praise and adoration, and stand ready to fly wherever he fhall appoint. They are therefore called his "minifters ;" and, when commiffioned by him for the execution of any plan, they proceed without hefitation, upon the first intimation of his will, being lively, quick, and penetrating, as "a flaming fire *." They do his commandments," perfectly fulfilling all his pleasure, and esteeming it their honour to be employed in his fervice; yet they wait for his injunctions, "hearkening unto the voice of his word +." A revolt, indeed, has taken place among them, in confequence of which many of their company were driven out of heaven. But thefe, of whom we now fpeak, have uniformly and in every inftance maintained their obedience. They are interested in the concerns of this lower world. When the Lord "laid the foundations of the earth," they "fang together and fhouted for joy" and from the beginning, as the inftruments of divine Providence, they have borne a part in the administration of human affairs. Throughout the fcripture hiftory, we remark the interpofition of An-. gels. By them the faints of God have been directed in their duty, warned of impending dangers, relieved under diftreffes, and refcued from enemies. We need not be particular in referring to examples. "The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." To fuch the promife is exprefs, " He fhall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They fhall bear thee up in their hands, left thou dafh thy foot against a ftone §." But they have been commiffioned, alfo, to execute judgment, as well as to perform acts of kindnefs. Thus "an Angel ftretched out his hand upon Jerufalem to deftroy it." To a fimilar agency we are taught to afcribe the fudden flaughter of an immenfe army of the Affyrians, and the death of that tyrant Herod, who was fmitten with a mortal disease in the moment of his profane exultation *. Such are the facts, which antient hiftory records : and what reafon can be affigned, why we fhould not believe thefe celeftial mellengers to be employed among ourselves, as they were in former times? Though we do not difcern their intervention, and cannot afcertain its extent or effects, yet it ought not to be denied. And if it be allowed, does it not give us moft exalted ideas of the divine Majefty? Is it fo, that in every part of God's dominion, where we can be placed, we are furrounded by Angels; and that this innumerable company is continually occupied in carrying on the purposes of his adminif tration? Then how unfpeakably great and glorious muft He be! Will it not, alfo, fix a ferious and ufeful impreffion upon our minds, to be affured that thefe holy beings are about our path, watch over us, intereft themselves in our happiness, and narrowly infpect our conduct? If only the veil of flesh and blood were removed, we fhould perceive ourfelves in the midst of many witneffes. We know not, how much we are indebted to their kind and active exertions in our favour. But ah! what do they obferve in our deportment? Are we not guilty of those actions before them, from which we fhould be deterred by the presence of any human creature? Are we not, then, afraid, left, while they attest our folly and perverfenefs, they should be commanded to relinquifh their charge? We proceed to confider II. What attention they pay to the concerns of our falvation. Having preferved their original purity, #2 Kings xix. 35. Acts xii-23. they they stand in no need of a Redeemer: yet, with a generous, difinterested affection, they rejoice in the grace, which is extended to us. It fhould feem, that the great plan, exhibited in the Gofpel, is the fubject of their holy meditations, and excites their praise and wonder. They do not treat it with contempt, as many of thofe evidently do, whofe everlafting ftate depends upon it. Probably, they underftand much, but they ftoop down with eager folicitude to discover more, of its glory, and after all confefs that it" paffeth knowledge.' These are the things, "which they defire to look into *.” "" They could not but feel aftonishment, when first informed, that the exalted Perfonage, who is their Lord and God, was about to affume our nature, and become a fuffering inhabitant of the earth, that he might refcue us from deftruction. Even to the prefent hour they are unable to fathom this deep mystery. But they admire the divine perfections of wifdom, power, love, truth, and holinefs, as difplayed in the crofs of Chrift: and, perhaps, in no other inftance have they feen fo much of the character of Jehovah. Accordingly, it is declared to be one part of the grand defign," that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wifdom of God +." "When the fulness of the time was come," that the Saviour should appear, they were employed in various ways. They announced his incarnation to Zacharias, Mary, and Jofeph, proclaimed "the good tidings" of his nativity to the fhepherds, and then, in a numerous company, praised God "for his unspeakable gift ." They cried aloud, "Glory to God in the higheft, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Then indeed was "Jefus feen * Pet. i. 12. + Eph. iii. 10. Luke ii. 9-14. Matt. i. and Luke i. of Angels" they contemplated the incarnate God with fixed attention and holy admiration, and were required to acknowledge his divine character, by rendering him unfeigned homage. For when the Father bringeth the Firft-begotten into the world, he faith, "Let all the Angels of God worship him †. During the whole of the Redeemer's abode on earth, even through his deepest humiliation, they waited upon him as their Lord. After his fevere conflict in the wildernefs, "Behold, Angels came, and miniftered unto him." When he was ready to faint by means of the agony and bloody fweat, which he endured in the garden of Gethsemane, "there appeared an Angel from heaven ftrengthening him." It was one of this illuftrious fociety, who rolled away the ftone, that his difciples might be permitted to examine his fepulchre; and it fhould feem, that feveral of thefe holy beings were employed in attefting his refurrection §. Upon his afcenfion into heaven, two of them in fhining forms prefented themselves to his Apoftles, and predicted their Lord's triumphant return at the last day : and when he, in human nature, entered into glory, amidst the acclamations of all his numerous hoft, his preeminence over them was declared; "Angels, and authorities, and powers being made fubject unto him **.” As the fervants of Jefus, they not only join in his praises with the Church above, but promote the purposes of his mercy in the Church below, by ways which we pretend not to explain. They are not fent forth to preach the Gofpel; this honour being referved for finners, who feel their own need of that falvation, which they propofe, and are more likely to fympathize with their hearers in all the various * 1 Tim. iii. 16. † Heb. i. 6. Matt. iv. II. Lu. xxii. 43• Mar. xvi. 5-8. Lu. xxiv. 4-7. John xx. 12. ** 1 Pet. iii. 22. circumftances circumftances of distress and temptation. But these bleffed fpirits attend our religious affemblies, as witneffes of our devotions, and with a peculiar eagerness of defire for the fuccefs of the ministry *. "There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one finner that repenteth +;" as if every new convert was an addition to their happiness. Whilst they praife God for fuch an inftance of his goodness, they exult in the victory obtained over the powers of darkness, and in the enlargement of the Redeemer's kingdom. They receive the young believer under their care, being commiffioned to watch over him for his protection and comfort. Thus we are affured, with refpet to the weakest and most inconfiderable members of the Church, "Their Angels," or thofe who are deputed to be their guardians, are no less than the exalted fpirits, who ftand near the throne and "always behold the face of God in heaven t." None of them are too great to be exempted from these fervices "Are they not all miniftering fpirits, fent forth to minifter for them, who fhall be heirs of falvation || ?" Soon they will deliver up their charge, and conduct the fouls of thofe, who were committed to them, "through the valley of the fhadow of death" to their glorious and bleft abode. Thus when Lazarus died, he "was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bofom §." Believers, then, on their difmiffion from the body, are attended by these holy beings, and enter into a state of immediate and delightful intercourfe with them; fo that they will join together, in one company, to afcribe "Bleffing, and honour, and glory, and power, unto Him that fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever +.' We profefs to admire the excellency of this celeftial hoft; but fhould we not, alfo, cultivate a ** I Cor. xi. 10. Ecclef. v. 6. + Lu. xv. 10. Matt. xviii. 10. |