Cloud upon it. xxxviii. 34. Canft thou lift up thy Voice to the Clouds, that Abundance of Waters may cover thee. [In other Words, 2 Sam. xxii. 12. He made Darknefs Pavilions round about him, dark Waters, and thick Clouds of the Skies, through the Brightness before him, were Coals of Fire kindled.] Pfal. xcvii. 2. Clouds and Darkness are round about him, Righteousness and Judgment are the Habitation of his Throne. A Fire goeth before him. Lam. iii. 44. Thou haft covered thyfelf with a Cloud, that our Prayer Should not pass through. Ezek. i. 4. I looked, and behold, a Whirlwind came out of the North, a great Cloud, and a Fire infolding itself, and a Brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof was the Colour of Amber, out of the midst of the Fire. xxx. 3. The Day of the Lord is near, a cloudy Day; it fhall be the Time of the Heathen. Joel ii. 2. A Day of Darkness, and of Gloominess, a Day of Clouds, and of thick Darkness, as Blackness of Darkness fpread upon the Mountains. Zephan. i. 15. That Day is a Day of Wrath, a Day of Trouble and Diftrefs, a Day of Wafteness and Defolation, a Day of Darkness and Gloominess, a Day of Clouds and thick Darkness. As their Fathers had

feen

feen the Deftruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by Fire, and many Appearances were in Fire, as in the Bufh upon the Mount, &c. fome with the Cloud; and, as it appears, by St. Jude, that Enoch had predicted the final Punishment to be by Fire, which might be handed down, without Writing; and, as St. Peter fays ex prefsly, iii. 7. in his 2d Epift. that this World was referved to be deftroyed by Fire; though they knew that the Fire was turned, from Believers to the Types of their Surety, and to him, feveral have fuppofed that they not only understood the Cloud to exhibit the first, but the Appearance of Fire in the Cloud, as an Emblem of the final Destruction of this World. Lippom. Catena -in Exod. xiii. Zeno Epifc. Veron, Serm. 14. "The Pillar that leads the Way is Chrift the Lord. As to the double Image of a Pillar, and of Fire, it fignifies the two Judgments, the one of Water, which is paft; the other of Fire, which is to come." As the Rainbow, in the Cloud, was the Emblem of the Berith to all the World, which prevented the Wrath from destroying Men, the Earth, &c. by the Cloud; fo, the real Berith, in a Species of Presence, dwelt in the Cloud. Exod. xiii. 21. Je

5.

hovah went before them by Day, in the Pillar of a Cloud, to lead them the Way; and by Night in a Pillar of Fire, to give them Light. Protected the Ifraelites, xvi. 10. They looked towards the Wilderness, and behold the Glory Jehovah appeared in the Cloud; in Glory or Irradiation. xxxiv. And Jehovah defcended in the Cloud. xl. 34. Then the Cloud covered the Tabernacle of Affembly; and the Glory Jehovah filled the Tabernacle, refted upon the Tabernacle. The Distinction is made Exod. xiv. 20. by the oppofite Condition of this Matter of the Names, the dark Part, the Cloud, was turned toward the Egyptians, and the light Part, Irradiation, towards the Ifraelites. The Authority of the Writings of Mofes feems to be afcribed to this Appearance. Exod. xix. 9. And Jehovah Jaid to Mofes; behold I come unto thee in the Thickness of the Cloud, that the People may bear when I speak unto thee, and believe thee for ever, preferable to all his Miracles cited Eufeb. Demonft. Evang. p. 241. Witfii de Ŏecon. Fæd. p. 737. "This miraculous Cloud was, 1. A Symbol of the gracious Prefence of God; for God was in the Cloud, Exod. xiii. 21. and the Angel of God xiv. 19. namely the Angel of the Covenant, the Angel of the

Hh

Faces,

Faces, who appeared to Mofes in the Bush, and led the Ifraelites through the Wildernefs, Ifai. Ixiii. 9. Ibid. 688. Let Martyr fay it for me, this we must take fpecial Notice of, that although God promifes Men in this Covenant, Deliverance as to this Life, that they should not be drowned by the Waters; yet here is a Figure under this of the Deliverance from eternal Death, that we fhall not be swallowed up of eternal Damnation; and that this is intended by the Shadow, the Faithful may collect from hence, if God be fo careful for those who truft in him, as to free them from all Doubt of their Safety from the Waters, how much more will he preferve their Souls, their better Part, not from temporal but eternal Death? 689. An Hieroglyphical Symbol of the Grace of God through Chrift, Exercit. 60. on Genefis. Since this Covenant prefuppofes, and comprehends the Covenant of Grace, it is not to be denied, but that the Promises of it alfo were fealed to Believers in the Rain-bow. Hence it is mentioned that John faw the Rain-bow round about the Throne and Head of Christ, Rev. iv. 3. and x. 1. that we may know, fays Rivet, the Throne of Chrift is furrounded with Mercy, and that he shews

it

it in his Countenance when he manifefts himself, especially that we have the Rainbow on his Face, by which we are certified, not only that the Waters shall no more overflow the whole Earth; but befides, and that especially, that we need not fear the Deluge of the divine Wrath, fince Chrift has appeafed the Father, whom whilst God looks at, he remembers his Mercy and Promifes, which in him are

yea

and Amen. Chrift therefore appears crowned with the Rain-bow, as the Meffenger of Grace and Peace; for he is the Prince of Peace, and our Peace, Ifai. ix. 6. Eph. ii. 14. Abr. Tranf. O. 2. Contiles fetches the Rise of Symbols from the Times of Noah, but foolishly; and fays the Bow in the Heavens, with the Voice, all Flefh fhall no more perish by Water, is a Symbol of Almighty God.-The Symbols of the Antients which Ruffel cites, differ from ours Therefore David's Harp, the Rain-bow, Solomon's Dove, the Lamb, with the Voice, behold He who takes away the Sins of the World, and those of the Evangelifts which Contiles reckons up, rather include Mysteries, than fhew the Affections of the Mind." The Appearance of Chrift, over the Cherubim had these Levit. xvi. 2. For I will appear Hh 2

in