The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1909-09-23
THE PULPIT.
An ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. WALDO ADAMS AMOS.
Subject: Angels.

Adams Amos, preached on Angels
rhe text was from Matthew 4:6: He
shall give His angels charge concern
ng thee and In their hands they shall
bear thee up lest at any time thou
dash thy foot against stone" Mr.
Amos said:
One evening when the poet Shelley
was at University College, oxford, ne
and fellow student named Hogg be-
came engaged in a warm discussion
at the dinner table as to the compara-
tive merits of German and Italian lit
erature. The discussion was carried
on with great ardor for an hour or
more, Shelley defending the Italian
writers, and Hogg siding with the
Germans. Then it was proposed that
thc disputants should continue their
debate in Shellcy's rooms. On reach
ing his study the poet turned to
Hogg and said. "To tell you the
truth. l have no knowledge of the
Italian language. and I know abso-
lutelv nothing about Italian litera-
ture." Hogs confessed a like ig-
norance of the German language and
literature, and there the discussion
ended.
Let us begin, then, by saying
frankly that you don't know anything
about angels, and neither do I. There
have been times during he course OF
history when people thought that they
knew a great deal about them. The
medieval scholiasts, for example,
seem to have had inside information
which enabled them 10 give the most
detailed account of the nature and
habits of angels. Even as recently as
1875 a Mr.. Duke, Of London, pub
iished a book on The Nature and
Employments of the Holy Angels
Several years ago one of the scluptors
engaged in decorating the new cathe-
dral in New York was brought to
book when his chisel produced a
woman angel, for any one who knows
anything at all knows that all angels
are OF the male persuasion. Appar-
emily, conditions in Heaven are some-
what different from what they are in
this world, for among the "angels
/ have known" several have been of
the gentler sex. The whole attitude,
however, which prompts a man to
write a book on the nature and en-
ployment of the angels, or seriously to
discuss the question of their sex,
finds scant sympathy at the present
day. Nowadays we regard the angels
of Scripture as part of the poetry OF
religion; we regard them as products
of the poetic Imagination, who give
expression to their hopes and fears
in song and verse; we associate them
with shepherds and starlit nights and
with "the storied land across the
Syrian Sea-" Consequently, we resent
any attempt on the part of the theo-
logian to reduce the angels to terms
of dull prose; we resent any attempt
- ID a1yI,p 80
determine what speech Is current in
the world beyond, for we know that
the speech OF the angels Is poetry,
the language OF the heart, and that
that language is universal, knowing
naught of accent, gender, mood or
tense.
While the angels are the peculiar
province OF the poet, we prosaic folh
may, however, apply our scientific
method to what the world has thought
about angels. We must study his
torically the gradual development oil
the idea Of angels without feeling
that we are rushing in where poets
fear to tread. Our word angel is de-
rived from the Greek word meaning
n messenger. In the earlier books oi
the Old Testament the Angel Of the
Lord is the messenger who conveys
Gods word to men. In the latel
books of the Old Testament and II
the New Testament we find the in
fuonce of the Persian religion, will
which the Jews had come into contac
for several hundred years, we fint
archangels, Michael, Gabriel ant
Raphael. with Persian names. Th'
background Of the Bible, the back
ground of the Masters mind, is tn
popular thinking of the day, and con
sequently we find in our Scripture
this celestial company adapted by tn
Jews from the poetry and religion 0
Persia. Included In this heavenl
hierarchy were guardian angels, an,
recording angels, and angels who car
ried TO and from the messages o
God. But all these, guardian angels
recording angels, angelic messengers
in ancient times, as in our own time
were the products Of the poetic i'm
agination.
when | say that the angels ar
part OF the poetry of religion, / d
not mean that they are unreal. Tn
things OF poetry are more real tina
the things OF prose. The angels ar
the products OF the Imagination, bu
we must remember that the imagine
tion is no airy and playful thing.
is that deep and essential facult
which in a Newton leaps from tn
falling apple to the movements of th
stars in their courses; 1t Is tht
idealizing faculty which in a Darwi
wings it's daring fight from fe
observed phenomena TO q univers;
process OF evolution. There al
angels, then, guardian angels, recorc
ing angels, and angels who carry
and fro the messages Of God. Swedel
borg, the philosopher, believed
them so thoroughly that he used to g
into his church all alone in the ear
morning and preach TO them, and
the sermons were expressions of h
own deep and earnest conviction, ~
no doubt the angels heard him.
There are guardian angels.
their nature and employments
know nothing. But they are Il
spiritual forces that are above al
around and all about us.
And maybe just as we In slee
that counterfeit of death. fare for
into the dream country, so they ia
forth and take upon themselves
unknown nature and the unknoV
tasks Of the holy angels. Aroun
above and all about our ways Tn
minister, and God has given the
charge concerning us that In the
hands they should bear us up, le
at any time we dash our foot again
a stone. In the ear OF the prodig
thav whisner words OF home al