bolic of our journey to the heavenly Canaan, are acknowledged facts. And it is highly confirmatory of the halt we are ordained to sustain in the paradisaic region previous to our admission into the great heavenly Canaan, to observe the symbolic halt ordained for the children of Israel, previous to their admission into the terrestrial Canaan: "And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees, and they encamped there by the waters," (Exod. xv. 27,) as evidently typical of our encampment in the heavenly paradise, as were the palm trees growing at Elim, the palm trees affixed by king Solomon in the holy place, and the palm trees beheld by Ezekiel in his vision, of this hallowed realm of the heavenly paradisaic garden, destined for our temporary residence on our departure from this present vale of tears. And the allusion to our journey through this life is still further carried on by the record contained in the 16th chapter of Exodus and 35th verse, where it is said, And the children of Israel did eat manna until they came to a land inhabited, (until they came unto the symbol of that glorious land which God himself inhabits-unto the symbol of that resplendent region, where Deity himself reveals his ever blessed presence,) until they came unto the borders of the earthly land of Canaan. All tending to clearly elicit that by the same omnipotent word which calls us, and all the other rational free agents inhabiting these lower heavens, into existence, both we and they are destined to pass a short probation in them, previous

to our removal into that more permanent residence, the tabernacle of the congregation; for an encampment pre-shows a far more durable residence than that in which we now are placed in God's outward court below. From this we shall ascend into that holy place where we shall be perfecting, until we become perfect and fit for presentation to that pure and perfect Being inhabiting eternity. We thus see the three distinct districts of the boundless universe divided for the reception of probationary, perfecting, and perfected beings.

On the subject of these cherubims and palm trees, we are further informed by Ezekiel, that these cherubs were stationed alternately betwixt intermediate palm trees, so that a palm tree was between a cherub and a cherub: and every cherub had two faces; so that the face of a man was toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side. "The face of a man, to express, by the image of the only rational creature on this earth, their clearness of intelligence and strength of reason."* "The face of a lion, significant of their courage of a young lion, descriptive of their strength and agility ;" and there is, we think, likewise an intimation contained in the word 'young,' that these cherubs are the offspring of a much later creation than those morning stars, who dwell in higher heavens. That these cherubims were inferior to the cherubims of glory, the blessed inhabitants of the holiest of holies, the

* Doddridge.

circumstances we now proceed to state conspire to evince. Their destined residence is the secondary subordinate region: their hieroglyphic representation has two faces, denotive of an intellect much superior to ours, but bearing no proportion whatever in its signification to the description of those wonderful beings, those cherubims of glory, who are in the midst of, and round about, the throne of God; and whose amazing faculties and extraordinary intelligence are described by "creatures full of eyes, before and behind." (Rev. iv. 6.) By the wide distinction in the command for their delineation, these last being ordained to be made of pure and solid gold out of one piece, (Exod. xxxvii. 7,) whereas the others were only symboled by embroidery on vails, and gravings upon walls;-by the signal mention made by St. Paul respecting those highest orders of created beings, affixing unto them the appellation of cherubims of glory, while he passes entirely unnoticed the typical representation of the subordinate order on the vails and walls; and, by Jehovah being so oft addressed in Scripture, as that great God, who dwells between the cherubims of glory. We are not much versed in eternal annals, but from what we do know, it appears even more than probable that the revolting angels were the origin of exemplified evil; and that previous to their rebellion the various orders of celestial beings enjoyed in bliss the presence of their God, though a diminution must have of course occurred during the period of their appointed conflicts. But could

archangels, cherubims, or seraphims complain when by the eternal purpose of the eternal God, the manifestation of his own beloved Son was pre-ordained, in the dread event of their defection, to destroy the works produced by their cursed operations? That dread event at length did partially take place, and has thereby demonstrated for ever, that no exaltation of rank, no superiority of endowments, no participation of felicity, could ensure salvation, without the cultivation of inherent virtue. And many passages of Scripture concur to show, that heaven itself was the high station where they sustained their trials.

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There was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the Devil and Satan; he was cast out, and his angels were cast out with him." (Rev. xii. 7-9.) "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." (Luke x. 18.) At this tremendous epoch, we should conceive, a period was put unto the trials with which the highest orders of created beings were ordained occasionally to cope. Those blessed angels who kept their first estate also retained their primitive habitation. (Jude 6.) Those dignities who fell had sinned past redemption, and were for ever banished from their primitive habitation.

Now, we are disposed to think, that the high appellation of cherubims of glory has been conferred on all those various orders of elevated

victors, who triumphantly stood their test-who in full glory now are permanently fixed; behold, in fulness of all glory, the glorious presence of the God of glory in glory there to dwell, henceforth for evermore. These, doubtless, exhibit as various degrees of glory as distinctions in orders; but they are all, even the lowest, glorious, glorified, and illustrious beings, and are so described in every scriptural representation of them, and by their great Lord and head, who alone unto us could appreciate their holiness and glorious rank: in the great high emporium, they are styled the holy angels, (Luke ix. 26,) and the angels of God, (Luke xv. 10.) "Whosoever shall confess him before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God." (Luke xii. 8, 9.) And when foretelling his second advent, he places them in the following glorious connexion: "When the Son of man shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels," (Luke ix. 26,) declaring also that when He comes in glory, that all the holy angels will come with him. (Matt. xxv. 31.) And as it will give a clearness to the present subject of our contemplation, we shall, through our ensuing pages, attach the title of cherubims of glory to all the inmates of the holiest of holies; and that of paradisaic cherubs, to those inferior orders who inhabit paradise. The highest of these is probably the link which joins unto the lowest order of the cherubims of glory, whilst the lowest order of the paradisaic cherubs again unites unto the highest of probationary beings. But though the ministrations of