Christ; for, we presume, it will scarcely be necessary to insist upon the principle laid down by Saint Paul in his epistle to the Hebrews, that the entire Jewish ritual, with all its laws and ceremonies, infolded within its outward forms the more advanced and spiritual dispensation which was to follow.

Though the eagle, as a metaphorical figure, is frequently used in the Old Testament Scriptures, yet it is only discoverable as interwoven directly with any part of the Jewish dispensation in those cherubim which the prophet Ezekiel saw come in a whirlwind out of the north and he declares that one of the four faces in the head of each of the cherubim was that of an eagle.

Commentators disagree among themselves as to whether the cherubim mentioned in the Old Testament Scriptures are identically one and the same in every case; and it must be confessed that, if the letter of the Scripture be somewhat obscure upon this point, sufficient light has not hitherto been vouchsafed the Church by the teaching of the Holy Spirit to clear up the entire mystery contained under these Jewish symbols. One thing, however, appears to be very evidentnamely, that whilst the cherubim which Moses was commanded to make and to place at the two ends of the mercy seat had only one face, each

of the cherubim seen by Ezekiel had four. A slight attention to the instructions given to Moses, as recorded in Exodus xxv. 20, affords us indubitable evidence, that each cherub attached to the mercy seat could have had only one face, and not four: because the faces of these two cherubim looked one to another, as well as down upon the mercy seat, which obviously could not have been the case had they four faces each—that is, assuming the fact, of which there cannot be any doubt, that the four faces looked four different ways from the head of each cherub.

It is quite apparent also, that when contemplated with a view to a comparison, the cherubim overlooking the mercy seat, and the cherubim seen by Ezekiel coming out of the north, are numerically different; as in the former case there were decidedly only two, whilst in the latter there were four cherubim.

These two important points of dissimilarity are quite sufficient to justify the conclusion that these cherubim are not identically one and the same; but, on the contrary, that they are distinct and separate, and were intended by divine wisdom symbolically to signify, if not altogether different, yet diverse mysteries of truth in the spiritual Church, and doubtless also in the age to

come.

It is not, however, our purpose on the present

occasion, to enter upon the enquiry to what particular forms of spiritual truth they severally point, as we shall find ourselves in a better condition for the prosecution of such an investigation after having given a full interpretation of those four eras of three years and a half each, which, when united, we suppose will compose the last fourteen years of the Gentile dispensation. At present our researches must be restricted to an examination into the typical import of the eagle's face, as exhibited upon each of the four cherubim, as recorded in the first chapter of the prophet Ezekiel.

Before, however, preceding with our subject, it is most essential to observe that these four cherubim seen by Ezekiel had not four heads, but only one head with four faces; and the importance of establishing this fact will become more evident as our interpretation is developed.

The first question which presents itself for solution is what do these cherubim symbolize ? To which we reply, in general terms, that they are typical of the Christian Church, And we rest such a conclusion upon the fact that the four living creatures (misinterpreted in our translation by the word "beast"), mentioned in the vision given to St. John, and recorded in the fourth and fifth chapters of the Apocalypse, are said to sing

a new song on the occasion of the Lion of the tribe of Judah prevailing to open the seven sealed book, as follows-"Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth" (Rev. v. 9, 10). In this song it is quite evident that the symbol of the living creatures is abandoned, so that those who are thereby symbolized appear in their true character, which is, as men redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, and, therefore, can signify none other than the spiritual Church of Christ.

We are enabled to identify these four living creatures seen by the apostle John with the living creatures presented by the prophet Ezekiel, not only because they correspond numerically in both visions, but also because their general appearance is similar; accordingly as it is written, "and the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle" (Rev. iv. 7). It is true that, in some respects, the description of the four living creatures in the Revelation varies from those

seen by the prophet Ezekiel; but it will appear

upon examination that it is in the way of enlargement and addition, which, doubtless, will be found to have their peculiar meaning; but, inasmuch as they appear to correspond in their chief features, we may safely conclude that they are identically one and the same. And though this is not the proper place for an enquiry into the signification of such differences, it may yet be as well to observe that it is reasonable to expect, and quite in accordance with the analogy of divine revelation to suppose, that later prophets should have vouchsafed them fuller developments of the same truth, which may have been only partially given to their predecessors in the prophetic office.

We conclude, therefore, for the reasons already stated, that these living creatures, as recorded in the fifth chapter of the book of the Revelation, are identical with those seen by the prophet Ezekiel, and that, generally, they represent the body of those men who are redeemed to God by the blood of the Lamb; and that, consequently, they signify the Christian Church, of whom alone it can be said, in the essential meaning of the term, that they are redeemed by the blood of Christ.

Now, if the whole body of the cherubim symbolize the Christian Church, then the faces must