97 



military chaiacler in tins emblem, and its adjuncts : the word 

 which has been translated staves, * by which the ark was car- 

 ried, has created some dispute ; it is rendered " vectes," and is 

 said to be figurative of the great men of the state: Grotius ob- 

 serves, " Vectes recie vocantur, qui armis rempublicam sustentant;" 

 and with this tliought some Rabbins agree, for, as the Bishop adds, 

 tl'.e oiiginal " is properly a military ivord." 



I proceed to consider the typical character of the Cherubim. 



The law of the Jews, which was f " rather a public and solemn 

 " declaration of allegiance to the true God, in opposition to the 

 " Gentile idolatries, than a pure and spiritual obedience in moral 

 " and religious matters, which was reserved for that more 

 " perfect system appointed to succeed in due time, Avhen the 

 " state of mankind would admit," had, as St. Paul J expresses 

 it, " a shadow of good things to come ;" and, to suit the character 

 of establishments progressively advancing towards higher degrees 



VOL. XIII. O 



» Exod. ?5. V. 13, 14, and IS. 



f Magee on Atonement, v. 1. p. 591. 



:]; See Heb. 10. 1. on which Grotius comments thus, " Lex vetus dupliciter spectatur ; aut 

 " carnaliter, aut spiritualiter. Camaliter qua instiumentum fuit vo>.ninx.i reipubHcae Judaiose; 

 " spiritualiter, qua o-xia* iix.^ tihv /is^Xo»rii)v." It may not be unimportant here to observe shortly, 

 how agreeable to the nature of man was this emblematical mode of communicating with his 

 chosen people, which was adopted by the Deity ; which, even in the pure preaching of 

 Christianity, was in some degree continued by our Saviour, in his beautiful parables. — Lan- 

 guage itself in its original composition is often a kind of oral hieroglj phic, and compound 

 idciis are frequently expressed by the modified names of simple ideas, with which the abstract 

 one will readily associate. To instance this remark : the English word " ruminate," signifies 

 " to chew the cud ;'' and also to bring into use, from the memory, knowledge already re- 

 ceived. Thus is this latter very abstract idea expressed by the name of a striking analogy in 

 «jmple nature. The oriental languages abound with raoie and stronger examples. 



