2. THE cherubims, and the flaming sword, turning every way to guard the way of the tree of life, were representations and emblems full of instruction. The flaming sword very naturally represented the sword of divine justice pointed at the sinner. Adam and Eve, it is to be observed, had become in a measure sensible of their wickedness in what they had done, before this solemn and affecting scenery was presented before them. They knew that God had said, in the day they ate of the forbidden tree, they should surely die. They could not but suppose, that this was the sword to avenge the injured justice of God. And, as it turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life, it would naturally suggest to them the utter impossibiltty of the sinner's making his way to it, otherwise than on the point of it. The conclusion was easy and natural, and could hardly fail of being made by guilty man, that there was no way for the sinner to obtain a covenant-security of life in the favor of God, but on the point of this terrible sword. It was fitted to give him to see, that divine justice made its challenge; and must have its demands: And that, whoever should ever open a way for the sinner to obtain the divine favor, must do it on the very point of this sword, and be himself pierced by it. The instruction here held up, therefore was, that, in the first place, a sinner never could work out a righteousness of his own, in which he might appear before the holy God-This was absolutely in possible: For nothing short of perfect, persevering obedience woul be sufficient for this:And, in the next place, that divine justice, which guards the government of God, and drives the sinner from his presence and favor must be satisfied, and its rights sécured, before it could be that a sinner should ever, in any way, become the object of divine favor :-And, that thus to fulfil the law of God, and satisfy his justice, was absolutely and infinitely impossible for the sinner. Hapless, wretched, desperate state of the sinner, as to any thing in himself, or any kind of power or sufficiency of his own ever to obtain relief! As God designed mercy for Adam and his posterity, and had already given him intimations of it, how fit and suitable was it that these solemn truths should be deeply impressed on his conscience and heart; that he might be prepared to sec,

at what vast and infinite expense salvation is wrought out for sinners; and, thereby, be enabled more properly to estimate the worth of divine mercy, and see its glory!

As to the cherubims, perhaps their import and signi fication are not so plain and obvious, as those of the fla ming sword. By cherubim, it has generally been supe posed, are meant holy angels, who are God's ministers, both to execute his judgments, and protect and defend his chosen ones among men— For they are sent forth to minister to those, who shall be heirs of salvation. Possibly, however, something else may be designed, in this place, and in some others, besides a representation of any ministration of angels. We are to remember, that God's dealings with our first parents, after their sin and fall, were unspeakably kind and tender. He purposed to shew mercy to the transgressors-All his treatment of them corresponded with the gracious design, and indicated it. In the midst of judgment, he remembered mercy. Even before he ejected them from the garden, and doomed them to toil and sorrow here in this life, he gave the ever memorable and gracious promise, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. He pitied their nakedness, and made coverings for them; and these of the skins of beasts, probably, offered, by his direction in sacrifice, and by him accepted. There is rea son, accordingly, to suppose, that, even before he turnedthem out of the garden, he began to soften their hearts by the power of divine grace. The various circumstan.. ces attending their being driven out, which concurred to impress them with a sense of their wickedness, and sorrow for it, all carried, at the same time, kindness and goodness in them. It is readily seen, that it was fit, di vine justice, with the sword of which they merited to be pierced, should be held up before the eyes of our first parents as it, was in the flaming sword, which turned every way. But, yet, it seems hardly to correspond with the kind and gracious intimations given them, of pardon and mercy, to suppose that, in that wonderful scenery, which was presented, around the tree of life, there should be nothing but emblems of terror and wrath to man.

THERE are some objections, which possibly, may be thought of weight, against the opinion, that the Cherubims mentioned in the text were representations of holy angels. The words, Cherub, and Cherubim which is the plural, Hebricians tell us do not originally signify intelligent beings-rational creatures, but emblematical representations of something. We have a very particular account of theirappearance, in the 1st and in the 10th chapters of the prophecy of Ezekiel. There they are said to have each one four faces; the face of a man and of a lion on one side, the face of an ox and of an eagle on the other: And, besides their wings, the hands of a man, and the feet of a calf-being, also, full of eyes within and without. By the description we have of the four beasts, in the fourth chapter of the Revelations, it appears, they were the same as the cherubim. It seems hardly probable, that this is designed to be an image or representation of the holy angels. There is no reason to suppose, that they have, each, four faces, that of a man and a lion, and of an ox and an eagle: And, as being full of eyes, within and without, or before and behind, is a natural emblem of omniscience, it is hardly supposable, that the holy angels should be so represented.

MOSES was directed to make a cherubim and connect them with the mercy seat, which was over the ark of the testament, in the most holy place in the tabernacle, Exod. xxv. 18, 19. And within the oracle, in the temple, Solomon made two cherubims; and he carved all the walls of the house round about, with carved figures of cherubims. See, 1 Kings, vi. 23, 29. These cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and covered the ark, 1 Kings, viii. 7. When the children of Israel were so prone to imitate the example of the nations round about them, and fall into idolatry, it should seem rather improbable, that God himself should direct so many images, or representations of any celestial creature to be in the very place, where the most solemn and sacred parts of his worship were to be performed. These are some of the difficulties in the way of the more generally received interpretation of cherubim. But this is not all; John saw the four beasts, which are the same as the cherubims, not only round about the

throne of God, but in the midst of it, Rev. iv. 6. As the holy scriptures clearly represent the church, the bride, the Lamb's wife, as being the first and highest object among creatures, of divine love; and, as being brought into a greater nearness to God, and a more intimate and delightful union with him; it would be unnatural to suppose, that there is an order of angels, four in number, admitted into so endearing a union, and so exalted a seat as their being round about the throne and in the midst of the throne, would necessarily import. These difficulties in the way of understanding the cherubims to be, either the holy angels, or emblematical representations of them, may induce us, at least, to inquire, whether they were not of some other and different import.

WHEN We consider, that, in all God's dealings with men, since the fall, and since the first gracious promise, mercy and truth, righteousness and peace meet together, and unite with each other; this may assist us in opening and understanding many of the figurative and symbolical representations, which were made use of previously to the coming of Christ. God frequently made use of hieroglyphics heretofore, for the instruction of his people; and, many of them strikingly represented the thing designed. Possibly, the cherubims placed at the east of the garden might have been an emblematical representation of those glorious divine attributes, which so wonderfully unite and harmonize in the great work of redemption. We know that, heretofore, a bullock was, most generally used in burnt offerings, as a sacrifice of atonementAnd this to prefigure the atonement, which Christ made by being himself a sacrifice, and making his soul or life an offering for sin. Were the cherubims a hieroglyphic of the union of righteousness and mercy, and of their glorious display in the work of redemption; the face of a man, in the cherub, might represent the human nature of Christ-of an ox, his becoming, himself, a sacrifice for sin;-being full of eyes within and without, his Divinity. The same, also, of the hands of a man, and the feet of a calf, which were parts of the cherubim. These parts of the cherubims were a figurative representation of the wonderful kindness and mercy of God to his people. The faces of a lion and an eagle, the one a

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beast of prey, remarkable for his strength; the other, a bird of prey, remarkable for his swiftness; might denote judgment and vengeance on the enemies of Christ and his church.

AFTER God had promised our first parents, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, he instituted sacrifices as types, undoubtedly, of the sacrifice of this seed; and, to give intimation of the way, in which everlasting righteousness was to be brought in. What the import was, of the flaming sword turning every way to guard the way of the tree of life, has been before shown. If the import of the cherubims was, as here suggested, the whole scenery around the tree of life, was really much of the same import, and expressive of the same thing, as was signified by the furniture of the most holy place in the temple of Solomon. In this part of the temple, there was, first, the ark of the covenant, securing the law, and holding and claiming the rights of justice. Above, upon it, was the mercy seat, and the cherubim stretching out their wings over it :here were the clearest intimations of mercy. In this was a representation of the union and harmony of righteousness and mercy, in God's dealings with his people.

WERE these, the emblematical representations, at the garden of Eden, they were very instructive and affecting-They corresponded with the treatment God gave our first parents, after their sin and fall. And, toward these cherubims Adam and Eve would, probably, worship. Not forgetting, that imagination may be too much indulged in explaining figurative and emblematical representations; whether, what has been said above, give the true import of the scenery guarding the way of the tree of life, must now be left with the reader to judge for himself.

APPLICATION.

1. SOME may, perhaps, be disposed to inquire, what the effect would have been, after our first parents were made naked by taking of the forbidden fruit, had they gone immediately and taken of the tree of life, and ate? Respecting this, it may be observed, that it was what