Michael (I)

Jude, v. 9, 10. 2 Peter ii. 10, 11.I. MICHAEL, that is¹, Who is like to God? ‘Tis believed that Michael is the Head of the heavenly Host, in the same Manner as Lucifer is the Head of the Infernal; and that God had constituted him the Protector of the People of Israel, as also the Christian Church now flatters her self, to have him for her Guardian and Defender. This is what the Scriptures inform us concerning St. Michael. St. Jude in his Epistle says, Yet Michael the Archangel, when contending with the Devil, he disputed about the Body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing Accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. St. Jude concludes from thence, that the Faithful ought not to make Use of ill Words or Execrations, as Hereticks and false Prophets are used to do. But these speak Evil of those Things which they know not, but what they know naturally as brute Beasts, in those Things they corrupt themselves. St. Peter in a parallel Passage speaks much after the same Manner of Hereticks and false Prophets. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak Evil of Dignities: Whereas Angels which are greater in Power, and Might, bring not railing Accusations against them before the Lord. But these, as natural brute Beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak Evil of the Things that they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their own Corruption.

It may be asked, what Story St. Jude here makes Allusion to, when he says, that there was a Contention between the Archangel and the Devil about the Body of Moses? ‘Tis believed that he alludes to an History related in the Apochryphal Book of the Assumption of Moses², where it was told, that the Archangel St. Michael after the Death of Moses, was urgent to have the Body of this Legislator buried and concealed from Men, for Fear that the Hebrews, or any other Nations, should think fit to idolize or worship him. But the Devil on the contrary pretended, that the Body ought to be left to the Hebrews, that it might be a Trial of their Fidelity, or rather a Snare and Occasion of Scandal to ‘em³. Œcumenius⁴ from another Tradition advances, that St. Michael used all his Power to procure an honourable Funeral for Moses, but the Devil on the other Hand was as importunate, pretending that the Body belonged to him, and that he was unworthy of the Honour of Burial, as being guilty of the Death of an Egyptian that was slain by him. Philo⁵ and Epiphanius⁶ believe, that the Body of Exod. ii. 11, 12.Moses was buried by the Hands of Angels. We have at this Day two Books intituled, Petii-ath Moshe, or the Assumption of Moses; but we find nothing in them of the Contest between Michael and the Devil about the Body of Moses.

Another Place in which Mention is made of St. Michael is St. John’s Revelation, Rev. xii. 6, 7, &c.where it is said that the Woman, representing the Church, fled into the Desert, where God had prepared a Retreat for her, And there was War in Heaven, Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon, and the Dragon fought and his Angels, and prevailed not, neither was their Place found any more in Heaven. And the great Dragon was cast out, that old Serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole World. He was cast out into the Earth, and his Angels were cast out with him. ‘Tis from this Place that it has been concluded, that St. Michael the Archangel was the tutelar Angel and Guardian of the Christian Church. He exerted his Power chiefly at the Time of the Persecutions of the Pagans against the Believers. He restrained the Power of Satan, he supported the Faith of the Christians, he defeated the Designs of the Persecutors.

Daniel also speaks of St. Michael in two Places. He says, that the Angel Gabriel having appeared to him, said thus to him. Fear Dan. x. 5, —13.not, Daniel, for from the first Day that thou didst set thine Heart to understand, and to chasten thy self before thy God, thy Words were heard, and I am come for thy Words. But the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty Days; but lo, Michael one of the chief Princes came to help me, and I remained there with the Kings of Persia. ‘Tis commonly believed⁷, that this Angel of the Kingdom of Persia was he, to whom God had committed the Care and Superintendance of this Kingdom, and that he opposed Gabriel and Michael, because he was desirous to keep the Jews as long as he could in Persia, where they did much Good among the People, and made many Proselytes to their Religion; and consequently he opposed with all his Power their Return into Palestine, whither they were going to be sent back by the Favour of Cyrus. Others not readily assenting to this voluntary Opposition of three good Angels, have imagined that the Angel of the Persians was a bad Angel⁸, who being jealous of the Prosperity of the Jews, did his utmost to prevent Cyrus from coming to the Empire of Persia, that he might not set the Jews at Liberty.

The last Passage of Scripture, where we find Mention made of the Name Michael, is that of Daniel xii. 1, 2. where speaking of the Persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes against the Jews, and of the unfortunate Death of that wicked Prince, he says, And at that Time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which standeth for the Children of thy People, and there shall be a Time of Trouble, such as never was since there was a Nation, even to that same Time; and at that Time thy People shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the Book. And many of them that sleep in the Dust of the Earth shall awake, some to everlasting Life, and some to Shame and everlasting Contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the Brightness of the Firmament, and they that turn many to Righteousness, as the Stars for ever and ever. Michael therefore was sent of God to succour his People, during these Times of Persecution; he inspired the Maccabees with invincible Courage, he struck the wicked Antiochus, and delivered the Jewish Church from the most terrible Persecution, to which it had ever been exposed.

‘Tis believed that it was Michael the Archangel that conducted the Israelites in their Journey through the Desert, and of Ex. xxiii. 20, 23. xxxiii. 2.whom it is said, Behold, I send an Angel before thee to keep thee in the Way, and to bring thee into the Place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his Voice, provoke him not, for he will not pardon your Transgressions, for my Name is in him. That is, he is my Envoy, my Ambassador, and he acts in my Name. ‘Tis believed also, that ‘twas he that appeared to Moses in the burning Bush, who spoke to him in the Name of the Lord, who was the Guide of the People in the Wilderness, and who gave the Tokens of his Presence in the Pillar of a Cloud. ‘Tis thought also, that he appeared to Joshua in the Fields of Jericho, and to Gideon, and to Manoah the Father of Sampson. In a Word, to him are imputed the greatest Part of the most remarkable Appearances, either in the Old Testament or the New.

The Romish Church celebrates three Appearances of St. Michael, of which no Mention is made in Scripture, and which have happened (as they say) a long Time since the Age of the Apostles. The first is that of Chones, or Colossus in Phrygia, of which the Time is not certainly known. The Feast of this Appearance was fixed on the sixth of September, in the whole Eastern Church. The second is the Appearance of St. Michael on Mount Garganus in Italy, in the Kingdom of Naples. This Appearance happened, as they say, towards the End of the fifth Century. The Church celebrates the Feast of this Appearance on the eighth of May, and that of the Dedication of the Cavern in which he appeared, on the twenty ninth of September. Lastly, the third Appearance of St. Michael, which is honoured by a particular Festival of the Church, is that which was made to Aubert Bishop of Avranches, upon a Rock called the Tomb, where at this Day is the Abby of St. Michael exposed to the Sea, in the Bay between Normandy and Bretany. This Appearance was about the Year 706, and the Festival has ever since been celebrated in France on the sixteenth of October. See M. Baillet in his Lives of the Saints, on September twenty nine.

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