er Almighty was a _hand_
issuing from clouds, or reaching down in benediction from heaven.

A symbol of much later origin is a triangle with the word "Jehovah," in
Hebrew letters, inscribed within it and placed in the center of a
radiating circle, or halo, symbolic of eternity.

_Symbols of our Lord._--While the cross was in {67} constant use by the
early Christians, no effort was made at direct representation of our
Saviour's sufferings. The crucifix was not introduced until five
centuries had passed. Resort was had instead to the use of symbols.

[Illustration: The hand of God]

[Illustration: The name and the triangle]

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Several of these were derived from Holy Scripture. The most common was
the figure of the _Good Shepherd_, a picture drawn from our Lord's own
description of His loving care and self-sacrifice. Another was derived
from the words of St. John the Baptist, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" By
this symbol, known as the _Agnus Dei_, our Lord is represented by the
figure of a lamb--often with a nimbus, or glory, about the
head--bearing a cross, the symbol of His sacrifice, or a banner, the
sign of His triumph.

[Illustration: Agnus Dei, the Lamb of God]

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The _Alpha and Omega_, the first and last letters of the Greek
alphabet, are used as the emblem of the eternity of our Lord: "I am
Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."

[Illustration: Alpha and Omega]

The _Star_ is a symbol of Christ. It owes its origin to His own words,
"I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning
star." It was by the leading of a star that God manifested His only
begotten Son to the Gentiles. The five-pointed star commonly
represents the star of Bethlehem. It is a Christmas and Epiphany
emblem.

[Illustration: Star of Bethlehem]

This star is sometimes called the "pentalpha," as the crossing of its
lines suggests five A's. It was used in ancient times as a magic
talisman against the powers of witchcraft. The Greek Christians at one
time placed it, instead of the cross, at the beginning of inscriptions.

The six-pointed star is said to symbolize the Creator, as, according to
the old alchemists, the double triangle of which it is composed
represents the elements of fire and water.

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The seven-pointed star has reference, it is said, to St. John's words
in the Revelation: "I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and
of the four beasts, an