Can the Angels sin? No, it is impossible for
them to sin, because they behold the face of God.
They continually contemplate His infinite goodness,
and derive thence a perfect happiness which
satisfies every portion of their nature. Outside God
there is nothing which has any attraction for them.
There is no good possible for them except in doing
His will; hence they cannot sin. Whenever I sin
it is because I grasp at some temporal good instead
of God, and this though I know in the end it will
bring me misery.
Are the Angels free if they cannot sin? Yes,
perfectly free. He who freely chooses evil instead
of good abuses his freedom. He does his best to
make himself a slave instead of free. Perfect freedom
is the freedom of those who choose only out
of various ends all leading to God. God is the end
at which the angels always aim, but they are free
to choose the means which lead to that end. We
do not always choose God, but our own pleasure,
as the end at which we aim. Hence we are always
impairing our freedom. How can we choose right
means when our end is not rightly chosen?
Hence the Angels are far more free than we are in their choice. They always choose means
which lead to God. We get in a state of confusion
because our intention is not pure. We seek self, not
God; this hampers us and ties us down. We are
conscious of something that hinders our liberty;
this is nothing but self-will preventing us from
always seeking God.