Riches, which fhews itself in an eager and infatiable Defire after the Things of this World; though we employ no indirect Means to obtain them; but is then complete, when we ufe any unlawful and dishoneft Ways to grow rich, and are anxious to acquire the good Things of this Life, even though we neglect those which are infinitely more valuable. When we are fordid, and cannot find in our Hearts to enjoy what we poffefs; or if we do, spend it upon our Lufts, and never fuffer those who are in Want to fhare with us. When we make Gold our Confidence, and truft in it as our chief Happiness. Q. What are the mischievous Effects of this Vice, which our bleffed Apoftle entirely conquered? A. It alienates the Mind from God, and takes Men off from the Care of their Souls; we cannot ferve God and Mammon. It obftructs all thofe Luke xvi, Paffages through which the Confideration of Reli- 13. gion fhould enter into our Thoughts: It is the Parent of most of the Fraud and Injuftice, Cruelty and Oppreffion, Falfhood and Perjury, that is committed in the World. It makes Men fail in the Hour of Temptation, fo that, when they should quit all for the Sake of Religion they go away forrowful, because they have great Poffeffions It is very apt to blow us up with Pride, and to make us over-value ourfelves; and, by the fame Reason, inclines us to despise and contemn those who want the fame Advantages. It does but too frequently adminifter to Intemperance and unlawful Pleasures, and is made instrumental in gratifying fome irregular Paffion that governs our Minds. Q. Whence appears the Unreasonableness of this Vice? A. In that it is an endless and infatiable Appetite, and confequently can never attain that Contentment and Satisfaction it proposes. Befides, it purfues 33. pursues Happiness by false Measures, for this doth not confift in Abundance; and though the Luxury of Life is boundless, yet the Neceffaries and Conveniences of it lie within a small Compafs. Great Riches are so far from prolonging our Lives, that they rather fhorten them, either by Labour and Care in getting them, by Anxiety and tormenting Cares in keeping them, or by Trouble and Vexation in lofing them; they neither make us better nor wifer, but are dangerous to our Virtue, and tempt us to play the fool. They cannot preferve 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 ftand moft in Need of it, at the Hour of Death. But we must give a ftrict Account at the Day of Judgment, both how we have got them, and how we have used them. Q. What is the beft Means to overcome this Vice? A. To employ our chief Care and Solicitude about the Things of the next Life, becaufe great in themselves, and of an eternal Duration. To put our Trust and Confidence in God, who hath Matt. vi. promifed, if we feck his Kingdom and the Righteouf nefs thereof, all thefe Things fhall be added unto us. To be content with fuch Things as we have, and to rely upon Providence by the Ufe of juft and lawful Means to increase them as he fhall think fit. To confider the Uncertainty of Riches, that they make themselves Wings, and fly away; and that we can, by no human Means, fecure 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. To be charitable in fome Measure to the Proportion of what we have received; to be rich in good Works, and ready to diftribute. Pfalm xxxix. 6. The The PRAYER S. I. Covetou ALMIGHTY God, who by thy bleffed Againt Son didft call Matthew from the Receipt of acls. Custom to be an Apoftle and Evangelift, grant me Grace to forfake all covetous Defires, and inordinate Love of Riches, and to follow the fame thy Son Jefus Chrift, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghoft, one God, World without end. Amen. Ꭺ II. For Im ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, give create of unto me the Increase of Faith, Hope, and Chriftian Charity; and, that I may obtain that which thou Virtues doft promife, make me to love that which thou doft command, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen. III. Covetous LMIGHTY and moft gracious God, in Againft my Paffage through this World and my nefs. manifold Concerns in it, fuffer not my Heart to be too much fet upon it. Let not my Purfuit of temporal Things rob me of that Time which ought to be employed in the Concerns of my Soul, nor divert me from the ferious Thoughts of the World to come. Let not the Cares of this Life, nor the Importunity of Bufinefs, make me neglect divine and fpiritual Employments, nor difturb me in the Performance of them. Make me charitable to those that are in Want, willing to diftribute, and ready to communicate to the Neceffities of my Brethren. Let me efteem no Lofs comparable to that of Innocence and of a good Confcience, nor harbour any Fear like that of thy Difpleasure, and of Bp. Taylor .for Humi lity. 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 Counfels 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 fhall tumble into Duft, my Soul may be received into those eternal Mansions of Glory, which thou haft prepared for all that love and fear thee, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen. IV. LORD God, who refifteth the Proud, and giveth Grace to the Humble; endue me with fuch Humility of Soul, and Modefty of Behaviour, that my Looks may not be proud, nor my Thoughts arrogant, nor my Defigns ambitious; but that, being reftrained from all Vanity and Pride, and my Affections weaned from a great Opinion and Love of myself; I may truft in thee, follow the Example of my bleffed Mafter, and receive those Promifes thou haft made in our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen. CHAP. XXXI. Saint Michael and all Angels. QWHAT Festival doth the Church this Day celebrate? A. That A. That of St. Michael and all Angels. Q. What Account have we from Scripture of St. Michael? A. That he was an Archangel, who prefided Dan over the Jewish Nation ((tyled one of the chief ** Princes) as other Archangels did over the Gentile World, as is evident of the Kingdom of Perfia, 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 Angels, and that contending with the Jude i Devil, he difputed about the Body of Mofes. Q. What doth the Fight mentioned in the Revelation, of St. Michael and bis Angels against the Dragon and his Angels, moft probably fignify? Rev. Han A. Some great Authors refer it to the Contest Grap that happened at Rome between St. Peter and Simon Magus: when that Apoftle, by the Efficacy of his Prayers, entirely prevailed against the feducing Arts of that Magician. Others understand by it thofe violent Perfecutions the primitive Church laboured under, more or lefs, for Three Hundred Mod Years, and which happily ceafed when the Powers of the World became Chriftian. It is generally agreed, that it denotes fome eminent Victory of the Chriftian Church, by the Affiftance of these miniftring Spirits, over the Power and Malice of the Devil and his Inftruments, who set themselves with all their Might to perfecute and deftroy it. Q. To what former Difpute doth this Fight of the good and bad Angels feem to allude? A. To the Expulfion of Lucifer, and the rebellious Angels, from the Prefence of God. It being very credible that God should make Ufe of fome of his heavenly Hoft to drive those from his bleffed Manfions, who had made themselves the just Objects of his Wrath. And upon this Account it may be thought that the Prince of thofe Angels that |