ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

We live in an age of controversy when the doctrines of the cross have enemies, crafty, wakeful, and of no common mental power; but truth is immortal and has nothing to fear; it is omnipotent, and must ultimately prevail. Every Dagon of error is doomed to fall before the ark of the everlasting gospel.

It will be our anxious concern to set forth the truth in its simplicity, its fulness, and its unity; aiming ever to keep in view the divine personalities of the Godhead as they are revealed to us through the sublime mystery of redemption, in their several modes of action, by the sovereignty of the Father, the perfection of the Mediator's work, and the invincible operations of the Holy Ghost.

Our object will be to give expositions of the Bible, illustrations of its figures, and judicious criticisms on difficult passages. We shall avail ourselves of whatever can be obtained from recent discoveries in Science, from Eastern Travellers and from antiquarians, that may throw light on the Sacred Scriptures. We shall be happy to receive contributions (from any of our friends) which will shed additional light on the doctrines, the geography, and the chronology of the Bible; and on the manners and customs of the East. We hope to have the sympathies and prayers of all true christians, knowing without God's blessing we shall fail of success in our efforts. Our Review department will be characterized by fairness, independency, and faithfulness.

THE EDITOR.

THE BOW IN THE CLOUD.

"Look upon the rainbow, and praise him who made it," says the son of Sirach; a sentiment to which every gracious soul will promptly respond. For although "the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy work ;" although there are bodies celestial, as well as bodies terrestial; and although there is "one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars," we know not whether there be any glory to equal "the bow in the cloud." Viewed either as a natural phenomenon or as a moral instructor, as a federal sign or as an evangelical symbol, the rainbow must ever remain an object of interest; while, perhaps, to a fear-stricken soul or a down-trodden saint, nothing conveys so much of "sweet import" as "the bow in the cloud."

Philosophically considered, the rainbow comes under the laws of optics; treatises on which may be easily procured, and to the service of which we must refer our readers for particulars. It must suffice to say, this beautiful appearance never presents itself but in rainy seasons, nor always then; that it can be gendered only on a moist, dark cloud in opposition to the sun; that it is never larger than a semi-circle, but often not so large; that there are always two, one primary and the other secondary; that they both exist at the same time, on the same cloud, and under the same laws; that they display the seven prismatic colours, viz., red, orange, yellow, blue, indigo and violet; that the whole depends on the rays of solar light falling on spherical drops of water, which become refracted and reflected by their passage through the transparent globes; and that the prince and the peasant, the philosopher and the clown, the Heathen, the Mahomedan, the Christian and the Jew, may all turn aside to see this great sight-"the bow in the cloud. "

Federally viewed, the rainbow exists as a memento of infinite mercy, guaranteeing the safety of man, which is rendered permanent by a covenant transaction. When our progenitors crept from the ark they were naturally apprehensive of danger from the multiplication of carnivorous animals, deeds of violence from men in a state of lawless misrule, and the recurrence of a catastrophe from which they had just emerged. To quiet their minds Jehovah assured Noah he would bind the whole brute creation to the authority of man, allowing at the same time the sacrifice of their lives which would act as a check upon their too rapid increase; and as Noah had more to dread from the wrathful passions of wicked men than from the ferocious instincts of wila beasts, an edict was issued against the shedder of man's blood, thereby erecting a barrier against inroads from that quarter; and finally, to bespeak security against a second deluge, there appeared "the bow in the cloud."

The rainbow is called a sign; and whatever serves to express or represent another thing, is so. This kind of revelation, therefore, constitutes, in great measure, "the hidden wisdom of God in a mystery." Hence, the world of sensible objects; the institutions of the law; the persons of the prophets; the history of the church and the actions of inspired men, were for signs: i.e., there was spiritual truth underlying the objective, or natural appearance; because whatever carries in it an instructive signification by pointing to something greater than itself, is a sign. Hence, "no scripture is of any private interpretation," because its sense seldom ends in the person, place, or thing of which it speaks. The ways of divine wisdom are not only various but comprehensive, and so ordered as to answer many ends at once. Hence parables, miracles, tongues

and supernatural endowments of various kinds, were for signs and for wonders. Even Christ himself was for a sign, though to be spoken against, that the secret enclosures of the heart might be revealed. Hence also, the sun and the moon are for signs; so are other appearances; though none attract so much attention as the "bow in the cloud."

The Hebrew, oth, mostly rendered sign, or token, occurs nearly eighty times. Twice it is translated ensigns; twice it is rendered miracles; and in Gen. iv, 15 a mark (oth) is said to have been set upon Cain. This is well rendered by the seventy: "God set a sign before Cain, to persuade him that whosoever should find him should not kill him." It was therefore no visible mark, stigma, or brand affixed to his person, but an assurance confirmed by a miracle; a thing not uncommon in after periods also, as may be seen in Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Hezekiah and others; in which instances, the unquiet mind was calmed by the presence of a sensible miracle. The distrustful mind of Cain was relieved, or as Dr. Shuckworth remarks, "made easy" by a promise of personal safety confirmed by a miracle before him. Miracles, or signs of this kind, were mementos of Jehovah's favour, whether temporal or spiritual, and acted as monitors or refreshers. Cain would remember the sign wrought before him, whatever it was; Abraham, the lamp of fire; Moses, the transformed rod and leprous hand; Gideon, the fleece; Hezekiah, the retrograde motion on the dial of Ahaz; and Noah," the bow in the cloud."

How admirably in this instance the sign is adapted to the things signified, is strikingly obvious when its beauty, conspicuousness, and grandeur are considered. It is founded on the laws of nature, is the necessary effect of sunshine, and is equal to saying, "So long as the sun and atmosphere endure, so long shall the world be protected from a deluge of water; and

this shall be as necessary an effect of the covenant I now make, as the bow is of sunshine; storms may rise, and inundations create dismay, but my covenant shall stand firm and “I will set my bow in the cloud."

A covenant may signify an agreement between equal parties, as the covenant of grace with Christ; it may denote a rule of obedience, as the covenant of works with Adam; it may import a grant of privilege, as the covenant with Abraham; it may stand for the establishment of religious services, as the old and new testaments; it may indicate an appointment in which nothing but passive obedience is possible, as the covenant with day and night; or it may be put for an absolute promise, as in the covenant with Noah, which was to be not only confirmed, but illustrated and repeated by "the bow in the cloud."

As the scriptures treat of several covenants, so of their respective signs or memorials. Thus in the covenant with Adam, the tree of life was the sign; in that with Abraham, circumcision; in the sabbatic covenant, rest; in the Mosaic, blood; in the christian, the spirit, the water, and the blood; while in the covenant with Noah, we observe "the bow in the cloud."

With the view of conciliating a class of men, who some time since rejoiced in the name of Freethinkers, an earlier appearance of the rainbow than the date of the Noahic covenant, has been conceded. We, however, are not prepared to surrender this point. For (1) it is generally admitted that our first impressions approach nearest to the truth; and nobody will deny that an honest reader, having no theory to serve, and reading the covenant for the first time, would naturally conclude the bow then appeared for the first time. (2) As little can it be questioned that the effect on Noah's mind would be more

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »