The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-11-15

ing these tllustrlous immortals Is that they
are multitudlnous. Their census has never
been taken, aud no one but God knows
how many they are, hut all the Bible &C.
counts suggest their immense numbera-
companies OF them, regiments OF them,
armies OF them, mountain tops haloed by
them, skies populous with them. John
speaks OF angels and other beings round
the throne rs ten thousand times ten thou.
sand. Now according to my calculation,
ten thousand times ten thousand ure 1G0,.
900, 900. But these are only tho angels in
one place. David counted 0,000 Of them
rolling down the sky In chariors. When
God came away from the riven rocks OF
Mount Sinai, the Bible says He had the
companionship OF 10000 angels. I think
they are in every battle, In every exigency.
at every birth, at every pillow, at every
hour, at every moment, the 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 hls
knife uplitted to slay Isaac, 1t was an angel
who arrested the stroke, crying, "Abra-
ham, Abraham!"' It was a stairway Of
angels that Jacob saw while pillowed in
the wilderness. We are told an angel le,l
the hosts OF Israelites out OF Egyptian
serfdom. It was an angel that showed
Hagar the fountain where she filled the
bottle for the lad. 1t was an angel that
took Lot out OF doomed Sodom. 1t was an
angel that shut up the mouth. OF the hun.
cry monsters when Daniel was thrown In.
to the cavern. It was an angel that fed
Elijah under the juniper tree. 1t was an
angel that announced to Mary the ap.
preaching nativity. They were angels that
chanted when Christ was born. 1t was an
angel that strengthened our Saviour in His
agony. 1t was an angel that encouraged
Paul in the Mediterranean shipwrsck.
It was an ange. that burst open the prison,
gate after gate, until Peter was liberated.
II was IN angel that stirred the pool OF
Sloan, where the sick were healed. II
was IN 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 sound.
ed the trumpet, and an angel that thrust
In the sickle, and an angel that poured out
the vlals, and an angel standing In the sun.
It will be an angel with uplifted hand
swearing that time shall be no longer. In
the great final harvest OF the world the
rsapers are the angels. Yea, the Lord
shull be revealed from heaven with mighty
angels. Oh, the numbers and the miSht
aud the glory Of these supernals-leets OF
them, squadrons Of them, host beyond
host, rank above rank, millions on mill.
ions, and all on our side II We will have
theml
This loads ME to speak of the offices OF
these supernals. To defend, to cheer, to
rescue, to escort, to give victory to the
right and overthrow the wrong-that is
their business-jjust rs alert to-day and
efficient as when In Bible times they spread
wing or unsheathed sword or rocked down
penitentiarles or filled the mountains with
horses OF fire hitched to chariots OF fire and
driven by reinsmen OF fire. They have
turned your steps hundred times, and
you know 1t not. You were on the way to
do some wrong thing, and they changed
your course. They brought some tho"ght
OF Christian parentage or OF loyalty to
your own. home. and that arrested you.
They arranged that some one should meet
you at that. crisis and propose something
from your pocket some ticket to evil
amusement, u ticket that you never found
It was IN angel Of God, and perhaps the
very one that guided you to this service
and that now waits to report some holy
impression to be 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 can tell you OF re.
pentant and ransomed soull Or you were
some time borne down with trouble, be.
reavement, persecution, bankruptcy, sick.
ness and all manner OF troubles beating
their discords In your heart and life. You
gave up. You said: "I cannot stand It any
longer. I believe will take my life
the preclpics that will end this torment OF
earthly exIstence?" But suddenly your
mind Frightened. Courage came surglna
into your heart like oceanic tides. You
said, "God Is on my side, and all these ad.
versities He can make turn out for my
good." Suddenly you felt peace, deer
peace, the peace OF God that passeth all
understanding. What made the changei
sweet and mighty comforting angel Of
the Lord met you. That was all.
Men and women OF all circumstances.
at all, never feel lonely again or unregard.
cd againl Angels all around, angels to ap.
prove, angels to help, angels to remember
Yea. while all the good angels ara friends
OF the good, there Is one special angel your
bodyguard. This idea until this present
study Of anselology supposed to be fanct.
full, but find 1t clearly stated In the Bible.
When the disciples were praying for Peters
dellverance from prison and he appeared
at the door OF the prayer meeting, they
could not believe 1t was Peter. They said
at Is his angel" SO these disciples, In
special nearnest to Christ, evidently be-
lieved that every worthy soul has an
angel. Jesus said OF His followers, "Thelr
angels behold thu face OF My Father"
Elsewhere 1t is said, "He shall give His
angels charge over thee, to keep thee In all
thy ways" Angel shielded, angel pro.
tected, angel guarded, angel canopled, art
thoul
Yes, a guardian angel for each one OF
you. Put yourself now In accord With
Him. When He suggests the right, follow
l.. When He warns you against the wrong.
shun 1t. Sent forth from God to help you
in this great battle against sin and death.
accept his deiverance. When tempted tc
d feeling OF loneliness and disheartenment.
appropriate the promise, "The angel OF
the Lord encampeth around about them
that fear Him and dellvereth them" Oh.
am so glad that the spaces between
here and heaven are thronged with
these. supernaturals taking tldings
home, bringing messages here, rolling
back obstacles frrn our path and giving
us deienses, for terrific are the for les who
dispute or way, and II the nation OF the
good angels Is or cur sldJ the nation oil
bad angels Is on the ether. Paul had It
Fight When ne SAID, we Wfestle not
against hesh and blood, but against prIn.
clpalltios, against powers, against the
rulers OF the darkness OF this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high
places" In that awful fight may God send
us mighty angelic reinforcement! We
want all their wing on our side, all their
swords on our side, all their charIots on
our side.
Thank God that those who are for US are
mightier than those who are against usi
And that thought makes me jubilant as to
final triumph. Belgium, you know, was the
battle-ground OF England and France. Yes,
Belgium more than once was the. battle.
ground OF opposing nations. It 80 happens
that this world Is the Belgium or battle
ground between the angelic nations, good
and bad. Michael, the commander-in chief