I think, though, that one reason why the angels feel such a deep interest in the things of man's salvation is because they are there--in heaven, I mean--always beholding the face of our Father who is in heaven. They see and feel the glory; they know the bliss of that celestial state. So full of love are they even for poor, fallen, lost, ruined man that we are told by the Lord himself that "there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." Their joy in this is commensurate with the exalted knowledge they have of the blessedness of true penitence. In it they see light shining in the darkness of the poor sinner's heart. Peace to the waves of his storm-beaten soul,--a new creature in the image of their and our Lord Jesus Christ coming forth into the enjoyment of a new life in him; deliverance from the bondage and power of sin, and restoration to the glorious liberty of the children of God! How much more than all this they see in the return of one soul to God. I do not know; and we never can know fully until we go up higher.
"The blessedness of those above, Why longs my panting soul to know? For future bliss I know is LOVE, And love is felt by saints below.
"But love so pure, exalted high Beyond compute, beyond compare-- No eagle wing that height may fly; No mortal breathe that upper air.
"There, love springs pure and unrepressed; There, all are loved, and love again. Love fills each burning cherub's breast; Love fires each flaming seraph train.
"Soon, soon shall I, this conflict o'er, From sin be freed, with love be fired; Soon, soon in heaven, my God adore, With love, celestial love inspired."
And right here this thought comes to mind: If angels are so much interested in the salvation of men, should not men be quite as deeply interested in the salvation of one another? If there are such exultant emotions of joy in the bosoms of _angels_ over one sinner that repents, should there not be an equal measure of joy in the bosoms of _men_ from the same cause?
But the text says: "The angels _desire_ to look into these things." We should not infer from this that their knowledge of the way of salvation is limited, or that they meet with difficulties in the way of understanding it. Oh, no! Their _desires_ are being constantly met and supplied with the means of acquiring knowledge upon this subject, fully up to the measure of each one's capacity to take it in. We may, therefore, justly infer from the text that the subject is immensely vast in its proportions and range.