formance of all his gracious promises. The Lord having answered the angel that talked to Zechariah "with good words and comfortable words," the purport of that answer was joyfully proclaimed by the angel; who then dictated to Zechariah what he was to declare in the Lord's name, of his merciful purposes to Zion, and his sore displeasure "with the heathen. that are at ease." The angel next showed the prophet a symbol of the power of the Gentiles, scattering Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem; and of the destruction that awaited them for so doing.

It is very beautiful to mark the bustle and joyous activity among the heavenly hosts, when the Lord's purpose of immediate mercy to his people and his land was made known. "I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and beheld a man with a measuring line in his hand. Then said I, whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. And behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, and said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, for the multitude of men and cattle therein: for I, saith the Lord will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her." Zech. ii. 1-5. A splendid strain ensues, expressive of the coming revival, and more distant triumph of Israel in Jerusalem; after which, says the prophet, "He showed me Joshua the high-priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

And the Lord said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan: even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel." Zech. iii. 1-3. Whoever is meant by this angel before whom Joshua stood, one thing is certain; we have here the great adversary himself in person resisting the re-establishment of Israel as a nation, and the LORD silencing his malignant opposition, and repeating the blessed assurance, that the brand which he desired to consume was, indeed, by the Almighty arm, plucked from the burning. Joshua was then re-clad, and a mitre placed on his head," And the angel of the Lord stood by: and the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the Lord of Hosts; if thou wilt walk in my ways," &c. The prophet appears to have been lost in the contemplation of the things then promised to his beloved people, but he was recalled to witness further wonders: "The angel that talked with me came again and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, and said unto me, What seest thou?" (iv. 1.) He sees some typical objects: and with the respectful freedom that the condescension of his guide was well calculated to encourage, he asked, "What are these, my Lord? Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my Lord;" (verses 4, 5.) The same form of interrogation, and an explanatory reply from the angel, occurs again five times; exhibiting most beautifully the indulgent temper of the holy an

gel, who continually invites inquiry, and evidently takes a high pleasure in making everything known to the prophet. The very expression used by our angel to another, "Run, speak to this young man,” " when the word to be spoken was an assurance of the coming restoration, abundance, and security of Jerusalem, indicates a feeling perfectly similar to that with which we would all hasten to communicate to a beloved friend any tidings of especial gladness and advantage. It gives rise to reflections, that ought at once to awaken our gratitude, and doubly to increase our zeal; for surely we cannot make light of such indications of sympathy on the part of creatures who have far less 'cause than we to rejoice in the Lord's returning love to his ancient, chosen people. The angels who, at different periods of his wonderful history, communed with Abraham, and made known to him, on some occasions, the will of the Lord, which at other times he knew by direct inspiration-those very angels, with all the perfection of memory belonging to their high natures and faculties, never impaired by sin, are watching the fulfilment of every tittle of what was then foreshown. He who, by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, pointed his drawn sword over Jerusalem, and gladly sheathed it at the command of her forgiving Lord, still looks upon her desolations, and yearns over the royal city of David, trodden under foot of the Gentiles; while a sword, more destructive than that which he wielded in the three days' pestilence, is upon her children from generation to generation, consuming not merely the life of the body,

but extinguishing also that of the soul. Gabriel, who so minutely set forth to Daniel the dates of things which were to come, is watching for the time when Michael, the great prince that standeth for the Jewish people, shall "stand up," and bring the afflictions to an issue. He who reminded the Lord that his indignation against Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, had already burned on to the predicted threescore and ten years, is waiting now to see the days fulfilled, when a far longer and fiercer visitation of the divine displeasure shall have an end, and one angelic messenger may hasten another to run with the glad tidings of pardon, of jealousy for Jerusalem, of sore displeasure against the heathen who are at ease, and of the final fraying of every horn of pride that has contributed to scatter Judah and Israel. We naturally take a livelier interest in events of which we have ourselves seen the commencement, and fully expect to see the termination, than in those which began before our days, and are not likely to come to an end till we are gone. Thus it is that we may in some measure comprehend the feeling of earnest expectation with which the holy angels must regard the winding up of this world's history, the creation whereof, in its bright, unclouded morning, called forth their songs and shouts of joy. Every word of God to man was spoken in the presence of spirits both good and bad; and while the devils, who themselves are constrained to believe, and tremble, would fain retard the accomplishment of the Lord's merciful purposes, by stirring up the vile principle of unbelief, rebellion, and ingratitude in man's heart, the

angels, though they can have no sympathy with unholy, unthankful, disobedient men, yet mourn over the delinquency that originated in the successful wiles of a powerful and subtle foe, and long for the time when their King shall take to himself his great power, and reign triumphant over the earth, according to the sure promises, which they have often been commissioned to repeat and reiterate in his name. Regarding with holy indignation the work of malignant sin, as wrought by their apostate fellows in a creature once so fair and so good, they rejoice in the presence of God over even one repenting sinner, and celebrate each individual triumph of divine grace, as an earnest of what is ultimately to be accomplished throughout the whole earth. The glory of the Lord is intimately concerned in the exact fulfilment of every word that he has spoken; and no marvel if "the angels desire to look into" the gradual development of that mighty plan which is known to none but God alone, except as far as he has foreshown it in prophetic revelations, and gradually brings it to pass in the sight of angels, of devils, and of men.

All this we know from the sure word of God; and can we doubt of their intense interest in that particular family which for a long period of time constituted their only care? We say their only care as regards this earth; for throughout the Gentile world the system of devil-worship prevailed, all being sunk in idolatry; and it is morally impossible that with such the angels of God could have any fellowship, or behold without horror those detestable perversions of human intellect,