408 APPENDIX. NOTES. 



from this passage, first, that the faces looked in opposite 

 directions ; and secondly, that they were united so as to 

 form one head. Archbishop Newcome supposes that the 

 cherubim here described had the same number of faces 

 with those described in the first chapter, only that those of 

 the ox and the eagle were non-apparent, being below the 

 plane; 1 but however this may be, it is evident that the 

 face of the man and the lion were joined together so as to 

 constitute one head, so that in this respect the cherubic 

 image was triform. 



That the several heads, or rather faces, of the lion, the 

 ox, and the eagle individually symbolize the first light, 

 the second fire or heat, and the third wind or air, seems to 

 be the most probable opinion, and is adopted by those 

 writers who have most thoroughly investigated the subject: 

 I shall therefore refer the reader to their works, 2 and shall 

 here only inquire what the union of the lion's face with 

 that of the man seems intended to signify. But few argu- 

 ments will be necessary, I think, to convince any unpre- 

 judiced person that, amongst the physical cherubim, this 

 union symbolizes the clouds. A cloud may be stated to 

 consist of two parts, the one visible and ponderable, and 

 the other invisible and imponderable. The visible part 

 every one is aware is water, which as the lion's face is un- 

 derstood to symbolize the light, must be represented by 

 the human face; and it is worthy of notice, that the Egyp- 

 tian god Canopus, who presided over the element of water, 

 was represented with a human head affixed to a vase : but 

 in considering what is the invisible and imponderable part 

 of a cloud, it is not so easy to prove that it is light alone. 



1 Ezek. 167. 



2 See Maurice Indian Antiq. iv. 611 14. Parkhurst Heb. 

 Lex. m3. 



