He bids them cast all their care upon GOD, on the assurance that God
Himself careth for them.
Precisely the same result issues from a contemplation of the acts and
exhortation of St. Paul. He too experienced in his own person the
comfort of an angel's ministration, bidding him cast off all fear when
in the extreme of imminent peril. [Acts xxvii. 23, 24.] Many a prayer of
that holy Apostle is upon record; many an earnest exhortation to prayer
was made by him; we find many a declaration relative to his own habits
of prayer. But with him God and God alone is the object of prayer
throughout: by him no saint or angel or archangel is alluded to, as one
whose intercession might be sought by himself or by us. He could speak
in glowing language of patriarchs, prophets, and angels, but unto none
of these would he turn. "Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by
prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made
known unto God." [Phil. iv. 6.] And let any one receive, in the plain
meaning of his words, his prohibitory monition [Col. ii. 18.], and say,
could St. Paul have {51} uttered these words without any qualifying
expression, had he worshipped angels by invocation, even asking them
only to aid him by their prayers. "Let no one beguile you of your reward
in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels; not holding the
Head," which Head he had in the first chapter (v.
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