be ipJ.port~t to 1111 to understand -what. we may on thiit mbsf thterestirlg bnt most ·-w"i91Jli .a:u\,jeQt. For we cannot think shat tl1eir work an,1 rlrini&try are fiaish~ ,!Hl~-~~t Dl>W i,\ley .lumi uothwg to d-0 with us,. nor. we with them.· We feel aure that •~revel"l!t\l ~t,lie truth. Troe, there hM. been much of·m.ere imagination in the repre- #J'~ons ~h~t have been given of angels by poets and paint~ both. They have . , ~ th1u11akera of men'e common ideas concerning angels, and have -caused not a little •. ~i•derstJlndiag and nili;reading of the Scriptu.res•on this thellle. ·Jewish fables and .Jeg~~~ ~ .va1iou.s kinds have been mingled with the plain te:aching of God's Word, -~4 ;hence t.he whol1uubject has COllle. t.o be wmpped in a haze- of difficulty and doubt, leading, in 1ru1nycases, to complete denial of the existence of angels at all. ·· But ·11, careful study of the Scriptures will show tbm• th1druth as to the angels is one full of consolation and of llllcred impulse; ot SQlemn warning also; in s&ort, that it is part uf that. trot~. which is" profitable for doct.rini:. for ;reproof," etc. Consider--:--. . ·· :1. THE REALITY _OF TBJ!: ANGEl,IO WORLD, And th~e can be no doubt but thsl + Thi, Scriptures plainly tlSMl'I it.' 'fliey are spoken of there in clear and positive , l\1&]lrim' as to their high ~nity, their eanotity,. their power., th~ blessednBSB, their heavenly home, their iimployments, their vut !].U!Jlbers, and their immortality. All , tlrls}s told of the holu angels. : · But thcre-arii evil angels likewise, who are represented ,_'8 siir#ng ~qet tl:\ejr rnnce Sa~ ~- the bolt an~e)a serve under God•• T~ey areevil 'and;~~~ ~nd t\ill of all malignity 8Il4 wicked.ii~ 2. .dad all tlua ia noi mm, ; ~ " f . . ~ Oft J~ part_ qf tM $ciipt,ur.~. _to popula.1:"idiaa and belief,. T~a haiB .btlenlon..g and, loudly asserted. No doubl; ther,e were~ manner of strange beliefi! ou •tbflmbjeet of the spirit-world. The ancien'ta peopled the univef88 arouµ\i wi~~ -11 kinds of strange inhabitants, and _the .~ewJ were only less credulons on these matters than the heathen around. Htrjice 'it_ is said ~hat our Lord and his apostles accom- modated themselves to these ideas, and represented· the various facts of nature and ,JPJ<J-lliid~ a, if angels OJ demona were t!]Jlployed a\Jom them, but. not teaohing •that ,f\WPJlptually w~ the 1;:ase. But this theory has only to be stated for its untenablenB11B .iµJ.mf,l!.\iaiely W;_appeaF, And ipe- pi~. teaching of Scripture would have been moTe r~ly .-eceive,i bad n~ poets iwd p!!,inteni-,those mighty.manumctunire of BO much, t!,&d mjplifeld. ~ often mlsllhl~ot1lHniJ1take-pel'l!isted in alwa.ys representing 11ngels in., O;D# .,-ay----.~qti_ful you~hs; witi. .wiags. · Milton is very, great npo11 their wino.:s~ ~u,t ~• l;Pll'\llt of ;tlµs h,aii been t.o relt>gatti .the whole doctrine. of angda- to the-region qf 111yt1t,Aqd i~aginaJion, '"1d .tQ rob. the.Ch.urch of the comfort and help the real truth ~ .Ji if giyen in Jhe .Bibi.El would, afonl. .The fanoiea and fables of heathendom were .,qi#, ,GP•, mo~ outi of the m~y hu1tan~ in. which,. as St. Paul describes them, they .....-~ ~g.~~ µie truth. 3• .A.ll.d why ,hoilld there brnmy doubt a,r to ~ 'reality of a~J, . ls ;oot,alJ life, from the lowest.zoophyte up to the most gifted of the IIOll8 of .19,_n, one conti!1wil a.seen.t? 13ut why sho~d the progression halt with us? why_ should ~~~e ~. be 11-1). ascent beyond, 118 there 1& np to, ouraelves? All analo~y leads.\l8 to ,t.l;ii,AA-~e,i:11 is, iJnQ. $o be Qn tlw look-out and expectation for orders of beinga that may 11pan the vast distance which must for ever 8'lparate ils -and God. ThEI. Bible aml analogy confirm one another. , Bu,t a more __importaµt. an.d qill3c11lt inquiry relates to- ll. THEm NATURE, o~&IN, A:Nl> msTORY: · Who a!l<l ";l;fit are they'/ 1. Much has been assumed concerning them; but resting· on very slender _foundations; as: (1) '1,'hat they~s~ long before: the creation ·or man, in vast throngs, sintess·and bleS11ed,'in a t ~ e , upon ,God. (2). That they were alto~ethe:r difft:rent in nature from man. (i) Tb&\ !JOlll.8 Ai them kept not their firat ·estate, and hence are reserved in e}iains unto ."1,Jud.pl9nt. of tba great.day.· (4} 'l'hat Satan; their chief, dared to rival God, and ,with:,hitl ®niederatlla to,"dettthe Omnipotent ·to mns." Milt.on represent. Satan as ~_g ll!!w ~ ,, . . . . . " ... to be avenged, .And toropair his numbers thus illlpail"ctl, Whe·ther such virtue, spent of old, now failed More a11geht to creBte (ff they at least Are his created) or to epite us more; Determined to advance into our room A creature formed of earth, and hirn endue ; With li.ll8vculy apoils (our spoilii)." , & vm. 1-18.] THB .BEVEL.A.TIO~ ·or ST~ uOtL."'i TU" t>:fvtN« i4t
Il11t may it .oot- be tnu;. 2. Angels Me'.per,fockd •mm:...:.".im 11pirif.t of-tbejust·m&de perfec;,.? Yeuug.,. the author of the ~<Night Thought&,' thu ielle fort.li ·this &lief~ •, • ' - •.. . • . . ' ' ·- ' .... Why don~ ire, tncn, tli.e gloriOllll trµth Angels ai-8 runil ot·a s11perior, kind: · . to~, .,. .,·,.·. ... •. ;.: , -~. :; J..; r, r • ,
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