REMNANTS OF TIME. 499 Some have supposed indeed these cherubs and flaming sword are only flaming division visible, made of burning pitch and such materials, and that this was kindled in the borders of that ground to guard it from men, and that it is attributed to . angels after the Jewish manner : Others think it the divine Shecinah itself guarding the passage to the tree of life, and cherubs are added by Moses to represent God's being attended with invisible angels. But neither of these two last suppositions carry probability with them, because the word cherub is never used in narratives for mere invisible powers, nor for visible in- animate beings ; but it always signifies some visible figure of one animated being or more joined together, though it is designed to denote these invisible angelic powers. The next scripture where it is mentioned is Ex. xxv. IS. Among the orders given to Moses for making the ark and the mercy-seat, with the two cherubs to cover it with their wings, one at one end and' the other at the other end. Ver. 19, 20. * And whatsoever 'figure belonged to these cherubs which is so much unknown to us, it was certainly a common idea and well known figure to the Jews in that day ; .fur Moses loth not Con- cern himself to give any particular description of them cis he does almost of every thing else, and yet the Jewish artificers made them right. Some think that these two cherubs on the ark were in the shape of flying oxen, something near to that figure, and that for these reasons: 1. Because both their faces looked toward one another, old yet both faces downward toward the mercy -seat ; Ex. xxv. 20. and xxxvii. 9. which posture and description is well suited to an ox,, but not so happily adapted to the figure and aspect of the face of a man. 2. Because the same face which is called the face of an ox ; Ezek. i. 10. is called the face of a cherub ; Ezek. x. 14. and thus a cherub's face is actually and expressly distinguished from that of a man, and determined to be the face of an ox. 3. Because God is said to ride upon a cherub ; Ps. xviii. 10. Though this be a metaphorical expression to describe the grandeur and majesty of God, yet the metaphor must be derived from some correspondent sensible figure: Now the figure of a * The Cherubs in Solomon's temple stand in another situation; I Kings vi. 23. for they are placed side by side, so that their fourwings rrar'hed the whole length' of the most holy place. But these seem to be made as some further attendants on the Shecinah or divine glory, besides the two cherubs which were on the mer..y- seat ; for it was the very same ark which Moses made chat was introduced into Solomon's temple ; I Mom. viii. O. and the cherubs on it were beaten ott of Lite same mass of gold }which m de the mercy-seat -or covering of the ark; End.. xxxvii. 7. S. so that it is not likely those ancient cherubs continued there still, and Solomon's were additional attendants in the most holy plis ce, of a much larger size and overshadowing those on the mercy-seat.
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