be you affured, that it is not only from the s ERM. publick Minifters of the Church, but from her VI. private Members alfo, that the Church fuffers Lofs, when any of them fall from their Virtues or Faith. And yet don't you fee People every Day falling and apoftatizing from their Holy Religion, into grofs Wickedness and Sin? And fome who by premeditated and daring Infults, fly in the very Face of the, Holy Jefus, bid Defiance to his Omnifcience, and (he himself being out of their Reach) bail his Gofpel with a Judas Kifs, and fo betray bim. Such Men we can hardly hope to fee ever return into the Communion of Saints: A holy Penman has pronounced, that it is impoffible to renew them again to Repentance: They may not perhaps fall into the fame Fate with Judas in this World: But they must live, furely, in continual Dread of being configned to the fame Place in the next. Let them therefore, that have the Reverence of God fixed on their Souls, endeavour to become fo many Matthias's. Be you therefore, the Matthias's to fill up their Room: Let fuch perfect and compleat the Church of God: Since before the Church can be truly compleated, there is a certain Number of Elect that must come in, and till that Number be accomplished,

SER M. accomplished, the Kingdom of Glory cannot VI. begin. Let us then not fuffer it to be kept back and delayed, for want of Subjects enow to enjoy it; but by each of us fitting one to bear a Part in it, let us all contribute to hasten it's coming. In the mean while, do thou,

✪ Gracious and Almighty God, who into the Place of the Traitor Judas, didft chuse thy faithful Servant Matthias to be of the Number of the twelve Apoftles; grant that thy Church being always preferved from falfe Apostles, be ordered and guided by faithful and true Paftors, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

may

SERMON

Are they not all miniftring Spirits, fent forth to minifter for them, that shall be Heirs of Salvation?

T is the Misfortune of fome noble Topicks in Divinity, to be either fuperftitiously perverted and abufed, or elfe entirely forgotten and loft, according as the Humours or Fancies of Men incline to the one or the other Extreme. This is particularly remarkable in the Doctrine of Angels. Some had, even in the Apostles Time, fuffered their Curiofity to carry them so high, as to beguile them into a religious Worship of those Beings; which St Paul therefore condemns, as intruding into things which they had not seen, through a vain puffing up

of

SERM. of your fleshly Minds, Col. ii, 18. But not-
VII. notwithstanding this juft and fevere Repre

'henfion, we meet with an Author in the
Fourth Century, affuming the Name of a
Convert and Difciple of this very Apostle,
(that of Dionyfius the Areopagite, I mean,
whofe Name is recorded in the New Tefta-
ment, Acts xvii. 34.) and under this Ti-
tle, fpeaking fo affuredly, and fo very cir-
cumftantially of thofe bleffed Spirits, as if
he bimfelf had dwelt amongst them, and
taken an exact and accùrate Lift of their
feveral Orders and Individuals: And in Af-
ter-times, fome, not content with his Spe-
culations, have ventured further to enter upon
Questions much more curious and inquifi-
tive ftill, concerning Things which it is im-
poffible they fhould have any Knowledge of,
or any at least that would be of use to
Mankind. This has led others into a con-
trary Extreme, who fearful of being too
prefumptuous and bold, will scarce give them-
felves leave to think of thofe glorious Beings
at all, left they fhould aim at Things too
high for their Reach, and fo incur the Cen-
fure of a vain Curiofity. Cautious of offend-
ing by either of thefe Means, our excellent
. Church (which defires to inftruct her Mem-

bers

bers in the Truth, and nothing more) nei- SERM ther crouds her Offices with ufelefs and un- VII, certain Legendary Tales concerning these Spirits, nor yet neglects to propose to our Thoughts, thofe Truths which God has been pleafed to reveal of them in Holy Scripture. An antient Feftival therefore originally fet apart for the expreffing our Devotion and Thankfulness to God, for the Benefits we receive by their Miniftry and Help, we still continue to celebrate and obferve: And becaufe Michael is recorded in Holy Writ, as an Angel of eminent Dignity and Power, and as prefiding and watching over the Church of God, with a fingular Vigilance, Affection, and Care. See Dan. x. and xii. Jude 9.. Rev. xvii. 7. Therefore his Name (though fuperftitiously fixed to it at firft) is ftill retained, and the principal Scriptures, relating to the good Offices of him, and the rest of the heavenly Hoft, are chofen and read.

*

The Place from whence I have taken my Text, is indeed only part of thofe Scriptures; there being too many Paffages relating to that Subject, for all to be taken in. But the Verse I have made choice of, contains a general Summary of the whole, and will lead me to dif

29.

* Vide, Ado, Baronii, & Hofpiniani Martyrolog. in Sept.

courfe