The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1895-12-05
ouR ANGELS.

4
Matthew, iv, IL
1t is glad surprise to the careful !
student of the older and the newer
Scriptures that the beings whom we
call angels ccupy so prominent /
position in the Fathers dealings
with His children on the earth. And
it is not the least curious fact in the
history of our modern religious
life that the mission of I'll csc angels
should be either ignored or practi-
cally discredited We have not been
| wiling to admit that God uses any
secondary agencies in che accomp-
lishment of His purposes.
| Asa consequence we suffer spiritual
| loss, Tor there is a great comfort to /
be had in the belief that a throng of
invisible beings are nigh at hand in |
our time of trouble, plying us in our !
time of trouble. pitying US in our |
distress, and lending sub aid as lies |
in their power. How many of our |
burdens are lightened by their sue
corning siren 9Th, how frequently we
are enabled to resist temptation by
their power added to our own, how
often holy suggestions come from
them which we attribute to our own
minds or hearts, no one can tell.
But that they do come from heaven
to earth and that our daily lives are
blCsst d By their presence no one who
accepts the record of Christ's minis
try as veritable history can possibly
doubt.
Their doings run through the pages
of the Old Testament like a golden
thread in a costly fabric. The dark
places in the life of the ancient He
brews are illumined by them, and
every prophet held communion with
them and received from them the
mandates of the Most High. paniel,
when speaking of the strait he was
in, said, Behold, there stood before
me as the appearance of man
and he informed me and talked
with me-" and his experience is SO
multiplied by others of a like nature
that We are almost startled by their
constant recurrence. They shine
like stars on winter night; and to
them tie Hebrews we're indebted for
their courage and their national
glory.
The birth of Christ was announced
by an angel; the flight into Egypt
with the Child was commanded by
an angel; when the temptation of
| SuTlSO was chdOo 41C Wdo
unto by angels; when the, fearful
women stood at the tomb it was an
angel, whose raiment Was white as
, snow," who proclaimed the resurrec.
= ton, and when the mob followed the
, Lord, and tue disciples talked of
r resistance by force, He rebuked them,
, declaring that if nee9tul He could
> call on more than twelve legions of
, angels
| adduce only a few out of many
instances, but they are sufficient to
! establish and emphasize tue fact
!, that We are seen though we do not
: see, and that heaven holds the earth
in it's arms as mother her babe.
q No distance forms barrier either to
our longing or to their response to
' it. We may not feel the hand that
. is placed in ours, but it is there; we
9 do not hear with the hearing OF the
q ear, hut with the hearing Of the
g heart; we do not see these guardian
s spirits with the eye, but with our
g inner consciousness We are sure that
J they are close by.
Il Il What glorious realm of thou ht
u we are exploring! What a glorious
realm of fact is revealed to usl The
poor soul that is being driven along
the downward path by the fury o
10 his passions is accompanied at every
= step by Gods messengers-them mes
Il sengers of His pity and His love-
: and with their supremest efforts the,
!. try to bar his way to further wretch
- edness. The lonely heart that ha
:. been chilled by frosty misfortune
and falls upon a desperate moo
that regards even crime with indif1er
ence, is surrounded by invisibl
agents who are doing all that HEAVIER
itself can suggest to make the wa.
smoother and the sky brighter. An,
the mourning soul, sitting in tn
shadow of q great bereavement
looking upward With tear dimme
eyes-iS no one near to whisper COL
ISOLATION? Is God unmindful o
powerless to assuage this grief
The angels who represent God
Sympathy are in that darlene
room, and the peace that comes t
, the broken heart comes from above
We have here practical fact, Blu
We have made too little use of il
The wonder is that We have neglect
ed it so long, tor II is one OF the mos
precious truths to be found With
the whole range OF Gods providence
Not alone, never alone, but alway
in the companionship of ministerin
er spilits eDjoined by the Father to d
be- us good service if We will allow thel
r. to do so.
ar And who are these heavenly b
On ings? Why not those who hay
of been bound to US for many yea
w and who love us now more than evel
ce Shall they who have been so dea
a but who we're summoned to Il
so other land, be sent far away, viii
tie strangers do His bidding for Of
as behoof? Our guardians are tho
ss who have been closest to our heart
l believe, and they are always reac
to come at our call They how
about us, guide our wandering foo
en- steps, avert impending danger,
X what they az to encourage al
of cheer, and after the nightfall, VIII
in the morning comes, they will be t
it first to greet us and welcome US
a that Home where parting shall
ny forever unknown.