you, and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth."

Such is the narrative which Moses has given us: and it would not be easy to determine whether it displays more of the wisdom or goodness of Him whom it introduces as the covenanting friend of man. This act of His loving kindness corresponds with the general tenour of his dispensations, in all of which he has employed the machinery of nature to display his own perfections, and to contribute to the happiness of his people. Instruction, thus conveyed, makes an abiding impression on the mind, strengthens conviction when it has been produced, and revives it when it has been weakened. These are the effects which the sacraments of the antediluvian and post-diluvian dispensations, of the Levitical and Christian periods, were intended and calculated to produce.

"The Rainbow," says Sir Isaac Newton, "never appears but when it rains in the sunshine, and may be made, artificially, by spouting up water, which may break aloft, and scatter into

drops, and fall down like rain; for the sun shining upon these drops certainly causes the bow to appear to a spectator standing in a true position to the rain and sun: this bow is made by refraction of the sun's light in drops of falling rain."

This philosophical definition of the phenomenon furnishes a key to the propriety with which the symbol was chosen:-or, might I not venture to say, after what has been noticed in former letters, to the main object for which, in the combination of causes and effects, the rainbow was produced? For however its beauty may charm the corporeal eye, its symbolic character and appropriation must convey infinitely more satisfaction to the eye of faith. After what Noah and his family had witnessed, every cloud must have reminded them of the danger to which, independently of Divine goodness, the earth was again exposed; and the heavier the cloud, the greater the cause of alarm. But the bow appearing in the cloud would be light in the midst of darkness, hope to counteract despair; and the darker the token of vengeance, the brighter would be the splendour of the token confirming the covenant of mercy.

In applying the definition of the rainbow which I have quoted, I must anticipate what will be again referred to, in a further illustration of the symbol as noticed under the New Testament.

dispensation. The colours of the rainbow are produced by a "refraction of the sun's light in drops of rain." And how is Divine mercy manifested to us, whether as it appeared in the redemption of man from the deluge of water, or in that spiritual redemption from the eternal wrath of God for which we are directed to look to the cross of Christ? Is it not by a refraction of that light which flows from "the Sun of righteousness," against the dark cloud of vengeance which threatened us with destruction? Is it not connected with that vengeance, so that it could not have been revealed in any other way than as opposed to it, and indeed as arising from it? In that glorious object which is presented to the eye of faith, " mercy and truth meet together, righteousness and peace kiss each other." Here

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mercy rejoiceth against judgment," (James ii. 13.) while a display of both is necessary to the happiness of the spectator who must be humbled by a discovery of judgment, before he can be refreshed by a vision of mercy. In order that he may understand the emblem, he must "stand in a due position to the rain and sun."

The covenant revealed to Noah respecting the temporal safety of the future generations of mankind, appears to be a sort of clause in the more general covenant made between the persons in Jehovah, and implied in the gracious title, ALEIM, securing the salvation of penitent sinners

through the mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ, of which general covenant the first copy was published in Paradise immediately after the fall. For all temporal salvation arises out of the provision made for eternal salvation by pardon of sin and the sanctifying influence of the Holy Ghost. The ark of Noah is therefore employed by St. Peter in illustration of the baptismal sacrament. (1 Pet. iii. 21.) And in both cases, the revelation made to Adam and that to Noah, the token or symbol was substantially the same. In both it was a combination of the subordinate symbolic Trinity of Nature, representing the actions of the DIVINE TRINITY in the work of redemption. The visible security given to Adam for the fulfilment of the promise made to him and all his penitent posterity, was, as I conceive has been proved, a cone of flame in the midst of a cloud; (comp. Gen. iii. 24, with Ezek. i. 4.) and the exhibition made to Noah, which is still continued in the heavens, was "light refracted from a cloud."

There is an allusion to the token of the covenant established with Noah and his family, contained in the prophecy of Isaiah, (chap. liv. 9.) which, I think, confirms the connexion I have supposed to exist between that covenant and the covenant of redemption. Jehovah, for the purpose of comforting his church under the pressure of affliction, says, "For a small moment have I

forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy upon thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me. For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." As the church addressed in this context is distinguished from the Gentiles, whom it is to "inherit;" I conclude that the church of Israel is the object of these consolatory promises. And as the promises refer to a period after which Divine displeasure is to cease for ever, it seems unquestionable that their ultimate fulfilment is to be looked for in Israel's yet future restoration. But the circumstance to which I would more particularly direct your attention, is the manner in which these promises are confirmed. They are conveyed under the notion of a covenant, and are a section of that covenant of redemption and of which the revelation to Noah made also

grace,

a part.

There is also another reference to the rainbow, which connects the symbol of the covenant given