St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-12-02

puts sometimes under the figure OF
wings, sometimes under the figure of a
flowing garment, sometimes under the
figure of naked feet. As these super
humans are without bodies, these ex-
pressions of course are figurative and
mean swiftness. The Bible tells us that
Daniel was praying and Gabriel flew
from Heaven and touched him before
he got up from his knees. How far,
then. did the angel Gabriel have to fly
in those moments of Daniels prayer?
Heaven Is thought to be the center of
the universe. Our sun and its planets
only the rim of the wheel of worlds.
In a moment the angel Gabriel few
from that center 10 this periphery.
Jesus told Peter he could instantly have
60.G00 angels present If he called for
them. What foot of antelope or wing of
aibatross could equal that velocity? ?
Law of gravitation, which grips all
things else, has no influence upon an
gelic momentum. Immensities before
them open and shut like fan. That
they are here is no reason why they
should not be quintillion of miles
hence the next minute. Our bodies him
der MS. but our minds can circle the
earth in a minute. Angelic beings are
bodiless and have no limitation. God
may with His finger point down to
some world in trouble on the outmost
limits of creation, and instantly an an
gelic cohort is there to help it, or some
celestial may be standing at the farther
most outpost of immensely, and God
may say ''Come!" and instantly it is in
His bosom. Abraham. Elijah. Hagar.
Joshua, Gideon, Manoah, Paul, ST. John.
could tell Of their unhindered locomo-
ton. The red feet of summer lightning
are slow compared with their hegiras.
This doubles up and congresses infini-
tudes into irfinitesimals. This puts all
the astronomical heavens into space
like the balls Of child's rattle.
Another remark have TO make con-
corning these illustrious immortals is
that they are multitudinous. Their
census has never been taken. and no
one but God knows how many there
are. but all the Bible accounts suggest
their immense numbers-companies of
them, regiments of them, armies OF
them, mountain tops haloed by them.
skies populoas with them. John speaks
of angels and other beings round the
throne as ten thousand times ten thou.
sand. Now. according to my calcula.
ton, ten thousand times ten thousand
are 100. O00, GOO. But these are only the
angels in one place. David counted co.
0c0 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
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 out
number the human race in this world.
They outnumber ransomed spirits in
glory. When Abraham had his knife
uplifted to slay Isaac it was an angel
who arrested the stroke, crying: "Abra-
ham, Abraham" 1t was the stairway
of angels that Jacob saw while pillowed
in the wilderness. We are told an angel
led the hosts of Israelites out Of Egyp-
tian serfdom. 1t was an angel that
showed Hagar the fountain where she
filed 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 cav
erns. It was an angel that fed Elijah
under the juniper tree. It was an angel
that announced to Mary theapproach-
ing nativity. They were angels that
cha { ted when Christ was born, It was
an angel tina. strengthened our Saviour
in His agony. 1t was an angelth en-
couraged Paul in the Mediterranean
shipwreck. 1t 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, healeas it vassan angel
that John saw flying through the midst
Of HEAVIER, and an angel with foot plant
ed on the sea. and an angel that opened
the book, lpd an.angelthat sounded the
trumpet, and an angel that thrust in
the sickle, aud an angel that poured out
the walls, and an angel standing in the
sun. 1t will be an angel with uplifted
hand swearing that time shall be no
longer. In tn. great final harvest of
the world the reapers are the angels.
Yea, and the Lori shall be revealed from
Heaven with mighty angels. Oh, the
numbers and the might and the glory
of these supernais--feets of them,
squadrons of them. host beyond host,
rank above rank, 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 cefend, to cheer,
to rescue, to escort, to give victory to
the right and overthrow the wrong
that is their business-just as alert to-
day and efficient as when in Bible times
they spread wing or unsheathed sword
or rocked down penitentiaries 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
knew it not. You were on the way to
do some wrong thing, and they changed
your course. They brought some
thought of Christian parentage or of
loyalty to your own home, and that ar
rested you. They arranged that some
one should meet you at that crisis and
propose something honorable and ele-
waiting, or they took from your pocket
some ticket to evil amusement, a ticket
that you never found. 1t was an 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 lift
ed for ascent into the skies. BY some
prayer detain him until he can tell of
ard ransomed soul! Or you
were some time borne down with
trouble, bereavement, persecution,
bankruptcy. sickness and all manner Of
troubles beating their discords in your
heart and life. You gave up. You said:
ssT cannot stand n INV longer believe