accomplishment of the end. If it had been intended only to prevent fallen man from having access to the tree of life, means more natural might have been suggested than an angel-guard armed with flaming fire; and it is still more extraordinary, that this should be placed "at the east of Eden," in order to protect a tree which grew in "the midst" of the garden. The second hypothesis appears to be still more untenable. That Jehovah, who laid it down as a primary law of revealed religion, that no likeness or resemblance of anything "in heaven or earth" should be made or exhibited in connection with his holy and spiritual worship, should, in this striking way, present to mankind a visible representation of his divine Majesty, seems most improbable. This improbability is rendered absolute, by the circumstance, that there is great reason for believing the cherubim in the Mosaic tabernacle to have been modeled after those paradisiacal forms; and the whole tenor of that dispensation shows that these were by no means intended to be regarded as a representation of the divine Majesty.

In this difficulty, we have to collect that information on the subject to which we have access, and then form a careful judgment respecting it.

Of the word itself, we are told that it never appears as a verb in the Hebrew Bible, and, therefore, is supposed to be compounded of ke, a particle of resemblance, "like to," "like as," and rub, "he was great, powerful," &c. It is, indeed, the formal name of magnificence, or majesty, and dominion. If we refer to the opinions of ancient authors as to the application of the term under consideration, it may be stated that Grotius says the cherubim were figures like a calf. Bochart and Spencer think they were very nearly the figure of an ox. Josephus says they were extraordinary creatures, of a figure unknown to mankind. Clemens, of Alexandria, believes that the Egyptians imitated the cherubim of the Hebrews in their sphinxes and hieroglyphical animals. The descriptions which Scripture gives of the cherubim appear to differ; but all agree in representing a figure composed of various creatures a man, an ox, an eagle, and a lion.

The first use of the term is in the passage under consideration; the second is, where Moses is instructed to make it or them of the gold of the mercy-seat, and to portray them on the veil. Exod. xxv, 17-22; xxvi, 31, 32. The third is where Solomon. is instructed to frame others around the holiest of all, besides those upon the mercy-seat, which were then carried into

the temple. 1 Chron. xxviii, 18. See also 1 Kings vi, 23-35; 2 Chron. iii, 7-14. The fourth is in Psalm lxxx, where God is said "to dwell between" them. The fifth reference is in the visions of Ezekiel. Ezek. x, 1-20; xi, 22; xli, 18, 20, 25. The sixth is in the vision which John saw of the four living creatures around the throne, and in the midst of the throne; and although the term is not used, yet the description corresponds so exactly with Ezekiel's vision, that there can be no doubt of the identity. Rev. iv, 6-11.

We request particular attention to these passages. We begin with the last. That our readers may see the force of this spirited description, we direct attention to chap. v, the whole of which must be read, in order to apprehend the scope of the writer. We give the most important words: "I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all' the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." Verses 6-9. We do not pretend to unravel the mysterious import of these sublime predictions; but, we think, enough appears on the surface of the passage to warrant the opinion, that it was intended to exhibit the infinite prevalency of the vicarious sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the revela tion and consummation of the great purposes of God through the redemption which is in his blood. This seems to be clear; and we satisfy ourselves with having elicited this general application of the prophecy.

We now turn to the vision of Ezekiel, and request a careful reading of the eleventh chapter of his prophecies; in which we have a description of the throne of God, encompassed by living creatures, (compare chap. i,) improperly rendered "beasts" in the Revelation. Here, too, we have their compounded nature exhibited-a cherub, a man, a lion, an eagle. This passage appears mainly to allude to the abandonment of the temple by

Almighty God, on account of the idolatry and wickedness of the Israelites; but it is important to observe, that Ezekiel, who was a priest, and consequently well acquainted with the interior of the temple and the holy place, on seeing this glorious representation, exclaims, "I knew that they were the cherubims." Chap. x, 20. It is clear, therefore, that when the mysteries of redemption were revealed to the mind of the prophet of the Apocalypse, precisely the same imagery was employed as when God signified to Ezekiel his retirement from the temple, which had been consecrated to his glory at Jerusalem; and that this imagery was modeled in exact resemblance to that which was placed over the mercy-seat in the Jewish tabernacle. As the direction given to Solomon does not contain any additional feature in the subject, we proceed to the directions given by God to Moses for the formation of the holiest of all in the tabernacle: "And they shall make an ark of shittim wood. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold ..... And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee. And thou shalt make a mercy-seat of pure gold: and thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy-seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end : even of the mercy-seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy-seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy-seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. And thou shalt put the mercy-seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony." Exod. XXV, 10-22.

Now it will be observed by the careful reader, that, minute and particular as is this account, we have in it no description of the cherubim their position is most carefully pointed out, but their form is not described. This is a most important consideration, as it inevitably warrants the conclusion that these figures were well known, and that all that was necessary was to point out their relative position in the Mosaic tabernacle. After the exodus of the Israelites, and before the erection of the tabernacle, Moses speaks of "the presence of the Lord," and the manna is commanded to be laid up "before the Lord, to be kept for your gene

rations;" and it was accordingly "laid up before the testimony to be kept." Exod. xvi, 33, 34. This language appears to warrant the opinion that, before the ecclesiastical polity and the tabernacle ritual were communicated by direct revelation from God, the children of Israel, walking according to the principles of patriarchal faith, had a place which was specially regarded as the seat of the divine Presence, and in which were deposited memorials of his goodness and mercy.

We now refer more particularly to the text which has occasioned these researches. Our authorized version gives it thus: "So he drave out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." Gen. iii, 24. On this passage an excellent author observes: "The word translated 'placed' is literally 'to dwell as in a tabernacle, to inhabit.' The word 'cherubim' has, in the original, the definite article 'the' before it. Sword' is introduced, while no such weapon as a sword had yet been known: the phrase is, the fire of wrath.' A sword, being the instrument of wrath, had afterward the name of 'wrath' applied to it; but in this place the primary idea of the word should be used, because the object to which it was secondarily applied was then unknown. Besides, here, if the word meant 'sword,' the phrase would literally be, 'the fire of sword,' which is absurd. Turning every way' is the same word which the translators render in Ezekiel, chapter i, 'infolding itself;' and 'keep,' although properly translated, does not, in the original, mean here to guard,' but to keep in the sense of 'observe;' in the same sense in which it is used in the phrase, 'to keep the commandments of the Lord.'

"Had the translators of the English Bible, then, not been misled by some idea about a guard around the tree, they would have rendered the verse thus: 'So he drave out the man. And he inhabited' (or 'dwelt between') 'the cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and the fire of wrath' (a fierce fire) 'infolding itself to preserve inviolate the way of the tree of life.'"-Morison's Relig. Hist. of Man, p. 97.

Enough, then, appears to have been obtained by the examination of these Scriptures to warrant the opinion that, under the various aspects in which the dispensation of grace has been presented to man, the imagery, the memorials, and the language now under consideration, have been maintained, and that too with the

same spiritual import. If anything be necessary to confirm this opinion, it is supplied in the following words, in which Ezekiel, applying this figurative language to the king of Tyre, says, "Thou hast been in Eden, the garden of God. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire." Ezek. xxviii, 13, 14. This language clearly proves that the Edenic cherubim were essentially the same with those of the tabernacle and the prophecies.

What is the judgment to which this extended investigation has conducted us? Simply this,-that the cherubim, the fire, and the divine Presence, were manifested in Eden as they were afterward in the temple, to show God's anger against sin, to teach, through the mediation of the promised Saviour, a way of life, and to afford sinful man a way of access unto God. We think these memorials were intended to speak a language more forcible than that of words; and to say, as was afterward said when the same figures were raised in the tabernacle, "There will I meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from between the cherubim." Exod. xxv, 22.

way

of

If our opinion respecting the tree of life be correct, that it stood in some way connected with religious privilege, that it was designed in some sense to represent a spiritual access unto God, then the whole connection of the subject gives a clear and consistent sense, and the God of all grace is seen seated between the cherubim to preserve and maintain among men the the tree of life, the way of spiritual access to himself. We have satisfied ourselves with general terms in this short exposition. We dare not attempt to give a more particular explanation, and doubt whether sufficient light has come down to us to render this possible. But we are of opinion that it was intended that we should have some definite ideas of this part of Holy Scripture; and, with all deference to the many other views which have been propounded, we think these to be substantially

correct.

A brief review of the prominent points which have passed under our notice in this chapter may now be expected; but this cannot be supplied in such a manner as to satisfy all emergent inquiries. Never did human history record such happiness and glory, or detail such tremendous ruin. Never did human nature appear so elevated or so fallen. Here we behold the first pair, in all the charms of their pristine innocence; beautiful in their