1710. Incense And Light

No. 1710-29:145. A Sermon Delivered On Lord’s Day Morning, March 11, 1883, By C. H. Spurgeon, At The Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington.

And Aaron shall burn sweet incense on it every morning: when he trims the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lights the lamps in the evening, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. {Ex 30:7,8}

1. Certain ceremonies under the law were only of annual celebration; while other matters were of daily observation; and by the daily repetition were intended to be presented as eminently constant and perpetual. These daily ordinances were to be regarded by the children of Israel as of standing obligation, enduring types of constant necessity, never to be removed as long as the age of the law should last.

2. When the priest went into the tabernacle he could not enter it without being warned of sin and of sacrifice, for at the entrance of the holy place stood an altar of bronze, upon which there was offered a lamb every morning and every evening. This taught that access to God was not possible except by expiation, — expiation by bloody sacrifice, expiation by the death of a substituted victim, expiation which must continue as long as sin remained. You could not even enter into the first court without the sight of an altar, and blood, and fire: thus showing us that there is no coming to God, even on the ordinary level of Christian experience, apart from the atonement made by our Lord Jesus, who is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” You cannot be heard in penitent prayer, or receive pardon, or begin the life of faith, or be even a babe in grace, unless you know the great truth, that the Lord “has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; so that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Without shedding of blood remission of sin and access to God are out of the question. Paul ascribes our drawing near to the Lord to our Saviour’s perfect sacrifice, for he says, “You who were sometimes afar off are made near by the blood of Christ.”

3. Before the innermost sanctuary there hung a substantial veil, and the entrance into the Holy of Holies was only permitted once in the year. If that veil had been lifted up so that we could enter, we should have found at the door a golden altar, to represent again our Lord Jesus Christ under another aspect; for on that golden altar there was offered a sweet perfume of precious spices, denoting his perpetual intercession on the behalf of his people, and his enduring merits which are continually being presented by himself before the throne of the Most High. To go within the veil you must pass by the altar of incense. Learn from this that to the door of the inner chamber of communion with God we must approach by the perfect merit of our redeeming Lord. We do not come in our own merit; but we are “accepted in the Beloved.” If we have ever been favoured with high and holy communion with God, such as he reserves for favoured saints; if we have been enabled to come boldly to the throne of heavenly grace, and have looked into the tempered brightness of that light which shines above the mercy seat, we have come only by virtue of the infinite merit of our Lord Jesus. The lowest form of communion in the outer court must be by the sacrifice of Jesus; and the highest form of communion, even what is most intense and most delightful, is still by Christ: the incense represents his merit, and that is not without blood, for once a year the horns of the altar were smeared with the blood which had been carried within the veil. There was no coming within the veil without passing by the incense altar, even as there is no access to God but by the all-powerful mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us never forget this. Simple as the truth is, we are apt to pass it by as of no force. I am afraid we are apt to put the most important truths into the background because they seem to be so elementary; but we ought to remember that they are elementary only because they are essential from first to last. Never try to draw near to God in prayer, or praise, or meditation, or Scripture reading, or holy service apart from Jesus Christ, or your attempt must be a failure. Through the wall of fire which surrounds the throne you can only pass by way of the one door, namely, the body and blood of our great Mediator, Sacrifice, and Substitute. Is that door not sufficient? Why should we climb up some other way? If I am very heavy of heart, do not let me try to raise my spirits, and so come in the power of human courage; but let me come just as I am, made bold through him whose comforts delight my soul. If I feel that I have been sinning, do not let me try to get rid of my sin by some other process, and then draw near to God; but let me come, sinner as I am, in the name of the sinner’s Saviour, and so draw near to God, having washed my robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Jesus says, “I am the way”: why should we seek another? Have nothing to do with an absolute God; only deal with him through a mediator, and keep to that way, for no man comes to the Father except by the Lord Jesus. Oh, you most experienced and privileged ones, take good note of the golden altar, and whenever you approach the mercy seat let the cloud of its incense cover you and perfume your prayers.

4. Near by the golden altar, which was nearest to the Holy of Holies, stood the golden lampstand with its seven branches: these two instructive types were placed near each other for a purpose which I would explain today. This lampstand was a matter of daily ordinance as much as the bronze altar of sacrifice, or the golden altar of incense: it was for continual use and was therefore trimmed twice each day. We have a continual need of the precious atonement of Christ, of the intercession of Christ, and of the light of God’s Holy Spirit. These are not things for once in a year; these matters are for every day and all the day, and therefore they were attended to both in the morning and in the evening as if to shut in all the hours of the day within two golden doors. Every morning had its lamb, its burning incense, and its lighted lamp; and the same pertained to every evening all the year round. So all the days were fringed and bordered with this threefold type: even as at this time all our days are sanctified by faith in the effective expiation, joy in the prevailing intercession, and delight in the clear shining of the Spirit who makes glad all who are in the house.

5. This morning I desire to call your attention to the conjunction which was established by the divine law between the burning of the incense and the lighting of the lamps: these two things, being both of daily observance, were attended to at the same time for reasons worthy of our study.

6. I. And first I call your attention to THE WONDERFUL CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST FOR US, AND THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN US. See how on the grandest scale the incense of intercession and the lamp of spiritual illumination are placed side by side. He whose merit brings us life is in divine alliance with him who brings us light: indeed, there is such unity between them that Jesus himself is said to be a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ brings with it the communion of the Holy Spirit, for the Father has joined them together.

7. Notice that we have these both revealed in their fulness at the same time. When our Lord ascended on high to plead before the throne, the Spirit descended to reside in the Church. After the Lord was taken up the disciples received the promise of the Father and were illuminated by the Holy Spirit. Jesus our great High Priest presented the sweet savour of his own person and work before the eternal throne; and then came the Spirit of God as tongues of fire lighting up the sons of men and making them to be as lights for the Lord. Well said the apostle at Pentecost, — “God has raised up this Jesus of whom we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you now see and hear.” I say the two come historically together and we must for ever connect in our meditations the ascended Saviour’s intercession and the illumination of the saints by the descended Spirit.

8. Now, just as they were connected historically, so they are continually connected as a matter of fact. At this day it is as it was at Pentecost: our Lord has not ceased to intercede, and the Spirit has not ceased to illuminate. In this lies our hope for our own eternal salvation, in the ceaseless plea and the quenchless light. For the working out of what God is working in us, both to will and to do of his own good pleasure, we have these two guarantees and helps, — the Saviour praying and the Spirit shining. Jesus is pleading, and therefore our faith does not fail when Satan sifts us as wheat; the Spirit is working, and therefore the light of our faith is sustained by a secret mystical oil which prevents the enemy from putting it out. This also is our twofold confidence when we go out into the world to preach the gospel. To the Lord Jesus all power is given in heaven and in earth, and he is “able to save to the uttermost those who come to God by him, since he lives for ever to make intercession for them.” The Church of God must succeed in her mission because her errand is the object of the continual prayers of her living Lord. But she has her second help, namely the Comforter who remains with us and goes out with the word that we preach, making it potent for the conversion of the sons of men. We have the incense of Christ’s merit pleading with God, and the light of God’s Spirit pleading with men: we have Christ as an advocate with God, and the Holy Spirit as an advocate with men. What more is needed? What joy and confidence we ought to feel in the work of the Lord since Jesus is pleading and the Spirit is striving at the same time: the incense rising, filling earth and heaven with its sweetness, and the Spirit brightly shining for the comfort and delight of those who go out into the darkness with the name of Jesus on their lips. Joy to those who sit in darkness, and in the valley of the shadow of death, for even for them is this sevenfold light shining; and to their damp, pestilential abodes there comes the healing breath of sweet perfume from the Redeemer’s merits.

9. Furthermore, this conjunction, since it is a matter of history, and since it is continuous, will always be seen by us personally when our prayer is the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man that avails much. It needs the Trinity to make a Christian, it needs the Trinity to make a Christian prayer. The Father must hear us, otherwise of what use are our cries? But the ordained Mediator must also stand between us and the Father, presenting his merit like the smoke of sweet incense, or else our prayer can never be accepted by God; and to come down closer to ourselves, the Spirit of God must also help our infirmities, for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought. So that whenever we pray we must have these two in happy conjunction: intercession and enlightenment: incense and light. My prayer as my own prayer is a poor, vain, defiled thing unless Jesus perfumes it; and it is a poor, dark, blind thing unless the Spirit of God has enlightened it. The Holy Spirit teaches us what to pray for, and how to order our words properly. In his light we see light. We are in the dark until he shines like the golden lampstand, and enables us to see our own need and the fulness of God’s grace. It is his light that makes our heart to see the Lord in prayer: so that we seek the Lord by the light of his own Spirit. When prayer is the work of the Spirit in the heart we are absolutely certain that it must succeed, because the Spirit makes intercession in the saints according to the will of God. The Holy Spirit is one with the Father, and he is most truly God, so that whatever he prompts us to pray for is the same thing which the Father has already decreed and eternally determined to bestow. Our wishes and desires might never succeed with God if they were that and no more, for our thoughts are not his thoughts, neither are our ways his ways: but the thoughts and purposes of God, when these are impressed upon our spirit by the Holy Spirit, are the images of what is assuredly to be, the prophecy of the determinate purpose and foreknowledge of God. What is written in that sealed book, upon which no human eye can gaze, is transcribed and written by the Spirit of God upon our hearts, and so we pray for that very thing which God intends to give. There is an assured certainty of success for the prayer that is made in the power of the Spirit of God. While praying in the Holy Spirit we have the petition which we have asked for from the Lord.

10. But then there is our second comfort, that Jesus stands ready to take every prayer of ours, however imperfect in knowledge, however feeble in expression, however marred with sorrow, and he presents the purified and perfected prayer with his own merit, and it is sure to prosper. The sins of our holy things are seldom absent, and hence the constant need that we have for an Advocate. Blessed be God for that inspired word, “If any man sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” True prayer is the offering to God of the merit of the Lord Jesus, and hence it must be accepted. What can be refused to merit such as his? True prayer is always presented by the Lord Jesus, and hence, again, its certainty of efficacy: how can the Father deny anything to the Well-Beloved. It is written in the book of the Revelation — “And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to 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.” Can we doubt the success of prayers presented by the angel of the covenant? Assuredly not. There is such excess of perfection in Christ that it covers all our imperfection. There is such a fragrant sweetness in Christ to the Father that it effectively destroys the bad savour of anything that comes from us; and by its power we ourselves become to God a sweet savour; and so also are our prayers when they are presented by Jesus Christ. I like to think of the incense, and of the lamp, and, best of all, of the two together, for these two enable me to come boldly to the throne of heavenly grace to obtain mercy and find grace. Acceptance through sweet savour, and light through divine teaching, are both mine as my soul waits upon God, with her expectation turned towards him.

11. Nor ought I to pass away from this first point without noting that in God’s drawing near to man there is the same conjunction of incense and light. If the glory of God were to come from between the cherubim, if it should come past the veil to be revealed throughout the world, that glory would pass by these two, the golden altar of incense and the golden lamp of light. I mean this: God can have no dealing with men at all except through the merit of Christ and the light of the Spirit. As for the work of our Lord Jesus, you and I believe in the special substitution of Christ for his elect; what we call “particular redemption” is held most firmly by us; for we believe that he redeemed us from among men, and that he laid down his life for the sheep. Yet there are many passages of Scripture which speak of the work of Christ as having a universal bearing. He is “the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.” We are told that by the grace of God “he tasted death for every man.” Now, the atonement of Christ is many-sided, and may be viewed in very different lights; and while I trust we shall never even be shaky about the question of his literal and effective substitution for his own chosen, by which he offered for them a most sure, effective, and perfect satisfaction, so that no sin can ever be laid to their charge, yet there is, on the other hand, a general and universal view of his atoning work. God could not have dealt with the world at all in the way of mercy apart from the sacrifice of Christ. The only thing which could have been done with the race of man was to have crushed it out for ever if Christ had not stood between them. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. For the sake of the man Christ Jesus God was able to look upon the fallen race in justice, and yet prepare mercy for the guilty. Men owe their lives to the sacrifice of Christ. Men owe the various alleviations of their sorrows by God’s gracious tenderness in providence to the sacrifice of Christ. Above all, that free and honest proclamation of salvation to every man who will believe in Christ Jesus is rendered possible by the wondrous, perfect, unlimited, illimitable merit which resided in the person and work of such a one as Jesus our Lord.

12. The picture before you is a very beautiful one. Here are spices of the most precious kind, made up into a compound such as never was compounded for any other purpose. This divinely-appointed mixture of sweet odours is placed in the censer upon the golden altar — that is to say, eternal acceptance is found in the person of Christ. The incense is kindled with fire from on high. What follows? The spices begin to burn, and up ascends a pillar of smoke. See how it rises high into the clear air, and as it rises it expands like a cloud, covers the sky, is wafted all around, and perfumes the whole air with its own extravagant fragrance. It rises and rises until it enters heaven — yes, and the heaven of heavens; its sacred scent is recognised in every golden street; it fills every room of the glorious “house of God not made with hands”; it ascends to the throne of his excellent Majesty, and the Lord is well pleased with it, and again is fulfilled the word which is written concerning the burnt offering of Noah “The Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, ‘I will not again strike every living thing as I have done.’ ” Such is the merit of Christ that through its sweet savour God looks down upon the world and treats it with longsuffering, and tenderness, and mercy. Is it not a blessed picture? As a just and holy God he could not deal with a guilty race except through a mediatorial sacrifice, which should wrap mankind in its cloud of merit, and reconcile the world to himself.

13. And now you and I may follow in the track of God, and go out and preach the gospel to every creature without the slightest fear, because the whole air is perfumed with the incense of a Saviour’s mediatorial work. Although not perceptible by carnal sense, yet the inward spirit in the soul of the believer perceives the grateful scent of the finished work of the ever-living Saviour sweetening all things, so that now we call nothing common or unclean, but are prepared to deliver our message to the vilest of the vile. God in Christ is kind even to the unthankful and the evil, and wills that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men; and that to every creature the gospel should be preached.

14. We shall not, however, proceed to any practical purpose unless we remember next that, when God comes to deal with men, it is with the light of the Spirit as well as with the merit of Christ. The golden lampstand is as necessary as the golden censer: for God’s work among men is always by his Spirit. He is seeking out his people as the woman sought out her lost piece of money, and it is significant that it is written, “She lit a candle, and swept the house.” God in his work of salvation comes to men with the candle of his word lit through the Holy Spirit; and through the teaching of his word from day to day that Spirit shines as from a lantern among the sons of men. If you and I would follow in the track of God, as his dear children imitating him, we must take with us continually the light of the gospel of the glory of God, and by the power and light of his Spirit we must make known to men the unsearchable riches of Christ. To us Jehovah is our light and our salvation, and when we go in his name we must not go without the light. So you see we come to God by the incense and the light; and even so God comes down to man to bless him.

15. II. Secondly, our text seems to me to teach THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PRAYER AND KNOWLEDGE. The golden altar represents intercession offered by Christ, and also the prayers of all the saints, which are accepted through his intercession; and just as the lampstand stood side by side with it, and represented the light of the Spirit of truth, so must true prayer and true knowledge never be separated.

16. So I gather, first, that prayer should be attended with knowledge. It is bad when men worship what they do not know. God is light, and he will not have his people worship him in the dark. When they burn the incense they must also light the lamp. In the Roman Catholic Church the majority of the people repeat prayers in an unknown language, having no idea of what their meaning may be, and this is both a grievous wrong to the people and a mockery of God. What can be the good of such prayers in the sight of him who seeks those to worship him who worship him in spirit and in truth? Mere sounds without meaning are not prayer: understanding, desire, and heart must go with every word, or else the prayers are vain repetitions, such as the heathen employ. Supplicants must know what they are asking for, or they are not really asking. And you, dear people of God, please notice that the more divine knowledge you get, all things being equal, the more complete will your prayers become. “Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”: light the lamp at the same time that you kindle the incense.

17. For example, when you pray, what prayer can there be without knowing God our Father? How can you pray properly to an unknown God? The more knowledge of God the more correct prayer becomes. He who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him. What prayer can there be apart from the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ? If we know nothing of him by whom we pray, how full of sins of ignorance will our prayers be! It is good also to have a deep, keen knowledge of sin. Penitential prayers are impossible without this, and how can prayers be accepted if penitence is not mixed with our petitions? We need at the same time that we have the knowledge of sin, to have also a knowledge of our own weakness. The man who is consciously weak prays for strength; but he who dreams that he is strong will not do so. You need to study yourselves before you pray, in order to ask for those things in which you are most deficient, and for protection against those constitutional tendencies or besetting sins to which you are most subject. The prayer of ignorance is like an arrow shot by a blind man, which is not likely to hit the target. In proportion as petitions arise from a heart fully instructed in its own needs they will be likely to ask for the right blessings, and to be properly prepared before the Lord. David wished his prayers to be accepted, and hence he cried, “Let my prayer be presented before you as incense.”

18. A supremely excellent piece of knowledge is to know the promises which we are to plead. Here you have the very sinews of prayer. When a man knows the promise suitable to his case, and lays it before God, saying, “Do as you have said,” he presents the best form of supplication. Remember how Jacob pleaded with the Lord the sacred word of promise, saying, “You said, ‘I will surely do you good.’ ” When we have looked at all the bearings of the petition so as to make quite certain that it is a petition the fulfilment of which will glorify God; when we see that it must be consistent with the divine will because of the various statements which God has made in his word, and because of promises which he has given concerning the matter: then, with the lamp shining clearly upon us, we shall kindle the incense all the more discreetly and boldly, and both our prayers and our meditations will be all the more accepted by the Lord. Do try, especially, dear brethren, you who pray in public, to light the lamps when you kindle the incense. It will be for the good of us all if petitions are thoughtful, suitable, scriptural, and fresh and hearty as well. Let us never degenerate into repeating the same expressions until they grow to be pious platitudes; let us never drop into the use of hackneyed prayers for everything in general and for nothing in particular; but as instructed men, having thought of what we are going to say, having adapted our prayer to our circumstances and needs, let us order our case before the Lord, and fill our mouth with arguments. Burn the incense of prayer in the light of the Spirit of revelation, praying in the Holy Spirit.

19. But now turn the thought around the other way — knowledge should always be accompanied by prayer. Whenever we are taught by God, his teaching almost always comes in connection with prayer; but lest we should solely try to learn and forget to pray, let me remind you of a few particulars. Dear brother, as a Christian you are a disciple, or student; be also a supplicant. When you are impressed with the greatness, or the goodness, or the immutability, or the faithfulness of God, immediately turn your impressions into supplications. Pray the great God to be gracious to you; ask the unchangeable God to be the same to you; plead with the faithful God to keep his promises to you; implore the mighty God to uphold you. As you learn more and more about God, place the light near the incense by using your knowledge in your pleadings. To employ all your knowledge as fuel for prayer will be the best way of utilising your acquirements; it will stamp truth firmly on your memory, and it will sanctify your heart.

20. When you know more about the Saviour pray your way to him by it, as ships move into the harbour by their sails. If you have seen his manhood, go and plead his sympathy with you in your weakness. If you have thought more of his deity, go and worship him more reverently, and pray that his glory may be seen among the sons of men. Whatever point in the unutterable glory of his perfection breaks most upon your mind, pray most that way; opening your window towards the sunrising. So the Lord will teach you more, and so you shall have profited by what you have learned.

21. If from day to day, my brother, you learn more about your sinfulness, then you have more errands with which to come to the mercy seat; and if you do make a new discovery by experience of your corruption and indwelling sin, flee at once to the throne of grace with your discovery lest it weighs you down and drives you to despondency. Make a ladder of your needs by which to climb nearer to heaven. The more your needs the more urgent let your persistence be. Cry mightily to God because of the greatness of your poverty. I do not think there is anything in the Scriptures which we cannot pray over. If we learn the devices of the devil, let us pray against them. If we learn the depravity of mankind let us pray God’s Holy Spirit to create men’s hearts anew. Everything from the first of Genesis to the end of Revelation, when we truly know it, furnishes us with fresh arguments for drawing near to God. Revealed truth is like a church-bell summoning us to come into the presence of the Lord, and bow the knee before him. As you hear a sermon turn it into prayer; even if you find that there is nothing in the sermon, it may benefit you if you pray God to feed his poor famished people. If you will pray all through his discourse every preacher will minister to your edification directly or indirectly. If you are set upon praying by the lighting of the tiniest candle that ever glimmered, there will at least be sweetness in the incense even if there is no brilliance in the lamp.

22. III. I desire, in the third place, to show SOME SPECIAL PRACTICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE INCENSE AND THE LAMP. Let us read the text again: “And Aaron shall burn sweet incense on it every morning when he trims the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.”

23. So, then, there should be prayer especially at the trimming of the lamps: that is to say, when preparing our minds for that ministry by which we enlighten the people among whom we live we should be especially earnest in prayer. Preparation for preaching and teaching is most important: God’s work is not to be done carelessly as boys shoot arrows at random in their play. We must prepare both by reading and pleading: we must, like the apostles, give ourselves to the word of God and prayer. We are told by ancient Rabbis that when the priest who was appointed for that office went into the holy place he took with him the golden snuffers and the golden snuff-dishes, and a vessel full of pure olive oil and by the help of these he attended to the trimming of the golden lamp. There were seven lamps on the candelabra: some of these might have gone quite out during the night; he would have to take away whatever of snuff remained, wipe the lamp clean, place a new wick, fill it up with fresh oil, and then light the flame anew. In another lamp it may be the light was still burning only feebly: he might have simply to snuff it, take away the “the overflow of wickedness” in the golden snuff-dish and make all things clean and right. Sometimes the light might be burning well and nothing was needed except to replenish it with oil. So all was set in order for another day. The same thing was done in the evening. In the process of trimming lamps there is a measure of offence: snuffs do not give out a very dainty perfume, and the smear and smell of oil are not altogether of sweet savour; therefore, before he trimmed the lamps, the priest kindled the incense. No snuff would then be offensive, for the overpowering fragrance of the incense killed it all and prevented the prevalence of any odour unfit for the house of God. When we go into our studies to try and trim our lamps let us remember that our first business is to pray. Alas, we have much of smoking wick about us; much negligence, much ignorance, many mistakes and errors; and by it we shall grieve the Lord if Jesus is not called in to cover it all. When we are preparing in secret to serve the Lord in public we shall make poor work of it if we do not beforehand draw near to God in prayer. We want that our garments should be made to smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia by being covered with the merit of Jesus, or else we shall offend even while engaged in the holy act of preparing to spread abroad the light of divine truth. You have to trim your lamps, brothers, and sisters, when you go into the Sunday School — at least, I hope you do. I hope you do not run into your class with anything which first comes to hand: if you do not snuff your candles and feed your lamps with fresh oil your children will sit in darkness before a lamp which does not shine. No, there ought to be careful preparation, according as your time and ability will allow, and above all the pouring in of the holy oil of the Holy Spirit, by fresh fellowship with Jesus. In that process one of the chief elements is prayer. Dr. Adam Clarke used to say to young ministers, “Study yourselves dead, and then pray yourselves alive again”; and that is an excellent rule. Work in your study as if it all depended on you, and then go out and speak, trusting in God because it all depends on him. Remember that the primary part of all study of God’s word must be prayer. This is the boring rod and the powder by which we burst open the great rocks of truth. “To have prayed well is to have studied well,” said Martin Luther, and so most certainly it is; therefore let none of us when we trim the lamp forget the incense.

24. What a double privilege comes from this! This priest, you see, had two things to do for the Lord. If he was called only to light the lamp, that would have been one happy, blessed service: but if he must burn the incense too, he has a double portion of honour in doubly serving the Lord his God like this. So when you are preparing to light up the people, or preparing to enlighten your children in the Sunday School class, what a happy necessity it is which calls upon you at the same time to pray! It is one of the greatest privileges of preachers and teachers, that they are driven to pray more than other people, for they have greater needs: they have needs that come upon them because of their office, and these drive them to more frequent supplication, and so their labours become a means of grace for their own souls. Let us thank our Lord Jesus that he has made us kings and priests to our God, and that he permits us both to let our lights shine before men, and our prayers ascend before God.

25. One thing more, this burning of the incense was not only at the trimming of the lamps, but also at the lighting of the lamps, when they began to shine. I want to plead, dear friends, very heartily with you that when it is my privilege to come here this week and at all other times to light the lamps, you who are my beloved helpers will take care to burn the incense at the same time. We need the incense of prayer more than ever in these days. Did you ever notice in Eze 41:22 that an altar of incense is spoken of, but its dimensions are twice as large as those of the golden altar in the Tabernacle: as if, say some, to teach us that in these gospel times prayer would become more abundant and would be offered up more frequently than ever. The Gentiles have an altar which presents more incense to the Lord than what was served by Aaron; and inasmuch as it is more purely spiritual it is all the more acceptable with God. The altar mentioned by Ezekiel was of wood, as if to show that our worship is to become more simple, and to be more divested of everything that is pompous and showy: indeed, the altar disappears, and we read, “This is the table that is before the Lord”: you will guess the meaning.

26. Malachi has a glorious prophecy. “ ‘For from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered to my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen,’ says the Lord of hosts.” Are you not charmed by the divine prophecy? Will you not, yourselves, help to fulfil it?

27. We know that this altar of incense meant prayer, because the Jews themselves interpreted it like that. In the first chapter of Luke we read of Zacharias, that it was his turn in the order of his course to go into the holy place to offer incense, and it says, “And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the time of incense.” Just so, the offering of incense clearly means prayer, and therefore I plead, that while we are lighting the lamps by preaching the gospel, you will burn the incense by being constantly in prayer. Brethren, pray for us. Paul spoke like this; how much more may I? Dismiss me or else intercede for me. Joshua could not prevail except when Moses held up his hands. Our lamp-lighting will not succeed unless you burn the incense. Peter’s sermon at Pentecost did not derive its force from Peter’s zeal, or from its own eloquence, but from another source. Of course, all the power came from the Spirit of God; but why did the Spirit of God work so mightily on that day? Surely it was because the entire church was earnestly praying while Peter was preaching. “They were all with one accord in one place”: no one was away, they were all there, and when the one man stood up to preach, he might well light three thousand lamps, for all the fervent company of the faithful were causing the incense of prayer to ascend to heaven. I need your prayers for the sermon of tonight. You will not be here, for strangers are invited to occupy your seats; and therefore I implore you in your houses to cry to the Lord for me that the word may have free course, and that my hearers may feel its power. {a} It might be the most profitable expenditure of time that ever happened to you if you would spend the whole evening in prayer. Beseech the Lord to bring the people to this house; and to bring the right kind of people, rich and poor, believers and infidels, moral people and the depraved. We do not know who will come. Some of them do not know whether they will come themselves or not; but the Lord may influence in various ways those individuals to come whom he intends to bless. Pray that the fish may come in shoals all around the boat. When the congregation is gathered, pray that the speaker may be guided by the Holy Spirit to an appropriate theme. The preacher has no manuscript, so that there is room for the Spirit’s guidance, and he may be led to say what he never thought of saying: the right word may so be spoken in the right way, so as to reach the heart. Then pray that there may be given the willing ear, the receptive mind, the retentive memory; so that impressions may be made tonight, and at all other times, such as even Satan cannot remove. And, oh, pray that many may decide for God tonight who have been halting between two opinions; many converted who have not found the Saviour’s face before; many led into the joy of the Lord who have been so far of a sorrowful spirit. I shall feel it a joyful work to be the lamplighter tonight for my Master, if I know that I have you at home pleading earnestly on my behalf. Give me this help this morning. Pray God to bless each word that has been spoken. Pray that some poor sinner’s soul may be perfumed by the merits of Jesus and illuminated with the divine light; and it shall be done, for the Lord hears his people. We need more and more to be a praying church, and then we shall be a growing church: so far we have had a great blessing, but the windows of heaven are wide enough for a greater one to come down through them. The more we plead with God, and the more we present the light of the gospel, the more God will be with us, and build up in this place a temple for his praise. May his love be with you. Amen.

[Portions Of Scripture Read Before Sermon — Ex 29:38-30:10,34-38 Heb 10:11-22]
{See Spurgeon_Hymnal “Jesus Christ, In Heaven — Prevalent Intercession” 325}
{See Spurgeon_Hymnal “Public Worship, Prayer Meetings — Answer By Fire” 986}
{See Spurgeon_Hymnal “Public Worship, Prayer Meetings — Let Us Pray” 999}

{a} This may refer to the undated sermon 1717. {See Spurgeon_Sermons No. 1717, “The Marvellous Magnet” 1718}

Jesus Christ, In Heaven
325 — Prevalent Intercession
1 Awake, sweet gratitude, and sing
   Th’ ascended Saviour’s love;
   Tell how he lives to carry on
   His people’s cause above.
2 With cries and tears he offer’d up
   His humble suit below;
   But with authority he asks,
   Enthroned in glory now.
3 For all that come to God by him,
   Salvation he demands;
   Points to their names upon his breast,
   And spreads his wounded hands.
4 His covenant and sacrifice
   Give sanction to his claim;
   “Father, I will tat all my saints
   Be with me where I am.
5 “By their salvation, recompense
   The sorrows I endured;
   Just to the merits of thy Son,
   And faithful to thy word.”
6 Eternal life, at his request,
   To every saint is given;
   Safety on earth, and after death,
   The plenitude of heaven.
               Augustus M. Toplady, 1771.

Public Worship, Prayer Meetings
986 — Answer By Fire
1 Lord! with thy grace our hearts inspire,
   Answer our sacrifice by fire,
   And by thy mighty acts declare,
   Thou art the God who heareth prayer.
2 Faith asks no signal from the skies,
   To show that prayers accepted rise;
   Our Priest is in the holy place,
   And answers from the throne of grace.
                        Josiah Conder, 1856.

Public Worship, Prayer Meetings
999 — Let Us Pray <8.7.>
1 Let us pray! the Lord is willing,
      Ever waiting, prayer to hear;
   Ready, his kind words fulfilling,
      Loving hearts to help and cheer.
2 Let us pray! our God with blessing
      Satisfies the praying soul;
   Bends to hear the heart’s confessing,
      Moulding it to his control.
3 Let us pray! though foes surrounding,
      Vex, and trouble, and dismay;
   Precious grace, through Christ abounding,
      Still shall cheer us on our way.
4 Let us pray! our life is praying;
      Prayer with time alone may cease:
   Then in heaven, God’s will obeying,
      Life is praise and perfect peace.
                        Henry Bateman, 1862.