The enemy, from his camp on Morris Island, has, in frequent letters in
the Northern papers, avowed the object at which they aim their shells in
Charleston to be the spire of St. Michael's Church. Their _practice_
shows that these avowals are true. Thus far, they have not succeeded in
their aim. Angels of the Churches, is a phrase applied by St. John in
reference to the Seven Churches of Asia. The Hebrews recognized an Angel
of the Church, in their language, "Sheliack-Zibbor," whose office may be
described as that of a watcher or guardian of the church. Daniel says,
iv. 13, "Behold, a watcher and a Holy one came down from Heaven." The
practice of naming churches after tutelary saints, originated, no doubt,
in the conviction that, where the church was pure, and the faith true, and
the congregation pious, these guardian angels, so chosen, would accept the
office assigned them. They were generally chosen from the Seraphim and
Cherubim--those who, according to St. Paul (1 Colossians xvi.),
represented thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers. According to
the Hebrew traditions, St. Michael was the head of the first order;
Gabriel, of the second; Uriel, of the third; and Raphael, of the fourth.
St. Michael is the warrior angel who led the hosts of the sky against the
powers of the princes of the air; who overthrew the dragon, and trampled
him under foot. The destruction of the Anaconda, in his hands, would be a
smaller undertaking. Assuming for our people a hope not less rational than
that of the people of Nineveh, we may reasonably build upon the
guardianship and protection of God, through his angels, "a great city of
sixty thousand souls," which has been for so long a season the subject of
his care. These notes will supply the adequate illustrations for the ode
which follows.