notion of the Cherubim's fignifying the unity of the effence, the diftinction of the perfons, and man's being taken into the effence by his perfonal union with the fecond perfon, whofe conftant emblem was the lion. This I confefs appears to my plain understanding very miferable stuff. I can fee no text either in the Old Testament, or in the New, for a plurality of Beings, co-ordinate and independent. The facred pages declare there is One original perfect mind. The Lord fhall be King over all the earth. In that day there fhall be ONE LORD, and his name ONE; fays the prophet Zechariah, fpeaking of the prodigious revolution in the Gentile world whence in procefs of time, by the Gospel of Jefus Christ, the worship of One true God fhall prevail all over the earth, as univerfally as Polytheifm had done before.-This I dare not observe to my father, as he is an admirer of Mr. Hutchinfon, and will not bear any contradiction; but my private judgment is, that Mr. Hutchinfon on the Cherubim and Elohim, or Eloim, is a mad commentator, as I may fhow you, if we ever happen to meet again. At prefent, all I can do more on the Hebrew fubject, is to obferve, that, in refpect of the prefervation of the Hebrew tongue, I imagine the one prevailing language before the the miracle at Babel, (which one language was afterwards called Hebrew) tho' divided and fwallowed as it were at the Tower, was kept without change in the line of Shem, and continued their tongue. This cannot be difputed, I believe. I likewife imagine, it must be allowed, that this Hebrew continued the vernacular tongue of the old Canaanites. It is otherwife unaccountable how the Hebrew was found to be the language of the Canaanites, when the family of Abraham came among them again, after an abfence of more than 200 years. If they had had another tongue at the confusion, was it poffible for Abraham, during his temporary fojournments among them, and in the neceffities of his peregrination, to perfuade fo many tribes to quit their dialect, and learn his language; or, if his influence had been fo amazing, can it be fuppofed they would not return again to their old language, after he had left them, and his family was away from them more than 200 years? No, Sir. We cannot justly fuppofe fuch a thing. The language of the old Canaanites could not be a different one from the Hebrew. If you will look into Bochart (7), you will find this (7) The great Samuel Bochart was born at Rouen in 1599, and died fuddenly in the academy at Caen, Monday the 16th of May, 1667, aged 68. He was VOL. I. E the was his opinion. That great man fays, the Ante-Babel language efcaped the confufion two ways, viz., by the Canaanites, through God's providence, preferving it in their colonies for the future use of the Hebrews, who were to poffefs the land; and by the patriarch Heber, as a facred depofitum for the ufe of his pofterity, and of Abraham in particular. This being the cafe, the Phenician or Canaanitish tongue, being the fame language that the line of Heber fpoke, with this only difference, that by the latter it was retained. in greater purity, being in the mouths of a few, and tranfmitted by inftruction; it follows, that Abraham and his fons could talk with all these tribes and communities; and the minifter of the reformed church in that town.His principal works are his Phaleg and Canaan ; works that fhew an amazing erudition, and ought to be well read by every gentleman. You fhould likewife have his Hierozoicon, or hiftory of the animals mentioned in the facred books. It is a good fupplement to his fcripture geography. His fermons and differtations are alfo very valuable. Brieux writ the following fine epitaph on him: Scilicet hæc cuique eft data fors æquiffima, talis Mufarum in gremio teneris qui vixit ab annis. as as to the other nations he had communication with, he might eafily converse with them, as he was a Syrian by birth, and to be fure could talk the Aramitish dialect as well as Laban his brother. The Aramitifh was the customary language of the line of Shem. It was their vulgar tongue. The language of the old world, that was spoken immediately before the confufion, and was called Hebrew from Heber, they referved for facred ufes. Here Mifs Noel ended, and my amazement was fo great, and my paffion had rifen fo high for fuch uncommon female intelligence, that I could not help fnatching this beauty to my arms, and without thinking of what I did, impreffed on her balmy mouth half a dozen kiffes. This was wrong, and gave very great offence: but fhe was too good to be implacable; and on my begging her pardon, and protefting it was not a willing rudeness, but the magic of her glorious eyes, and the bright powers of her mind, that had tranfported me befide myself, the was reconciled, and afked me, if I would play a game of cards? With delight I replied, and immediately a pack was brought in. We fat down to cribbage, and had played a few games, when by accident Mifs Noel faw the head of my german flute, E 2 which which I always brought out with me in my. walks, and carried in a long pocket within fide my coat. You play, Sir, I fuppofe, on that inftrument, this lady faid; and as of all forts of mufic this pleases me most, I request you will oblige me with any thing you please. In a moment, I answered, and taking from my pocket-book the following lines, I reached them to her, and told her I had the day before fet them to one of Lulli's airs, and inftantly began to breathe. the foftest harmony I could make A SONG. I. Almighty Love's refiftlefs rage, No force can quell, nà art affwage: II. I feel, I feel the raging fire! And my Thy freedom, Reason, I disown, I Nor |