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bukes and remonstrances, mingled with most glorious promises, from the Lord. In his first chapter, he gives a full account of the appearance that he beheld; which is thus introduced :-" A whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire unfolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man." He proceeds to describe the four faces, four wings, and other peculiarities of these living creatures, who, he says, ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning ;" and of the immense wheels that were beside them; the crystal firmament that was directly over their heads, and the appearance of a sapphire throne placed above all, "and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it." From the Lord, whose glory he thus beheld, he received a message to his people, the children of the captivity: and having thus given an outline of that which he beheld, the brightness of the objects being so dazzling that he could but speak of "the likeness of the appearance as it then impressed his mind, he records in his eighth chapter a farther revelation made to him in the presence of the same mysterious glory, when he was taken to behold the various idolatrous abominations practised in Jerusalem to provoke the Lord, and shown also the terrible judgments about to fall upon the offenders. An angel, described as "a man clothed with linen, having a writer's inkhorn by his side," is sent through the city, to set a mark upon the foreheads of the men who

Now the cheruhouse, when the

sighed and cried for the abominations that were done; and six others, each with a slaughtering weapon in his hand, then proceeded to slay all who were not so marked, beginning at the sanctuary. This being done, and reported by the man in the linen garment to Him who sat on the throne," he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city. And he went in my sight. bim stood on the right side of the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court, Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory. And the sound of the cherubim's wings was heard even in the outer court, as the voice of the almighty God when he speaketh. And it came to pass that when he had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubim, then he went in and stood beside the wheels. And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim unto the fire that was between the cherubim, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen; who took it, and went out." x. 2-7. The conclusion of the vision is thus related: "Then the glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim and the cherubim lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when

they went out, the wheels also were beside them: and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord's house and the glory of Israel was over them above." (verses 18, 19.)

The word cherubim signifies flaming ones; and we find either flame or its concomitant, a cloud of smoke, generally present, when the Lord was pleased to manifest himself, under the Old Testament, either in the temple or to his people apart from it; we are also told that the second coming of our Lord in great glory, accompanied with the holy angels, shall be in "flaming fire." We have just enough information respecting this order of the celestial servants of our God to believe that they have some special office of peculiar attendance on their King. David says, "He rode upon a cherub, and did fly," (Psalm xviii. 10;) and again"The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place." Psalm lxviii. 17. We may compare such expressions with the chariots and horses of fire seen by Elisha's servant, and that which took up Elijah into heaven; and without intruding improperly into things not seen, we may be allowed to believe that glimpses have been given into realities hereafter to be fully known and understood, while the assurance that such glorious intelligences do exist, and in great multitudes surround us, fulfilling each the will and rendering prompt service to their Master and ours, is most soothing to the child of earth who, exiled from the bright company of sinless beings, pursues his way in loneliness of spirit, often feeling as though throughout

the wide creation there was no being to sympathise with him now, though he may look forward to such communion hereafter as disembodied spirits can together enjoy.

Ezekiel had another vision, in which an angel showed him marvelous things: things that to this day are unfulfilled, and concerning which the church remains in greater perplexity than in almost any other prophetic matter. Having been brought in the visions of God to a very high mountain in the land of Israel, he says, "there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed." Ezek. xl. 3. This divine messenger measures out and describes to the prophet with most minute exactness, a city and a temple of which we as yet know nothing; but it is a marvelous instance of prediction and direction, continued through no fewer than eight chapters, by the means of this angelic instructor, who almost appears identical with the angel described by St. John, as employed in like manner for his instruction.

We now arrive at that lovely portion of Scripture, the book of Daniel, and may trace more at large what has already been repeatedly noticed. Daniel was greatly favoured by direct revelations from the Lord: the king's dream and its interpretation were made known to him, to the conversion, as we may hope, of the once proud and blood-thirsty tyrant, Nebuchadnezzar. In like manner, he was enabled to show forth to the miserable Belshazzar his coming doom, with the downfall of great Babylon, the vivid prototype of that

idolatrous harlot-city, Rome, which in our day rules and riots, and ripens for sudden destruction. Under Darius, the prophet again enjoyed such favour, influence and command, as moved to envy the selfish princes of the kingdom. They sought occasion, but found none, to carry an unfavourable report against him, to his royal patron: and at length they were driven to the expedient of inventing an offence, that Daniel was sure to commit, by making it penal to pray to the God of heaven. The device succeeded: Daniel prayed repeatedly and without disguise; and a few hours saw him cast into a den, where hungry lions were impatiently awaiting their accustomed meal. We are not introduced to that scene of peril, of darkness, and of horror-the noisome abode of ferocious beasts of prey; strewed with the splintered bones of the many human victims that Babylonish cruelty delighted, even as its antitype delights, to prepare for barbarous slaughter. We only know, that after remaining there during the night, the faithful servant of the Lord was able to answer the king's sorrowful inquiry, by saying, "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me." Dan. vi. 22. He had other company than the ravenous beasts, who were thus chained back into the innocuous character that they bore in the garden of Eden, and to which they shall again be restored, when the Conqueror of sin and of death comes to reign over a renovated earth. The darkness of the dungeon was no doubt chased away by the same " bright light that shone around Peter in his prison; and angelic con