412 THE HAPPINESS OF SEPARATE SPIRITS. DISC. rr. dencv over inferior ranks of happy spirits, may shine bright amongst them as the morning -star, and lead on their holy armies to celestial works of worship. The scripture itself gives us a hint of such employments in the angelic world, and such presidencies over some parts of our world, or of their own. Do we not read of Ga- briel and Michael, and their management of the affairs of Persia, and Greece, and Judah, in the book of Daniel? And it is an intimation of the same hierarchy, when some superior angel led on a multitude of the heavenly host to sing an hymn of praise at Bethlehem, when the Son of God was born there ; Luke ii. 9. 13. Now if angels are thus dignified, may not human spirits unbodied have the same office?Our Saviour, when he rewards the faithful servant that had "gained ten pounds, bids him take authority over ten cities ; and he that had gained five, had five cities under his government ;" Luke xix. 17, &c. So that this is not a mere random thought, or a wild invention of fancy, but patronised by the word of God. Among the pleasures and engagements of the upper worlds, there shall be always something new and enter- taining ; for the works and the dominions of God are vast beyond all our comprehension. And what a per- petual change, what a glorious but improving rotation of businesses and joys shall succeed one another through the ages of eternity, we shall never know till we come amongst them. This thought leads me to the last particu- lar, viz. IV. The perfection which the blessed spirits enjoy, gives room for large additions and continual improve. ment. Their knowledge and their joy may be called perfect, because there is no mixture of error or sorrow with it; and because it is sufficient every moment for the satis- faction of present desires, without an uneasiness of mind. But it may be doubted whether any creature ever was, or ever will be so perfect, that it is not capable cf addi- tion or growth in any excellency or enjoyment. The man Christ Jesus, in his present glorified state, has not such a perfection as this. FIe waits daily to see his Father's promises fulfilled to him ; he waits " till all things are put under him, and his enemies be made his
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