Article July 9, 1927 Issue

Restful Angels

ANNA E. HERZOG

All through the Old Testament the existence of angels is taken for granted, but concepts of them are confused and vague, surviving, no doubt, from earliest phases of religious belief. As their concept of God grew in dignity, the Israelities adopted the theory that God delegated angels to convey His messages to men. Thus, although these early beliefs were somewhat crude and material, the function of an angel has generally been understood to be protection, guidance, praise. David said, "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them."

Evidently men have always loved to think of angels because of the beauty of the thought; and references to them are innumerable in religious literature. That being true, it is a great comfort, when one begins to study Christian Science, to find that the vaguely beautiful, but illogical concept of them conceived in the world's childhood, is replaced by a scientific and demonstrable understanding of the subject.

On page 581 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy gives this definition: "Angels. God's thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; the inspiration of goodness, purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality." In the light of this statement we may clearly see that all through our experience, even though we knew nothing of the scientific explanation, we did possess and were protected by guardian angels—by good impulses, by such right thinking as God enabled us to do.

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