Ham.

that fought against Satan, obtained the Name of Michael, which, in the Hebrew, fignifies, who is as God; in that he fuppreffes the Arrogancy of Luci fer, who went about to make himself in fome Sense equal with God.

Q. What is fuppofed to be the Contest about the Body of Mofes?

A. Some think the Controverfy was about reedifying the Temple, and restoring the Service of God among the Jews at Jerufalem, and that this, in a figurative Senfe, may as fitly be ftyled the Body of Mofes, as the Chriftian Church, or affembling of Jude v. 9. Chriftians for the Service of Chrift, is called the

Body of Chrift; and for Proof of this is urged, that the Paffage of St. Jude is cited from the Prophecy Zach. iii. of Zachariah, where this Matter is treated of. Others take the Body of Mofes in a literal Sense, and are of the Opinion that St. Michael, by the Order of God, hid the Body of Mofes 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 obfervable in the Manner of St. Michael's Contest with the Devil?

A. That notwithstanding he might have said a great deal of Evil juftly of him, yet he would not ufe any reproachful Words, any Bitterness or ExeJude v. 9. cration against him, but faid, The Lord rebuke thee. Q. What should this teach us?

A. It fhould make all Men, but especially those who are as Angels of God in the Church, ashamed and afraid, particularly in Controverfies of Religion, to ufe railing and injurious Reflections; fince fuch opprobrious Language neither becomes the Nature of their Office, nor their Character as Chriftians.

Q. What is meant by the Word Angel?

A. In a general Sense it fignifies no more than a Meffenger, or Embaffador employed upon another's Errand; but in Scripture, and in common Way of fpeaking, it is taken for a celeftial Spirit, a divine Sort of a Meffenger made and employed by and under God.

Q. What Proof is there of the Existence of Angels? A. The general Confent and Tradition of Mankind concerning it, and their Miniftry about us; confirmed by the clear and exprefs Teftimony 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 moft current Opinion of the Chrif tian Church, and feems moft agreeable to Scripture, that Angels are pure Spirits, without any Thing that is material and corporeal belonging to them; but yet fo that they have a Power to affume thin and airy Bodies, and can, when they pleafe, appear in human Shape, as they are frequently in Scripture faid to have done.

Q. Have not fome Kind of Bodies been attributed to Angels?

A. Not only the ancient Philofophers, but fome of the Primitive Fathers were of this Opinion, and they made them to confift of the pureft and finest Matter, which they call Ethereal; grounding this Conjecture upon a pious Belief, that it is the peculiar Excellency and Prerogative of the divine Nature, to be a pure and fimple Spirit, wholly feparate from Matter.

Q. What are the Properties of good Angels?

2 Sam.

A. They are faid in Scripture to excel in Strength, Pfal. ciii. to be endowed with great Knowledge and Wifdom, 20 to be eminent for Purity and Holiness, whence the xiv. 17, Title is given them of the holy Angels. Befides, they are reprefented as full of Wings, to denote 31. the great Activity and Swiftnefs of their Motions.

Z

And

20.

Luke i

13, 31. Lake ii.

10.

Pfal. xci.
Gen. xix.

11, 12.

ib. 32.

And their Office confifts in conftantly attending upon the great and glorious King of Heaven and Earth, expecting his Commands, and ready to execute his Will.

Q. Wherein confifts the Miniftry of good Angels?

A. In declaring, upon Occafion, the Mind and Will of Christ to his Church; for thus most of the divine Meffages were conveyed to the Prophets; and there are frequent Inftances of it in the New Teftament; as in the Cafe of St. John Baptifi's Birth, the blefjed Virgin's Conception, our Saviour's Birth and Refurrection. In guarding and defending us from outward Dangers, and from the Fury of evil Spirits, either by removing fuch evil Accidents from us, as in the Courfe of neceffary Causes must have befallen us; or by diverting the evil Intention of our Enemies against us; and fometimes by fore-warning us of approaching Danger, by fome external Sign or unaccountable Impreffion upon our Fancies. And when we are befet by evil Spirits, they either affift us in our Conflicts with them, or chafe them away from us when we are no longer able to withstand them.

Q. What bas leen the general Opinion of Mankind about Guardian Angels?

A. There was a common Opinion among the Heathens, and a conftant Tradition among the Jews, that every Man, at leaft every good Man, had a Guardian Angel appointed him by God, to take a fpecial Care of him and his Concerns, both Spiritual and Temporal; and we find the beft Men among the Jews did at leaft believe the common Ministry of good Angels about good Men, and their more efpecial Care of particular Perfons, upon par. 49. ticular and great Occafions, as is plain in Abraham P. xxxiv. and David. And this Tradition of the Jews feems to be confirmed and approved by our Saviour, in that Caution he gives us, Not to defpife one of thefe

Gen.

7, 9, 11,

13.

Mat. xviii.

15.

little Ones, becaufe in Heaven their Angels always bebold the Face of his Father; and the first Chriftians feemed to be of the fame Mind, when, being told that Peter was at the Door, they faid it was his Acts xii. Angel, thinking that he himself was faft in Prison; for which Saying there could be no Reafon, had there not been a current Opinion among them of Guardian Angels: And their being fent forth to mi- Heb. i. 14. nifier to them that fhall be Heirs of Salvation, fupposes them to be ready at Hand to do all good Of fices to good Men.

Q. How are the good Angels farther employed about good Men?

10.

A. Being peculiarly prefent in the public Af- 1 Cor. xi femblies of God's Worship, they affift good Men in the Discharge of their religious Offices: And at the Hour of Death they ftand by them in that great Conflict, and convey their feparated Spirits into the Manfions of the Bleffed; which is confirmed by our Saviour, when he tells us upon Lazarus's Death, that he was carried by Angels into Luke xvi. Abraham's Bofem. Befides, at the Day of Judgment they shall be great Inftruments of the Refurrection of their Bodies, and the Re-union of them Matt. xiii. to their Souls; as our bleffed Saviour declares in 39, 49. St. Matthew.

Q. Wherein doth the Ministry of bad Angels confift?

22.

1 Sam.

A. In trying and exercising the Righteous, as Jobi. and was the Cafe of Job, and the Church of Smyrna; Rev. ii. in punishing the Wicked, as was the Cafe of Saul 10. and Ahab, and in executing Vengeance on them in xvi. 14. another World. They fet themfelves in oppofition 1 Kings to the Glory of God, and the Salvation of Man- .. kind; though they are reftrained in the Exercife of their Power; beyond which they cannot exert it without divine Permiffion.

xxii. 20.

Q. If good Angels are appointed by God to be miniftring Spirits, and are fo ready to help us, ought we not to worship them?

A. We may reasonably conclude, from the Nature of their Employment, that we ought not to worship them, fince they minifter to us; and in this feems to lie the Force of the Angel's Reafoning in the Revelations, where he forbids St. John to worship him, because he was his Fellow-Servant. Rev. xxii. Befides, it is feverely reproved by St. Paul; Let no Man deceive you in a voluntary Humility, and worShipping of Angels, not holding the Head. The Scripture directing us to the Mediation only of one Mediator between God and Man, viz. the Man Chrift Fefus.

9.

Col. ii,

Q. Why do we celebrate this Festival?

A. To exprefs our Thankfulness to God for thofe many eminent Advantages that the Chriftian Church has obtained, by the Ministry of the Holy Angels, over the Power and Malice of the Devil and thofe mifchievous Inftruments he has employed to deftroy it.

Q. What Inftructions doth the Fidelity and Zeal of St. Michael offer to the Governors of the Church, who are Angels of God.

A. That it is not enough to discharge their Duty by living well themfelves, but that, befides the Care of their own Conduct, they are obliged to watch over the Conduct of others; and with Boldnefs and Courage to oppofe all profane Contemners of Religion, thofe Rebels that are at Defiance with God, be their Quality and Power never fo great and terrible.

Q. What may we learn from the Obfervation of this Festival?

A. To adore the Wisdom and Goodness of God, in appointing fuch excellent and glorious Beings to minifter to our Salvation; and to be thankful to