Peace made on earth is to be accompanied with the reconciliation of all things in heaven.

We read of elect angels and their confirmation in a state of happiness: of them as of us Jesus is the glorious head; through him we, as well as they,, are the elect of God, holy and beloved and preserved in Christ Jesus. The angels who stood in celestial excellence and perfection not only ab. horred the apostacy of their proud rebellious companions, but also necessarily became the enemies of men, when they associated with devils, and joined in daring conspiracy against the God of heaven, the King of glory. Their holy zeal for his honour burned as a flaming fire of wrath against his enemies, but when deity became propitious to man, they too were appeased. When Jesus reconciled men to God, and to one another -all things which are on earth-he also reconciled all things which are in heaven. Thus men and angels were gathered together into one family in Christ as their common head.

If they are superior to us by nature, by grace we occupy as high a place as they; we sit together in heavenly places; we are come to an innumerable company of angels; they feel no longer any shyness, distance, or opposition; they

embrace us as their friends and fellows; yea, our Redeeming Lord hath in some measure exalted us above them, making them ministering spirits to guide, and guard, and minister to all the heirs of salvation.

He giveth them a special and solemn charge concerning his ransomed people, which we find them ready and cheerful in undertaking, and ever faithful and active in executing. How grand and interesting is the representation of this in Isaiah vi. 1-4. The glory which had long filled their admiring eyes in heaven, now bursts forth upon earth, and they instantly fly to this new scene of divine greatness and grace. God manifest in the flesh is seen of angels. They cannot be satisfied with a transient view; they look into the mysteries of divine redeeming love, with the most steady penetrating attention, with the most eager solicitude of thought, of wonder, of inquiry, of delight.

No sooner do their quick comprehensive faculties receive, than all their powers are exerted in communicating these new discoveries to the world immediately interested in them. Thus when the glory of the Lord shone round the shepherds of Bethlehem, to their sore amazement, the angel of

the Lord was at hand to dismiss their fears, by announcing the birth of the promised Messiah, and directing them to the place, where they would find the son and Lord of David, the Saviour of the world. And suddenly there was with the angels a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men. When he was declared to be the Son of God with power, by his triumphant resurrection from the dead, angels attended to relieve the anxieties, sooth the griefs, and revive the hopes of the despondent, disconsolate disciples. When he ascended up on high leading captivity captive, the chariots of God were twenty thousand, even thousands of angels, while two remained on earth to testify of him, to direct the present temper and future conduct of the astonished disciples, and to promise his return in power and great glory.

Often since have they been employed in the kindest offices of compassionate care over the bodies and souls of men, in preventing evil or working deliverance, in directing and animating the labour of apostolic zeal, or in conducting humble inquirers to the best means of information and salvation. The sphere of exertion and influ

ence opens and widens before their expanding benevolence and active powers; and as they proceed they collect the scattered treasures of divine science; learning from the church the manifold wisdom of God.

Indeed it may be said of them as of the believers of the Old Testament, that they without us could not be made perfect. Thus advancing in every kind of angelic improvement, by the full scope given to all the energies of their benevolent active natures, by continually doing and receiving good, they cease not to pursue the mighty plan of divine grace, till the Son of man send them forth to gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and to bring together all his saints from the four winds, to stand at his right hand in the final judgment, and to be for ever with him in the kingdom of his Father. Is not this a wonderful reconciliation of things in heaven, and things on earth? A friendship between holy angels and redeemed men is formed and maintained by the infinitely loving design and conciliating powers of the gospel, which can never be broken. When all things here are dissolved they shall meet and live eter nally together in heaven, without envy, or jeal

ousy, or any possible discordance of sentiment, temper, or pursuit; yea, in all the high perfection of everlasting love.-What a beautiful grand representation of this harmony is given in Rev. v. 5, to the end of the chapter. I shall only add once more in the

Fifth and last place, That the design, exhibited in our text, seems to imply such an extensive communication of good, that the whole universe shall in some measure partake of it, in having its separate parts or collected influence employed to produce, or terminate in the highest possible perfection. Though I have endeavoured to shew that the language of our text is primarily and principally to be understood of persons, that is, intelligent moral beings, even angels and men, yet not exclusively. God hath made nothing in vain, and therefore by every thing he will be more or less glorified.

The primeval state of man connected with his innocence a pure and useful and happy enjoyment of every thing around him. The transgression of man changed in a manner the whole system to which he stood related. Abusing his original dignified liberty by the vain assumption of inde