CHERUB—SERAPH.
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.—Psalm lxxx. 1.
I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up.... Above it stood the seraphims.... And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.—Isaiah, vi. 1, 2, 3.
And the sound of the cherubims’ wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.—Ezekiel, x. 5.
Thou shepherd that doth Israel keep,
Give ear in time of need,
Who leadeth like a flock of sheep
Thy loved of Joseph’s seed;
That sitt’st between the cherubs bright—
Between their wings outspread,
Shine forth, and from Thy cloud give light,
And on Thy foes Thy dread.
Milton.
The Lord descended from above,
And bowed the heavens most high;
And underneath His feet He cast
The darkness of the sky.
On cherub and on cherubim
Full royally He rode;
And on the wings of mighty winds
Came flying all abroad.
Sternhold.
High on a throne of burnish’d gold,
With rays of Godhead crown’d,
Jehovah sat; His thunders roll’d,
And glory sparkled round.
His flowing train, of glittering white,
The spacious temple fill’d;
The angels, dazzled at the sight,
With wings their faces veil’d.
Around the throne, in burning row,
The six-winged seraphs stood;
While millions, flying to and fro,
Tun’d all their harps to God.
Thrice holy, holy, Lord, they cry,
The God of Sabaoth’s Thou;
Thy glory fills the worlds on high,
And fills the world below.
Cowper.