176 A NATURAL HISTORY 



the Inhabitation of the Deity in the Tabernacle and Temple, 

 might be an Emblem of Mercy, to which the Sacrifices were of- 

 fer'd : and may not Cherubims be fo conftrued here? N, B. May 

 we not date the firfl Inftitution of Sacrifice here, which foon ap- 

 pear'd in the Hiftory of Cain and Abelf 



God might addrefs our firft Parents after this manner ; View 

 thefe wonderful Sights over the Gate, behold in them the Scheme 

 of Salvation ! The Text thus interpreted, gives the Tempter a 

 frefli Mortification, to fee his bloody Defign defeated, and our 

 £rft Parents reflored to Favour at the Gate of Eden^ in which he 

 had triumph'd over them ; and that which encreafed his Vexation 

 was, to fee this done by Chriji, the promifed Seed, one of the hu" 

 man Race. 



I N the Tabernacle and Temple there were no Reprefentations 

 of God, but only emblematical Figures eredled over the Mercy- 

 Seat, called the Cherubims ; in, or between them, the Deity is 

 faid to dwell ; and the Law obliged the yeivs to bring the Blood 

 of the Sacrifice before the Face of God in the Cherubims, chat is, 

 within the Vail, on the Day of Expiation : and here God might 

 direft our firft Parents to bring their Sacrifices to him, who was 

 in a fpecial manner prefent in the Cherubims over the Gate. 



But fuppofing Adam and Rve had, after their Expulfion, en- 

 ter'd Paradife ; I don't fee what valuable End it would have an- 

 fwered, for the fpecial '^omifes made to the firft Inhabitants of 

 Paradife were now null and void. All the Bleflings peculiar to 

 that glorious Situation, were irrecoverably loft. It was not in the 

 power of that once facred Seat to reinftate them in their priftine 

 Happinefs. 



Obj, Co u X D not the Tree of Life reftore their forfeited Com- 

 forts ? I prefume not ; becaufe the Tree of Life, in the Defign 

 of it, was to perpetuate the happy Life of innocent Man, and not 

 to reflore the Life and Comforts of Criminals under a Sentence 

 of Death ; a Sentence irrepealable, which even the Death of our 

 Blefled Redeemer does not exempt us from. 



Upon the whole, I can fcarcely think that thefe ftrange and 

 awful Sights or Figures, over the Eaft Gate of Rdeji, were only 

 to frighten our firft Parents, whofe diftrefi'ed State flood in need 

 of Divine Supports. To be cafl out of Paradife was a Mortifica- 

 tion that needed not a fuper- added Terror j therefore to make 



thofe 



