δόξα, or δόξα το ་ that I may dwell amongst them. Shechinah, then, is the proper word to express this extraordinary appearance of Jehovah in his temple, and which I shall therefore make use of in what I have further to say on this subject. There is another word by which this extraordinary appearance is often expressed, which may give some further light to the ritual of the appearance: it is called the glory, or the glory of God, Chebod Jehovah. The ancient Greek interpreters, and the writers of the New Testament use the same expression, to denote the extraordinary presence of God. It is observed of the presence of God on Mount Sinai, And the glory of the Lord abode on Mount Sinai. And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire, on the top of the Mount, in the eyes of the children of Israel *. In allusion to this, Heb.ix.5. the Apostle, in his Epistle to the Hebrews, calls the cherubim overshadowing the mercy-seat, the cherubim of glory, or of the glory; that is, of the Shechinah of Jehovah dwelling between the cherubim, over the mercy-seat. St. Peter uses the same expression, when, speaking of the voice from heaven at Christ's transfigura2 Pet. 1. tion, or the oracle which declared him 17. God's beloved Son, he calls it the voice which the וישכן כבוד יהוה על הר,In the original * LXX thus translate : και κατεβη ἡ δόξα τω Θεω επι το Όρος τα from the excellent glory; manifestly using it as an expression equivalent to the glory of Jehovah. Before we examine what was the particular symbol of this presence, or glory of Jehovah, it will be proper to consider the general meaning of the Shechinah, in which the Hebrew masters will afford us some light. 66. continu Nev.P. I. C. XXV. Maimonides has a particular chapter on Mor. this expression, Shechinah. "This word, as "is known, signifies," he says, "ance of station, or staying in some parti"cular place; thence it is applied also to things inanimate, and so to every thing "which remains constantly and much in any thing, although that thing in which "the other remains is not place, and though that thing which so remains is "not animate." He explains his meaning, otherwise somewhat obscure, by an example: "When Job cursed the day of his "birth, he uses this expression, Let a Job, iii.5. "cloud dwell upon it. Here," says Maimonides," it is manifest, that the cloud is "it "nothing animated, nor is day a body or any thing incorporeal, but only a portion "of time; and according to this use," he adds, “it is ascribed to the Creator, to ex66 press the dwelling or stay of his majesty "and providence, in any place; for where"ever he shall place the signs of his majesty "and providence, and wherever he causes * προ της μεγαλοπρεπώς δόξης. Part I. lib, xix. "his providence to dwell, he is said to "dwell there; wherefore, wherever this "action (of dwelling) is found ascribed "to the Creator, it signifies the continu ance of his majesty, that is, of a created light, in some place, or of the divine "Providence, in some thing, according to "the intention of each place *. 46 This learned master explains his meaning more fully in another place : "Some"times a created splendour (or light) is "meant by the glory of the Lord, which "God causes to continue in some place, as a wonder, or miracle, to represent his 66 magnificence; as, And the glory of the "Lord abode on Mount Sinai, and the "cloud covered it +." This is what he often calls, occasionally, the created light: If," says he, "you will understand by the glory of the Lord the created light, there "will be nothing absurd in it.' 66 This Shechinah is also called the presence, or the face of God: And he (Jeho * Quare, in quocunque loco, actio hæc (habitatio) invenitur attributa Creatori, significat commorationem majestatis ipsius, h. e. gloriæ creatæ in loco aliquo, vel Providentiam divinam, in re quapiam pro ratione, scil. uniuscujusque loci.-Maimon. Part I. lib. xxv. + Per gloriam Domini significatur nonnunquam splendor aliquis creatus, quem Deus quasi prodigii vel miraculi loco, ad magnificentiam suam ostendendam, alicubi habitare fecit, ut, "Et habitavit gloria Domini super Montem Sinai, et obtexit eum,"-Idem, Part I. lib. Ixiv. xxxiii.14. vah) said, My presence shall go with thee. Exodus, In the original The LXX, with good reason, render it, I myself will go before you. Auros po Onkelos, the Chaldee paraphrast, calls it, My Shechinah, and the Arabic version, n My light. vii. 16. There is one thing more relating to this Shechinah in general, which you are to observe, that the tabernacle and temple were from thence called the place which the Lord should choose to put his name there : But unto the place which the Lord your Deut. xii. God shall choose out of all your tribes, to 5. put his name there, even to his habitation, shall you seek, and thither shalt thou come. God himself afterwards expresses the sanctification of his temple by his presence in it: For now have I chosen and sanctified 2 Chron. this house, that my name may be there for ever, and mine eye and heart shall be there perpetually; so that for God to put his name upon the place he had chosen for his presence, is expressive of the Shechinah, the divine glory or majesty; and so the ancient interpreters, before mentioned, call it his Shechinah, and his light. Bishop Patrick seems to give a plain and just sense of these expressions, in few words, on Deut. xii. 5. By the name of God is meant, he observes, God himself; as, to call upon his name, is to call upon him; and therefore the sense is, where he would make his dwelling-place, by settling the Form of chinah. ark and cloud of glory there, which was the token of his presence. Upon this general account of the Shechinah most have formed a notion of it, as an extraordinary appearance of some visible and sensible symbol or token of God's presence in some shape of light, or form of a luminous body. But to understand more clearly the intention, meaning, and use of this principal part of the Hebrew ritual, it will be of importance to consider what visible appearance was made the symbol of the presence, majesty, glory, or name of God; and how this symbol of the presence was to be received into its sanctuary, to be present with the Hebrew church and nation, as their God and King, As, then, the sanctuary was directed to be built as a place where the Shechinah was to reside, when rightly understood, it will give a more useful understanding of the Shechinah, or the glorious presence of God itself. 1. First let us consider the manner or the She form of the appearance itself; for, whatever is visible must so appear as to be seen in some shape or other, and so was the Shechinah: though there is an express prohibition to make any similitude image of God, it is explained to mean a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female of any beast of the earth, the likeness of any winged fawl that flieth in the air, the likeness of |