Deut. iv.

any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters 15, 16, beneath the earth; that is, to make any 17, 18. image after the manner of the Egyptians, or Canaanite idolaters: therefore the Hebrews are exhorted, Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb, out of the midst of the fire; and ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude, only ye heard Deut. v. a voice. Though they saw a fire, it was 12. not in the likeness or shape of any sort of a creature, as the images of idolaters; here was not the form of a calf, a lion, an eagle, or a man, or any sort of beast, bird, fish, or insect. Not to indulge conjectures concerning the form in which the Shechinah did appear, for it must appear in some shape to be visible, though not in the similitude of any of those animals which the Egyptians and Canaanites had made the symbols of their idols; yet if we will carefully mind the manner in which the appearances of the Shechinah on record, are described in Scripture, we shall sufficiently understand the manner of the appearance, and very nearly the form in which Jehovah manifested himself by his visible Shechinah. Let us consider a few of these appearances in particular.

1. We have an account of the appearance of the Shechinah to Moses, which, as

far as concerns our inquiry after the form of it, is to this purpose: And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire, out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. An angel of the Lord, in general, means some messenger from God, for angel is properly a name of office, so that, in the Hebrew style, storms, burning winds, and pestilential distempers, are angels of God, or his messengers of destruction to punish a sinful nation, or to cut off wicked persons. Thus, the Shechinah appearing as an oracle bringing a message from Jehovah, may be styled, with very great propriety, the angel of the Lord.

That this was a proper appearance of the Shechinah, seems evident; as Jehovah called to Moses out of the bush; as he declared the ground he stood upon was holy ground, by reason of the presence; as he proclaimed his name to be, I am that I am, or the eternal, self-existent Being; and as he commanded Moses to deliver his message to the children of Israel in these words: And he said, Thus shalt thou say Deut. iv. unto the children of Israel, I am hath sent me unto you..

14.

We are here to observe the visible form, as well as the voice of the oracle, in this appearance. What Moses saw was a bush, that burned with fire, and was not con

sumed. To keep to the text: this fire, as it appeared to Moses, seemed to him a natural fire, which he expected would have consumed the bush, like other fires; nor does this description represent any thing wonderful in the flame or fire itself: what filled Moses with wonder was, that the bush was not burned. When he examined it more nearly, what he found extraordinary in it was, that such a flame should not consume the bush: And Moses said, I Deut. iv. will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

All that you can surely conclude from this representation is, that the Shechinah appeared in the visible form of a natural fire, likely strong, vehement, shining, and glorious and thus the Hebrew historian understood it, and represents it.

3.

Josephus, Ant. Jud. 1. II. c.12.

2. We have another account of the ap. pearance of the Shechinah, when the Lord (Jehovah) went before them (the Israelites) by day, in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, to go by day and night: he took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, xiii. 21, from before the people.

The long continuance of this appearance, and its conformity to the Shechinah of the tabernacle and temple, recommend it to a particular observation.

"I can see no reason," says Bishop

G

Exod.

22.

Exod.

Patrick, "to suppose these were different clouds, since one and the same would "serve for both purposes; that is, the "same pillar appearing by night as fire, " which in the day was like a cloud." And this seems to be intimated by Moses himself: And it came between the camp of the xiv. 20. Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these; so that the one came not near the other all the night. Or, as Mr. Ainsworth observes from the Jerusalem Targum, the cloud was half light and half dark. The light gave light to Israel, and the darkness gave darkness to the Egyptians, like a cloud enlightened by the sun shining strong upon it on one side, but dark on the other side, the sun not being able to pierce through it: thus the same cloud may become either light or dark, by changing the dark and light sides for each other.

The form of this appearance has been thought by many to have some resemblance to a pillar or column in building, because it is called a pillar of cloud, and a pillar of fire; but the original word signifrom fies more generally strength and stability, or a fixed posture: hence the Greek interpreters translate it station, or attendance, as does our version in many places. In this sense the word pillar will not so much denote the form and dimensions of the cloud,

stetit, mansit.

50015.

עמר

as the stationary attendance of it, to lead them the way. The shape of the cloud seems nearer the shape of a natural cloud spread over a large part of the sky, and of such thickness, that one side of it might be strongly enlightened, at the same time the other remained dark; or, according to the Jerusalem Targum, it (the cloud) came between the camp of the Israelites and the camp of the Egyptians; and the cloud was half light, and half darkness; from one side it darkened the Egyptians, and from the other side it enlightened the Israelites.

It will be proper to observe in this representation of the Schechinah, that the Mischan, the place of the habitation, or Ainsseat of the presence, is plainly represented worth on in such a manner as to be designed a symthe place. bol of divine providence, direction, and protection, as well as of the presence of Jehovah in general. It gave the Israelites light by night, and shadowed them from the scorching heat by day; it led them in their way, and conducted them in safety. The Prophets therefore chose this symbol to express the security and happiness of the church, under God's direction, protection, and blessing. And the Lord (Jehovah) will create, upon every dwellingplace of Mount Sion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory shall be a defence; and