a spiritual intelligent substance, the first in rank and dignity among created beings. The word angel in Greek, and signifies a messenger: the Hebrew אֵלֹהִים signifies the same thing. The angels are in Daniel (chap. iv. ver. 13, &c.) called רְאֵי, or watchers, from their vigilance: for the same reason they are, in the remains we have of the prophecy attributed to Enoch, named אֶגְרְגוֹרִי; which word imports the same in Greek.

Angels, therefore, in the proper signification of the word, do not import the nature of any being, but only the office to which they are appointed, especially by way of message or intercourse between God and his creatures; in which sense they are called the ministers of God, who do his pleasure, and ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation. That there are such beings as we call angels, that is, certain permanent substances, invisible and imperceptible to our senses, endowed with understanding and power superior to that of human nature, created by God, and subject to him as the Supreme Being; ministering to his divine providence in the government of the world by his appointment, and more especially attending the affairs of mankind; is a truth so fully attested by Scripture, that it cannot be doubted. Nay, the existence of such invisible beings was generally acknowledged by the ancient heathens, though under different appellations: the Greeks called them demons; and the Romans genii, or lares. Epicurus seems to have been the only one among the old philosophers who absolutely rejected them. Indeed, the belief of middle intelligences influencing the affairs of the world, and serving as ministers or interpreters between God and man, is as extensive as the belief of a God; having never, so far as we know, been called in question by those who had any religion at all.

The creation of angels is not indeed expressly mentioned by Moses in the first of Genesis, yet it is generally considered by judicious expositors as implied. The reason why the sacred historian is silent on this subject, is supposed by Berrington to be the natural proneness of the Gentile world, and even of the Jews, to idolatry. And it is thought, if they worshipped mere material elements, which was the case, much more might they be inclined to worship such superior and sublime beings as angels. But a better reason is perhaps given by the other writers, viz. that this first history was purposely Creation, and principally for information concerning the visible world; the invisible, of which we know but in part, being reserved for a better life.

On what day they were created has been matter of conjecture. It is a point on which learned men have differed. The Socinians, indeed, hold, says Bishop Hopkins, that it was long before the account given by Moses: but it must have been within the six days creation; because, as we are informed, that within this space God made heaven and earth, and all things that are therein. All the writers that we have seen on this subject, think they were included in the first day's work, when the heavens were framed.

It has been thought by some persons, that the words of Job, "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy," militate against the creation of angels within the six days. About the meaning of these words, however, expositors are not agreed; but admitting that they refer literally to angels, Dr Lightfoot, Caryl, and others, see no difficulty in the passage. The Doctor thinks they were created on the first day with the heavens; and that they were spectators of God's works in the other parts of the creation, and praised and magnified the Lord for his works all along; singing and shouting when God laid the foundation of the temple, Ezra iii.

On a subject of this nature it would be imprudent to indulge a spirit of conjecture; Scripture is the only standard by which truth and error can be tried, and to this we must ultimately appeal. It is acknowledged that Moses has not expressly mentioned angels by name; yet, as we have remarked, their creation is undoubtedly implied; for the heavens must include all that are in them; and therefore it is that the divine penman says, in the conclusion of his narrative, "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them."

Of the host of heaven, the angels must form a considerable part; they are expressly called the heavenly host, and the armies of heaven, Dan. iv. 35. Luke ii. 13. And if divine authority be admitted as decisive, the reasons adduced by Jehovah for the sanctification of a sabbath, demonstrate that they did not exist previous to the creation of the heavens. It is, surely, asserted with propriety, that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is. Similar to which is a declaration of the divine historian relating to the same fact—"And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made," Gen. ii. 3. Now if angels existed prior to the six days of creation, the language of Moses is far from being accurate and intelligible; and especially when it is considered that the obscurity might have been removed by adding, "from all the work which God had then created and made."

But if angels were created before the heavens, where could they exist? For, as the learned Gill has remarked, "though angels have no bodies, and so are not in place circumscriptively; yet as they are creatures, they must have an ubi, a somewhere in which they are definitely; so that they are here, and not there, and much less everywhere: Now where was there an ubi, a somewhere for them to exist in, before the heavens and the earth were made? It is most reasonable, therefore, to conclude, that as God prepared an habitation for all the living creatures before he made them; as the sea for the fishes, the expanse, or air, for the fowls, and the earth for men and beasts; so he made the heavens first, and then the angels to dwell in them."

That this was the fact, will appear very evident, if the words of Moses be impartially considered. "In the beginning (says he) God created the heavens and the earth;" which words must refer either to the beginning of creation or of time: if to the former, and angels previously existed, the language is neither intelligible nor conformable to truth; if to the latter, the difficulty remains; for what is time but the measure of created existence. "Time (says the judicious Char-nock *) began with the foundation of the world: before the beginning of the creation and the beginning of time, there could be nothing but eternity: nothing but what was uncreated, that is, nothing but what was without beginning." But if angels were in a pre-existent state, the historian's language is unaccountably strange and inaccurate: for if the phrase in the beginning, which is remarkably emphatical, refer to the creation of the heavens and the earth only, they are unhappily expressed; so expressed, indeed, as to convey no meaning to those who consider words as the vehicle of thought, and as intended to express clearly to others the meaning of the writer. For the natural obvious sense is as follows—"In the beginning of the creation of the heavens and the earth, God created the heavens and the earth;" which language is not only a departure from that perspicuity and precision which distinguish all his narrations, but entirely irrational and absurd.

That the words in the beginning refer to the first creation, cannot be doubted, if it be remembered, that Jehovah himself founds a claim to eternity on this very ground: "Before the day was, I am he."— "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hast formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God," Isa. xliii. 13. Psal. ix. 2. See also Prov. viii. 22, 23, &c. Now there could be no propriety in this kind of reasoning, if angels or any other creature existed before the creation of the world, because all claims to eternity from such premises would apply even to Gabriel as well as to Jehovah. "Before the world was," is, in Scripture language, a phrase always expressive of eternity; and on this principle the evangelist John asserts the divinity of Jesus Christ in the first chapter of his history. For this purpose he alludes to the words of Moses, and introduces his divine master to notice by celebrating the first act of his creative power. "In the beginning (says he) was the Word," that is, Dr Doddridge remarks §, before the foundation of the world, or the first production of any creature: and Dr Sherlock † is clearly of opinion, that the words, in their most common and usual acceptation, signify the first creation of all things, and are a demonstration of the divinity of Divine Christ. Of the same mind was Dr Owen. He says, p. 119. See that if the phrase beginning does not absolutely and formally express eternity, yet it doth a pre-existence to the whole creation, which amounts to the same thing; for nothing can pre-exist before all creatures but the nature of God, which is eternal, unless we suppose a creature before the creation of any. But what is meant by this expression is fully declared by other passages of Scripture: "I was set up from everlasting, before the beginning, or ever the earth was;" "Glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was;" both which passages not only explain the text, but undeniably prove the pre-existence of Christ the Son of God *. It should be remembered, that, in the passage under consideration, the Trinity, evangelist's argument for the divinity of Jesus Christ is grounded on his pre-existing the creation of the world; and it is consequently asserted, that he is the creator of all things: but if angels had a being before the period to which he alludes, the argument loses all its force, and no more proves the divinity of Christ than the divinity of an angel (A).

If, therefore, the words of Moses be impartially viewed

(a) Of this Socinus and his followers were aware; and therefore they endeavoured to evade the force of the viewed in their natural obvious meaning, and compared with other passages of Scripture that relate to the same subject, we have no doubt but every unprejudiced mind will perceive, that as he intended to give a summary history of the creation of all things both in heaven and in earth, he has done it in language intelligible and accurate, and in terms sufficiently explicit.

As to the nature of these beings, we are told, that they are spirits: but whether pure spirits divested of all matter, or united to some thin bodies or corporeal vehicles, has been a controversy of long standing. Not only the ancient philosophers, but some of the Christian fathers, were of opinion that angels were clothed with ethereal or fiery bodies, of the same nature with those which we shall one day have when we come to be equal to them. But the more general opinion, especially of later times, has been, that they are substances entirely spiritual, though they can at any time assume bodies, and appear in human or other shapes.

That the angelical powers and abilities vastly excel those of man, cannot be denied, if we consider, that their faculties are not clogged or impeded, as ours are, by any of those imperfections which are inseparable from corporeal being; so that their understandings are always in perfect vigour; their inclinations regular; their motions strong and quick; their actions irresistible by material bodies, whose natural qualities they can controul, or manage to their purposes, and occasion either blessings or calamities, public or private, here below; instances of which are too numerous to mention.

Besides their attendance on God, and their waiting and executing of his commands, they are also presumed to be employed in taking care of mankind and their concerns: and that every man had such a tutelar or guardian angel, even from his birth, was a firm belief and tradition among the Jews; and our Saviour himself seems to have been of the same sentiment. The heathens were also of the same persuasion, and thought it a crime to neglect the admonitions of so divine a guide. Socrates publicly confessed himself to be under the direction of such an angel, or demon, as several others have since done. And on this tutelar genius of each person they believed his happiness and fortune depended. Every genius did his best for the interest of his client; and if a man came by the worst, it was a sign the strength of his genius was inferior to that of his opponent, that is, of an inferior order; and this was governed by chance. There were some genii, whose ascendant was so great over others, that their very presence entirely disconcerted them; which was the case of that of Augustus in respect of that of Mark Antony; and for the same reason, perhaps some persons have wit, and speak well, when others are absent, in whose presence they are confounded, and out of countenance. The Romans thought the tutelar genii of those who attained the empire to be of an eminent order; on which account they had great honours shown them. Nations and cities also had their several genii. The ancient Persians so firmly believed the ministry of angels, and their superintendence over human affairs, that they gave their names to their months, and the days of their months; and assigned them distinct offices and provinces: and it is from them the Jews confess to have received the names of the months and angels, which they brought with them when they returned from the Babylonish captivity. After which, we find they also assigned charges to the angels, and in particular the patronage of empires and nations; Michael being the prince of the Jews, as Raphael is supposed to have been of the Persians.

The Mahometans have so great a respect for the angels, that they account a man an infidel who either denies their existence, or loves them not. They believe them to be free from sin, enjoying the presence of God, to whom they are never disobedient: that they have subtle pure bodies, being created of light; and have no distinction of sexes, nor do they need the refreshment of food or sleep. They suppose them to have different forms and offices: That some adore God in several postures; others sing his praises, and intercede for men; some carry and encompass his throne; others write the actions of men, and are assigned guardians to them.

As the number of these celestial spirits is very great, it is likewise reasonable to believe that there are several orders and degrees among them, which is also confirmed by Scripture; whence some speculative men have distributed them into nine orders, according to the different names by which they are there called; and reduced these orders into three hierarchies, as they call them; to the first of which belong seraphim, cherubim, and thrones; to the second, dominions, virtues, and powers; and to the third, principalities, archangels, and angels. They imagine, farther, that there are some who constantly reside in heaven; others who are ministers, and sent forth, as there is occasion, to execute the orders they receive from God by the former. The Jews reckon but four orders or companies of angels, each headed by an archangel; the first order being that of Michael, the second of Gabriel, the third of Uriel, and the fourth of Raphael; but though the Jews believe them to be four, yet it seems there were rather seven. The Persians also held, there were subordinate degrees among the angels.

Although the angels were originally created perfect, Of the fallen good, and obedient to their Master's will, yet some of len angels sinned, and kept not their first estate, but left their habitation; and so, of the most blessed and glorious, became the most vile and miserable of all God's creatures. They were expelled the regions of light, and cast down to hell, to be reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, until the day of judgment. With heaven they lost their heavenly disposition, which delighted once in doing good and praising God; and fell into a settled rancour against him, and malice against

the apostle's reasoning, by interpreting the phrase in the beginning either in a figurative sense, or as referring to the beginning of John the Baptist's ministry. We will only subjoin, that we do not remember to have seen any writer deviate from the primary obvious meaning of the passage, who had not some hypothesis to support inimical to truth. against men; their inward peace was gone; all desire of doing good departed from them; and, instead thereof, revengeful thoughts and despair took possession of them, and created an eternal hell within them.

When, and for what offence, these apostate spirits fell from heaven, and plunged themselves into such an abyss of wickedness and woe, are questions very hard, if not impossible to be determined by any clear evidence of Scripture. As to the time, we are certain that it could not be before the sixth day of creation; because on that day it is said, "God saw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good;" but that it was not long after it is very probable, as it must have preceded the fall of our first parents. Some have imagined it to have been after; and that carnality, or lusting to converse with women upon earth, was the sin which ruined them: an opinion (B) built upon a mistaken interpretation of Scripture, as if angels were meant by the sons of God who are said to have begotten the mighty men of old on the daughters of men. Others have supposed, that the angels, being informed of God's intention to create man after his own image, and to dignify his nature by Christ's assuming of it, and thinking their glory to be eclipsed thereby, envied man's happiness, and so revolted; and with this opinion that of the Mahometans has some affinity; who are taught, that the devil, who was once one of those angels who are nearest to God's presence, and named Azazail, forfeited paradise for refusing to pay homage to Adam at the command of God. But on what occasion soever it first showed itself, pride seems to have been the leading sin of the angels; who, admiring and valuing themselves too much on the excellence of their nature and the height of their station, came at length to entertain so little respect for their Creator, as to be guilty of downright rebellion and apostasy.

It is certain from Scripture, that these fallen angels were in great numbers, and that there were also some order and subordination preserved among them; one especially being considered as their prince, and called by several names, Beelzebub, Satan, or Sammael by the Jews; Ahrimam by the Persians; and Eblis by the Mahometans. Their constant employment is not only doing evil themselves, but endeavouring by all arts and means to seduce and pervert mankind, by tempting them to all kind of sin, and thereby bringing them into the same desperate state with themselves.

Angel is likewise a title given to bishops of several churches. In this sense St Paul is understood by some authors, where he says, Women ought to be covered in

(B) This opinion seems to have been originally occasioned by some copies of the Septuagint, which, in the days of St Austin, had in this place the angels of God. Lactantius supposes the angels, who were guilty of this enormity, had been sent down by God to guard and take care of mankind; and being ended with free-will, were charged by him not to forfeit the dignity of their celestial nature, by defiling themselves with the corruptions of the earth; but that the devil at length enticed them to debauch themselves with women. He adds, that not being admitted into heaven by reason of the wickedness into which they had plunged themselves, they fell down to the earth, and became the devil's ministers; but that those who were begotten by them, being neither angels nor men, but of a middle nature, were not received into hell, no more than their parents were into heaven. Hence arose two kinds of demons, celestial and terrestrial. These are unclean spirits, the authors of whatever evils are committed, and whose prince is the devil. From hence very probably proceeded the notions of Incubi, or demons who are supposed to have carnal knowledge of women.