And again, They looking back all th' eastern side beheld Wav'd over by that flaming brand, the gate The words in the original may either be understood metaphorically of a flame like a sword, or it may be translated a consuming flame, a flame of burning heat; the original word' often signifying an exhausting and violent heat. The word which we translate turned every way, is in Hithpael, and signifies an action upon itself; it is used in the same conjugation in other passages, where the sense seems to be that of revolving or rolling.3 Ezekiel in his vision of the cherubim, describing the fire that preceded their appearance, says that it infolded itself. 4 The last words of the passage in question, to keep the way of the tree of life, admit of two opposite interpretations-either to shut it up from all access, or to prevent it from being wholly closed. Perhaps the following interpretation-that the end for which the cherubim and flaming sword were placed at the east of the garden of Eden, was to close for ever the way to the old tree of life, and also to open the way to one better suited to man's altered circumstances and situation— will reconcile both interpretations. As soon as man was expelled from Paradise, the original covenant was ended, and he was cut off from all the means of grace and spiritual life that it held forth; and therefore it might be expected that his merciful and beneficent Creator would, in pursuance of the great scheme of salvation, through the promised seed of the woman, which he had thrown out to him as an anchor of hope, would supply him with other means suited to his fallen state, by which he might be renewed unto holiness, and gradually nourished in grace, so as at last to be prepared to undergo the sentence passed upon him with a prospect before him of entering into that rest that remaineth for the people of God. Having, I trust, not upon slight grounds, made it appear probable, that the cherubim, by the Deity himself, were placed in the original temple or tabernacle, and were intimately connected with that form of worship which was instituted by him in consequence of that sad event, the fall of man from his primeval state of holiness and happiness; I shall next endeavour to ascertain what these multiform images represented. But I must first premise a few observations upon the legitimate mode of collecting truths of this description from Holy Scripture, and I must here recall to the reader's recollection the observation of Solomon before quoted—It is the glory of God to conceal a thing. A number of important truths are delivered in Holy Writ, which are veiled truths, which we shall never discover if we adhere to the letter, and content ourselves with admiring the richness and beauty of the setting, without paying any attention to the gem it encircles or conceals. Some writers require a clear, distinct, and explicit statement, before they will admit any thing as revealed in Scripture, be the circumstantial evidence of the fact ever so strong. For instance some eminent theologians deny the Divine origin of sacrifices, because no command of God to Adam or Noah to offer them is recorded to have been given; yet one should think the practice of righteous Abel, and of Noah, perfect in his generations, and God's acceptance of their respective sacrifices,' was a sufficient proof that this was no act of will-worship, but one of obedience to a Divine institution. The circumstance that God clothed Adam and Eve in the skins of beasts, proves that beasts had been slain, which were most probably offered up as victims representing the great atonement, the promised seed—and the clothing of them in their skins was an indication that they wanted garments, in the place of their own innocency and righteousness, to cover their nakedness, and that they now stood as clothed in the righteousness of Him whose heel was to be bruised for them. The distinction also of clean and unclean beasts directly sanctioned by the Deity, and which alone might be offered in sacrifice, is another circumstance confirmative of the common opinion. 2 God, both in his word and in his works, for the exercise and improvement of the intellectual powers of his servants, and thatBy reason of use they may have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil;”3 has rendered it indispensable that those 66 3 1 Genes. iv. 4. viii. 20, 21. Ibid. and vii. 2, 3. who would understand them, and gain a correct idea of his plan in them, should collect and place in one point of view things that in Nature and Scripture are scattered over the whole surface, so that by comparing one part with another they may arrive at a sound conclusion. Hence it happens that, in Scripture, when any truth is first to be brought forward, it is not by directly and fully enunciating and defining it, so that he who runs may read and comprehend it, but it is only incidentally alluded to, or some circumstance narrated which, if duly weighed and traced to its legitimate consequences, puts the attentive student in possession of it. Such notices are often resumed, and further expanded, in subsequent parts of the sacred volume, and sometimes we are left to collect that an event has happened, or an institution delivered to the patriarchal race, without its being distinctly recorded, from circumstances which necessarily or strongly imply it. In a trial in a court of justice it very commonly happens that no direct proof of an event can be produced, and yet the body of circumstantial evidence is so concatenated and satisfactory as to leave no doubt upon the minds of the f VOL. I. |