Luke 1.

Q. Wherein confifts the Ministry of good Angels?

A. In declaring upon Occafion, the Mind and Will of Chrift to his Church; for thus most of the divine Meffages were conveyed to the Pro phets; and there are frequent Inftances of it in the New Teftament; as in the Cafe of St. John Baptift's Birth, the bleed Virgin's Conception, our Saviour's Birth and Refurrection. In guardPfal. 91. ing and defending us from outward Dangers, 11, 12. and from the Fury of evil Spirits, either by 347 removing fuch evil Accidents from us as in the Gen. 19. Courfe of neceffary Caufes must have befallen

13, 31.

Luke 2.

10.

ib. 32.

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 Fan

cies.

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 hath been 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 least every good Man, had a Guardian Angel appointed him by God, to take a special Care of him and his Concerns, both Spiritual and Temporal; and we find the beft Men among the Jews did at least believe the common Miniftry of good Angels about good Gen. 24. Men, and their more efpecial Care of particular Perfons, upon particular and great Occafions, as Pfal.z4.7 is plain in Abraham and David. And this Tradition of the Jews feem to be confirmed and approved by our Saviour, in that Caution he

40.

91.11,12.

gives

gives us, Not to defpife one of thefe little ones, be Mat. 18, cause in Heaven their Angels always behold the 10. Face of his Father; and the first Christians seemed to be of the fame Mind, when, being told that Peter was at the Door, they said it was his Angel,A&ts 12, thinking that he himself was faft in Prifon: for '5. which Saying there could be no Reason, had there not been a current Opinion among them of Guardian Angels: And their being fent forth Heb. 1.14, to minifter to them that fhall be Heirs of Salvation, fupposes them to be ready at hand to do all good Offices to good Men.

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

A. Being peculiarly prefent in the publick 1 Cor. 11. Affemblies of God's Worship, they aflift good 10. 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 Luke 16. Angels into Abraham's Bofom. Befides, at the 22. Day of Judgment they fhall be great Inftruments of the Refurrection of their Bodies, and the Re- Mat. 13. union of them to their Souls; as our bleffed Sa- 39, 49. viour declares in St. Matthew.

Q. Wherein doth the Ministry of bad Angels confift?

Rev.2.10.

A. In trying and exercising the Righteous, as was the Cafe of Job, and the Church of Smyrna ; in punishing the Wicked, as was the Cafe of Saul Job : and and Abab, and in executing Vengeance on them in another World. They fet themselves in oppo-1 Sam. 16. fition to the Glory of God, and the Salvation of 14. Mankind; though they are reftrained in the Ex-1 Kings Cc3 ercife 22.20,c.

ercife of the Power; beyond which they cannot exert it without divine Permiffion.

O. If good Angels are appointed by God to be iminka Stirits, and are fo ready to help us, ought #worthip them?

We may reafonably conclude, from the vature 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 Reasoning in the Revelations, where he forbids St. John to worship him, because he was his FellewRev.22.9. Servant. Befides, it is feverely reproved by Col.2. 18. St. Paul; Let no Man deceive you in a voluntary Humility, and worshipping of Angels, not bolding the Head. The Scripture directing us to the Mediation only of one Mediator between God and Man, viz. the Man Chrift Jefus.

Q. Why do we celebrate this Feftival?

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

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

A. That it is not enough to difcharge their Duty by living well themfelves, but that, befides the Care of their own Conduct, they are obliged to watch over the Conduct of other; and with Boldness and Courage to oppose all profane Con temners of Religion, thofe Rebels, that are at Defiance with God, be their Quality and Power never so great and terrible.

Q. Whet

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

A. To adore the Wisdom and Goodness of God, in appointing fuch excellent and glorious Beings to minister to our Salvation; and to be thankful to him for the invifible Aid and Protection we receive from them. To comfort ourfelves against the Vigilancy and Power of the Devil, with the affured Affiftance of good Angels, who are as powerful and forward to do us good, as the others are malicious and busy to do us mifchief. To behave ourselves with great Gravity and Reverence in the publick Worship of God, because those excellent Beings attend to obferve our outward Carriage and Deportment. To imitate their Example in ferving God, with the fame Readiness and Diligence, with the fame Chearfulness and Zeal, that they do in Heaven. To condefcend to the meanest Services for the good of others: especially with all our Might to help forward the Salvation of our Neighbour. Never to defpife any good Man, be his Circumftances never fo mean, because he is dear to God, and under the peculiar Care of the holy Angels. To fecure their Miniftry to ourselves, by continuing found and holy Members of the Catholick Church, who are the declared Heirs of Salvation.

Q. What may all Chriftians learn from the Behaviour of St. Michael?

A. To avoid the fcandalous and unchristian Practice of Evil-speaking, the Seed of all Evil, and the Peft of Civil Society, which we are fo apt to fall into, and yet find it so hard to repent of, by Reason of the Difficulty of making fuch Reparations as are neceffary upon fuch Occafions... Q. Wherein

CC 4

19.

1

Q. Whercin confifts the Nature of Evil-speaking?

A. In devulging any Ill we hear or know.concerning our Neighbour, whether true or falfe, whereby his Good-name is impaired by our Words or Actions. For a Motion of the Head or Hand, a Smile or Caft of the Eye, is capable of tarnishing the brightest Reputation; nay, even Silence itself, if it appears affected and myfterious, shall be as effectual to that Purpose as the most envenomed Satire. If the Matters we object against him are falfe, or doubtful and uncertain, it is Calumny or Slander; if the Evidence we proceed upon be not fufficient, it is rab Judgment, and a Proneness to blame and condemn others is Cenforioufness.

Q. But may we not speak that Evil of our Neigbbour which we know certainly to be true?

A. I think, except fome Inftance of Justice or Charity require it, we ought not to expose our Neighbour's real Faults, becaufe we are not willing that all that is true of ourfelves fhould be exposed to publick View; and it is contrary to that Love we owe our Neighbour, which fhould make us ready to cover and conceal all Things that are defective in him, and which, if known, may tend to leffen that good Name and Reputation he hath in the World.

Q. How is this Vice condemned in Scripture?

A. The Scriptures place it in the Company of Mat. 15. the worst of wicked Actions: Out of the Heart, says our Saviour, procced evil Thoughts, MurRom. 1. ders, Adulteries, falfe Witness, Evil-fpeakings. St. Paul ranks Backbiters with the black Crimes of those who are given up to a reprobate Mind, and which in the Judgment of God are worthy

32.

of