variety even among celestial beings, would conduce to their happiness. Variety among men, in the powers of their minds, the form of their bodies, and lineaments of countenance, conduce to happiness; as well also as the endless variety found through all animal and vegetable life; the herbage, forests, minerals and flowers of the earth beautify and adorn creation, making it more the abode of comfort and delight.

But as heads of all the heavenly orders of holy angels, Michael and Lucifer seem to be pointed out. We know, however, that the term Lucifer sounds exceedingly repulsive, because by it, is now understood the devil-the destroyer. But such was not the original meaning of the name, and did not describe a malevolent being, any more than did the word Michael, the name of the other archangel. The term Lucifer, as used by Isaiah the Prophet, when applied in a certain sense to Nebuchadnezzar, meant in that tongue, which was the Chaldean, Light-bringer; while Michael signified the might of God-both equally honorable equally glorious. But since the apostacy of Lucifer, Michael alone is spoken of as the only arch-angel of heaven by St. Jude, which we learn from his using the article the in relation to him, which proves there is but one, and speaks of his having once contended with the devil about the body of Moses, and gives him the dignified appellation of Michael the arch angel, by which is understood the highest of angelic natures then existing. Gabriel is also an angel of another order, but lower, as he is never in the Scriptures called an arch-angel, yet is spoken of as a mighty angel. The ministration of this latter spiritual being is several times spoken of in the Bible. See Dan. viii. 16, where it is said, " And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, (or the Chaldean name of the Euphrates) which called and said, Gabriel, make this man (Daniel) to understand the vision." Again in the next chapter, the 9th of Daniel, 21, it is further stated respecting this spirit as follows: "Yea, while I (Daniel) was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel whom I had seen in the vision, at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation." The same angelic being was seen of Zecherias in the inner temple, standing on the right hand side of the altar of incense, who said, "I am Gabriel that standeth in the (immediate) presence of God, and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee good tidings." Luke i. 19.

There are also in the book of Rev. many passages which favor this opinion; viz.-of a variety of supernatural angelic orders, a few of which are as follows: Rev. i. 1. "The revelation of Jesus Christ *** and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John." Rev. iv. 4. There are twenty-four glorious beings mentioned and distinguished as elders, even in heaven; which proves them as superiors,as follows: "Around about

the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold." In the same chapter, verse 8, is found other orders, differing from the elders in several remarkable particulars; such as-that they were full of eyes within and without; besides being clothed with three pair of gorgeous wings; who were employed in ascribing praises to Him, which was, and is, and is to come. In the fifth chapter of this book, verse second, is another evidence to the same effect: "And I saw a strong angel, proclaiming, or crying with a loud voice: who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof. And 11th verse, of the same chapter, is a further account; from which we infer the doctrine of a great variety of orders among the angels of God:-" And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing." Rev. x. 1, 2, 3: "And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left on the earth: And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth, lifting up his hands to heaven, and swore by him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven and earth, and the things that are therein, that there should be time no longer." If then, to digress a moment, there is a time to come, when time shall be no longer, will not that time be the end of time,-and consequently the end of the world; which is the day of Judgment, so often alluded to in the Bible; and cannot be the destruction of Jerusalem: because time did not come to an end at that time. Also, Rev. xx. 1, 2: «And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, [bottomless, or endless, because there is the place of unending torments,] and a great chain in his hand: And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him (See the Plate,) a thousand years,-during which time will be the Millenium. See Eph. i. 21, for our final proof of the belief of the doctrine of a multitude of orders and degrees among the angels of heaven. In that place, the writer, who was St. Paul, speaks of the exaltation of the Son of Man, after his resurrection, and says that he was set "far above all principalities, power, might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also that which is to come." By which we learn, that there are names designating powers, principalities, and dominions, as well in a world of spirits, as in this; which we think, proves the belief of the great

amount of intellectual variety among the angels of God, as at first created; notwithstanding, many, if not all Universalists, deny angelic existences, as mentioned in the Scriptures, the same as did the Saducees, in the time of Christ; the Deists of that age; and the most opposed to the introduction of true Christianity: the same as all Universalists, in every age, have Leen guilty of, like their true brethren above named: and will ever be, till they renounce their opinions as a people.

We cannot however, condemn every one of this opinion, as Deists; because there are some of that order, who appear to be in reality converted persons, and talk about religion, and the Saviour, the same as the other sects; but such talk, and such conversion, never arose out of the true Universalist opinions; as those opinions deny spiritual conversion, the Deity of Christ, his expiatory death, the real fall of Adam, the existence of absolute sin, or moral evil; which to deny, is to deny the whole essence of Christianity, the new birth and all.

The Subject of Spiritual and Angelic Existence, further examined: to ascertain whether the Accounts of such Beings, as found in the Bible, signify Men or Spirits. This we think proper to do, before we come to the main point; the cause of the being of Satan-as an evil being.

Many Universalists, as we before have noticed, deny that the Scriptures, by the word angel, means any thing more or less than men; as prophets, apostles, evangelists, and ministers of religion, or messengers of good or ill. But why do they deny this? Because, if they admit the existence of good angels, they, of necessity, must admit the existence of evil angels, such as St. Jude speaks of. who kept not their first estate, but were cast down to hell; and this would be to admit at once that there is a Satan, and devils, and also a hell-as is believed by other sects of Christians; therefore, their existence must be denied totally,-and accordingly is, by all who are thorough in that creed. Angels are almost everywhere spoken of, in both the Old and New Testament: commencing as early in time as Abraham, and er ding but with St. John, the Revelator: under such circumstances as precludes the possibility of their having been men, in any view of the subject.

Let such as deny the being of spirits, called angels, examine the quotations we have already made in proof of a variety of orders among the angels, and those we are now about to make; but especially the whole of chapters 17, 18, and 19, of Genesis, the story of which is as follows. When Abraham was ninety