“Ah, my child, none of us would have dared to have lifted that Veil
or to have placed a foot within the Holy of holies!” exclaimed Mrs.
Temple. “No mortal was ever suffered to enter that place, most sacred
of all, except the High Priest, and that but on one day of the year—the
Day of Atonement. Aaron himself, the first High Priest, with trembling
awe must have lifted the Veil, and approached the Mercy-seat over which
the cherubims spread their wings of gold!”
Mrs. Temple spoke in so solemn a tone that the children felt that
the subject was very sacred, and none of them spoke for several
moments. Then Lucius observed—“There is now no place on earth into
which no one dare enter, like the Holy of holies in the Tabernacle of
old.”
“No, my son, because the Veil has been rent in twain, and the Lord
Christ, our great High Priest, has opened a free way for all believers,
even into the Holy of holies where God dwells in glory for ever!” said
Mrs. Temple, with even greater reverence in her manner, and clasping
her hands as she spoke.
“Mamma, I cannot understand you!” cried Amy.
“These are the deep things of God, my love, and it is very difficult
to explain their meaning to children. The Tabernacle and the things
within it were types, or as we may call them, pictures of heavenly
mysteries, revealed to us by the Gospel. But we will not enter now upon
these difficult subjects. I think that you know a little about the
appearance of the Tabernacle of which you are anxious to make a model,
and also of what was contained within it. To understand the meaning of
that holy place, and of its contents, will require much earnest thought
and attention. We may perhaps converse a little about it to-morrow,
which is Sunday. You will have abundance of time, as the fear of giving
infection to others obliges me to keep you from going to church.”
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