it.
"Simplicity and truth, decency and order, are the characteristics of the new dispensation of the Holy Spirit, whose office is to take of the things of Jesus, and show them to the spiritual understandings of all who believe. Whatever distracts the mind, through eye or ear, by painting, sculpture, music, from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, is an offence to God, a perversion of human talent, and an inevitable hindrance to spiritual worship. If in their weak misapprehension of God and truth, people call such things 'helps to devotion,' as many do, it is because they slight the power of the promised Spirit, who 'searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.'
"'The natural man,' or the man in his worldly, unrenewed nature, can receive the emotional enjoyment of gazing on a pictured crucifixion, or of listening to a thrilling Mass, and fancy it devotion; but the honour of the passing excitement goes to the gifted painter and the skilled musician, for 'the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God,' and 'the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God,' and they must be 'spiritually discerned."
"Then no one really taught what true worship of God consists in should feel any need of help," said Guy, musingly.
"I did not say that, my dear boy. Help is needed, but not human help. Our Father knows how weak and unable we are to do anything as we should like to do it, however truly we love and adore Him, so He has provided the needed help. Do we want to pray? 'Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered.' So you see prayer is not restricted even to words.
"And if we desire to praise, 'O Lord, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise.' 'My lips shall utter praise when Thou hast taught me Thy statutes.' 'Let my soul live, and it shall praise Thee,' which no 'dead' soul can do. Let us call things by their right names, and not mistake one for another."
"But you do not object to beautiful music in the worship of God, dear mother. I have heard you sing your very best in church."