penetration and discrimination,—­ability to teach others,” from a spiritual insight into the divine character and purposes,—­an experimental acquaintance with “the God of glory.”  All these properties are not to be supposed ordinarily in any one minister, but as distributed among the ministry at large,—­“according to the measure of the gift of Christ,”—­the Holy Spirit “dividing to every man severally as he will.” (Eph. iv. 7; 1 Cor. xii. 11.) It may be remarked, that in some cases all these properties may be discerned in great measure in the same individual.  In the gifts and grace of the apostle Paul, may be discovered the boldness of the lion, the patience of the ox, the compassion of the man, and the soaring flight of the eagle.  Our covenant God endows his servants for the service to which he calls them, always making good the promise,—­“As thy days, so shall thy strength be.”  The “six wings,” of course, are expressive of the activity of the ministry,—­“in season, out of season,” emulating the heavenly seraphims in serving the same Lord.  They were “full of eyes before, behind, within.”  They are to “take heed to themselves, and to the ministry which they have received in the Lord, that they fulfil it.”  (Col. iv. 17; 1 Tim. iv. 16.) They are to regard the operation of God’s hand in providence, so as to “have understanding of the times, and know what Israel ought to do.” (1 Chron. xii. 32.) They are to “try the spirits whether they are of God;” and “after the first and second admonition, to reject heretics.” (Tit. iii. 10.) They are to “oversee the flock,” (Acts xx. 28;) and to “watch for souls, as they that must give account” to the Master. (Heb. xiii. 17.) And we may say with Paul,—­“Who is sufficient for these things?” Modern prelates, who arrogate to themselves the exclusive use of the Scriptural official name “BISHOP,” generally manifest that they are only bishops, (two-eyed) and not the many-eyed servants of Christ, symbolized by the “four animals” of our text, or the “overseeing elders” charged at Miletus by the apostle Paul. (Acts xx. 17.) “While these men slept, the enemy sowed tares.”—­In direct acts of worship, these “animals,”—­the ministers, take the lead, answerable to another official name,—­“guides, in things pertaining to God.” (Heb. xiii. 7; [Greek] v. 1.) They are, as well expressed by another phrase, the “sworn expounders of God’s word,” and authoritative rulers in his house.  Destitute of legislative power, which in ecclesiastical affairs pertains to Christ alone; they are the authorized administrators of all the laws by which his household is to be governed. (Heb. xiii. 7, 17.)—­The language of adoration here is the same uttered by the seraphim. (Isa. vi. 3) The “holiness” of God is that adorable character which is most attractive to holy angels and redeemed sinners, being the principal feature of the divine image reflected by themselves. (Matt. xxv.