The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1904-12-02

high priest, and the training school and
seminary of Samuel, the novitiate.
There was the outer court with its
great brazen altar for sacrifice, and upon
which the fire burned continually. Be-
tween it and the holy place stood the
laver where the priests washed before
entering the temple. Within the temple
was the holy place with its altar OF in
cense, and it's table of shew bread and
the golden candlestick on either side
Before the altar of sacrifice and within
this holy place the high priest minis
tered daily. Then there was the holy of
holes behind the vail where rested the
ark of the covenant surmounted by the
cherumbim, and between which there
burned the shechinah glory over the
mercy seat Into this hottest place the
high priest came but once a year. 1t
was to this temple that Samuel as
young boy had been brought by his
mother, and consecrated to the LORDS
service. 1t was here that he ministered
unto the Lord before Eli. But the word
of the Lord was unknown and unheard
in those evil days of corrupt priest
hood and meaningless ceremony, and
there was no revelation from God. The
days ministrations had ended; the aged
high priest had laid himself down to rest,
and Samuel, his faithful attendant, had
sought his couch in the apartments ad
joining. The gentle light of the seven
branched candlestick, burning without
in the holy place kept its faithful vigil,
and spoke of Gods presence, while the
souls of men were unconscious in slum-
Der.
A H! HOW often we are unconscious of
n Gods presence. The body, Gods
chosen temple, is the place where He
would abide, but we know Him not. Self,
the high priest, is there, to serve and
minister to the desires and needs Of the
life. The thought is not above the phys
zeal and material. Gods presence is not
felt. Samuel, the young nOvitiate, is
there, in the person of the gentle, sensi-
tive soul. II serves as best it can be-
fore the high priest, self. But it is not
given any service above the mere sensual
and material. 1t feels a higher need and
obligation even while it serves on the
lower plane of the material. The period
of the low spiritual condition prevails
duu the ldUQp Ol COu presence DuTHS
feebly. Such is the condition, oh, so
often, in the heart and life! Such was
the condition of Israel and in the tenn
pie. 1t was Gods chosen dwelling place.
even as the body of man is Gods ap-
pointed temple. Know we not" God
asks, that ye are the temple of God, and
that the Spirit of God dwelleth in your"
The temple had it's appointed service,
meaningless if the true purpose and
spirit were lacking; it had it's high
priest to discharge the religious func-
lions, and so the body temple has its ap-
pointed service, it's homage to pay to
God, It's worship to offer. While self is
the high priest in Office every feature Of
the service is subservient to the DOM
inant, physical, sensual self. The temple
had Its Samuel, the novitiate appointed
of God to rise to the place of authority
in the temple and to rescue the holy
place and the sacred service from its de-
based and debasing conditions. And so
the body temple has within It the eternal
soul, the novitiate, whom God has ap-
pointed to grow up within and to rescue
the body temple from its low spiritual
condition.