Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-12-02
From the San Francisco Pacific.
The Encampment of Angels.


The Encampment of Angels.
A Kings Court is his body guard Of hon
or, his soldiers body guard ofservice and
defence. While these guards denote the
rank of majesty, majesty distinguishes
them with peculiar honor. In the entire
realm no person is of more importance
than the King; therefore he must be pro-
tected at all points; his person from all
accidents, bis life from all plots and assas-
sinations. His person is sacred, therefore
no man may approach him to touch
him or even to speak to him without
the grace and the honor of special con-
descension Of the King. His crown is
too glittering jewel; his throne, his king
dom, his power, all prizes too vast and
precious TO be periled by ungarded expos
ure to ambitious, fiery and clutching greed.
History is too much record of fearful
tragedies of crowned heads, not to raise the
warning cry of danger, danger to them all.
According to the Bible, Christians are
Kings. Their Kingdom is not of this
world it is true, theirs is the heavenly
their crowns are not corruptible, but spiritu-
al-their inheritance undefled and that
fadeth not away. In this world the Chris
tian is passing onward to that glorious pos
session. Every step of his progress is sur
rounded with dangers, ruinous and fatal
he is liable to surprises and temptations
to injuries, losses and great tribulations.-
Enemies, powerful, subtle, and unceasing-
ly vigilent, throng about his path to beat
him back and spoil him of his heavenly
honors. . tf .f +-'i 7sa @t
Could he but for one day see the full ex-
tent, or for one hour realize the stupcndous
forces that are marshalled against him, not
only to hinder his full attainment, but to
compass his complete perdition, he would
quail, turn and fly, unless held onward by an
Omnipotent power. But in this perilous
Journey this momentous conflict this
struggle for an Immortality in the blessed
ness Of the eternal glory, the christian is
not left to contend unaided and alone. No,
not for one moment is be left to himself
Even when asleep, when overborne by toll,
long watching, earnest battling. he lies
down to rest to rise again with fresh zeal
and fervor to carry onward the purpose of
salvation, Angels are encamped about him.
A great host-a body guard of sleepless
seraphim with swords of fire, close around
to defend and preserve the heir of God
the joint heir with Christ. ais
The Christian has not happened by mere
good adventure to reach country, a city,
a dwelling place of Angels, which, passing
on tomorrow, he must leave, and also his
''Aosts" behind, but they are appointed to
wait upon them to the last end. Where
he sojourns they encamp; where he dwells
they tarry round about; they build no pal
ace for themselves, they found no cities for
their homes, they have no more attachment
to any place on the footstool than the
army marching across the desert in great
campaign would think of building or stay
ing in the desert-the camp of Angels is
a camp in motion-on the wiDg-going al
ways with the soul destined to the kingdom
of eternal life.
David, as he went, felt borne up in their
hands, lest his foot should be dashed against
stone. Elisha saw them with his very
eyes riding in Charts of fire, outnumbering
the hosts of the enemy around him by a
great multitude-they were there to pro-
tect him, and were really around him and
in as great numbers when the natural eye
did not perceive them as when it did
Daniel among the lions was surrounded
with them, and the lions touched him not,
but crouched only at his feet in their pres
ence The three in the furnace Of fire stood
upright with the Lord Of Angels himself,
and be defended them so that the natural
fire could not strike its flames against them,
to crisp even one hair of their heads
Peter, Paul, Silas, and others, chained in
inner dungeons, fastened to stocks and racks,
found angels around them too; these min
istering spirits,-oh, with what love did
they take the fetters of, with what joy did
they throw wide open the barred ard bolt
ed gates, and as they trod the pavement,
how the earth quaked beneath their feet.
Moses saw them around his dying bed, all
come to give his poor body to the grave,
and his soul transport to the skies.
AT the rich mans gate they watched the
begger as the dog licked his sores; and as
he breathed his last, Lazarus was borne by
them in escort, resplendant and glorious as
that which carried Elijah in rapt glory to
Abraham's bosom. Voyaging on the deep,
dashed and driven on and off by billow
and storm, the Angels never left Paul to a
shipwrecks fate. Patmos was the camp
ing place of Angels SO long as John was
exile there. And so in all events, in all
places, in all times and ages, the Angel of
the Lord encampeth round about them that
fear him. They are ''ministering spisits"
sent to minister unto, all who. are heirs Of
Salvation, to protect, defend and uphold
all whom Christ has made Kings and
Priests unto God. ~ -as.re 20
The Angels are around you, Christian
Pilgrim; fear not, therefore, thou shalt not
dash thy foot; they are around you Chris
tian Soldier, battling in the name of Heaven,
and they be more who are with you than
against you. Patient sufferers on the couch
Of pain, your sick room is their dwelling,
so long as flesh and spirit pine beneath the
ills of life. Poor widow, from you these
Angels never turn, and as thou leadest thy
fatherless ones in the rugged sleeps of life,
or through cold waters of sorrow and gloom,
their Angels do always behold the face of
their Father in Heaven. Fellow Christian,
if all this is true, if Angels are with us
and about us all the time, if they constant
ly behold us, are our inseparable compan
ions, guard of fhonor, a host ofpower and
strength, then what manner Of persons