spirits of God......and round about the throne were four living creatures, full of eyes before and behind......and they rested not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who wast, and who is, and who is to come..... and the four-and-twenty ancients fell down before him that sitteth on the throne, and adored him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory, and honour, and power, because thou hast created all things, and for thy will they are, and have been created," Rev. iv. "After this, I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and in the sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and they cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God, who sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and the ancients, and the four living creatures, and they fell down before the throne upon their faces, and adored God, saying, Benediction, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, honour, and power, and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen." Rev. vii. 9,

(2.) As contemplating the incomprehensible work of our redemption, and full of charity for their brethren upon earth, and of zeal for their salvation, offering up their prayers to God, and rendering supreme homage and adoration to our great deliverer. "And the four living creatures, and the four-and-twenty ancients fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and goldens vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints; and they sung a new canticle, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to take the book, and

open the seals thereof, because thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God in thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us to our God a kingdom and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the living creatures, and the ancients, and the number of them were thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power, and divinity, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and benediction," Rev. v. 8. "And another angel came, and stood before the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne of God. And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up before God, from the hand of the angel," Rev. viii. 3. On this account, when the angel Raphael discovered himself to Tobias and his son, he said, "I discover then the truth unto you, and I will not hide the secret from you. When thou didst pray with tears, and didst bury the dead, and didst leave thy dinner, and hide the dead by day in thy house, and bury them by night, I offered thy prayers to the Lord," Tobias xii. 11.

(3.) At other times their delightful employment is to contemplate the righteous judgments of the. Almighty, to praise him for the rewards he bestows on his faithful servants, and for avenging them of their enemies, and to adore his tremendous justice for the just, though dreadful punishment, he inflicts on obstinate sinners; exhorting and encouraging one another to praise and adore him for his victories over them. "And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass, mingled with fire, and them that had

overcome the beast, and his image, and the number of his name standing on the sea of glass, having the harps of God, and singing the canticle of Moses; the servant of God, and the canticle of the Lamb, saying, Great and wonderful are thy works, O Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy ways, O King of ages. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and magnify thy name? For thou only art holy; for all nations shall come, and shall adore in thy sight, because thy judgments are manifest," Rev. xv. 2.; " And I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power, and the earth was enlightened with his glory, and he cried out with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every unclean spirit, and the hold of every unclean and hateful bird.-Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God hath judged your judgment on her," Rev. xviii. 1. 20. "After these things, I heard, as it were, the voice of many multitudes in heaven, saying, Alleluia, salvation, and glory, and power, is to our God; for true and just are his judgments, who hath judged the great harlot which corrupted the earth with her fornications, and hath revenged the blood of his servants at her hands. And again they said, Alleluia, and her smoke ascendeth for ever and ever. And the four-and-twenty ancients, and the four living creatures, fell down and adored God that sitteth upon the throne, saying, Amen, Alleluia. And a voice came out from the throne, saying, Give praise to our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, great and little. And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of great thundering, saying, Alleluia; for the Lord our God,

"And

the Almighty hath reigned," Rev. xix. 1. there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of the world is become our Lord's, and his Christ's, and he shall reign for ever and ever, Amen.-We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, who art, and who wast, and who art to come, because thou hast taken thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that thou shouldst render reward to thy servants, the prophets, and to thy saints, and to them that fear thy name, little and great, and should destroy them that have corrupted the earth," Rev. xi. 15. Such is the description the holy Scripture gives us of the glorious and delightful employments of the blessed inhabitants of heaven, where they live and rejoice for ever and ever!

SECTION II.

OF OUR COMMUNION WITH THE SAINTS AND
ANGELS IN HEAVEN.

Q. 10. WHAT is meant by our communion with the blessed in heaven?

A. The communion of the saints, which we profess in the Creed to believe as a truth revealed by God, is not confined to the communication of prayers, and other good works, which the faithful upon earth have with one another; but also, and in a particular manner, it includes the communion which

we have with our Christian brethren, who are departed out of this life in the faith and love of Jesus, whether they be as yet detained in purgatory, or are gone to enjoy God in his kingdom. The communion we have with those in purgatory we have seen above, Ch. xxiv. Q. 49.; and it remains to explain here the communion we have with the saints and angels in heaven. Now, the word communion signifies a mutual communication of good things, and the communion of the Saints signifies a mutual communication of such good things as relate to our salvation. The saints in heaven are already perfectly happy, and secure of their own salvation, and the only good they can receive from us, is the pleasure of seeing us praise and glorify God on their account, and of our putting it in their power to contribute to our salvation; on the other hand, the good we receive from them, is the help they procure to us by their holy prayers, to enable us to secure the great affair of our salvation, which they most earnestly desire. So that our communion with them consists, on our side, in our praising God for their happiness, paying them that honour and veneration which is due to their great dignity, as the friends and favourites of God, and begging a share in their holy prayers; and it consists, on their side, in their offering up our prayers to God, and praying for us.

SECTION III.

OF HONOURING THE SAINTS AND ANGELS.

Q. 11. WHAT is meant by the honour and veneration due to the saints?