Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/40

 a 8 On the defcent of the American Indians from the Jews,

and tenth chapters. In chap. x. ver. 2o r he afifures us that " he knew they were the cherubim." They were uniform, and had thofe four com pounded animal emblems; Every one had four faces D>:," appear ances, habits, or forms, which paiTage is illuftrated by the fimilar divine emblems on the four principal ftandards of Ifrael. The ftandard of Judah bore the image of a lion -, Ephraim's had the likenefs of a butt; Reuben's, had the figure of a man's head ; and Dan's carried the pifture of an eagle^. with a ferpent in his talons *: Each of the cherubim, according to the pro^ phet, had the head and face of a man the likenefs of an eagle, about the fhoulders, with expanded wings ; their necks, manes, and breafts, refem- bled thofe of a lion ; and their feet thofe of a bull, or calf. " The fole of their feet was like the fole of a calf's foot." One would conclude, from Ezekiel's vifions, and Pfal xviii. 10. Pf. xcix. i. " He rode upon a cherub, and did fly :" " The Lord reigneth, let the people tremble : he fitteth between the cherubim, let the earth be moved," that Elohim chofe the cherubic emblems, in condefcenfion to man, to difplay his tranfcendent glorious title of King of kings. We view him feated in his triumphal cha riot, and as in the midft of a formidable war camp, drawn by thofe four creatures, the bull, the lion, the man, and the eagle ; Urong and defcriptive Emblems of the divine effence. What animal is equal to the bull, or ox ; for ftrength,. indefatigable fervice, and alfo for food ? In eaftern countries, they were always ufed to plough, and beat out the grain, befides other fervices omitted in modern times -, the lion excels evefy other animal in, courage, force, and proweis : man far furpafles all other creatures, in un-- derftanding, judgment, and wifdom ; and there is no bird fo fagacious, or can fly fo fwift, or foar fo high as the eagle, or that bears fo intenie a love to its young ones..

Thefe are the emblems of the terreftrial cherubim : and the Pfalmift calls them Merabha Hafhekina, " The chariot of Divine Majefty :" " God fitteth between, and ridcth upon, the cherubim," or divine chariot. The cekjlial (berubim were/rc, light, and air, or fpirit, which were typified by the bull, the lion, and the eagle. Thofe divine emblems, in a long revolution of time,

The MAN, which the lion on the ftandard of Judah, and the head on Reuben's, .typified. was, in the fukefs of time, united to the divine efience,

7 induced

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