The Opelousas courier., 1890-05-24

sasSes0 their immense numbers. Companies
ol theia, regiments Of them, armies of them.
MOUNTAIN tops haloe1 by them, skies popu-
lous with them. john speaks of angels and
otner beings round the throne as ten thousand
times ten thousand. Now, according to my
calculation, ten thousand times ten thousand
are one hundred million. But these are only
the angels in one place. David counted TWEEN
ty thousand of them rolling down the sky in
chariots. When God came away from the
riven rocks Of Mount Sinai, the Bible says He
had the companionship of ten thousand an
gels. think they are in every battle, in
every exlgency, at every birth, at every pill
low, ct every hour, at every moment. TIN
earth full of them. The heavens full Of them.
They outnumber the human race in this
world. They ~outnumber ransomed spirits in
glory. When Abraham had his knife up
lifted to Stay Isaac, it was an angel who ar
rested the stroke, crying: Abraham! Abra-
nam" 1t was a stairway of angels that Ja-
We are told an angel led the hosts Of Israel
ties out Of Egyptian serfdom. 1t was an an
gel that showed Hagar the fountain where
she filled the bottle for the lad. It was an
angel that took Lot out Of doomed Sodom.
1t was an angel that shut up the mouth of
the hungry monsters when Daniel was thrown
into the caverns. 1t was an angel that fed
Elijah under the juniper tree. It was an an
gel that announced to Mary the approaching
nativity. They were angels that chanted
when Christ was born. It was an angel that
strengthened oar Saviour in His agony. 1t was
an angel that encouraged Paul in the Med
~iterranean shipwreck. It was an angel that
burst open the prison, gate after gate, until
Peter was liberated. 1t was an angel that
stirred the Pool of Sloan where the sick
were healed. It was an angel that John saw
flying through the midst of heaven, and an
angel with foot planted on the sea, and IN
angel that opened the book, and an angel that
sounded the trumpet, and an angel that
thrust in the sickle, and an angel that poured
out the walls, and an angel standing in the
sun 1t will he an angel with uplifted hand,
swearing that time shalt be no longer. In
the great final harvest OF the world, the
reapers are the angels. Yea, the
Lord shall be revealed from heaven
with mighty angels. Oh, the numbers
and the might EIa and the g'esr 5 Of t these se
theml Host beyond host! Rank above
ranki Millions On millions! And all on our
side if we will have them.
This leads me to speak of the Offices of
these supernals. To defend, to cheer, to res
cue, to escort, to give victory to the right,
ness. Just as alert to-day and efficient as
whom in Bible times they spread wing, or
unsheathed sword, Or rocked down peniten-
~tiaries, or filed the mountains with horses of
fire hitched to chariots of fire and driven by
steps a hundred times, and you knew 1t not.
You were on the way to do some wrong
thing, and they changed your cou--e. They
brought some thought Of Christian parent
age, or Of loyalty to your own home, and
that arrested you. They arranged that some
one should meet you at that crisis. aud pro
pose something honorable and elevating, OF
they took from your pocket some ticket to
evil amusement, q ticket that yon never
found. 1t was an angel of God, and perhaps
the very eae that guided you to this services,
and that = wv waits to report some holy
impression 20 be this morning made
upon your soul, tarrying with one foot
upon the doorstep of your immortal spirit,
and the other foot lifted for ascent into the
skies, BY some prayer detain him until he
ccn tell of a repentant and ransomed soul
Or you were some time borne down with
trouble, bereavement, persecution, bank
ruptcy, sickness and all manner OF troubles
beating their discords in your heart and life.
You gave up; you said: Il cannot stand it
any longer. 1 believe l will take my life.
Where is the raii train, or the deep wave, or
the precipics that will end this torment OF
earthly existeuceg' But suddenly your mind
frightened. Courage came SURFING into
your heart like oceanic tides. You said
"God is on my side, ami all these adversitles
| He can make turn out for my good" Sud.
| denly you felt a peace, q deep peace, the
/ peace Of God that passeth all understanding.
! What made the change? A sweet, and
mighty, and comforting angel Of the Lord
met you. That was all.
What an incentive to purity and righteous
ness is this doctrine that we are continually
,,,Jn,, o,,o.ol;o atcorrak;ont Euoc ovor on
you, so that the most secret misdeed is COM
mitted in the midst Of an audience of i'm.
n,ortals. No doors so bolted, no darkness SO
Gi9sBArian as to hinder that supernal eye
light. Not critical eyesight, not jealous
eyesight, not baleful eyesight, but friendly
eyesight, sympathetic eyesight, helpful eye
sight. Confidential clerk Of store, with great
responsibility on your shoulder, and no one
to applaud your work when You do it well,
and sick with the worlds ingratitude, think
of the angels in the counting-room raptured
at your fidelity! Mother of household, stitch
ing, mending, cooking, busting, planning, up
bali the night or all night with the sick child,
day in and day out. year in and year out,
worn with the monotony of q life that no one
seems to care for, think of the angels in the
nursery, angels in all the rooms Of your toll
| ing, angxls about the sick cradle and all in
sympathy = -.
RaiIrogd engineer, with hundreds of a4ves
hanging On your wrist, standing amid the
cinders end the smutch. round the SHARP
curve and by appalling declivity, discharged
and disgraced IL you make a mistake, but not
one word of approval il you take all the
trains in safety for ten years, think Of the
angels by the throttle valve, angels by the
roaring furnace Of the engine, angels looking
from the overhanging crag, angels -bracing
the racing wheels off the precipice. angels
when you mount the thunderboIt of a train
ord a,,ooic ubnn Won dfsninnntf Can Won
not hear them, louder 4 Che jaf1ning OF
the car coupling, louder than the bell at the
crossing, Louder than the whistle that sounds
like the scream of a flying hend, the an
gelic voices saying: lyon did it we'll!
You did it we1p' II 1 often speak
Of engineers it is hecause / ride SO much
with them. always accept their invitation
to join them ca their locomotive, because !
because they are about the grandest men
ali Men and wonen Dan circumstances, only
partly ~ppree6nssss.ssqqB not appreciated at all,
nevar feeflopely again. or u~nfegarded again
Angels all around; angels to approve, angels
to hello, angels to remember. Yeas while all
the good angslsare frientlso Of the good, there
is one special agent your body guard. This
idea. until this present study OF angalology,
supposed to be f~anciful, but j find it clearly
stated In the Bible. When the disciples were
praying for Peters deliveranee from prison,
and he appeared at the door OF the prayer
maeting. they could not believe it was Peter
they said: ut is his angel" SO these dis
ciples, in special nearuess to Christ, evidentl,
believed that every worthy soul has an angel
Jesus said OF His followers. Their angels be
hold the face OF My Father Elsewhere !
ID. said: 'He shall give His angels charge oyo
thee, to keep thee In all thy ways Angs
shielded, angel protected, angel guayied
angel ~canopfed. art thou; no wonder the