July 8

“The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.” — Ps. xxxiv. 7.

ME cannot see the angels, but it is enough that they can see us. There is one great Angel of the Covenant, whom not having seen we love, and his eye is always upon us both day and night. He has a host of holy ones under him, and he causes these to be watchers over his saints and to guard them from all ill. If devils do us mischief, shining ones do us service.

Note that the Lord of angels does not come and go, and pay us transient visits, but he and his armies encamp around us. The head-quarters of the army of salvation are where those live whose trust is in the living God. This camp surrounds the faithful, so that they can not be attacked from any quarter unless the adversary can break through the entrenchments of the Lord of angels. We have a fixed protection, a permanent watch. Senti nelled by the messengers of God, we shall not be surprised by sudden assaults, nor swallowed up by overwhelming forces. Deliverance is promised in this verse — deliverance by the great Captain of our salvation, and that deliverance we shall obtain again and again until our warfare is accomplished and we exchange the field of conflict for the home of rest.