looked in, after Peter and John went away, she saw two angels and talked with them. These are very deep things. They prove plainly that the angels of God appear and disappear, are visible or invisible, instantaneously and supernaturally, accord- ing as God commissions them. In short they are beings of a totally different nature to our own, and are in all the condi- tions of their constitution totally unlike us. For anything we know, they were in the tomb when Peter and John inspected it, but at that moment were invisible. For anything we know, they are now very near us every minute of our existence, and doing God's will concerning us, though we are utterly unaware of their presence. All this no doubt is very mysterious, and past the power of man to explain and comprehend. One thing, however, is very certain. Neither here nor elsewhere do we ever find the slightest warrant in Scripture for praying to angels, any more than to dead saints, or for giving them the smallest portion of worship, as if they were divine. Like our- selves, after all, they are only God's creatures.
The expression " in white," means literally " in white robes or garments." It is an adjective and we are left to supply the substantive. The Holy Ghost here abstains from telling us the precise fashion of apparel which these angels wore. The gar- ment worn by the angel mentioned in Mark, at the resurrection, was a long stole or flowing robe. (Mark xvi. 5.) It is worth noticing that " white " was the color of the Lord's raiment in the transfiguration, and which is the color in which the angels always seem to have appeared. It need hardly be said that the color is symbolical of that perfect purity and freedom from de- filement, which is the character of the inhabitants of heaven. It will be the garment of the saved souls in glory. (Rev. iii. 4;vii. 9.)
The attitude in which the angels were seen by Mary deserves attention. " Sitting one at the head and the other at the feet," where our Lord's body had lain, they would seem to have been placed there by God as watchmen and guards over the sacred body of our Lord, during the time He was in the grave. It is written, " He shall give His angels charge over Thee." (Psalm xci. 11.)
Some have thought that the position of the angels points to that of the Cherubim, who sat on the two ends of the mercy- seat, over the ark, with their faces toward each other. (Exo'd. XXV. 20 ; 2 Chron. iii. 13.)
Bengel thinks that this " sitting " was meant to intimate that their work was done. This seems to me doubtful, because an- gels need no rest.
Cyril thinks that the attitude of the two angels was meant to show Mary, thafc our Lord's body had been safely guarded by them, and that no one could have stolen it away against their