Spurgeon Thursday - Angels

Recently I've been in an on line conversation with a Jehovah's Witness cultist who insists that Jesus is the archangel Michael. This cultist has no biblical evidence for this other than a passing reference to an angel named Michael. Anyone with an even passing familiarity with the first chapter of Hebrews would know that this assertion is mere hogwash, but the lad was so sincere in this delusion that I could only pity him. 

But it got me to wondering - WWSS - What Would Spurgeon Say? Of course the Prince of Preachers knew nothing of the door knocking cult as they didn't actually become the JW's until after Spurgeon graduated to his Eternal Reward, and I doubt that he knew that the founder of the JW's, Charles Taze Russel,  was a huge fan of his because Spurgeon "peppered his sermons hot".

So on a different note I wondered what would Spurgeon say about Angels?

It is wrong to worship angels; but it is appropriate to love them. Although it would be a great sin, and a crime against the Sovereign Court of Heaven to pay the slightest adoration to the mightiest angel, yet it would be unkind and inappropriate, if we did not give holy angels a place in our heart's warmest love. In fact, he that studies the character of angels, and notes their many deeds of compassion with men, and kindness towards them, cannot resist the impulse of his nature--the impulse of love towards them.

The angels must often be astonished at us and think we are the strangest creatures that well can be, yet they love us, and therefore they take a great interest in that Gospel that promotes our highest good. 

Infinite, and an infant. Eternal, and yet born of a woman. Almighty, and yet hanging on a woman’s breast. Supporting a universe, and yet needing to be carried in a mother’s arms. King of angels, and yet the reputed son of Joseph. Heir of all things, and yet the carpenter’s despised son.

When home is ruled according to God's Word, angels might be asked to stay a night with us, and they would not find themselves out of their element.

Although the report of Sodom’s detestable iniquity had gone up to heaven, and the Lord would bear no longer with that filthy city, yet, from the purity of heaven, the angels did not hesitate to descend to behold the infamy of Sodom; where God sent them, they failed not to go.

The angels did not merely sin and lose heaven, but they passed beyond all other beings in sin and made themselves fit denizens for hell.

“It is the wonder of angels that the love of Jesus should be set upon poor, lost, guilty men. Each believer must, when filled with a sense of Jesus’ love, also be overwhelmed with astonishment that such love should be lavished on an object so utterly unworthy of it.

The sublime plan of the Gospel of the grace of God, which is so entirely beyond the compass of our natural faculties that we could never by searching have found it out, appears to have been equally beyond the grasp of angelic intelligence-a mystery that excited their wistful inquiry - until by the church (that is to say, by the divine counsel and conduct in forming and perfecting the church) there is made known to them the manifold wisdom of God as they have never learned it before.

God did not spare angelic sinners because there were so many of them: he made room in hell for them all; and set them in darkness and in bonds, every one of them. God will not spare sinful men because of their millions: “the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations who forget God.”

I want you to admire, dear friends, the fact that though angels fell the saints of God are made to stand. The angels sinned fatally; but the saints of God “cannot sin, for they are born of God.”

 We must learn from this, that if salvation glorifies God, glorifies Him in the highest degree, and makes the highest creatures praise Him, this one reflection must be added--then, that any doctrine, which glorifies man in salvation cannot be the gospel. For salvation glorifies God. The angels were not Arminians [believing that "man" decides whether he will accept the Gospel or not with "his own free will"], they sang, "Glory to God in the highest." They believe in no doctrine which uncrowns Christ, and puts the crown upon the heads of mortals. They believe in no system of faith which makes salvation dependent upon the creature, and, which really gives the creature the praise, for if the whole dependence of  salvation rests upon his own free will, then a man really saves himself! No, my brothers; there may be some preachers, that delight to preach a doctrine that magnifies man; but in their gospel the angels take no delight. The only glad tidings that make angels sing, are those that put God first, God last, God middle, and God without end, in the salvation of His creatures, and put the crown wholly and alone upon the head of Him that saves without a helper. "Glory to God in the highest," is the angels' song.