QUES. 2.-Does Rom. 8:8, "They that are in the flesh cannot please God," apply to a saved man or an unbeliever?"

Ans.-We can hardly conceive how any one for a moment would think it could apply to a saved person. How can one who cannot please God belong to Him? How can one who is "in the flesh" be anything but a child of the first Adam, an heir of wrath? In fact, the ninth verse, immediately following, states this:"But ye" (believers) "are not in the flesh, but m the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." The Scripture evidently, then, teaches that a man in the flesh is an unsaved person.

This being clearly the teaching of the passage, we can now mention the familiar fact that while the believer is not in the flesh, the flesh is in him. He has the old nature, which has the same tendencies and desires that it ever had. Unless he is walking by faith, judging himself constantly, this flesh will produce its legitimate fruits, which surely can never please God. This, however, is entirely different from the man being in the flesh.

QUES. 3.-" Why is it that the golden altar is not mentioned in Heb. 9:? Is it because, being typical of Christ in His glorified character and thus ascended up on high, it could not represent Him as down here in the outer sanctuary? Has the rent veil anything to do with it?"''

Ans.-The omission of the golden altar is very significant in the enumeration of the articles of furniture in the outer sanctuary. It will be remembered also that, in the appointments for the furniture of the holy place, the altar of incense was not provided for until after the directions for the induction of Aaron and his sons into the priesthood. An altar requires a priest to minister at it. But we know, also, that these priests themselves were but shadows, and that not of the heavenly order ; our blessed Lord had to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself and open the way into the inner sanctuary of the presence of God, where true worship alone can be offered."Without doubt the rent veil is the explanation here. There is now really no outer sanctuary. The veil rent has done away with the distinction. Faith rejoices to be in the presence of God; and the Holy Spirit (typified in the candlestick) and communion with our blessed Lord (as in the table of show-bread, together with the service of the golden altar) are enjoyed in the immediate presence of God.

We have also an interesting suggestion of this in the same passage, not only in the omission of the altar of incense from the articles of furniture in the holy place, but in the addition of the golden censer in the holiest of all. The censer, of course, was carried in by the high priest on the day of atonement when he brought in the blood and sprinkled it on the mercy-seat. It was, as we might say, a portable golden altar, and emphasizes the very truth we have been considering. Worship must ever be on the basis of accomplished redemption and in the immediate presence of God.