Revelation 8:3, commentary and pictures

The another angel at the golden altar before the throne with the golden censer in hand is Jesus Christ Himself as Mediator, High Priest, Advocate and Intercessor. The much incense given Him to offer with the prayers of all saints is His own merits, righteousness, perfect obedience, life, death and blood, which alone make propitiation and take away sin. He gathers the prayers, praise, confession and obedience of believers, which are defiled in passing through corrupt human channels, mingles His spotless righteousness with them, and they ascend wholly acceptable as fragrance around the mercy seat with gracious answers returned. When His people do not know what to pray for or ask what is not according to God's will, He corrects the prayer before the Father, presents it as His own request, and binds finite man to the infinite throne with His voice whom the Father always hears. No humble sincere prayer of faith is overlooked, but silent petitions, imperfect words, daily labor prayers, family worship and children's prayers are all made beautiful and fragrant and heard in heaven.

Vision Setting in Heaven

The verse belongs to what John saw and heard in vision at Patmos, as the roll of the history of God's providences, the prophetic history of nations and the church, was unrolled after the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, prevailed to open the book and to loose its seven seals. That roll contains His authority, commandments, laws, and the destiny of every nation, and as the book is unrolled all who look upon it are filled with awe. There are no blanks in the book and there is space for no more writing.

It shows mercy mixed with judgment, for while terrible judgments punish the inhabitants of the earth, the Lord has a people whom He will preserve. That preservation is the sealing of those who love God and keep His commandments before the four winds are loosed upon earth, sea, and trees. The elements of nature are placed under God's jurisdiction in the power of His angels. It stands where trumpet after trumpet is yet to be sounded as solemn future events right upon the world, with vial after vial then poured out one after another upon the inhabitants of the earth. These trumpet soundings are sure indications of the presence of Christ who has directed in every aggressive movement and has accompanied the march of His cause through all the ages, and who has pledged to be with His people in all their conflicts to the end of the world. He will vindicate His truth and cause it to triumph, and He will supply His faithful ones with motives and power of purpose, inspiring them with hope and courage and valor in increased activity as the time is at hand.

It shows angels of God ascending and descending between heaven and earth as on the ladder Jacob saw, carrying the prayers of believers upward and bringing the help needed downward. This angelic ministry supplies means and power for gospel work from house to house and from church to church and for establishing institutional work, and lack of faith hinders it while faith receives it. It shows that all heaven is interested in the work going on upon the earth, and that ministering angels wait about the throne to instantly obey the mandate of Jesus Christ to answer every prayer offered in earnest, living faith. Therefore testimonies must be sharpened up and hold on God made firmer, with persistent prayer even at one, two, and three o'clock in the morning. Truth professed must be brought into the heart with its sanctifying, refining, spiritualizing power instead of being kept apart from the life, for keeping it apart grieves Jesus.

Sanctuary Place and Pattern

The verse shows the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary, the holy place, where an angel offers incense with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar before God's throne. That golden altar stands together with the seven lamps of fire, and both are represented on earth by the altar of incense and the golden candlestick in the sanctuary built by Moses. The earthly sanctuary was made as a copy of the heavenly one, which is the great original where Jesus ministers in behalf of man. The heavenly altar and lamps thus confirm that the heavenly sanctuary and its furnishings have counterparts in the earthly sanctuary.

The verse also places the golden censer with its incense above the ark between the cherubim in the Most Holy Place, beside the ark containing the Ten Commandments. There Jesus receives the saints' prayers and offers them to the Father with the rising incense, so that incense and prayers ascend together before God as a sweet fragrance. The Father's glory comes to Jesus and is shed upon those whose prayers have risen to Him in faith.

The verse is illustrated by the priest offering incense at the golden altar before the mercy seat and directing prayer toward the unseen presence of God. As the priest in the holy place directed his prayer by faith to the mercy seat which he could not see, so God's people direct their prayers by faith to Christ, their Mediator before the mercy seat in the heavenly sanctuary. Though they cannot behold Him with the natural eye, they see Him with the eye of faith and with assurance confidently claim the benefits of His mediation. That golden altar of incense stood directly before the ark and mercy seat, separated by the curtain, with fire kindled by the Lord Himself and sacredly kept burning day and night. The holy incense filled the sanctuary with its fragrant cloud and its fragrance extended far around the tabernacle, and when the priest offered it and looked toward the mercy seat the glory of the Lord at times descended upon the mercy seat and filled both apartments so that the priest was unable to officiate.

The verse is reflected in the temple worship at Jerusalem, where priests offered incense with the worshipers' prayers rising before God. That worship points to Christ's sacrifice and mediation for guilty people. He is the foundation of the whole Jewish economy, with the service of the Jewish priesthood continually pointing to His sacrifice and intercession. Need of His intercession is constant, day by day morning and evening, and the humble heart offering prayer receives back answers of grace and peace and joy.

The verse shows that the solemn service of the sanctuary typified grand truths to be revealed through successive generations. The cloud of incense ascending with the prayers of Israel represents Christ's righteousness and His merits and intercession, His perfect righteousness which through faith is imputed to His people and which alone can make the sinner's prayer and the worship of sinful beings acceptable to God. By this faith was kept alive in hearts through age after age of darkness and apostasy until the time came for the advent of the promised Messiah. The altar before the veil stands as an altar of perpetual intercession, joined to the altar of continual atonement, teaching that God is to be approached by blood and by incense. Both point to the great Mediator through whom sinners may approach Jehovah and through whom alone mercy and salvation are granted to the repentant believing soul.

Angel Altar and Incense

The other angel standing at the golden altar before the throne with the golden censer in hand is Jesus Christ Himself as Mediator, great High Priest, Advocate, Representative, Surety and Intercessor, still standing at the altar of incense at God's right hand as the only one who can avail, clothed by appointment with human nature to introduce believers as sons and daughters. He offers much incense with the prayers of all saints to the Father, and that incense is His own merits and His precious name, to be acknowledged before the Father and used in prayer to unlock heaven's storehouse, while He both presents petitions and intercedes and bestows the blessings sought, so that prayers offered unitedly in faith ascend before God and obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need, calling for much prayer and communion with God in drawing nigh to God in faith so He will draw nigh. This is the work He is doing now in the heavenly sanctuary in the great day of atonement, as the great High Priest standing before the mercy seat fulfilling what the earthly high priest illustrated when he stood before the ark in the most holy place with the prayers of repentant Israel, taking the prayers offered by humbled hearts with confession and repentance and presenting them to the Father mingled with the incense of His own righteousness, making intercession and atonement for them, so that pardon is granted and written opposite their names and their sins are pardoned. He gave His life so sinners might be saved through faith in His name, and this interceding work is still going on, but it will soon end when He gives the vials of His wrath into the hands of the angels around His throne with commission to pour them out upon rebellious subjects until everything opposed to God's government is consumed.

His censer holds His own spotless merits joined with the prayers, confessions and thanksgiving of His people, perfumed with the fragrance of His righteousness so it ascends as a sweet savor wholly acceptable and pardon covers all transgression. That censer work rests on His completed offering of His broken body, spotless life, obedience and death on Calvary to purchase back God's heritage and give man another trial, and He now intercedes not as a mere petitioner but as a Conqueror claiming His victory in His self-appointed work, as minister of the sanctuary officiating for the true believer and speaking through God's appointed agencies, able to save to the uttermost all who come to God by Him because He ever lives to intercede. As representative and surety He identifies Himself with His people and places Himself by their side, and His intercession is a golden chain fastened to the throne of God turning the merit of His sacrifice into prayer, and by that prayer He succeeds, so that the prayers of all saints ascending to the Father in His name are made fragrant with the incense of His own merits, they multiply the voice of His own intercession, and He gives to those prayers His own efficiency. While He is pleading in behalf of sinners the Father accepts the merits of the atoning sacrifice, so pardon is certain for those who repent, confess their sins that they may go beforehand to judgment, and ask in His name and receive, for feeble human prayers when sincere and mixed with faith are taken up by Him who lives to make intercession, He regards the one who approaches the mercy seat in faith as His client, espouses the cause as His own, and stands before the Father as Substitute and Surety, calling for earnest corresponding intercession on earth, intense persevering prayer in the name of Jesus with contrition, dying to self and clinging to the cross as the only place of safety, with assurance that the suit is gained and with shame for unbelief when Christ Himself is praying for the Comforter to abide forever.

Much incense is given to the angel to offer with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar before the throne, with the smoke of the incense going up with the prayers before God, so that no humble sincere prayer of faith is overlooked and every prayer is heard. In the heavenly sanctuary Jesus presents the saints' prayers to the Father with the smoke of the incense. That much incense is Christ's own merits, righteousness, virtues, perfection, love, self-denial, self-sacrifice and perfect obedience, including His life, death and mediation and the blood of the atonement and of the slain Lamb, treasured in heaven as an inexhaustible fund. That blood alone is efficacious, alone makes propitiation, alone has value to take away sin and bring sinners nigh to God, and only His merit and righteousness avail to remove sin's stain, cleanse from sin and make worship, prayer, praise and obedience fragrant and wholly acceptable.

He places the merits of His righteousness like sweet incense in the censer with the prayers of those who come to God through Him, His merits give fragrance and virtue to their prayers while He intercedes for them and brings them near to God, therefore they can plead for divine help with confidence that He will hear and answer, and through the Redeemer's merits believers are brought near while Christ joins humanity to Himself and reaches the throne of the Infinite. Their supplications blend with His, and the Father hears every prayer offered with contrition and sincerity because He always hears Christ's voice. The prayers, praise, penitent confession of sin, religious services, obedience and thanksgiving of true believers ascend as incense to the heavenly sanctuary, but passing through corrupt human channels they are defiled and do not ascend in spotless purity, and unless purified by blood they can never be of value with God, unless the Intercessor at God's right hand presents and purifies them by His righteousness they are not acceptable, and all incense from earthly tabernacles must be moist with the cleansing drops of the blood of Christ. Christ holds before the Father the censer of His own merits in which there is no taint of earthly corruption and gathers into it the prayers, praise and confessions of His people, putting with them His own spotless righteousness, then perfumed with the merits of His propitiation and placed upon the glowing fire of His righteousness the incense comes up before God wholly and entirely acceptable, its fragrance ascending like a cloud around the mercy seat, and gracious answers are returned, and He joins the prayers of His people with the incense of His righteousness and presents them as a fragrant offering whose help enables the young to resist temptation and gain victory.

The sacred fire that kindles the incense is the communication between God and humanity opened through Jesus Christ alone, the same living wellspring and sacred fire God kindled anciently to be put on censers when prayers ascended, so worship must follow God's directions. Common fire cannot take its place, and the holy fire on the censer kindled by that fire rises before God with the people's prayers. The same living wellspring that never fails was given anciently as the sacred fire that God kindled for His people, to be put on the censers to be offered when the prayers of the people ascended so its fragrance went up before God with the prayers of His waiting praying people, supplying continual provision for spiritual necessities. The censer with fragrant incense represents the facilities God has provided by which men and women become co-partners with Him in warning the world, and placing the sacred fire upon the censers makes a firm connection between the might of divine power and the human agent, while those who think they are sufficient of themselves become vain-glorious and corrupt throughout and God cannot use them, for without Christ nothing can be done. Tactful personal work for souls likewise rises as pleasant incense when coming close to individuals, speaking a word in season and offering prayers in their behalf becomes the potent agency ascending with the incense upon the golden altar, and habitual communion with God keeps the experience and words right so the offering is made with sacred fire and not with common or strange fire.

The golden censer is an image of truth presented in Scripture and in Christ's teachings. When the gospel is proclaimed simply, that truth has power to convict and convert souls. The truths Christ proclaimed should be presented simply, and Scripture rather than theories or tests without biblical foundation must test teaching.

Christ Presenting Human Prayers

Christ gathers the prayers, praise, penitent confession of sin, thanksgiving, religious services and obedience of true believers as incense ascending to the heavenly sanctuary. Passing through corrupt human channels they are defiled and do not ascend in spotless purity, and unless purified by blood they can never be of value with God. Unless the Intercessor at God's right hand presents and purifies them by His righteousness they are not acceptable, for all incense from earthly tabernacles must be moist with the cleansing drops of the blood of Christ. He holds before the Father the censer of His own merits, in which there is no taint of earthly corruption, and gathers into it the prayers, praise and confessions of His people, putting with them His own spotless righteousness. Then, perfumed with the merits of His propitiation and placed upon the glowing fire of His righteousness, the incense comes up before God wholly and entirely acceptable, its fragrance ascending like a cloud around the mercy seat, pardon covering every transgression, and gracious answers are returned.

His intercession is a golden chain fastened to the throne of God, turning the merit of His sacrifice into prayer, and by that prayer He succeeds. The prayers of all saints ascending to the Father in His name are made fragrant with the incense of His own merits, they multiply the voice of His own intercession, and He gives to those prayers His own efficiency. When God's children come before Him and offer praise, Christ takes that weak praise and offers it to the Father Himself mingled with incense, and then it is acceptable and glorifies God. His censer work rests on His completed offering of His broken body, spotless life, obedience, and death on Calvary to purchase back God's heritage and give man another trial, and He now intercedes not as a mere petitioner but as a Conqueror claiming His victory in His self-appointed work.

Prayers, offerings, gifts, alms and benevolent deeds with money ascend before God's throne as a fragrant offering, and angels present the saints' prayers and offerings there. Even the smallest gift, given willingly in faith and love, and the prayers and gifts of believers who give in poverty and hardship, are made precious and acceptable through this heavenly presentation as a fragrant offering and a memorial before God expressing gratitude for being called from darkness into light. Self-denial and sacrifice in giving up the company of loved ones for God's work is a heart gift whose fragrance is like sweet incense before Him, more precious than gold or silver, and every such sacrifice is faithfully recorded and will be rewarded. Words of penitence and grateful praise and the voice of prayer and the melody of holy song ascend to God as sweet incense, with praise and prayer mingled together as a constant acknowledgment of Him as the Giver of all blessings and of entire dependence upon Him. The brief testimonies of children and youth who repent and begin a new life ascend to God's throne like incense, their expressions of hope and determination are precious to God, and angels look with gladness on their response, so believers should train their lips to praise God and offer their prayers in holiness.

People do not know what to pray for as they ought, and when they ask for things that are not according to the will of God, He that searches the hearts translates the prayer into the very things they need and should have asked for. If a mistake is made in prayer, the prayer is corrected and made right before it is offered to the Father, and sinners who are unclean in themselves have cleanness only in Jesus Christ. No sooner does a person approach the mercy seat with penitence and appeal for pardon than Christ espouses the case as His own and presents the supplication before the Father as His own request and desire, presenting the virtue of His mediation. He places His merits and efficiency and righteousness as fragrance in the golden censer and offers them with the sincere prayers of His people upon the golden altar before the throne, regarding the one who approaches in faith as His client and standing before the Father as Substitute and Surety. As prayers ascend they are mingled with the fragrance of Christ's righteousness, and the believer's voice blends with Christ's voice, whom the Father always hears, so nothing asked in Christ's name is refused, even when awkwardly or imperfectly expressed.

That blended prayer is as a golden chain binding finite man to the infinite throne, breaking through Satan's hellish shadow to the very throne for humanity accepted in the Beloved. He does not leave believers in weakness to fight in finite strength, but roots and grounds them in Himself so they are lifted up to lay hold on immortal life, giving His Holy Spirit that they may grow into His likeness, and the Father loves them as He loves Him. Christ clothes the contrite petitioner with His own priestly vestments and presents the petitioner's prayers before God, the incense rising from the censer representing the fragrance of His righteousness and merit through which prayers offered in Christ's name are accepted. He places His own merits as sweet incense in the censer in the suppliant's hands to encourage prayer, places the suppliant close by His side, and pleads with His human arm around man and His divine arm grasping the throne of the Infinite.

He places in the hands of those who are meek and lowly and filled with His Spirit a censer filled with the incense of His righteousness, clothing them as with priestly garments and setting them on vantage ground. By enabling them to use the argument of His name, He puts the merits of His virtue within their reach, giving them by the Holy Spirit power to plead for themselves and to grasp His words in their behalf, so that man and God become united in one. Because of that incense the Father lays open all the treasures of His grace, receives Christ's friends as His own friends, and He distinctly pledges Himself to hear and answer their supplications. Those who use the time in justifying themselves and accusing others lose the vantage ground and give place to evil angels instead of receiving answered prayer.

Christ is doing now in the heavenly sanctuary in the great day of atonement what the earthly high priest illustrated when he stood before the ark in the most holy place with the prayers of repentant Israel. The angel at the golden altar before the throne is Christ as the great High Priest standing before the mercy seat and at the altar of mercy, taking the prayers offered by humbled hearts with confession and repentance like the publican and presenting them to the Father mingled with the incense of His own righteousness, making intercession and atonement for them. He receives every trembling weeping contrite soul who comes seeking help, forgiveness and restoration, pleads each penitent case before the Father in the court of heaven, and no accusation can separate those souls from His care. In answer He promises to pray the Father for forgiveness and pardon and to give rest, pouring mercy and grace and truth into the soul, so that pardon is granted and written opposite their names, every confessed case He takes up is gained, and the sinner is accepted in the Beloved.

Christ placed by appointment at the altar in heaven as Advocate clothed with human nature ever lives to intercede as the risen and ascended Son of man, and His work is to introduce believers to God as His sons and daughters. Christ has pledged Himself to be substitute and surety, He neglects no one, and as man's Advocate and High Priest before the Father He pleads the case of those left on earth as in court week, asking that those given Him be with Him where He is to behold His glory. The incense is His merits, His self-denial and self-sacrifice, and the perfect obedience of His life, treasured in heaven as an inexhaustible fund, and as the sincere humble prayers of sinners ascend He mingles with them the merits of His own life of perfect obedience so the prayers are made fragrant. That Christ should take human nature, by a life of humiliation elevate men in moral worth with God, carry His adopted nature to the throne of God, and there present His children to the Father to receive honor exceeding that of angels, able to save to the uttermost all who come to God by Him and speaking through God's appointed agencies, is the mystery of godliness, the marvel of the heavenly universe, love that melts the sinner's heart.

Assurance That Prayer Prevails

No humble sincere prayer of faith is overlooked, but every such prayer is heard in heaven, and those who seek the Lord with all their heart and learn their duty may have full assurance of this. When prayers are sincere and earnest and mingled with faith they come up before God like sweet incense, for God hears every prayer offered with the incense of faith. The King of kings bends low to listen to prayer coming from a humble contrite heart, and an earnest prayer from such a heart that desires to do the Master's will is of more value in His sight than eloquence of speech. Even one who has no voice in legislative councils, senates or parliaments has access to God, so that the weakest child of God may exert an influence in harmony with the councils of heaven, the cry of the soul rising above street din and machinery noise to the heavenly courts where the rainbow about the throne pledges that God is true and unchanging. To have prayers accepted believers must watch unto prayer, allow nothing to divert their minds from God, guard against conforming to the world and separating their affections from God, and trust Him as strength and shield.

Every sincere prayer is heard though it may not be fluently expressed, for if the heart is in it it ascends to the sanctuary where Jesus ministers and He presents it to the Father beautiful and fragrant with the incense of His love and perfection. His righteousness refines and ennobles even prayers spoken with imperfect words, making them acceptable to God, so that unworthy erring mortals can pray effectually and be linked with the infinite God. Jesus hears even the simple prayers of the youngest children and offers them to God with the incense of His own spotless merits, mingling His purity and loveliness of character with them so they come up as a sweet smelling savor. Children who give their hearts to Jesus and love Him with full affection are not repulsed, for He loves them and as the true Shepherd guides them as lambs of His fold to have beautiful characters, while the brief testimonies of repenting children and youth who begin a new life ascend like incense and angels look with gladness on their hope and determination.

Silent petitions offered to God throughout daily work rise before His throne like precious holy incense, with the Christian's heart remaining fixed on God who is present to help and protect. Even during ordinary work such silent prayers are received at the throne, keeping the heart turned toward God and stayed upon Him. Silent fervent prayer offered while engaged in daily labor rises like holy incense to the throne of grace and is as acceptable as if offered in the sanctuary. Lifting the soul to heaven in this way brings Christ as a present help in time of need, giving protection and peace against Satan's attacks, strength to resist temptation, and courage to be brave and strong in the day of trial.

Heaven is closely allied to families, individual Christians and churches, with the Lord having special interest in His church militant below and in the families of His children on earth. Morning and evening the heavenly universe beholds every household that prays, and the angel with the incense finds access to God for them, so evening prayers in every family should rise steadily in the cool sunset hour speaking the merits of the blood of atonement. Morning and evening prayers from a Christian home ascend like sweet incense with prayer and praise and hymns offered together, the father's household role being as a priest offering sacrifice on God's altar. Angels hear the prayers and praise offered in Christian homes, observe, listen, mark petitions and carry them to Christ who ministers in the heavenly sanctuary and pleads His merits for His people, while mercies and blessings descend like dew, including divine strength to resist temptation and gain victory. The fervent prayers of God-fearing parents are thus carried to heaven by angels as sweet incense and answered with returning blessings.

Jesus as Mediator stands at the golden altar before the throne offering much incense with the prayers of all saints to the Father, which incense is His own merits and precious name to be acknowledged and used in prayer to unlock heaven's storehouse. Prayers offered unitedly in faith so ascend and obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need, for Christ both presents petitions and intercedes and bestows the blessings sought, calling for much prayer and communion with God. Simple prayer prompted by the Holy Spirit ascends and is mingled with the incense of Christ's perfections to rise as fragrance before the Father, and answers come with the descent of the Holy Spirit, souls coming to knowledge of the truth, sinners converted with faces turned heavenward, and new witnesses inspired with motives for action. As the incense rises with the prayers and confessions of God's people, light rests on Jesus and the mercy seat and glory comes to Him and is shed upon those who pray, blessing those troubled by transgression of God's law with hope and joy to proclaim the third angel's warning and honor God's sanctified rest day. Humble heartbroken intercessions ascend with the church's service and workers' labor for sinners, and prayers for the suffering and oppressed are reported and kept in heaven's imperishable record, bringing dependence on God's strength to stand firm.

The temple of God is opened in heaven with its threshold flushed with glory for every church that will love God and keep His commandments. With spiritual eyesight gained by study, meditation, prayer and the golden eyesalve, faith cuts through the hellish shadow of Satan and discerns the inner courts of the celestial temple and the heavenly choir round the throne, seeing Christ as Advocate offering up the incense of His own merits with the prayers of believers in their behalf. Seeing this as it is reveals the immensity and diversity of the love of God, quickens insensible hearts, shines light into the soul, opens wonderful things out of the Word, and turns murmuring, complaining and lamentation over little disappointments into penetrating light and precious songs of praise and thanksgiving in the assembly of the saints around the throne. Those serving Satan remain cut off from any view of God and heaven.

Prophecy Warning and Practice

The verse shows the work Christ is doing now in the heavenly sanctuary in the great day of atonement. The angel at the golden altar before the throne is Christ as great High Priest standing before the mercy seat, fulfilling what the earthly high priest illustrated when he stood before the ark in the most holy place with the prayers of repentant Israel. He receives the prayers offered by humbled hearts with confession and repentance, coming like the publican, and presents them to the Father mingled with much incense of His own righteousness. As Advocate and Representative He pleads each penitent case before the Father in the court of heaven, making intercession and atonement for them. In answer He promises to pray the Father for forgiveness and pardon and to give rest, pouring mercy and grace and truth into the soul, so pardon is granted and written opposite their names and their sins are pardoned. Every confessed case He takes up is gained and the sinner is accepted in the Beloved, making confession and humbling of soul the only position of safety and hope.

He gave His life so sinners might be saved through faith in His name, and He is now at the right hand of God still standing at the altar of incense presenting the prayers of His saints as the only one who can avail as intercessor. This interceding work of mercy at the mercy seat is still going on but lasts only a little longer. It will soon end when He gives the vials of His wrath into the hands of the angels around His throne with commission to pour them out upon His rebellious subjects in this world until everything opposed to the principles of God's government is consumed. Soon He will step down from the mercy seat, mercy will end, and then it will be too late. Therefore now is the time for preparation to be Christians ready for the haven and the heavenly mansions Christ is preparing.

The saints' prayers are presented before God, and their day-and-night cry for deliverance in the time of trouble comes before Him. Prayers and praise offered in faith are brought by ministering angels to Christ, who serves in the heavenly sanctuary and presents His merits on behalf of His people. He stands as Mediator presenting the prayers of His people before the Father, and their prayers are like fragrant incense mingled with His own merit and spotless righteousness. This gives believers confidence to approach God humbly and with holy boldness.

Christ's works, love, mercy and righteousness ascend before God as holy fragrant incense and are wholly acceptable to Him. His righteousness is the incense that makes believers' obedience acceptable to God, filling every act of obedience with divine fragrance. Human beings cannot attain holiness or overcome sin by their own wisdom and strength; divine grace works through submission to the Spirit, while believers persevere in overcoming faults and humbly seek the Saviour's help.

The holy incense offered upon the golden altar before the throne is the sweet perfume of a life refined and sanctified by the grace of Christ and truth received in the heart. Truth is delicate and elevating and never makes the receiver coarse and rough and uncourteous, but trains the soul after Christ's pattern and molds and fashions the character for the courts above. Due attention to the little things of life, acts of politeness and tender regard of brother for brother, kind encouraging words in the family circle between parents and children, kindness, gentleness, forbearance and longsuffering, become great things that breathe a sweet perfume which ascends to God as holy incense. Soft, peaceable and encouraging words spoken in the family circle ascend as precious incense like fragrance to the throne of God, coming from Christlike habits of home life stamped upon the character. Where this love is manifested an angel presence is in the home, while neglect of these things confirms unchristlike habits.

Tactful personal work for souls rises to God as pleasant incense upon the golden altar. Coming close to individuals, speaking a word in season to them, and offering prayers in their behalf in addition to preaching is the potent agency for good that ascends with the incense. Habitual communion with God keeps the experience right and keeps the words right, so the offering is made with sacred fire and not with common or strange fire. So the speaker must stop in season and avoid wearing himself into nervous debility in preaching in order to keep strength and ability for that work.

Prayer ascends to God as sweet incense, and prayer and holy song are to accompany the work of those building the Lord's institutions as they depend on God for help and guidance. Their prayer and holy song are constant acknowledgment of God as Giver and of entire dependence, seeking counsel in humility while laboring together with God for suffering humanity under His watch with the fruits of the Spirit revealed in all actions.