Chapter 7: Of Angels

Q. What are the kinds of God's providence?

A. It is either general towards all creatures, or specially towards some.

Q. What are those special creatures which the providence of God does extend to?

A. Angels and men.

Q. What is the nature of Angels?

A. They are spirits or spiritual substances, and therefore invisible that they cannot be seen with bodily eyes, no more than the wind that blows, or the souls of men, nor are they preserved by sleep and food, and raiment, as living bodies are; and yet they are immortal, and cannot die.

Q. What else are we to know concerning the nature of Angels?

A. That they are creatures of excellent strength, great acuteness of understanding, very swift and speedy in their motion, and by creation very pure, and holy.

Q. What is the number of Angels?

A. Though they be not infinite, yet their number is very great, and to us they are innumerable (Daniel 7:10; Psalms 68:17; Matthew 26:53; Hebrews 12:22).

Q. What end and office were they created for?

A. To celebrate the Lord's praises, and to execute his commands, specially towards the heirs of salvation.

Q. Do the Angels continue in that estate wherein they were first created?

A. Not all, for a great many fell away from that happy condition who are now become devils (John 8:44; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6).

Q. May the rest also fall away, and perish with the devils?

A. No, because they are elected of God, and so for ever upheld in that good estate (1 Timothy 5:27).