Angels Created to Minister to the Heirs of Salvation

    For what purpose were the angels created? What purpose do they serve? The answer to the last question will afford an answer to the first. Paul tells us what is the occupation of the angels. "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" Now, whatever is the office of angels, for that office were they created. Their peculiar work is no afterthought in the Creator, but was in the contemplation of their Creator in their creation. "Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world." The office for which he designed the angels was provided for before the creation of man. Nurses and all attendants are in readiness for the heir apparent to a throne before his birth. In like manner, before the birth of the heirs of salvation, the angels were in waiting, ready to minister to them. What a view does this thought give of the dignity of the Christian! Grovelling superstition is ready to fall down at the feet of the angels to worship them: the meanest of the people of God have angels as their attendants! We may estimate the glory of those waited on by the glory of the attendants. What must be the dignity of the heirs of salvation, if, even in their fallen state, the angels of God were created to be their ministers! As Christians are one with Christ, they are worthy of attendants so dignified. In no other point of view are they worthy of this. In all other lights the thing is incongruous. But as Christians are one with him who is one with God, all created dignities are under their feet. In this view it was worthy of the wisdom of Divine Providence to create innumerable hosts of powerful spirits, to wait on the heirs of salvation before the creation of human nature.

    Their very name shows that they were destined in their creation to the office of ministering to the heirs of salvation. The word angel signifies messenger, as they were to be the messengers of God in deeds of kindness to his children, as well as of vengeance against their enemies. What a wonderful thought, that God should employ his mighty spirits of light to wait on Lazarus, covered with sores, and sitting as a beggar at the way side! Two hosts of them appeared to Jacob on the eve of his approach to Esau, and a whole mountain was filled with them, under the appearance of horses and chariots around the prophet and his servant.