Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him," awakened the jealous fears of Herod, who immediately determined to murder the royal infant. To effect his purpose, he gathered together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, and demanded of them where Christ should be born. He also diligently enquired of the wise men, at what time the star appeared. Jesus was indeed Messiah, the Prince; for thus said the angel to Mary: "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.”+ But, "my kingdom," said Jesus to Pilate, "is not of this world." He came to establish a spiritual kingdom on the earth, and to save his people from their sins, from this present evil world, and from the wrath to come. He came to destroy the works of the devil, to bruise the serpent's head, to restore man to the lost image of his Maker, to open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. He came to magnify the law, and make it honourable, by his sinless obedience, and by suffering the penalty due to our sins. He died the just for the unjust to bring us nigh unto God. Thus all who truly believe in him, are his people, and shall be saved with an everlasting salvation, and shall never be confounded, world without end. Joseph and Mary were quietly living in Bethlehem, little thinking of the danger to which the precious infant was exposed, when the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child, to destroy him."§ He promptly obeyed the kind intimation, and thus escaped the agonising slaughter of the babes of Bethlehem. *Matt. ii. 1–16. + Luke i. 32. § Matt. ii. 13. John xviii. 36. When Herod was dead, behold the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, while residing in Egypt, and bade him return into the land of Israel.* Thus angels were employed, and, no doubt, found themselves happily so, in being the messengers of mercy, the harbingers of good news, the protecting instruments of the infant Saviour. When Jesus, our ever compassionate Redeemer, entered on his work of grace, the angels never forsook him in his deepest trials. Having overcome the tempter in the wilderness, "Angels came and ministered unto him." In the garden of Gethsemene, that place of unknown agonies which Jesus underwent for us, when his sweat was as it were great drops of blood, falling to the ground; and when his soul was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death, "there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him."+ To Peter, when he had rashly cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest, Jesus said, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels ?" Thus, the patient, suffering Redeemer, had angels at his command:"but," he added, "how then shall the scripture be fulfilled, that thus it must be ?"SO! the depth of sovereign grace! How wonderful is the love of Jesus. He could have rescued himself out of the hands of his enemies, but he would not-and why? that poor, miserable, hell-deserving sinners might be saved from eternal death, from the never-ending flame, from the torments of hell! "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name. At the sepulchre of Jesus, the angel of the Lord rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. But to the women, Matt. ii. 20. Luke xxii. 43, 44. + Matt. iv. 11.; Mark i. 13. § Matt. xxvi. 53, 54. who came to anoint the body with spices, and to weep at the tomb of their beloved Lord, the angel said, "Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here; for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."* O! what joyful news! "He is risen." Thus Jesus was proved to be the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, by his resurrection from the dead. Had he not risen, we should still have been in our sins; and all who had fallen asleep in Christ, believing him to have been the true Messiah, would have perished; for, says St. Paul, "If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain."+ But oh! glorious announcement by the angel of the Lord-He is risen." And with him are raised our highest hopes and expectations. As Christ was delivered for our offences, so he was raised for our justification. Oh! that my heart were always in tune, to sing the praises of that Saviour, whose name is sweeter than all created harmonies. When Jesus ascended into heaven, and while the Apostles were steadfastly looking toward heaven, as he went up, till a cloud received him out of their sight, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."§ Thus said St. John, endued with the spirit of prophecy: "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him :" also, St. Paul, "The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God."** Thus, by faith, I would follow my Saviour, and ascend after him, in heart and affection, through *Matt. xxviii. 2-6.; Mark xvi. 6. +1 Cor. xv. 14. § Acts i. 11. Rom. iv. 25. ** 1 Thess. iv. 16. the power of the Holy Ghost. Oh! that my affections may ever be set on things above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. How unremitting was the ministration of angels. These blessed spirits were employed on errands of mercy at the birth, the persecution, the temptation, the agony, the resurrection, and the ascension of Christ; while kings and rulers, priests and people, were rejecting, despising, and crucifying the Lord of glory. Oh! how surpassing wonder is the goodness and forbearance of God. The holy angels were also ministering spirits to the people of God. To Zacharias an angel of the Lord was sent with the joyful tidings that his wife Elisabeth should have a son, and that the child should be the promised Forerunner and Harbinger of the Messiah.* An angel was commissioned to save Peter from the power of Herod and the fury of the Jews; but, to smite the proud, persecuting king: for, when the people shouted after his oration, saying, "It is the voice of a God, and not of a man, immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. But the word of God grew and multiplied."+ "There stood by me this night," said Paul to the affrighted mariners, "the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee."+ + So even now, though unseen by us, angels are doubtless employed by the compassionate Saviour on errands of mercy and protection to his people. "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" Yes, truly. Is a sinner converted?" There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."* Not only when whole regions are converted to the faith, but when one sinner repenteth. O! what a deep interest do angels take in the happiness of man. Is a sinner transformed into a saint? "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.......O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him."+ But angels are also employed as ministers of vengeance. Witness the destruction of Sodom; the death of the first-born in Egypt;§ the overthrow of the Assyrian army; the pestilence in the reign of David.** By parables, Jesus declared that at the great day of judgment, angels shall sever the wicked from among the just, the tares from the wheat.+t The book of Revelation is full of the ministration of angels, opening the seals, sounding the trumpets, and pouring out the vials of the wrath of God. This view of the ministration of angels brings the two worlds near together. If evil spirits are ever exerting their malignant agency, may we not hope that good spirits are employing their benign labours in behalf of the faithful in Christ Jesus? Chariots of fire surrounded Elisha, which his servant could not see, till his eyes were opened at the prayer of his master.‡‡ Balaam saw not the angel of the Lord with the drawn sword in his hand, till his eyes were opened.§§ And we know not how near these heavenly visitants may be to us in the time of danger or temptation, or at the hour of death. The soul of Lazarus was carried by angels into Abraham's bosom. But, in the midst of trials, this is the grand source of our happiness and security, to have Christ for our portion; whom all the angels of God wor*Luke xv. 10. + Psa. xxxiv. 7, 9. + Gen. xix. § Exod. xi. 5.; xii. 12, 29. 2 Kings xix. 35. ; Isa. xxxvii. 36. ++ Matt. xiii. 41, 42.; xxv. 31, 32. §§ Numb. xxii. 22—31. 2 Kings vi. 14—18. Luke xvi. 22. |