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them, by Anxiety and tormenting Cares in keeping them, or by Trouble and Vexation in losing them; they neither make us better nor wiser, but are dangerous to our Virtue, and tempt us to play the Fool. They cannot preserve us from Contempt or Misfortunes, from Diseases or Pains; they neither make our Friends more faithful, nor our Children more dutiful, neither can they afford us any Comfort when we stand most in need of it, at the Hour of Death. But we must give a strict Account at the Day of Judgment, both how we have got them, and how we have used them.

33.

Q. What is the best Means to overcome this Vice? A. To employ our chief Care and Solicitude about the Things of the next Life, because great in themselves, and of an eternal Duration. To put our Trust and Confidence in God, who hath promised, if we seek his Kingdom and the Righteousness thereof, all Mat. vi. these Things shall be added unto us. To be content" with such Things as we have, and to rely upon Providence by the Use of just and lawful Means to increase them as he shall think fit. To consider the Uncertainty of Riches, that they make themselves Wings, and fly away; and that we can, by no human Means, secure the Enjoyment of them. That if we could fix them, yet that Life is always upon the Wing, and when we have heaped up Riches, we cannot tell who shall gather them. ToPsalm. be charitable in some Measure to the Proportion of xxxix. 6. what we have received; to be rich in good Works, and ready to distribute.

THE PRAYERS.
I.

Covetous

ness.

O ALMIGHTY God, who by thy blessed Son Against didst call Matthew from the Receipt of Custom to be an Apostle and Evangelist, grant me Grace to forsake all covetous Desires, and inordinate Love of Riches; and to follow the same thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, World without End. Amen.

crease of Christian Virtues.

Covetous

ness.

II.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, give unto me the Increase of Faith, Hope, and Charity; and, that I may obtain that which thou dost promise, make me to love that which thou dost command, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

III.

Against ALMIGHTY and most gracious God, in all my Passage through this World, and my manifold Concerns in it, suffer not my Heart to be too much set upon it. Let not my pursuit of temporal Things rob me of that Time which ought to be employed in the Concerns of my Soul, nor divert me from the serious Thoughts of the World to come. Let not the Cares of this Life, nor the Importunity of Business, make me neglect divine and spiritual Employments, nor disturb me in the Performance of them. Make me charitable to those that are in Want, willing to distribute, and ready to communicate to the Necessities of my Brethren. Let me esteem no Loss comparable to that of Innocence and of a good Conscience, nor harbour any Fear like that of thy Displeasure, and of the intolerable and eternal Pains of Hell-fire. Let thy Laws, O my God, direct all my Steps in my greatest Dangers; and make me more studious in all my Counsels of what is lawful for me, than of what seems serviceable and advantageous to my worldly Circumstances. Let me never stoop to any Sin, in Hopes to advance or preserve those Riches which thy Bounty hath bestowed upon me, that my Mind, being purged from all covetous Affections, my great Care may be to provide for Eternity, and to lay up a Treasure in Heaven, which faileth not: That when my Body shall tumble into Dust, my Soul may be received into those eternal Mansions of Glory, which thou hast prepared for all that love and fear thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

IV.

for Humi

LORD God, who resistest the Proud, and Bp. Taylor, givest Grace to the Humble; endue me with suchy. Humility of Soul, and Modesty of Behaviour, that my looks may not be proud, nor my Thoughts arrogant, nor my Designs ambitious; but that, being restrained from all Vanity and Pride, and my Affections weaned from a great Opinion and Love of myself; I may trust in thee, follow the Example of my blessed Master, and receive those Promises thou hast made in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

CHAP. XXXI.

SAINT MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS.

SEPTEMBER 29.

Q. WHAT Festival doth the Church this Day celebrate?

A. That of St. Michael and all Angels.

Q. What Account have we from Scripture of St. Dan. x. 13. Michael?

A. That he was an Archangel, who presided over the Jewish Nation (styled one of the chief Princes) as other Archangels did over the Gentile World, as is evident of the Kingdom of Persia, and the Kingdom of Greece, from Daniel; that he had an Army of Angels under his Command and Conduct, that he fought with the Dragon, or Satan, and his Rev. xii. 7. Angels, and that contending with the Devil, heJude 9. disputed about the Body of Moses.

Q. What doth the Fight, mentioned in the Revela tion of St. Michael and his Angels against the Dragon and his Angels, most probably signify?

A. Some great Authors refer it to the Contest that Grot. happened at Rome between St. Peter and Simon Ma-Ham. gus; when that Apostle, by the Efficacy of his Prayers, entirely prevailed against the seducing Arts of that Magician. Others understand by it

Mede.

Ham.

Jude 9.

those violent Persecutions the Primitive Church laboured under, more or less, for Three Hundred Years, and which happily ceased when the Powers of the World became Christian. It is generally agreed, that it denotes some eminent Victory of the Christian Church, by the Assistance of those ministring Spirits, over the Power and Malice of the Devil and his Instruments, who set themselves with all their might to prosecute and destroy it.

Q. To what former Dispute doth this Fight of the good and bad Angels seem to allude?

A. To the Expulsion of Lucifer, and the rebellious Angels, from the Presence of God. It being very credible that God should make Use of some of his heavenly Host to drive those from his blessed Mansions, who had made themselves the just Objects of his Wrath. And upon this Account it may be thought that the Prince of those Angels, that fought against Satan, obtained the Name of Michael, which in the Hebrew signifies who is as God; in that he suppressed the Arrogancy of Lucifer, who went about to make himself in some Sense equal with God.

Q. What is supposed to be the Contest about the Body of Moses?

A. Some think the Controversy was about reedifying the Temple, and restoring the Service of God among the Jews at Jerusalem, and that this, in a figurative Sense, may as fitly be styled the Body of Moses, as the Christian Church, or assembling of Christians for the Service of Christ, is called the Body of Christ; and for Proof of this is urged, that the Passage of St. Jude is cited from the Prophecy Zach. ii. of Zachariah, where this Matter is treated of. Others take the Body of Moses in a literal Sense, and are of the Opinion that St. Michael, by the Order of God, hid the Body of Moses after his Death, and that the Devil endeavoured to discover it, as a fit Means to entice the People to Idolatry by a superstitious Worship of his Relicts.

Q. What is particularly observable in the Manner of St. Michael's Contest with the Devil?

A. That notwithstanding he might have said a great deal of Evil justly of him, yet he would not use any reproachful Words, and Bitterness or Execration against him, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. Jude 3. Q. What should this teach us?

A. It should make all Men, but especially those who are as Angels of God in the Church, ashamed and afraid, particularly in Controversies of Religion, to use railing and injurious Reflections; since such opprobrious Language neither becomes the Nature of their Office, nor their Character as Christians. Q. What is meant by the Word Angel?

A. In a general Sense it signifies no more than a Messenger, or Ambassador employed upon another's Errand; but in Scripture, and in common Way of speaking, it is taken for a celestial Spirit, a divine Sort of a Messenger, made and employed by and under God.

Q. What Proof is there of the Existence of Angels? A. The general Consent and Tradition of Mankind concerning it, and their Ministry about us; confirmed by the clear and express Testimony of Scripture, which gives us an Account of their appearing to the Patriarchs and holy Men of old. Q. Are Angels pure Spirits?

A. It is the most current Opinion of the Christian Church, and seems most agreeable to Scripture, that Angels are pure Spirits, without any Thing that is material and corporeal belonging to them; but yet so that they have a Power to assume thin and airy Bodies, and can, when they please, appear in human Shape, as they are frequently in Scripture Isaid to have done.

Q. Have not some kind of Bodies been attributed to Angels?

A. Not only the ancient Philosophers, but some of the Primitive Fathers were of this Opinion, and they made them to consist of the purest and finest Matter

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