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Christians of the Church of Rome! for one moment meditate, I beseech
you, on this prayer. It is not addressed to God; in it there is no
mention made of {43} Christ: having called upon the angels, and on your
own soul in the words of the psalmist, to praise the Lord, you address
your supplication to Michael himself; not even invoking him for his
intercession, but imploring of him his protection. If it be said, that
his intercession is all that is meant, with most unfeigned sincerity I
request you to judge for yourselves, whether any prayer from poor sinful
man, putting his whole trust in the Lord and imploring his help, could
be addressed to our God and Saviour more immediate and direct than this?
In the place of the name of his servant Michael, substitute the highest
and the holiest name ever uttered in heaven or on earth, and can words
form a prayer more direct to God? "O Lord God Almighty, O Lord Jesus our
only Saviour, defend us in battle, that we perish not in the dreadful
judgment. Hallelujah!"--Can this be right? Were the archangel allowed
now, by his Lord and ours, to make his voice heard upon earth by
Christians offering to him this prayer, would he utter any other words,
than the angel, his fellow-servant and ours, once addressed to Saint
John, when he fell down to worship before him, "See thou do it not; for
I am thy fellow-servant: worship God.
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