Year: 1872

vractIve. Tho sermon was brief and rather peculiar
in its character. The reverend gentleman who
delivered It took his text from the Gospel or st.
john In which mention is made Of the ladder on
which angels we're seen descending from heaven
to earth and ascending again to heaven. After
long and general alluslon to the Feast of Michael
the Archangel and the creation OF the angels the
reverend preacher went on TO describe how
elevated was their dignity In heaven, how
close their communication with the Most Hight
and how powerful as divine agents of heaven
among men doing good. There were those indeed,
who Affected to believe that there was no such
thing as a personal angel-that the term angel was
rather indefinite one simply indicative OF u spir
itual essence that was not material Yet The Old
Testament showed that angels were really


PERSONAL BEINGS.


They were spoken Of in the Good Book IN many
places. For instance, IL not reCOld lded that 1t
was an angel sent from heaven who stayed The
hand OF Abraham when he was about TO slay his
only son TO please God' In the New Testament we
learn that II mas an angel who announced to the
Virgin Mary the glad tidngs OF the inoar-
nation; that 1t was an angel who warned
the Child saviour, and bade him ny from
the wrath OF Herod, and was 1t not, too. an angel
,ca at te @ an% a Slo ~ rnody aS ea
before the crucihxi0n The reverend gentleman
then continued at some length TO- describe how the
tions Of some one OF Gods .quaIites-His beauty,
His glory. His Justice, His mercy. In comparison
o 90 yc eoua Il 6s0 6s y sa . s "as
longed to a brotherhood OF which the angels we're
a part. They represented In themselves, in their
ranks. In their grades the majesty and great.
ness OF God. AZ did tho myr0ds OF stars we see IN
the heavens. Their numbers were countless, and
they surpassed men in their perfection as greatly
as they did In numbers. And yet, he repeated,
they were


OUR BROTHERS,


fighting In the same cause, struggling to accom-.
psh the same glory for God good men were
Struggling for; lighting under the same banner-the
banner OF the Saviour There was time WHOM the
idea OF the Saviour becoming TO them leader crea
ted rebellion In heaven, and, through pride many
angels fell 1t was In like in this lie that
Christians were fighting against the bad angels that
encompass us on all sides TO give the victory 70


TIE cUAsB OF GOD


Each one of US had his own particular guardian
angel, and he communicated to US good thoughts,
and whispered to us good resolves: In fact, The
angels did all they could for man to accomplish the
end for which he was created. Consequently they
were brothers OF the same family as men were
soldiers or the same army With every being OF
intelligence they held communion, and what peo-
pie often attributed to mere "chance" in the mat
laws of nature, could be traced to the influence and
love Of the angels in fulfilling the will Of God. What
more than all made


MEN AND ANGELS BROTHERS


In common, companions In arms, was that all the
good they possessed came from God, and that all
| the good men possessed came also from GOD. The
| great love they drew from the Centre OF all good
| they dilrused among men, and made them sharers
OF their happiness Their silent promptngs, their
teachings suggested to our minds the smaness OF
all things OF earth compared with the possessions
OF heaven, and thus taught US to detach our hearts
from the exclusive


LOVE OF THE WORLD


and to centre our best affections upon Him who ia
the Gver of all good the Life Of all life, the posses
sOr of all riches that are everlasting. The rever
end Father then closed by earnestly exhorting the
be hateful to the angels and thus to obtain life
of eternal beautitude beyond the grave.