abode of immortal souls. One of these is the place "prepared for you," provided you are true to the purpose of your creation. The other is the place "prepared for the devil and his angels," into which also will be cast the wicked, "and all the nations that forget God."

Here, in a single vision, in vivid contrast, do we see the whole history, the whole duty, the whole of the opportunity and the possibility of man. It is noteworthy that our eternal destiny will not be fixed at the judgment bar but in this present life. When at the judgment bar the words "righteous" and "wicked" will be used, there will be expressed, in one single word, the condition of our lives and our choice of places for eternity. Time is a mere probation for eternity, fulfill your proper mission in time, and your soul will be enriched and glorified for and in eternity.

CHAPTER IV

ANGELS

The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.-Psa. 34:7. The Bible speaks of three classes of intelligent beings: God, angels, man. Angels are ministers and messengers. As such the name has been applied to Christ, the great Messenger from heaven, the Mediator between God and man; to prophets and preachers, who as ministers and messengers have done so much to make God's Word and will known to man; to the elements, which are often used in a providential way to remind man of his condition and duty to God; to the innumerable hosts of celestial beings, to whom the word angels is most commonly applied.

From the fact that the word angel means a minister or messenger, and as such has been applied to other beings and objects outside the celestial beings to which this chapter is devoted, some have gotten the idea that these celestial beings are but the creation of the human fancy and have tried to torture all scriptures referring to them as meaning simply man, wind, fire, or other agencies through which God makes known Hi will to man. But this view is so manifestly absurd, and so contrary to the tenor of all Scripture that we shall not waste time to prove its fallacy. On the other hand, we shall dismiss all consideration of any other meaning of the word save that applied to these heavenly beings.

Angels are vastly inferior to God, but far superior to man in intelligence and power. They are a class of invisible, immaterial beings, concerning whom many questions may be asked which man can not answer. There is no specia' description of them to be found anywhere in the Bible. Their origin is not definitely stated. Their relation to God and man

is not accurately defined. Yet the Bible so frequently make mention of them and their work in a matter-of-fact way that the faithful reader may learn much concerning them. Because of this lack of definite information concerning particulars on the one hand, and of numerous reference to them on the other hand, many fanciful theories and wild speculations find their way into the printed page. These we shall endeavor to avoid. As we write we breathe a prayer that God may direct our pen and that we may be led to say the things that will be helpfu to the reader in a higher appreciation of God's bountiful provisions for the safety and well being of man.

THEIR ORIGIN

They are created beings. "All things were made by Him" (Jno. 1:3. See also Neh. 9:6). Men and angels were created by God for purposes which we know in part now and hope to know in completeness hereafter. As to the time of their creation, we can only guess. On this the Bible is silent. Many suppose that this time may at least be inferred from what God said to Job: "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:4, 7)? It is thought by some that when the work of creation was completed the angels were present and celebrated the work of the Divine Architect.

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Then another question arises: Were the evil angels included in this host which sang together? There seems to be no reasonable doubt that God created but one kind of angels; that what are now the evil angels were among the holy angels in the beginning. Jude refers to "the angels which kept not their first estate" (Jude 6), showing that their first condition was not the miserable condition in which they now find themselves. Christ refers to Satan as "a murderer from the beginning" who "abode not in the truth" (Jno. 8:44), which proves that he was once in the truth. We conclude, therefore, that in the beginning God created the innumerable hosts of heavenly beings which man has been pleased to call "angels;"

that they were all holy, "very good" (Gen. 1:31); but that through pride or other causes a portion of them fell and became angels of their chief, the devil.

THEIR GREAT NUMBER

We spoke of the angels as "innumerable hosts." Behold the vision which Jacob saw, a ladder reaching from heaven to earth, and the angels of God descending and ascending upon. it. Gen. 28:12. Again, as he was on his way to meet his brother Esau he met another company of angels which he is pleased to call "God's host" (Gen. 32:2). Elisha and his servant had a glimpse of what God has provided for man in the form of "ministering spirits" when they were permitted to see the mountains around them filled with horses and chariots, so that it was clear to the servant that they that were with them outnumbered even the mighty hosts of Syria. Christ had only to say the word, and "more than twelve legions of angels from heaven were ready to come and deliver Him from the power of His enemies. Matt. 26:53. As for evil angels, there are enough of them that the lake of fire was expressly prepared for the eternal abode of "the devil and his angels" (Matt. 25:41). Paul refers to "an innumerable company of angels" (Heb. 12:22). John on Patmos saw and heard angels numbering "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands" (Rev. 5:11).

It has been said, and we believe it, that if our eyes could be opened and see, as Elisha and his servant saw for a brief time and as God and angels see all the time, we would behold myriads of these celestial beings, around us, above us, everywhere. But God has wisely withheld this scene from us, as He has many other scenes which He knows are not for our highest interests. But by and by the mortal veil which hides these glorious visions from the sight of mortal man will be taken away, and with undimmed eyes we shall behold a glory which beggars all description.

ATTRIBUTES

I. Spirituality.-Angels are spiritual beings, without

material bodies. "Of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire" (Heb. 1:7). True, they have appeared to man in visible, tangible form, just as God has at sundry times and in divers manners made Himself visible to man; but all such appearances have been miraculous, God and angels appearing to man in some tangible form that their being and office might be the more clearly comprehended by man. When the Holy Ghost appeared at the baptism in the bodily form of a dove we do not therefore get the idea that the Holy Ghost has the form and substanc of a dove. Neither do we get the idea that angels wear the flesh simply because they have at times appeared to men in human form. Paul says that they are "ministering spirits." Christ says, "A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have" (Luke 24:39). Angels, whether in their original or fallen state, are spirits, subject to God or to Satan, according to their choice.

2. Individuality.-Angels are not an unrecognizable mass of beings, in that there is no distinction among them, but they are possessed with individual traits and offices, just like human beings. This is evident from the fact that the names and offices of some of them are mentioned in Scripture. Thus when the angel said to Zacharias, "I am Gabriel" (Luke 1:19). the faithful priest recognized that it was the same angel who centuries before had appeared to Daniel to bring important messages. Dan. 8:16; 9:21. When we hear the name Michael we think at once of conflict (Jude 9; Rev. 12:7) for that seems to be the special mission of this angel. Thus among angels, as among human beings, individual angels have their individual traits and offices which distinguish them from other individuals.

3. Immortality.-Angels are immortal, not subject to death. Concerning the future condition of the righteous Christ says, "Neither can they die any more; for they are equal unto the angels" (Luke 20:36). Men and angels differ in this: while the immortal soul of man is for the time being placed in mortal bodies, angels are not thus limited, for angels have no