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Q. 3. What place did God assign to the angels as their residence.

A. The highest heavens, or the heaven of heav ens. (b)

Q. 4. Are they the subjects of God's moral government?

A. Most certainly. They are subject to His laws, and accountable to Him for their conduct. And the rule of conduct, given to angels, was undoubtedly the same in substance, as that given to man in innocence. (c)

Q. 5. Were the angels as soon as created put upon probation?

A. They were. A term of trial was assigned to Each one was to obey, or disobey, for

them all.

himself. (d)

Q. 6. What was the consequence of their being put upon trial?

A. The consequence was, some retained their rectitude during their probationary state, and are now confirmed in holiness and happiness; others, probably through pride, rebelled against God, and ruined themselves. (d)

for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.-Matt. xxv. 51. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.-2 Sam. xiv. 20. And my Lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.-Ps. ciii. 20. Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.Heb. i. 14. Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

(b) Rev. vii. 11. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God.

(c) Matt. xxii. 37-40. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.-Ps. ciii. 19. The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.-Matt. vi. 10. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (d) 1 Tim. v. 21. I charge thee before God and the Lord Je

Q. 7. What does Scripture say respecting the number of the holy angels?

A. It teaches that the number is vastly great. It represents them as innumerable. (e)

Q. 8. What are the names given to angels in Scripture?

A. They are called spirits, angels, cherubim, seraphim, watchers, morning stars, sons of God, thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers. (f)

Q. 9. Why are the angels called by these different names?

A. They are called spirits, because immaterial and invisible;-angels, because agents, or messengers of Jehovah;-cherubim, because of their extensive knowledge;-seraphim, because of their holy zeal

sus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things, without preferring one before another; doing nothing by partiality.-2 Pet. ii. 4. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment.

(e) Heb. xii. 22. But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels.-Ps. Ixviii. 17. The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels.--Dan. vii. 10. Thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.-Matt. xxvi. 53. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?-Luke ii. 13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God.

(f) Heb. i. 14. Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation?-Heb. i. 6. And again, when he bringeth in the First Begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.Ezek. x. 19. And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight.-Is. vi. 2. Above it stood the seraphims; each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.-Dan. iv. 17. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones.-Job xxxviii. 7. When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.-Col. i. 16. For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him.

and love ;—watchers, because of their vigilance and care;-morning stars, because of their splendid nature and early creation;-sons of God, because they bear the impress of His image;-thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers, because of the exalted dignity of their nature, high elevation of character, and sublime employments.

Q. 10. What is the employment of holy angels? A. They are employed by God in the administration of the affairs of the world, especially in ministering to them who shall be heirs of salvation. They will be subservient to Christ in the transactions of the great day of judgment, and they do now, and forever will, unite with the spirits of just men made perfect, in the worship of Heaven. But they cannot, in all respects and to the same degree as the saints, join in the song of Moses and the Lamb; for they themselves never felt the stings of sin and guilt, and never tasted the sweetness of pardoning and saving mercy. (g)

Q. 11. How should we regard holy angels?

A. We should love them for their moral excellence, feel grateful for their benevolent conduct towards us, respect them for their dignity and worth, and imitate them in all things which may be imitated by us.

Q. 12. Is there any Saviour provided for the apostate angels?

A. There is none; and, consequently, they must perish forever. They are now in utter despair and sorrows, being reserved in chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. (h)

(g) Ps. xxxiv. 7. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.-Heb. i. 14. Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.-Matt. xxiv. 31. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.-Rev. vii. 11. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders, and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God.

(h) Jude 6. And the angels which kept not their first estate,

Q. 13. What are the fallen angels usually called in Scripture?

A. They are usually called devils. The one who is represented as having been an angel of pre-eminent distinction, and as the first in rebellion, and who is at the head of apostate angels, is called by other names, such as Satan, Dragon, Serpent, Angel of the bottomless pit, Abaddon, Apollyon, Accuser of the brethren, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Prince of devils, Prince of the power of the air, and god of this world. (i)

Q. 14. Are the apostate angels represented in the Scriptures as having an agency in this world?

A. They are. Though invisible, they greatly exert themselves, and do much mischief by leading man

but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day. Matt. xxv. 41. Then shall he say to them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.-2 Pet. ii. 14. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.

(i) James ii. 19. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well; the devils, also, believe and tremble.-Job i. 12. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.-Rev. xii. 9. And the great Dragon was cast out, that old Serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world, he was cast out into the earth; and his angels were cast out with him.-Rev. ix. 11. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.-Rev. xii. 10. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength; and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ; for the Accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.-Is. xiv. 12. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!-Matt. xii. 24. But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub, the Prince of the devils.-Eph. ii. 2. Wherein in time past, ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.-2 Cor. iv. 4. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.

kind into sin. Satan tempted Eve, tempted Christ, and instigated Judas to betray his Master. He is spoken of more frequently in the Bible than any other single agent except God the Father, the Saviour, and the Holy Ghost, and always as engaged in evil devices or works. (j)

Q. 15. What is the number of fallen angels?
A. It is immensely large. (k)

Q. 16. Ought the Scriptural account of the devils to be believed?

A. It ought most assuredly. 1. There is nothing absurd in it. We can conceive of devils as easily and as clearly as we can of holy angels, or of any invisible being whatever. 2. It is the account which God has given. 3. There is the same reason to believe it, that there is to believe the account of holy angels. And, 4. It is very particularly intermixed with the history of Jesus Christ. There is therefore no reason for rejecting it, but all reason for believing it.

Q. 17. What is the consequence of a denial of the doctrine of fallen angels?

A. It leads to infidelity-to the rejection of the main truths of the gospel, viz. the fall of man, recovery by Jesus Christ, the day of judgment, and final retribution. And the same principle of interpretation would justify the denial of the existence of good angels, of departed spirits, of Peter, Paul and John, of Christ, and of God.

(j) Gen. iii. 13. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The Serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.-Matt. iv. 1. Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the Devil.-John xiii. 2. And supper being ended, (the Devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him.)-1 Pet. v. 8. Be sober, be vigilant ; because your adversary, the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.-Luke xxii. 31. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.

And

(k) Mark v. 9. And he asked him, What is thy name? he answered, saying, My name is Legion; for we are many.

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