saw them ascending as well as descending on that mystic ladder which he beheld in his vision. Now we may readily conceive that these winged intelligences are employed to bear the news of earth to heaven, as well as the news of heaven to earth. The angels are celestial couriers their name imports as much. They fly over the earthbehold its inhabitants-their variegated circumstances-return to the celestial world, and there make known the result of their mission: and as they are not omniscient nor omnipresent beings, this is the only way by which they can arrive at a knowledge of what passes upon earth.

It is certain that every sinner's repentance is a cause of joy in the presence of the angels of God in heaven. Now they must be acquainted with the fact before they can rejoice at its occurrence. And as these facts are constantly occurring in different parts of the world, therefore there is constant need of these celestial spies ascending the ladder in order to convey the pleasing news to heaven; and this they can do with telegraphic despatch-for God hath made "his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire."

Natural philosophy informs us, that a ray of light can travel at the astonishing rate of 194,188 miles in one second of time-and that it comes to us from the sun, a distance of 95,513,794 miles, in the short space of 8' 113". And we have reason to believe that ministering spirits move with equal, or indeed greater celerity. Did not one of the seraphim fly almost as quick as thought from the temple of God in heaven to the prophet on earth, to consecrate him to the prophetic office. There is a remarkable account in the history of Bel and the Dragon, in the Apocrypha, which, although it may not be true in fact, will nevertheless show the opinion of the ancient Jews on this subject. Here the angel of the Lord is represented as taking the Prophet Habakkuk by the hair of his head, and, in "the vehemence of his spirit,” transferring him in a moment from Jewry to Babylon: and then "the angel of the Lord set Habakkuk in his own place again immediately!" And, doubtless, in their upward flight, from earth to heaven, they move with equal swiftness-for the King's business requireth haste. Besides, they are anxious to make their reports to their sister spirits in glory; and we may well imagine how full of interest these reports must be, especially to the spirits of just men made perfect in paradise. But we must clip the wings of our imagination. We must not lift too high the veil which separates us from the most holy place.

There is another reason why angels are found ascending, as well as descending, the ladder Jacob saw. They minister to the heirs of salvation, by conveying their ransomed spirits to the world of bliss. No sooner has the soul cast off her mortal coil than angels spread their golden pinions to bear their "sister spirit" far away from earth to "mingle with the blaze of day!" They go in bands to "the chamber where the good man meets his fate;" they hover around his dying couch they wait to hear pronounced, "A man is dead!" then they are ready to respond, "A child is born!" They seize the prize, and bear it through the trackless ether, and place it at the Saviour's feet! Behold that poor, despised, afflicted man, reduced to the extreme of life by complicated ills, Heaven signs, and death executes his release VOL. X.-July, 1839.

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from earth. The beggar dies-and, lo! he is carried by angels into Abraham's bosom. The infantile spirit, like the nestling eaglet, having not yet tried her pinions, mounts on those of angels, which bear her aloft, as the eaglet is borne upon the eagle's wings!

But there is yet another object of the ministry of angels. They are to be sent forth, on the last day, to "gather together God's elect from the four winds of heaven." By the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God, the "dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed;" and angels are to be our escort when we are "caught up to meet our Lord in the air, to be for ever with the Lord.” Our conquering Head was thus conducted to the skies. When he ascended up on high he was accompanied by the chariots of God, which are twenty thousand, even thousands of thousands of angels. Psa. lxviii, 17, 18. They sung, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in!" Psa. xxxiv, 7. And in like manner will they convey his ransomed people home. They will then exclaim, "Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation, which keepeth the truth, may enter in,' Isa. xxvi, 2.

This will be their last and most glorious ascension. The people of Christ, being all redeemed from earth, will be angels' companions in heaven. Yes! and, in return for their services, they will communicate to angels a knowledge of those Christian mysteries which they now have a "desire to look into:" and thus "unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places shall be made known by the church the manifold wisdom of God," Eph. iii, 10.

From what we have said on this subject, we may learn, 1. The feelings which we ought to entertain toward these exalted intelligences. We should respect them, and esteem them very highly in love for their works' sake. But we must not worship them. No; nor must we trust in them as mediators. These are errors of pagan origin, into which many, both ancient and modern, have unfortunately fallen. The Romans considered their genii, and the Greeks their demons, subaltern deities and mediators; and accordingly Plato himself enjoined his disciples to honor and worship them. And the ancient Jews were also infected with this dangerous superstition. This appears from Tobit xii, 12, 15, where his ethereal companion is made to address Tobias' father in the following language:-"I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels, which present the prayers of the saints. When thou didst pray, and Sara thy daughter-in-law, I did bring the remembrance of your prayers before the Holy One."

Philo, the Jew, has also this remarkable passage. Speaking of these celestial beings, he says:-" They are the presidents of the princes of the Almighty, like the eyes and ears of some great king, beholding and hearing all things. These the philosophers call demons; but the holy Scriptures call them angels, and that most properly-for they carry the Father's commands to the children, and the childrens' wants to the Father; and therefore the Scripture represents them as ascending and descending. Not that he needs such intelligence, who beforehand knows all things; but because it is more expedient for us mortals to make use of such mediators, that we may the more admire and reverence the Supreme Governor and the great power of his government.

From a sense hereof we desired a mediator: Speak thou to us, but let not God speak to us lest we die." This is a beautiful passage, but it contains a dangerous heresy.

To this heresy the Christians at Colosse were exposed, as appears from the apostle's caution:-"Let no man beguile you of your reward, in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels," Col. ii, 18. And it is well known how egregiously the Latin and Greek Churches have erred on this point. They have many gods, and many mediators. It is true, they tell us that they do not allow supreme adoration to any but God, and offer only inferior adoration to all besides. Hence they divide their worship into λarpeia and dovλia; the former of which they render to God, and the latter to saints and angels. But, as Mr. Saurin well remarks, "The Scripture does not distinguish, as some divines with so little reason do, many sorts of religious adoration. We do not find there the distinction of the worship of Latria from the worship of Dulia; but religious adoration is distinguished from civil adoration." And we might add, that as this is the only distinction which obtains in the Scripture, and as it would be folly to offer angels civil adoration unless they were visibly present with us; so it would be idolatry to offer them religious worship, for this belongs to God alone. We must never forget, that "there is but one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus," 1 Tim. ii, 5. Angels are but ministering spirits-servants of God, and servants of They are not the objects of religious trust, as though they were mediators-nor of religious worship, as though they were deities. We must remember that the Lord stood above the ladder, while "the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!" If God has chosen to make them his agents, we must not make them his rivals!

men.

2. From the ministry of angels, let us learn, secondly, a lesson of humility and active benevolence. When they are not directly employed in striking their harps of praise before the throne of God in heaven, they are engaged in errands of mercy to the sons of men on earth. And their visits are not, as they have been represented, few and far between. But, like the Saviour of the world, they go about doing good. And this earth is the grand theatre of their benevolent operations. They make no invidious distinctions between the rich and the poor. They do not forsake the hovels of the wretched, and, "like the world, their ready visit pay where fortune smiles." No! but while they visit Abraham the patriarch at Mamre, they visit Lazarus also at the rich man's gate. They are not above discharging the most menial offices toward the children of men. Let this teach us that true dignity is not incompatible with the performance of the meanest services of good will toward our fellow-creatures.

Would we resemble angels? Let us visit the haunts of povertythe hovels of distress-" the fatherless and the widow in their affliction and keep ourselves unspotted from the world!" Nothing can lower our dignity but sin. Nothing can exalt our character so much as pure benevolence and heaven-born humility. And for the present, laying aside every other motive, let us seek to be filled with the former, and clothed with the latter, "because of the angels," 1 Cor. xi, 10. 3. From the ministry of angels, let us learn, thirdly, the security of the people of God. "What can harm us if we be followers of that

which is good?" Is not the Lord of hosts with us? Are not the armies of the living God stationed around us like a munition of rocks? If legions of wily fiends oppose us, "cannot we pray to our Father, and will he not presently give us more than twelve legions of angels for our defence?" Matt. xxvi, 53. We have strong consolations and

a sure support.

Angels were, probably, seen as they came down upon the mountain, when the law was given by their "disposition;" but the Israelites could not come nigh unto them because of the terrors of Sinai. "But we are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel," Heb. xii, 22, &c.

"Therefore, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name, evermore praising thee and saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts! heaven and earth are full of thy glory! Glory be to thee, O Lord most high! Amen."

STANZAS.

"Bless the Lord, ye, his angels."-Psalms.

"And let all the angels of God worship him."—Hebrews.

WHEN earth began to be

This earth, which loud declares

Her Maker's majesty,

Ye glorious morning stars

With praises glow'd.

Your shouting joy
Knew no alloy,

Ye sons of God!

When th' incarnate God

In Bethl'hem did appear,
New joys ye flung abroad
On the nocturnal air;
His natal day

Ye oped with songs:
Him your glad tongues
Did homage pay!

When on the fatal tree

The Saviour hung accurst-→

When ye desired to see

Into those things, ye first

Smother'd each flame,

Each harp unstrung;
But soon ye sung,
"Worthy the Lamb!"

When high the conqu'ror flew,

Shouting o'er death and hell,

Ye then were ready too

His victories to tell.

His upward way
With songs ye strew'd;
Spontaneous flow'd

Each choicest lay!

For the Methodist Magazine and Quarterly Review.

GOD'S WORD THE CHRISTIAN'S DELIGHT.
"O how love I thy law !"-Psa. cxix, 97.

BY REV. R. W. ALLEN, OF THE NEW-ENGLAND CONFERENCE.

[Continued from page 215.]

II. This law claims our increasing attachment.

This is more than intimated in the text: "O how love I thy law !” His attachment to this law had become exceedingly great; so great, that he said "I do not forget thy law." "Thy law is my delight." "Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word." Of every Christian it may be affirmed, "In his law doth he meditate day and night." That this law claims our increasing attachment is evident

From its divine origin. That the Scriptures containing this law are from God, the Christian fully believes. This truth is one of the fundamental articles of his religion. But, though unnecessary to prove to the Christian that the Scriptures are divine, still it may not be amiss to notice some of those arguments by which this doctrine is supported. It may serve to increase his attachment to the sacred volume. As it respects the infidel and skeptic, we do not enter upon the subject with much expectation of convincing them of their error; for if what has been said on the subject in the multiplicity of elaborate and able works now before the public fails to convince them, but little can reasonably be hoped from what we may offer. We hope, however, all will candidly, seriously, and prayerfully, consider the subject.

We shall, in the first place, attempt to prove the divine origin of the Scriptures from the character of the writers themselves. That the Scriptures were written by men is admitted on all hands, infidels not excepted. It then remains to be shown what kind of men the writers were. They must, of course, have been either good or bad men. That they were good men-men of strict integrity and deep piety— (and we shall show, in the sequel, that they were inspired men)— appears from the following considerations :