: ST. MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS. Ο Everlasting God, who hast ordained and constituted the services of angels and men in a wonderful order; Mercifully Grant that, as thy holy angels always do thee service in heaven, so by thy appointment they may succour and defend us on earth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. N this day the church expresses her thankfulness to God for the many benefits she derives from the ministry of holy angels, and implores a continuance of their important ministrations on her behalf. And as St. Michael is mentioned in Scripture as an angel of great power and dignity, and as especially engaged in watching over the interests of the church, he is particularized in her grateful memorial of Divine goodness.* From the title of our collect it is evident that our church supposes the personage who in Scripture bears the name of Michael to be a created angel, though one of the highest order. There are however many learned men, who rather suppose that Michael is a name of the uncreated Angel of the covenant, to whose gracious office towards His church they think the actions attributed to Michael may well be assigned; and that the interpretation of the name, who is as God, * See Wheatly, p. 235. Oxford edition strengthens this opinion. (Comp. Dan. x. 13. Jude 9. Rev. xii. 7.*) Concerning the nature and office of those incorporeal intelligences whom we denominate angels, we can have no information but what is derived from Scripture; beyond which if we venture, we plunge into a boundless ocean of vain conjecture. On this subject both Jews and Christians have indulged in speculations which are wholly futile and unprofitable. The term angel is a name of office, and signifies no more than a messenger, whether embodied or unembodied; and it is applied to the agents of material nature, to men, to created intelligent spirits, and to the second person of Jehovah, the incarnate Son of God. To distinguish accurately whether the one or the other of these is intended by the word, as used in some passages of Scripture, is by no means an easy task. That there are unembodied spirits, distinct from the souls of men, and from the ever-blessed God, is clear from many parts of the inspired volume which need not to be cited here, since every reader will recollect them. A part of these are fallen from holiness and happiness, having lost their first estate, and "left their own habitation," and are " reserved in chains of darkness unto the "judgment of the great day." There is, however, "an innumerable company of angels," who have persevered in their duty to God, and are the subjects of our present act of prayer and praise. These blessed spirits excel in knowledge and in strength; (see 2 Sam. xiv. 20. Ps. ciii. 20. 2 Th. i. 7) and their number is past calculation. * See Poli Syn. in Dan. x. 13. See also Bp. Horseley's Sermon on Dan. iv. 17, vol, ii. sermon 29. That they are "constituted and appointed in a " wonderful order," (by which it may be supposed, that the collect refers to a diversity of intellect, rank, and ministration) may be inferred from what the Apostle says, Col. i. 16, where he distributes them into "thrones, dominions, prin"cipalities, and powers." Any attempt further to investigate this mysterious subject would incur the guilt of "intruding into those things which "we have not seen, vainly puffed up by our " fleshly mind."* We know, however, that among men the providence of God has ordained and constituted a wonderful order, which is highly conducive to the promotion of the Divine glory and to the happiness of mankind. All anarchy is inconsistent with His plan, and destructive of human happiness. Liberty and equality, whether in church or state, are terms which imply rebellion against Him and the overthrow of His constitution. Subordination and dependence are essential to human welfare; nor can we enough admire the wisdom of God in linking us together in society, and in the appointment of civil and ecclesiastical government. From the harmony which prevails throughout creation, and from the titles given in Scripture to celestial beings, we infer, that something similar to what we observe among men prevails also in heaven, under the supreme dominion of the King of kings. There is also a mutual connection between angels and men. For angels derive their happiness * Quid inter se distent hæc vocabula, dicant qui possunt. Si tamen possunt probare quod dicunt, ego me ista ignorare confiteor. August. Et alibi: differre inter se aliquid credo; sed quid inter se differant, nescio. in part from the redemption of mankind by our Lord Jesus Christ, as we shall presently shew, and we are indebted subordinately to them for many benefits which God confers upon us. There is a unity in the Divine scheme of creation and redemption, which connects all the parts, and will finally make the universe a theatre of adoration. Leaving this obscure subject, we proceed to consider the petition of our collect; wherein we beseech God to "grant, that, as His holy angels "always do Him service in heaven, so by His appointment they may succour and defend us on earth, through Jesus Christ our Lord." 66 In this petition it is asserted that the angels always do service unto God in heaven. Of what nature that service is, except in one particular, we know nothing. Probably that comprehends the whole of the service which they there perform. They are engaged continually in the noble and delightful work of praising and glorifying His holy name. For this end they were at first created; on this sublime office they entered so soon as they had received their being, when "the "morning-stars sang together and all the sons of "God shouted for joy." (Job xxxviii. 7.) In this blessed employ their heaven consists-an employ, in which eternity will be occupied without weariness or satiety. For so vast is the glory and excellence of that adorable Being who is the object of their praise, and so immense their obligations to Him, that their theme can never be exhausted; and as they are perfectly holy and perfectly happy, no lassitude can ever arise, but new pleasures must for ever spring from the beatific vision of the Triune Jehovah, whose "name "only is excellent and whose praise is above hea"ven and earth." Grateful adoration is the breath 1 *" things under the earth; and that every tongue "should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord "to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. ii. 10, 11.) Bishop Davenant, speaking on the second of these texts, * says, "The angels for Christ's sake are confirmed in grace, and established in the Divine favour, so that it is now plainly impossible that any enmity should intervene between them and God. The establishment of angels therefore in Divine grace through Christ is the same thing as the reconciliation of men through the same Christ. Nor can we doubt that the angels themselves need the grace of Christ the Redeemer-the grace of confirmation and exaltation, though not, properly speaking, the grace of reconciliation. For since they are creatures, it was impossible for them to be in their own nature exempt from the danger of falling. Besides this, the beatific and glorious union with God, which the blessed angels enjoy in eternal life, is a benefit that transcends the merit of any creature; and therefore the angels themselves are not admitted into this ineffable joy of Divine fruition, but on account of their connection with Christ, the head both of angels and men; in consequence of which the Apostle gives the title of elect to the blessed angels. (1 Tim. v. 21.) Now the election either of men or angels out of Christ is a thing unintelligible. From hence therefore it is manifest that the grace of Christ the mediator is necessary to the happiness even of angels, not for the purpose of justification or absolution from sin, but of confirmation in Divine love, and of exaltation * Expositio Epistolæ Pauli ad Colossenses, p. 107. |