Daily Republican., 1889-12-30
ANGELS.
GOOD AND BAD SPIRITS ARE
LOWERING AROUND US.


! oO.s'@S
Rev. A. N. Keigwin, pastor of West
Presbyterian Church, preached last even
ing on "Angels, taking his text from
Acts XVII, %: "For there stood by
me this night the angel of God, whose l
am, and whom ] serve"
There are unseen spiritual helps. the
maze of life is so intricate that we would
shrink from facing it were it not that
every mans life is plan of God. The
old proverb. "The fathers have eaten
sour grapes and the children's teeth are
set Cn edge" grew out Of the condition
that our lives have the same general ten
dency as those of our ancestry. Yet,
largely, In many ways, our lives appear
to be under our own control.
Instead of exa2gerating upon the pro-
gress OF this age, 1t would be more pro-
ntable to reflect upon Its surprising want
of progress in many respects. For sew
eral generations diseases and the death
rate have been the greater on account OF
mankind dwelling in habitstions. Air
earbonized by human breathing, vitiated
by dust and by coal gas, deoxegeuized
by many CT the artificial lights and
otherwise vitiated are ills that many per-
sons suffer, Notwithstanding that pbysi-
claus, architects, builders and scientists
have been at work to overcome them.
When we can endure such no longer, we
call the doctor In and take medicine.
This illustrates one OF many ways in
which we have Too little to boast of in
modern science. The human race has
not unravelled many OF the most familiar
problems. We may we'll exclaim:
"oh! Why should the Spirit of Mortal
be proud?"
The boasting about ones ancestry Is
less commendable than to give a iavora-
BILE answer to the question: What Is q
man bimselfi But even the seli-made
man 10 nothing to brag OF.
This leads, In the investigation Of the
text, to an understanding of the condi-
tion that, owing to human limitations,
all men need the ministry OF unseen
helpers. We cannot go beyond God and
He is very near.
The preacher gl1ried in free thought
but not In It's loo:eness and iniidelity and
thought It surprising that scholars,
metaphysiclans, micr oscopoes, tele-
scopes, ETC., had accomplished SO little.
Why is 1t that we have not accomplished
more II 1t be not that God has placed
limitations? Thousands of years OF
human experience have demonstrated
mans dependence on supernatural helps.
thc W'ohoi VI Jul 10 iuilJ WIN
God. The wisest man is not able to
guard himself without the aid OF super
natural help. y Every man wants
to prosper but the commercial records
put down about ninety six per cent. oi
the buslness men as failures.
We need as much as Paul did that the
angels stand by US. When man needs
help, God Is there to help him. n Thi:
10Th century ought not TO be skeptlcal In
regard to supernatural aids. Men ought
to be very modest abou. attacking super
nT'rralism. Even the phenomena OF so
called "modern spiritualism" cannot al
be charged to charlilalism. Some peop',
think the spirits of their friends surround
them. Joseph Cook believes in spiritua
forces. There are spirits In men. Car
there not be spirits outside Of men? $50
we wrestle not against flesh and blood
but against princlpalities, against powers
against the rulers of the darkness of thi
world, against spiritual wickedness II
high place." Milton wrote: "Million
of spiritual creatures walk the eartl
both when we sleep and when we wake
The preacher hero quoted Shakespear
and other learned authors.
1t 10 In vain to scoff. Men may b
under the dominion of spiritual force
either deylish or angelic. God Ia eve
present to help us. He can help us b.
his ange's. These helps ought and cal
be secured. Do we not prefer to be unde
the control of God and holy angels
That is the question of evangelical chris
| tianity. III You invite God He will CON
and control you. But you will slide Oh
slippery places II you 60 on in sin an,
folly. There arc spiritual forces operai
ing for your destruction
, But there 10 spiritual worship 4
heavenly places In Christ Jesus. 9Th
angel of the Lord enc.mpcth rouu
about them tha' lear him and deliveret
them." Which do you decide shall rul
over youl
In the text are peace, security ant
, helpfulness, of which the speaker treatet
at length. He illustrated the helpfu
ability hy which DIR. Livingstone wen
through Africa after his arm had bee
broken by cobtilct with lion.
.. Death is on your track. But the chris
tian has no fear OF death. He cite1 tn
experience OF Elijah. He did not believ
God stood with a drawn sword to keel
men out of heaven, but lie did think un
seen forces of evil stood in the way t.
drag men down. He explained hoV
afillctions, trials and troubles brough
spiritual blessings.
You WHO are free in God need fear NJ
; evil will belIll you. This help is rea
and no one can dispute 1t. 1t skeptic
laughed at Paul he was nevertheless
credible witness. The ovation gave al
account OF his visit to sick boy, sur,
rounded by spititusl force but who said
"Jesus is calling me, Mother, and | mus
60" lie dwelt eoquently on the com
10 ting blessing of divine help and ex
horted his hearers that no one fail of per
sonal conservation to God and knew
ledge of Hin.
The sermon was in the usual terse AM
energetic style of the preecher aud wa
listened to by large and closely atten
tive congreg alton.
| --A-S-t--
Mr.. l.. B. Kiefer, OF Lancaster, Pa.
wrote us: Having spTained leg of al