THERE were exhibited to the senses of men, in a few instances,
created beings in many respects like men, in others more
refined and elevated, having a human form of speech. The angels,
in short, in their visits to this world of ours, gave man a glimpse
of a higher and better world. They were specimens, so to speak,
of what is to be found in the heavenly Canaan, our land of promise,
answering to those fruits which the spies, sent by Moses into
Canaan, brought to the Israelites in the dreary and barren wilderness,
in order to convince them of the goodness of that pleasant
land, and to encourage them to enter it.
—Archbishop Whately.
Augustine accepted the theology of St. Paul ; but he could not
break away from his sins. He withdrew to his garden, reclined
under a fig-tree, and gave vent to bitter tears. He wrestled with
the angel, and his deliverance was at hand. It was under the
fig-tree of his garden that he fancied he heard the voice of an
angel chanting and often repeating, "Tolle, lege; tolle, lege"—
'' Take up and read ; take up and read !" He opened the Scriptures,
and his eyes alighted on the text in Romans 13 : 13. His
conversion was accomplished. —John Lord.
There looked an angel clown from above,
Peace on his brow, in his gaze deep love ;
He turned with a smile and bowed his head,
"Not yet will I come!" the angel said.
Still looked the angel down from high,
Tears in his eyes, in his heart a sigh;
Roses and thorns in their path they tread;
"Not yet will I come!" the angel said.
• •••••
Then smiled the angel watching still,
Hearing a sigh, "Is it yet His will""
With wide open arms and a low-breath 'd name,
And a message of rest, the angel came.
—G. Clifton Bingham.
