Angel

“ ANGELS OF THE SACRED STAIR. Father, whose goodness none can know, but they Who see thee face to face, By man hath come the infinite display Of thine all-loving grace; But fallen man—the creature of a day— Skills not that love to trace. It needs, to tell the triumph thou hast wrought, An angel's deathless fire, an angel's reach of thought. It needs that very angel, who with awe Amid the garden shade, The great Creator in his sickness saw, Soothed by a creature's aid, And agonized, as victim of the law Which he himself had made ”

“ A white-robed angel stood at Heaven’s door,
⁠To catch earth’s floating tones of even song,
Then, kneeling low upon the crystal floor,
⁠Asks with uplifted hands, “How long, how long?
“I hear my child’s sweet voice from earth arise,
⁠I catch the fragrant incense of his prayer;
But missing him in these serener skies,
⁠Heaven’s fairest beauties seem to me less fair. ”

“ Sweet emotions, smiles and tears,
Lived amid her numbers;
Let their tender memory
Sanctify her slumbers.
Angels claim the angel one;
Fling the palm above her;
Too late, with a fond regret,
We find how much we love her. ”

“ Here is an Angel, a glorious Angel, who has quickened my soul to beauty and delight, who has opened my eyes to Wonderland, and something more than Wonderland, ... and I have promised to get rid of him in a week! What are we men made of? ”

“ But the good angel that watches over us is waiting and trembling. The fiery moment arrives; do we stand; do we fall? Oh, if we fall, that good angel goes flying away to heaven, crying, fallen, fallen! ”

“ Dazzlingly robed in white, an angel stood before them, the feathers of his mighty wings sweeping about his feet.
In the hush of awe, where every man communed with his own soul, the angel drew from his bosom a pair of golden scales, and laid a golden heart in one of them. ”

“ To the disheartened angels falling around.
A pause.
The angel host withdraws
With empty boasts throughout its sullen files,
Suddenly God smiles. . . .
On the walls of heaven a tumble of light is caught. ”

“ An angel descends from heaven, and the attention of the seer is for a time turned from the contemplation of what was passing in heaven to this new vision that appeared on the earth. This angel is clothed with a cloud; he is encircled by a rainbow ”

“ I must ring the bell for my pupils. [He sees the Angel.] What are you? Who are you? I think I saw some that were like you in my dreams when I was a child—that bright thing, that dress that is the colour of embers! But I have done with dreams, I have done with dreams.
Angel. I am the Angel of the Most High God.
Wise M. Why have you come to me?
Angel. I have brought you a message.
Wise M. What message have you got for me?
Angel. You will die within the hour. You will die when the last grains have fallen in this glass. [She turns the hour-glass.] ”

“ The "Angel of the Lord," visible, sure,
Known for the angel by his presence pure
Whereon was written love, and peace, and grace,
With beauty passing mortal mien and face.
So when the Angels were no more to see,
Re-entering those gates of space,—whose key
[Pg 165] Love keeps on that side, and on this side death—
Each shepherd to the other whispering saith,
Lest he should miss some lingering symphonies
Of that departing music, "Let us rise
And go even now to Bethlehem, and spy
This which is come to pass, shewed graciously
By the Lord's angels." ”

“ The angel was there with his divine face looking steadily at him, with eyes so piercing that no secret in the inmost soul could remain hidden from them, and the man upon whom they were turned could not even think without being sure that his thought was known. ”

“ I saw another angel flying through the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto those who dwell on earth, to every nation, kindred, tongue and people, crying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come, and worship him that made the heaven, the earth, the seas, and the fountains of water. ”

“ Ye, who your Lord's commission bear
His way of mercy to prepare:
Angels He calls ye: be your strife
To lead on earth an Angel's life.
Think not of rest; though dreams be sweet,
Start up, and ply your heavenward feet. ”

“ Strange as it may seem, this angel spoken of, has flown from heaven to earth, parting asunder the vail of superstition, ignorance and doubt, and bringing with him from his celestial abode, glad tidings of great joy, duly authorizing man on the earth to preach the same to all peoples of every nation. ”

“ Do what thou wilt, thou shalt not so,
Dark Angel! triumph over me:
Lonely, unto the Lone I go;
Divine, to the Divinity. ”

“ My brethren, if, when you go to your homes, you should find in your house an angel with his face as the appearance of lightning, his eyes as a burning lamp, his body as a crystal, and his feet in appearance like to glittering brass, what would you do? ”

“ HE tenderest and kindest angel, the Angel of the last hour, whom we harshly call Death, is sent to us, that he may mildly and gently pluck away the sinking heart of man from life, and bear it unhurt in his warm hands out of the cold breast into high, warming Eden. His brother is the Angel of the first hour, who twice kisses man,—once when he begins this life; and again, when he awakes on high, without wounds, and enters smiling upon the other life, as he came weeping into this. ”

“ A little while longer, and the living, breathing, speaking guardian angel was all his own—blessing his heart and house, filling his very soul with the purest love, the most profound gratitude to God, by whose infinite mercy he was thus almost miraculously saved. ”

“ In other days, angels were entertained in the shape of travellers and way-faring men; but ye—had ye known every stranger that knocked at your door to be an angel, or a messenger of the Most High, could not have treated him more like an immortal creature than ye did that unknown man, who now bears witness to your simplicity and great goodness of heart. ”

“ COME, ANGEL, take up one who by the word is converted from former error, from the doctrine of demons, from iniquity speaking on high, and taking him up like a good physician, cherish him, and instruct him. He is a little child, to-day he is born, an old man again growing young ”

“ And she said meekly, "Truly I find that one way to create beauty is to perceive it."
Then an angel, who was hovering near, on his way back from some message of mercy (for the angels never linger till their messages are given) , sang softly, "Love veileth a multitude of sins." And the old Rock answered in a chorus, through its moss-threads, and lichen-cups, and leaves, and blossoms, "And under the warm veil spring a multitude of flowers." ”

“ An angel, something akin to the mythological abstraction which lives at the bottom of a well, and to the poor and honest girl who lives a life of exile in the outskirts of the great city, earning every penny with a noble fortitude and in the full light of virtue, returning to heaven inviolate of body and soul ”

“ The angels are so thoroughly honest, so perfectly free from all false modesty and pretended humility, and are so free from all formality and human ceremonies, that the presence of an angel is always elevating and refreshing. ”

“ Let me dream only with my heart,
Love first, and after see:
Know thy diviner counterpart
Before I kneel to thee.
So in thy motions all expressed
Thy angel I may view:
I shall not on thy beauty rest,
But Beauty's ray in you. ”

“ I cannot tell you how this glance, turned from the vast whole on to a beautiful small portion, gave a warmer glow to our hearts and to nature. Instead of the hand, we could only hold, like children, the fingers of the great mother of life, and reverently kiss them. By the creation, God became human for men, as therefore for angels an angel,—like the sun whose bright immensity the painter gently divides into the beauties of a human face. ”

“ An angel in heaven I've told already; but I want to tell an angel on earth. ”

“ By ‘angel’ is meant the power of the confirmations of God—that the candle of God’s confirming power shineth out from the lamp-niche of those souls—meaning that every one of those beings will be granted the most vehement confirming support. ”

“ An angel stands at each side of the Christ, holding up a curtain or pall behind the figure. Each of these boys has a hand pressed against his cheek, the picture of tragedy: they weep over the dead Saviour, their anguish is indescribable. ”

“ 'I would rather be an angel than God!'
The voice of the speaker sounded clearly through the hawthorn tree. ”

“ Nay, those Bodies that are not to be felt are the most perfect Bodies, as God and the Angels.
Fa. I have heard that God and Angels are Spirits, but we feel the Spirit.
Eu. The Holy Scriptures condescend to those low Expressions, because of the Dullness of Men, to signify a Mind pure from all Commerce of sensible Things.
Fa. Then what is the Difference between an Angel and a Mind? ”

“ Through the impression of these rationes upon the angelic mind, an angel knows other angels as well as corporeal creatures. Their natures also yield them some knowledge of God. The angelic nature is a mirror holding the divine similitude. ”

“ A sentinel angel sitting high in glory
Heard this shrill wail ring out from Purgatory:
"Have mercy, mighty angel, hear my story! ”

“ But when the hour has come which the Father has kept in His own power, then in one form or another His life-bringing angel appears to such a soul. Yet how little do we know about what part the angel had in the Savior's resurrection! ”

“ And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. ”

“ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: ... And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:9-14) .
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: (Matt. 25:31) . ”

“ —The Accusing Spirit, which flew up to heaven's chancery with the oath, blush'd as he gave it in;—and the Recording Angel, as he wrote it down, dropp'd a tear upon the word, and blotted it out for ever. ”

“ An angel sent by God has brought the glad tidings, He has been conceived of the Holy Ghost, He had chosen the most pure and holy of virgins to become Incarnate in her womb, and the body He has taken has been united to the Divinity from the very first moment of His birth. ”

“ Fiery the Angels rose, & as they rose deep thunder roll'd
Around their shores: indignant burning with the fires of Orc
And Bostons Angel cried aloud as they flew thro' the dark night. ”

“ Strengthen me that Divinity that enlightens
The darknesse of my soule, strengthen this hand
That it may write my challenge to the world
Whom I defie; that I may on this paper
The picture draw of my confession.
Here doe I fix my Standard, here bid Battaile
To Paganisme and infidelity.
Musicke; enter Angel.
Mustre my holy thoughts, and, as I write,
In this brave quarrell teach me how to fight.
(As he is writing an Angel comes and stands before
him: soft musick; he astonisht and dazeld.)
This is no common Almes to prisoners;
I never heard such sweetnesse—O mine eyes! ”

“ The Angel that presided o'er my birth
Said: "Little creature, formed of joy and mirth,
Go, love without the help of anything on earth." ”