The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-12-01

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violence, but are superhuman realities.
They, are not myths, but persons. They
are the agents of Gods providence, both
natural and supernatural, and especially
agents In the great scheme of the spiritual
redemption and sanctifcation of man.
The reference to them and their min
lstry is frequent, both in the Old and New
Testaments. The Psalms speak of them
as excelling in strength, and doing God g
commandments and hearkening to the
voice Of his word-as encamping round
about them that fear the Lord and de-
llvering them-as Gods ministers or
messengers. The 18th Psalm represents
them as the bearers of the plaques with
which God scourged Egypt. In Hebrews
they are said to be ministering spirits.
sent to minister for them who shall be
heirs of salvation. They appeared unto
Hagar when she fled from the face of her
mistress-they gave warning to Lot to
flee to the mountain-they met Jacob in
the way-they gave directions to Elijah
they stood before Balaam to block his
pathway-they filled the mountain round
about Elisha with chariots and horses of
tire-they smote the Assyrian host They
appeared unto Zacharias and the mother
of our Lord-they heralded the infant
Jesus at Bethlehem, when the star of the
East bowed its coronet of fire before the
majesty of the manger-they sang the
halleluJahs of peace and good will to the
hepherds-they warned Joseph of the
cruel purposes of Herod-they minis
tered to Christ in the wilderness and in
Gethsemane-they rolled back the stone
from his tomb, and they will come with
him in his glory at the last day to gather
his elect. They carried Lazarus to Abra-
hams bosom, opened the doors of the
Apostles prison, led Peter through the
streets, met Philip in the way, and smote
Herod on his throne. Our Lord speaks
of them as the guardians of the little ones
on earth, and also as the reapers at the
end of the world, casting the wicked into
the furnace of fire. We are told that
man Is spectacle to them, that there is
Joy amongst them over one sinner that
repenteth, that they desire to look into
the unfolding of the kingdom of God and
the mysteries of mans redemption
While worship of them is expressly for
hidden, and the secret counsel of God is
unknown to them, yet they are the mighty
sons OF God, ministers of His that do his
pleasure, to whom is awarded the honor
OF accompanying the King of glory when
he shall come to Judge the world. In
dead our Lord himself seems to intimate
that the pomp of that great day will be
enhanced by the glory of his holy angels,
before whom the wicked will be denied
and the righteous confessed by the Son
of man.
The personal appearance of angels, SO
far as the same is indicated in Scripture
Is not always uniform. Sometimes they
are invisible or onl y visible to the clari-
ned eye. Sometimes they are seen in
vision or trance. Sometimes their super
natural character is only discovered by
their disappearance. Sometimes there is
nothing to indicate supernatural beings,
and again they strike the beholder with
awe, or appear with countenances like
lightning and raiment white as snow.
A reference to certain other passages
OF Scripture may perhaps aid us In ascer-
tanning the meaning of Stephen when he
said that the Jews had received the law,
by the disposition of angels. The Apos-
tie Paul in Galatians says that the law
was ordained by angels, and in Hebrews
1T IS said that the word spoken by angels
was steadfast. In the 68th Psalm. David
says " the chariots of God are twenty
thousand, even thousands of angels; the
Lord Is among them, as in Sinai, in the
holy place" In Deuteronomy, Moses in
his last address to the people of Israel
says, the Lord came from Sinai. and
rose up from SER unto them; he shined
forth from Paran, and he came with ten
thousands of saints; from his right hand
went fiery law for them. The word
IN the passage just quoted translated
saints, . in the Septuagint Scriptures is
rendered " angels" in conformity with
the Jewish belief to which have referred
A word kindred to that translated
disposition" in this SD verse, is ap-
piled by the Greek historian Herodotus.
to the drawing up or disposition of troops.
The more probable meaning, therefore. of
the phrase, " disposition of angels" is that
the heavenly host were the messengers
or heralds through whom the divine COM
munlcations or at least some of them at
Sinai passed, as word of command does
from rank to rank or from officer to Off
Ger, until it reaches the whole CORPS or
army. The angels were not mere spec
tators, but instrumentalities by which the
law or some part of it, was spoken. en-