Part IV: Prayer

Question 1. In ichat manner ve should pray to God.

AMONGST the duties of the pastoral office, it is one of primary necessity to the salvation of the faithful people, to instruct them in Christian prayer, the efficacy and nature of which must needs be unknown to many, unless it be ex plained by the pious and faithful diligence of the pastor. The parish priest therefore should make it a most especial object of his care, that his pious hearers understand what they should ask from God, and how it is to be asked. But the perfect requisites of prayer are entirely comprised in that divine form, which Christ the Lord wished to be known to his apostles, and through them and their successors, to all subsequently who should embrace the Christian religion. Its words and sentences should therefore be so deeply impressed on the mind and memory, as for us to have them in readiness. But that the means of instructing his faithful hearers in this form of prayer may not be wanting to the pastor, we have here set down those things, that appeared to us most opportune, taken from those writers who are most celebrated for their learning and copiousness on this head ; and should it be necessary, the pastor may derive further information from the same source.

Question 2. Necessity of Prayer unto Salvation.

In the first place, then, the necessity of prayer must be taught, a duty not only recommended by way of counsel, but also enforced by peremptory command, as Christ our Lord declares in these words : We ought always to pray? This necessity of prayer the Church also shows in that prelude to the Lord's prayer : Admonished by salutary precepts, and formed by divine institution, we presume to say. Prayer then being necessary to Christian men, the Son of God, at the solicitation of his disciples : Lord teach us to pray,c pre scribed to them a form of prayer, and gave them hope to obtain the objects of their petitions ;d whilst he himself was to them a model of prayer, not only having recourse to it assiduously, but also spending whole nights therein.6 On this duty the apostles also ceased not to deliver precepts to those who were converted to the faith of Jesus Christ : for St. Peter f and St. Johns are most earnest in their exhor tations to the pious on the subject ; and the apostle, mindful of its nature, exhorts Christians in many places to the salutary necessity of prayer.11

Question 3. Wltat are the Reasons TJIJ which Men may best be led to the Knowledge of this Necessary Duty.

Besides, so numerous are our spiritual and bodily necessi ties, that we should have recourse to prayer as the one best interpreter of our wants, and the most efficient advocate in obtaining the object of our desires. For, to no one does God owe anything ; and therefore it certainly is our duty to ask in prayer those things of which we stand in need. He has constituted these our prayers the necessary instrument to obtain the objects of our wishes.

Question 4. We cannot satisfy our Wants in any other way save l)y Prayer.

Particularly as it is clear, that there are some things which cannot be obtained without its aid. For holy prayers possess that transcendant virtue by which principally demons are cast out, as there is a certain class of demons not to be ex pelled save by prayer and fasting They, therefore, who neglect to apply this practice and exercise [of prayer], deprive themselves of a powerful means of obtaining singular gifts ; for, to obtain what one desires, it is necessary that our prayer be not only good but also assiduous, J as St. Jerome saith : It is written : Every one that asketh receiveth :k if therefore it be not given you, it is because ye do not ask : Ask, therefore, and ye shall receive”

Question 1. What arc the First Fruits resulting from the Necessity of Prayer.

But this necessity [of prayer] is also fraught with most abundant spiritual fruits. Of these fruits of prayer, the pastor will, when necessary for the instruction of the faithful people, draw copiously from the pages of sacred writers. From their accumulated treasures, we have made a selection of such matter as appeared to us suited to our present pur pose. Now the first fruit which we receive from prayer, is, that by it we honour God, prayer being a certain indication of religion, and being compared in Scripture to incense : Let my prayer, says the prophet, be set forth before thee as incensed Wherefore we thus confess our subjection to God, whom we acknowledge and proclaim to be the author of all good things ; to whom alone we look ; whom we have as the only refuge and bulwark of our safety and salvation. Of this fruit of prayer we are also admonished in these words : Call upon me in the day of trouble : I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.11

Question 2. Of the Second Fruit of Prayer.

Another most abundant and most pleasing fruit of prayer, when heard by God, follows ; for, in the opinion of St. Augustine, prayer is the key of heaven : For, says he, prayer ascends, and the mercy of God descends : high as are the heavens, and low as is the earth, yet God heareth the voice of man.0 Such is the efficacy, such the utility of prayer, that thereby we receive the fulness of heavenly gifts ; for we both obtain the guidance and aid of the Holy Spirit, the preservation and security of the faith, an escape from punish ment, the divine protection under temptations, and victory over the devil. In a word, there is in prayer a singular accumulation of joy : wherefore the Lord has said : Ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.?

Question 3. TJie Divine Majesty is ever ready to hear our Petitions.

Nor can we for a moment doubt that the benignity of God awaits and hearkens to this our petition • a truth to which the Scriptures in many places bear ample testimony. As, however, the texts which establish it are easily met with, we shall cite only the following, by way of example, from Isaiah : Then, says he, shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer : thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. And again : It shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer ; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear? Instances of persons who have obtained from God the objects of their prayers, because almost innumerable and easily met with, we omit.

Question 4. But it sometimes happens that we obtain not from God what we ask. True ; but God the best consults our interets, either bestowing upon us other greater and more ample goods, or withholding what we ask, because neither necessary nor useful to us j nay, perhaps, if granted, it might prove superfluous and most injurious : God, saith St. Augustine, denies some things in his mercy, which he grants in his wrath.5 Sometimes also it happens, that such is the remissness and negligence with which we pray, that we ourselves attend not to what we say. Now, if prayer be an ascent of the soul unto God, and if, in prayer, the mind, instead of being fixed on God, wanders, and the tongue rambles over the words at random, without attention, without devotion, how shall we give to such empty sounds of speech the name of Christian prayer 1 It is therefore marvellous, if God does not accommodate himself to our will, when we ourselves, by our negligence and inattention to prayer, almost prove that we do not wish for what we ask, or ask what would be prejudicial to us.

Question 5. To Devout Prayers God grants more than they ask.

But on the contrary, to those who pray with enlightened attention, God grants much more than they ask, as the apostle testifieth in his epistle to the Ephesians ju and as is declared in the parable of the prodigal son, who would have deemed himself fortunate in being admitted into the number of his father's hireling servants. v Nay, if we reflect aright, God accumulates his favours on us, even when we ask them not ; and this, not only in abundance, but also without delay. With out even waiting for their utterance, God prevents the inward and silent desires of the poor, according to these words of Scripture : Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble.™

Question 6. Third Fruit of Prayer.

Another fruit of prayer is, that by it we exercise and augment the Christian virtues, particularly faith ; for as they who have not faith in God, pray not as they ought : How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed ?• so, the faithful, the more fervently they pray, the stronger and the more assured faith do they possess in the divine care and providence, which principally requires of us, that whilst we submit our wants to its dispensations, we make them all the objects of our prayers.

Question 7. Why God, knowing what Things we want, wishes to lie entreated by our Prayers.

God, it is true, might bestow on us all things abundantly, although we asked them not, nor even thought of them, as he bestows on irrational creatures all things necessary for the support of life ; but our most beneficent Father wishes to be invoked by his children ; he wishes that, praying as we ought daily, we may pray the more confidently ; he wishes us, having obtained those things that we ask, to testify and proclaim daily more and more his benignity towards us.

Question 8. In what manner our Charity towards God is augmented by Prayer.

Charity is also augmented [by prayer] ; for, recognizing God as the author of every good and every advantage to us, we embrace him with the utmost love. And as, by inter views and conversation, lovers are more inflamed to love ; so, by holding intercourse with God in prayer, and supplicating his benignity, pious men, experiencing at each interview, the oftener they as it were converse with God, a more exquisite sense of delight, are the more ardently excited to love and serve him.

Question 9. By Assiduity in Prayer we both become worthy the Divine, Grace, and attain Humility, and A rms against the Devil.

Moreover, lie will have us make use of this exercise of prayer, that, glowing with the constant desire to ask what we desire, we may, by this assiduity and zeal, make such advances as to be worthy to obtain those blessings, which the soul, before weak and contracted, could not contain. Besides, [God] wishes us to know and always confess what is the fact, that, unaided by heavenly grace, we can of ourselves obtain nothing, and therefore should apply ourselves to prayer with all the power of our souls. These arms, as it were, of prayer are most powerful against our implacable foes : With the cries of our prayers, says St. Hilary, we must, fight against the devil and his armed hosts, y

Question 10. Fourth Fruit of Prayer .

From prayer we also derive this important benefit, that, inclined as we are to evil, and to the indulgence of sensual appetite, through the fault of innate infirmity, [God] permits himself to be conceived in our minds \ that, whilst we address him in prayer, and strive to merit his gifts, we may receive from him the love of innocence, and, by effacing all our sins, be purified from every stain.

Question 11. Last Fruit of Prayer.

Finally, as St. Jerome observes, prayer disarms the wrath of God.z Hence God thus addressed Moses : Let me alone when, by interposing his prayers, he was preventing him from inflicting on that people the punishments with which he wished to visit them ; for nothing so appeases God, when his wrath is kindled, retards and averts his rage even when he is ready to strike the wicked, as the prayers of pious men.

Question 1. Of the Parts of Christian Prayer.

THE necessity and advantage of Christian prayer being explained, the faithful people should also know, how many and what are the parts of which it is composed ; for that this appertains to the perfection of this duty, we learn from the apostle, who, in his epistle to Timothy, exhorting to pious and holy prayer, carefully enumerates the parts of which it consists : / exhort, therefore, that first of all, says he, suppli cations, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men.]) Although the distinction between these different parts of prayer is somewhat refined ; yet the pastor, should he deem its explanation useful to his people, will consult amongst others St. Hilary0 and St. Augustine. d

Question 2. Of Petitions and Returning Thanks.

But whereas there are principally two parts of prayer, petition and thanksgiving, from which as from their source all the others flow, it appeared to us that they should by no means be passed by. For we approach God, that offering to him the tribute of our worship and veneration, we may either obtain some favour, or return him thanks for the benefits with which his bounty every day adorns and en riches us ; and both of these most necessary parts of prayer God himself mentioned by the mouth of David, in those words : Call upon me in the day of trouble : I will deliver thee ; and thou shalt glorify me.e Who, if he but consider the extreme destitution and misery of men, does not know how much we stand in need of the divine bounty and goodness ?

Question 3. TJie Goodness and Beneficence of God to all Men is set forth.

But all who have eyes to see, and understanding, will perceive how much the will of God inclines, and how liberal is his bounty, towards the human race. For wherever we cast our eyes, wherever we turn our thoughts, the admirable light of the divine beneficence and benignity beams upon us. “What have men, that is not the gift of God's bounty 'I And if all things are his gifts and the favours of his goodness, why should not all men, with all their might, celebrate the praises of, and return thanks to, this God of boundless bene ficence ? But each of these duties of petition and thanks giving contains many degrees, one more exalted and perfect than another. To the end, therefore, that the faithful may not only pray, but also pray after the best manner, pastors will propose to them the most exalted and perfect mode of pray ing, and will exhort them to it with the utmost earnestness.

Question 4. What is the Best Manner of Praying and the Highest Degree of Prayer.

”What then is the best manner and the most exalted degree of prayer ? That, forsooth, which is made use of by pious and righteous men, who, resting on the solid foundation of true faith, rise successively from one degree of purity and fervour in prayer to another, until, at length, they reach that height, whence they can contemplate the infinite power, benignity, and wisdom of God ; where, too, they attain the most assured hope, that they will obtain not only those blessings which they ask in this life, but also those unutterable rewards which God has promised to bestow on those who piously and from the heart implore the divine aid/ Soaring towards heaven on these two wings as it were, the soul in fervent desire approaches the Deity • adores with all honour of praise and thanksgiving, him from whom she has received such supreme blessings ; and, like an only child, animated with singular piety and profound veneration, con fidently lays open to her dearest parent all her wants. This sort of prayer the sacred Scriptures express by the words, pouring out : says the prophet, / poured out my prayer before Him, I showed before him my trouble. Here the words, pour out, have the force of saying, that he who goes to pray suppresses nought, conceals nought, but pours out all, flying with confidence into the bosom of God, his most loving Father. To this the sacred doctrine exhorts us in these words : Pour out your heart before him :h and cast thy care upon the Lord This is that degree of prayer to which St. Augustine alludes in his Enchiridion, when he says : What faith believes, that hope and charity implore)

Question 5. Of Another Kind of Prayer.

Another degree of prayer is that of those who, pressed down by the weight of mortal sin, strive, however, with that faith which is called dead,k to upraise themselves and ascend to God ; but, in consequence of their half-dead state and the extreme weakness of their faith, they cannot upraise them selves from the earth. Impressed, however, with a just sense of their sins, and stung with remorse, they bow themselves down with humility, and, far as they are removed from him, they implore of God, in penitential sorrow, pardon and peace. The prayer of such persons is not rejected by God : they are heard by him ; nay, such men God, in his mercy, most generously invites : Come to me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.1 Of their number was that publican, who, not daring to raise his eyes towards heaven, left the temple, as our Lord declares, justified rather than the Pharisee.™

Question 6. Who among those vho pray occupy the Third Degree.

A third degree of prayer is that of those who have not as yet receiveothe light of faith ; but who, whilst the divine goodness lights up [in their souls] the feeble glimmering of nature, are strongly excited to the desire and pursuit of truth, to arrive at the knowledge of which is the object of their most earnest prayers. If they persevere in such a dis- position, God, in his mercy, will not reject their earnest desire, as we see verified by the example of Cornelius the Centurion ;n for against none who desire it sincerely are the doors of the divine benignity closed.

Question 7. What Class of Petitioners are held down in the Last Degree.

The last degree is that of those who, not only impenitent, but adding crime to crime, are yet not ashamed frequently to ask pardon of God for sins in which they intend to perse vere. Under such circumstances they should not presume to ask pardon even of their fellow-man. To their prayer God turns a deaf ear, as it is written of Antiochus : This ivicked person vowed also to the Lord, who now no more would have mercy upon him.0 Those who are in this grievous condition should therefore be strongly exhorted, that, having detached themselves from affection to sin, they turn to God in good earnest and from the heart.

Question 1. Of the Objects of Prayer to God.

BUT as, under the head of each petition, will be pointed out in its proper place, what is and what is not a proper object of prayer, it will here suffice to admonish the faithful in general terms, to ask of God such things as are just and good ; lest, asking what they ought not, they be repulsed with the answer : Ye know not what ye ask.v But whatever, it is lawful to desire, it is lawful to pray for, as this most ample promise of our Lord attests : Ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you ;im which he promises to grant, all things.

Question 2. What Things are First, and of themselves, to le craved of God.

First, therefore, we must direct all our wishes and desires to make God, who is the supreme good, the grand object of our love and wishes. We must next desire those things that unite us most closely to God ; whilst those that would separate us, or produce any cause of separation from him, should be utterly removed from our desires or pursuits. Hence we may infer how, after that supreme and perfect good, the other things that are called goods, are to be desired and asked from God our Father.

Question 3. How far the Outward Goods of the Body are to le asked of God.

For the goods that are called bodily, and those called external, such as health, strength, beaiity, riches, honours, glory, which often afford occasion and matter for sin (and which, therefore, it is not altogether pious or salutary to ask), are not to be prayed for without this limitation, that we beg for such temporal goods only for necessity, so that this sort of prayer be referred only to God ; for it is lawful for us to pray for the things for which Jacob and Solomon prayed : If, says Jacob, he will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on, then the Lord shall be my God Give me, says Solomon, only the necessaries of life.5

Question 4. How we ought to use Riches and the other Good Things of the Body whojt ice jossess them through the Mercy of God.

When, however, by the bounty of God, we are supplied with the necessaries and comforts of life, we should recollect the exhortation of the apostle : Let them that buy be as they possessed not, and they that use this world, as not abusing it ; for the fashion of this world passeth away and again: If riches abound, set not your heart upon them.u Their use and advantage alone belong to us, and even this with an. obligation, as we learn from God himself; of sharing them with others. If we enjoy health ; if we abound in other external and bodily goods j we should recollect that they are given unto us, to enable us to serve God with greater facility, and employ them all in lending assistance to our neighbour.

Question 5. How ice may pray for the Goods of Genius and Learning.

Genius and the embellishments that adorn it, such as learn ing and the arts, it is lawful to pray for ; but on the con dition, that they serve to promote the glory of God, and our own salvation. But that which is to be absolutely, and without reserve or condition of any sort, the object of our wishes, our desires, our prayers, is, as we have already said, the glory of God, and, next, whatever can serve to unite us to that supreme good ; such as faith, the fear and love of God ; but of these we shall treat more fully when explaining the petitions.

Question 1. Tttere is no Race of Men in this World for whom it is not lawful to pray to God.

THE objects of prayer being known, the faithful people are to be taught for whom they should pray. Prayer com prehends petition and thanksgiving ; and we shall therefore first treat of petition. We are then to pray for all, without exception of enemies, or nation, or religion ; for every man, be he enemy, alien, or infidel, is our neighbour, whom by the command of God we are ordered to love, and for whom, therefore, we should also offer up our prayers, which is a duty of love. To this the apostle exhorts when he says : / exhort that prayers be made for all men.v In such prayers the things that appertain to the salvation of the soul should hold the first place, temporal things the second.

Question 2. For whom ice ought especially to pray.

This duty we owe to the pastors of souls before all others, as we are admonished by the apostle in reference to him self; for he writes to the Colossians to pray for him, that God may open unto him a door of utterance ;w a request which he also makes to the Thessalonians.x In the Acts of the Apostles y we also find that prayer was offered in the Church without intermission for Peter. Of this duty we are also admonished by St. Basil in his books On morals : we must, saith he, pray for those that preside over the icord of truth.7' In the second place, according to the same apostle, we should pray for princes ; for who knows not how great a blessing we enjoy in pious and righteous princes ? We should therefore beg of God that they be such, as those should be who are set over the rest of mankind. There are on record examples of holy men, by which we are admo nished to pray also for the good and the pious, for they too stand in need of the prayers of others ; and this has been ordained from on high, that aware of their standing in need of the suffrages of their inferiors, they be not uplifted with pride. a

Question 3. It is shown that ive must do the same for our Enemies and the Foes of the Church.

Likewise the Lord hath commanded us to pray for those that persecute and calumniate us.b It is also well known from the testimony of St. Augustine, that it has been a practice received down from the apostles, to offer prayers and vows for those who are not within the pale of the Church ; that faith may be given to infidels ; that idolaters may be liberated from the error of impiety j that Jews, their mental darkness being dissipated, may receive the light of truth • that heretics, returning to soundness, may be in- structed in the precepts of the Catholic doctrine ; that schismatics, linked by the bond of true charity, may be reunited to the communion of our most holy mother the Church, from whom they have separated. The great efficacy of prayers, when offered from the heart, for such men, is evinced by the examples of so many persons of all sorts, whom God daily rescueth from the power of darkness, and transferreth into the kingdom of his beloved Son, from vessels of wratha making them vessels of mercy ; and that in this the prayers of the pious have very great influence, no one who thinks aright can doubt.

Question 4. How this Benefit may be extended even to the Dead.

Prayers for the dead, that they may be liberated from the fire of purgatory, had their origin in the doctrine of the apostles j but this subject we already treated at sufficient length, when speaking of the sacrifice of the Mass.6

Question 5. TJic Prayers of others avail not those who sin unto death.

But those who are said to sin unto death derive scarcely any advantage from prayers and supplications. It is, how ever, the part of Christian charity to offer up prayers for them, and with tears to endeavour, if possible, to obtain a reconciliation with God.

Question 6. In what manner we are to understand the Execrations found in the Scriptures.

With regard to the execrations uttered by holy men against the wicked, it is certain, from the opinion of the fathers, that they are either prophecies of the evils which e Usher's treatise on Purgatory must not be forgotten by' the student desirous of information on this subject. Compare, also, the passages collected by Dr. Pusey, in the notes to his sermon on “ the Rule of Faith,” p. 52, sqq. (1851).

are to befall them, or denunciations against the crimes of which they are guilty, that the sinner may be saved, but the sin destroyed, s

Question 7. Of the Use of Thanksgiving.

In the second part of prayer we render infinite thanks to God for the divine and immortal blessings which he has always bestowed, and still continues to bestow, upon the human race. But this duty of thanksgiving we discharge, principally, when we give singular praises to God for the victory and triumph which, aided by his goodness, the saints have achieved over all internal and external foes.

Question 8. Among the Congratulations wliicli are offered to God on account of the Saints, which occupy the Chief Place in the Church.

To this refers that first part of the angelical salutation, when we use it by way of prayer : Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women j11 for we honour God both by the highest praise, and by the most grateful thanks, because he accumulated all his heavenly gifts upon the most holy Virgin ; and the Virgin herself we con gratulate on this her singular felicity. But to this thanks giving the Church of God has with reason added prayers to, and an invocation of, the most holy mother of God, by which we might devoutly and suppliantly fly to her, that, by her intercession, she may conciliate God to us sinners, and obtain for us those blessings of which we stand in need in this life, and in the life to come. Exiled children of Eve, who dwell in this vale of tears, we should therefore earnestly beseech the mother of mercy, and the advocate of the faithful people, to pray for us sinners, and should from her in this prayer implore aid and assistance, whose most exalted merits with God, and whose earnest desire to assist mankind by her prayers, it were impious and wicked to doubt.1

Question 1. Prayer, to whom chiefly to be addressed.

THAT God is to be prayed to and his name invoked, the force itself of nature, implanted in the minds of men, pro claims ; as do also the sacred Scriptures, in which we may hear God commanding : Call upon me in the day of trouble ;i and, by the word God, are to be understood the three per sons of the adorable Trinity.

Question 2. Whether the Saints who reign with Christ are also to le invoked.

In the next place we have recourse to the assistance of the saints, who are in heaven ; and that to them prayers are to be addressed, is so certain in the Church of God, that the pious cannot have any doubt upon the subject. But as this point was explained in its proper place, under a separate head, to that explanation we refer the pastor and others. To remove, however, all error on the part of the unlettered, it will be advantageous to explain to the faithful the differ ence between the invocation [of the saints, and of God].

sqq. of my translation. “The cultus of the Blessed Virgin is acknow ledged to be of later date. Surely, then, when it is taught in authorized [Roman Catholic] books, that 'it is morally impossible for those who neglect the devotion to the Blessed Virgin to be saved,' or that ' it is the will of God that all graces should pass through her hands/ and so, that we ' can only hope to obtain perseverance through her ;' that ' God granted all the pardons in the Old Testament absolutely for the reverence and love of this Blessed Virgin ;' God has constituted Mary the ordinary dispensatrix of his grace ; ' he who neglects Mary shall die in his sins ;' surely we may ask with St. Athanasius, ' Whence, cr from whom, did they learn this ? Who of the fathers taught it ? ' Were this so, how is it that Holy Scripture speaks of the throne of our Lord only as ' the throne of grace ? ' ,how that it so inculcates on us only that He is ' the one mediator between God and man,' and speaks of no one with Him ? or, how that none of the apostles delivered this teaching to those after them, or for so many hundred years the Church knew nothing of it ?”– Dr. Pusev. on the “Rule of Faith,” p. 55, sqq. J Ps. xlix. (1.) 15.

Question 3. God and the Saints addressed differently.

From God and from the saints we implore assistance not after the same manner : for we implore God to grant us the blessings which we want, or to deliver us from evils ; but the saints, because favourites with God, we solicit to under take our advocacy with God, to obtain of him for us those things of which we stand in need. Hence we employ two different forms of prayer : for to God, we properly say, Have mercy on us, hear us ; to the saints, Pray for us.

Question 4. In what Manner we may beseech the Saints to have mercy on us.

We may, however, also ask the saints themselves to have mercy 011 us, for they are most merciful ; but we do so on a different principle ; for we may beseech them that, touched with the misery of our condition, they would interpose, in our behalf, their favour and intercession •with God. In the performance of this duty, it is most strictly incumbent on all, to beware lest they transfer to any creature the right which belongs exclusively to the Deity ; and when we re peat before the image of any saint the Lord's Prayer, our idea must then be to beg of the saint to pray with us, and ask for us those favours, that are contained in the form of the Lord's Prayer, to become, in fine, our interpreter and intercessor with God ; for that this is an office which the saints discharge, St. John the apostle has taught in the Revelation, k

Question 1. With ichich Virtues the Soul should chiefly make Preparation for Prayer.

Before thou prayest, prepare thy soul, and be not as one that tempteth the Lord, is in the sacred letters ; for the” man who, whilst he prays well, acts ill, and whilst he holds con verse with God, suffers his mind to wander, ternpteth God. As, therefore, the disposition with which we pray is of such importance, the pastor will teach his pious hearers how to pray. The first step, then, to [true] prayer, is unfeigned humility of soul, and an acknowledgment of our sins, with the conviction that, when we approach God, we are not only undeserving of receiving anything from him, but even of appearing in his presence to pray. This preparation is very frequently mentioned in the sacred letters, which also say : He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer ;m also : The prayer of the humble pierceth the clouds. But to learned pastors innumerable texts of the same import will occur, which we therefore omit as unnecessary to be here enumerated. Two examples, however, which we have elsewhere touched upon, because they are apposite to our present purpose, we shall not pass over ; that of the publican, which is so well known, who standing afar off, dared not to lift up his eyes from the ground towards heaven? and that of the woman, a sinner, who, deeply moved with sorrow, bathed the feet of Christ our Lord with her tears.P Both declare the great weight that Christian humility brings to prayer. The next disposition is a feeling of anguish, arising from the recollection of our sins, or, at least, some sense of sorrow, for the very reason that we cannot ex perience sorrow. If the sinner bring not with him to prayer both, or, at least, one of these, he cannot obtain pardon.

Question 2. What Vices must especially be avoided ly one u-Jio wishes to pray profitably.

But whereas there are some crimes, such as violence and murder, which oppose the greatest obstacles to the efficacy of our prayers with God, we must therefore keep our hands from such cruelty and violence : When ye spread forth your hands, says the Lord by the mouth of Isaias, / will hide my eyes from you ; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear ; your hands are full of bloods We should also shun anger and strife, for they too oppose very great obstacles to our prayers being heard : I will therefore that men pray everywhere, says St. Paul, lifting up pure hands without wrath and doubting We must also take care that we do not re fuse to be appeased for injury received ; for, if thus disposed, it is impossible for us to induce God by our prayers to par don us : When ye stand praying, says he, forgive, if ye have ought against any ;s and : If ye forgive not men their tres passes, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Insensibility and inhumanity to the poor we should also avoid ; for against such men it is written : Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, bid shall not be heard.”0- What shall we say of pride 1 How hateful it is in the sight of God, the testimony of St. James showeth : God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace unto the humble? “What of contempt of the Divine Oracles ? He that turneth away his ears, says Solomon, from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.™ Here, however, we are not to understand, that to implore pardon for an injury done, of murder, anger, insensibility to the wants of the poor, of pride, of contempt of the word of God, of any other crimes in fine, is excluded from the objects of prayer.

Question 3. Of Faith in God, which is accounted necessary for prayer.

For this preparation of the soul, another requisite is faithr if the which be wanting, we can have 110 knowledge of the omnipotence or mercy of the Supreme Father, which, how ever, are the sources of our confidence in prayer. The necessity of faith as an accompaniment to prayer, Christ the Lord himself taught, when he said : All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive Of this faith St. Augustine writes in his treatise, On the ivords of the Lord : If faith fails, prayer has perished It is therefore of chief importance in prayer, that, as has been already said, we be firm and unwavering in faith, as the apostle shows by; the converse : How then shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed ? z Believe, then, we must, in order to be able to pray, and in order not to be wanting in that faith by which prayer is rendered available. For it is faith that poureth forth prayers, and prayers, all doubt being removed, give strength and stability to faith. To this effect is the exhortation of the holy Ignatius, to those who approach God with prayer : Be not of doubtful mind in prayer ; blessed is lie who hath not doubted.- Wherefore, to obtain from God the objects of our prayers, faith and an assured confidence that we shall obtain it, have the greatest weight, according to the admonition of St. James ; Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.

Question 4. Motives to inspire us with Confidence in Prayer of obtaining those things ivhich we ask therein.

In this duty of prayer, there is much to inspire us with con fidence. We have the well-known benevolence and benignity of God towards us, when, he commands us to call him Father, to give us to understand that we are his children : we have the almost countless number of those whose prayers to God have been successful :c we have that Supreme Intercessor Christ the Lord, who is ever ready to assist us, of whom we read in St. John : If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous ; and lie is the propitiation for our sins ;d and the Apostle Paul saith : It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for ls ;e and to Timothy : For there is one God, mid one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus / and also to the Hebrews :° Wherefore, in all tilings it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. Un worthy, then, though we be, to obtain what we ask, yet through the dignity of our most excellent mediator and intercessor, Jesus Christ, we should hope and confidently trust, that God will grant us all that we duly ask through him in prayer.

Question 5. The Holy Spirit is the Author of our Prayers.

Finally, the Holy Ghost is the author of our prayers ; and under his guidance, they cannot fail to be heard ; for we have received the spirit of adoption of sons of God, whereby we cry, Abba, Father)1 This spirit succours our infirmity and ignorance, in the discharge of this duty of prayer : nay, the apostle says : He maketh intercession for us with groanings, which cannot be uttered.

Question 6. In what manner we ought to be assisted in Faith to attain the Divine Blessings.

Should men then at any time waver, and not feel them selves sufficiently firm in faith, let us say with the apostles : Lord, increase our faith ; J and, with the father of the demoniac boy : Help thou my unbelief But what most insures our fully attaining all our wishes from God, is when, abound ing in faith and hope, we conform all our thoughts, actions, and prayers, to the law and will of God : If, saith he, ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, a; id it shall be done unto you.1 In order, however, thus to obtain all things from God, there must, as we have before said, be oblivion of all injuries, and good-will and beneficence towards our neighbours.

Question 1. That the People must be instructed touching the Best Manner of Praying. What is meant by praying “ in spirit and in truth”

BUT the manner of praying is also a matter of the highest moment. Prayer in itself, it is true, is a good and salutary thing ; yet, if it be not applied aright, it avail eth nought ; for we often, as St. James says, receive not what we ask, because we ask amiss.m Pastors, therefore, will instruct the faithful in the best manner of praying well, and of performing both private and public prayer. These rules of Christian prayer have been handed down from the discipline of Christ our Lord. “Wo must then pray in spirit and in truth ;n for our Father, who is in heaven, seeketh those who would adore him in spirit and in truth ; and this he does, who prays with an inward and intense zeal of soul. From this spiritual manner of praying we exclude not vocal prayer : to that, however, which proceeds from earnestness of soul, we deservedly assign the first place \ and, although not uttered with the lips, it is heard by Him to whom the secret thoughts of men lie open. He heard the silent prayer of Anna, the mother of Samuel, of whom we read, that she prayed shed ding tears, and only moving her lips. ° Thus prayed David ; for he says, My heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek ;P and in the divine books similar examples everywhere occur, as we read.

Question 2. Chief Use of Vocal Prayer.

But vocal prayer has its own proper advantages and necessity : it quickens the attention of the mind, and inflames the devotion of the suppliant, as St. Augustine wrote to Proba : We sometimes, says he, excite ourselves more actively by words and other sujns, to augment holy desire. We are sometimes compelled by vehement and pious emotion of mind, to give utterance to our thoughts in words ; for whilst the soul exults with joy, the tongue also should exult ; and it truly becomes us to make unto God this complete sacrifice of soul and body. That this sort of prayer was used by the apostles, we know from the Acts,' and from the apostle in many places.8

Question 3. Vocal Prayer more necessary in Public than in Private Prayer.

But as there are two ways of praying, private and public, it is to be observed, that private vocal prayer is employed in order to assist inward attention and devotion ; whereas, in public prayer, instituted, as it has been, to excite the religion of the faithful, at certain fixed times the utterance of the words is indispensably necessary.

Question 4. To pray in spirit peculiar to Christians, who ought not to shun Long Prayers.

This practice of praying in spirit, peculiar to Christian men, is altogether unknown amongst infidels, of whom Christ our Lord hath said ; When ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do : for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye, therefore, like unto them : for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.1 But whilst he prohibits much speaking, far from rejecting long prayers, which proceed from a vehement and enduring zeal of soul, he even exhorts us to them by his own example : for not only did he spend nights in prayer, but also prayed repeating three times the same words ;v and the only inference, therefore, to be drawn is, that prayers consisting of empty sounds are unacceptable to God.

Question 5. The Prayers of Hypocrites are rejected ~by God.

Neither do hypocrites pray from the heart ; and Christ our Lord deters us from the imitation of their example in these words : When thou prayest, thou shcdt not be as the hypocrites are : for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret ; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee.™ Here the word chamber may be referred to the heart of man, into which it is not enough [for prayer] to enter ; but it should also be closed against every intrusion or interference from abroad, by which the integrity of prayer may be violated ; for then will our heavenly Father, who sees most distinctly our minds and secret thoughts, grant our petition.

Question 6. We must not cease from the Practice of Prayer if that we ask be delayed. Another condition required by prayer is importunity, the great efficacy of which the E-edeeiner shows by the example of the judge, who, whilst he feared not God, nor regarded man, yet, overcome by the assiduity and diligence of the widow, yielded to her entreaty. x In our prayers to God we should therefore be assiduous ] nor should we imitate those who become tired of praying, unless, after having prayed once or twice, they succeed in obtaining the object of their prayers. Of this duty we should never be weary, as we are taught by the authority of Christ our Lord, and of the apostle ; but should the will at any time fail us, we should beg of God with prayer strength to persevere.

Question 7. Christ bade us ask in his name whatever we desire of our Heavenly Father. The Son of God also desires that our prayers should reach the Father in his name ; for, by his merits and the influence of his meditation, our prayers acquire such weight, as to be heard by our heavenly Father ; for he himself saith in St. John : Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name : ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full ;J and again : Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, that will I do.z

Question 8. The Fervour of the Saints in prayer is to be imitated, and Thanksgiving added to Petition.

Let us imitate the fervour of holy men in prayer ; and with prayer let us join thanksgiving, after the example of the apostles, who, as may be seen in St. Paul,a always observed this practice.

Question 9. When Prayer is Fervent and Efficacious, Fasting and Almsgiving must be added.

Let us also unite fasting and almsgiving with prayer. Fasting indeed is most intimately connected with prayer ; for the mind of those who are loaded with meat and drink is so pressed down, as not to be able to raise itself to the contemplation of God, or to comprehend the meaning of prayer. Almsgiving comes next, and has also an intimate connection with prayer ; for who can say that he has charity, who, possessing the means of acting kindly to those who depend for subsistence on the mercy of others, aids not a neighbour and a brother 1 In what language shall he who is -devoid of charity, demand assistance from God, unless, whilst lie implores the pardon of his sins, he at the same time Jmmbly beg of God [to grant him] charity? This triple remedy was therefore divinely ordained, to aid man unto salvation ; for whereas by sin we offend God, wrong our neighbour, or injure ourselves, we appease the wrath of God by holy prayer ; redeem our offences against man by almsdeeds ; by fasting, wash away the defilements of our past life. And although they each avail all sorts of crimes, .yet are they especially appropriate and adapted to each of those sins, which we have mentioned.

Question 1. Why in this Preface Christ used the name “Father,” rather than “ Lord” or “Judge.”

WHEREAS this form of Christian prayer, delivered by Jesus Christ, has such a force that, before we come to its prayers and petitions, we are to premise certain prefatory words, by which, piously drawing nigh unto God, we may also more confidently approach him, it is the duty of the pastor to give a distinct and perspicuous exposition of them, that his pious people may have recourse to prayers with the greater alacrity, and may understand that in prayer they are to commune with God their Father. To consider the words that compose this preface, they are indeed very few in number ; but, looking to the matter, they are of the highest importance, and replete with mysteries.

The first word, which, by the command and institution of God, we utter in this prayer, is Father. The Saviour, it is true, might have commenced this divine prayer with a word more expressive of majesty, such as Creator, or Lord ; yet did he omit these, lest they might be associated with ideas of fear, choosing rather an expression that inspires love and confidence in those who pray to and petition God : for what sweeter name than that of Father '? a name which sounds indulgence and love.

Question 2. First Proof of the Propriety of the Appellation of “ Father.”

The suitableness of the word Father, as applied to God, the faithful may be taught from the arguments of Creation, Government, and Redemption. For whereas God created man according to his own image, an image which he im pressed not on the other living creatures ; on account of this peculiar privilege with which he adorned man, justly is he called in Sacred Scripture the Father of all men ; the Father not alone of believers, but also of unbelievers.

Question 3. Second Proof.

His government may also supply the pastor with an argument [for this appellation ;] for, by the exercise of a special superintending care and providence over our inter ests, he manifests the love of a Father towards us. But in the explanation of this argument, to comprehend more clearly the fatherly care of God over men, it seems necessary to say a few words touching the guardianship of angels, under whose protection men are.

Question 4. Bij the Providence of God, Angels are intrusted with the Guardianship of the Human Race.

Ajigels are commissioned by the providence of God to guard the human race, and to be present with every man to protect him from any serious injury. For as parents, when their children have occasion to travel a dangerous way, infested [by robbers,] appoint persons to defend and assist them in case of danger ; so has our heavenly Father placed over each of us, in this our journey towards the heavenly country, angels, guarded by whose care and diligence, we may escape the ambushes prepared by our enemies, repel their terrible attacks, and proceed directly on our journey, secured by their guiding protection against the devious wandering, into which our treacherous foe may mislead us from the way that leadeth unto heaven.

Question 5. By u'hat Arguments we, may clearly understand the Great Utility which redounds to Men from the Guardianship of the Angels.

The advantage derived to the human race from this special care and providence of God, the functions and administration of which are intrusted to angels, whose nature occupies an intermediate place between man and the Deity, appears from the numerous examples recorded in Scripture, which testify that angels, by the intervention of the divine goodness, have frequently wrought wondrous things in the sight of men j from which we are taught to infer, that innumerable other important services are rendered us invisibly by angels, the guardians of our safety and salvation. The angel Raphael, who was appointed by God the companion and guide of Tobit,b conducted him, and brought him back safe ; assisted to save him from being devoured by an enormous fish, and pointed out to him the singular virtue of its liver, gall, and heart ;c expelled the demon, and, by fettering and binding up his power, preserved Tobit from harm;d taught the young man the true and legitimate rights and iise of marriage ; e and restored to the elder Tobit the use of his sight.1'

Question 6. Of the Angel ly whom St. Peter was freed from Prison.

On the admirable advantages that flow from the care and guardianship of angels, the angel that liberated the prince of the apostles will also afford abundant matter for instruct ing the pious flock. To this event, therefore, pastors will also call their attention : they will point out the angel illumining the darkness of the prison ; awakening Peter by touching his side ; loosing his chains ; bursting his bonds ; admonishing him to rise, and, taking up his sandals and other apparel, to follow him. They will also point out the same angel restoring Peter to liberty ; conducting him out of prison through the midst of the guards j throwing open the door of his prison ; and ultimately placing him in safety.” The history of the Sacred Scriptures, as we have already observed, abounds in examples, by which we are enabled to understand the magnitude of the benefits conferred on men by God through the ministry and intervention of angels, not sent 011 particular and private occasions only, but from the hour of our birth appointed to take care of us, and by their tutelary protection to watch over the safety of each individual of the human race. In the exposition of this point of doctrine, the diligence [of the pastor] will be rewarded by the fact, that the minds of the faithful will be interested, and excited to acknowledge and revere the paternal care and providence of God over them.

Question 7. By what other Argument the Faithful may recognize the Paternal Care of God for Men.

Here the pastor will exalt and proclaim aloud the riches of the goodness of God towards the human race, [of that God,] who, although since the first parent of our race and sin, we have never ceased to offend him by innumerable crimes and enormities even up to the present day, yet retains his love for us, and never lays aside his especial care over us. To imagine that he is unmindful of man were insanity, and nothing less than to hurl against the Deity the most blas phemous insult. God is wrath with Israel, because of the blasphemy of that nation, who supposed themselves deserted by the aid of heaven ; for we read in Exodus : They tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us or not ?]l And in Ezekiel, the Lord is angry with the same people for having said : The Lord seeth us not : the Lord hath forsaken the. earth. By these authorities the faithful are therefore to be deterred from the impious supposition, that God can possibly be forgetful of man. This complaint the Israelites, as we read in Isaiah, make against God ; and its folly God repels by a similitude, which breathes nought but kindness ; Zion said : The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath for gotten me : to which God answers ; Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb ? Yea, they may forget, yet will not I forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my handsj

Question 8. TJie Benignity of God towards us is shown from the Example of our First Parents.

Clearly as this truth is established by these passages, yet, to persuade the minds of the faithful with absolute conviction, that at no time can God forget men, or withdraw from them the offices of paternal affection, pastors will add to the evidence of this truth, by introducing the most striking example of our first parents. When you hear them sharply reproved, for having despised and violated the command of God j when you hear their condemnation pronounced in this awful sentence : Cursed is the ground for thy sake : in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life : thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee ; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field :k when you see them expelled from Para dise, and when, to take away all hope of return, you read that a cherub was stationed at the entrance, brandishing a flaming sivord, turning every way :! when you know that, to avenge the injury done him. God consigned them to afflictions both of mind and body : when you see and know all this, would you not be led to think, that man was irrecoverably lost ; that he was not only utterly deprived of the divine assistance, but also abandoned to every sort of injury ? Nevertheless, in the midst of so great evidences of the divine wrath and revenge, a gleam of the love of God shot forth. [The Scriptures] inform us, that the Lord God made for Adam and his vnfe coats of skins, and clothed them;™- a most convincing proof, that at no time would God abandon man. This sentiment, that no injuries offered to God by man can exhaust the divine love, is conveyed in these words of David : Hath God in anger shut tip his tender mercies ?n This Habakuk, addressing himself to God, explains, when he says : In wrath remember mercy : ° and this Micah thus unfolds : Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passetli by the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance ? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because Ice delighteth in mercy. P And so it really is ; when we imagine that God has utterly abandoned us, that we are utterly bereft of his protection, then is it that in a special manner he, of his infinite goodness, seeks after and taketh care of us ; for, in his anger, he stays the sword of his justice, and ceases not to pour out the unexhausted treasures of his mercy.

Question 9. Third Reason itliy God heaps up the Blessings of his fatherly Love upon the Human Race.

The creation and government [of the world] therefore serve to display, in an admirable manner, the singular love and protecting care of God towards man j but amongst both the great work of redemption stands out so prominently, that this God of boundless beneficence, our father and parent, has by this third benefit heaped up, and shed a lustre on his supreme benignity towards us.! The pastor, therefore, will announce to his spiritual children, and will inculcate con- tinually in their ears this surpassing manifestation of the love of God towards us, to the end that they may know, that by redemption they are become, after an admirable manner, the children of God : To them lie gave power, says St. John, to be made the sons of God ;r and : Who are born of God.5 There fore it is that baptism, which we receive as the first pledge and memorial of redemption, is called the sacrament of re generation ; for thereby we are born children of God : That which is born of the spirit, says our Lord, is spirit ; and : ye must be born again / and the apostle Peter says : Being bom again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God who liveth

Question 10. By the Singular Kindness of God we are made Sons of God ly Redemption.

By virtue of this our redemption we have received the Holy Spirit, and are dignified with the grace of God, by which we are adopted the sons of God : Ye have not re ceived the spirit of bondage, again to fear, saith the apostle Paul, but ye have received the spirit of adoption., whereby we cry : Abba, Father. v Of this adoption, the force and efficacy are explained by St. John in these words : Behold what manner of love the Fattier hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.™

Question 11. What Offices Christians, leiny now made Sons of God, ought to do in return for so many instances of fatherly Love.

Having explained these things, the faithful people must be reminded of the reciprocal affection which they owe to God, our most loving Father, that, by this means, they may comprehend what love and piety, what obedience and veneration, they should render to their Creator, Governor, and Redeemer; with what hope and confidence they should invoke his name. But to instruct the ignorance, and correct the perversity of such as may imagine that prosperity and a successful course of life are the only proofs that God preserves his love towards us ; and that the calamities and adversity by which he may try us, indicate his hostility of disposition towards, and the utter alienation of his love from us, it must be shown, that when the hand of the Lord touches us,x it is not at all with hostile purpose, but with a view to heal by striking ;7 and that the wound that cometh from God is medicinal. For he chastises the sinners to reclaim them by salutary severity, and by the infliction of present punishment to rescue them from everlasting perdition, for he visits our transgressions with a rod, and our iniquity with stipes ; but his loving kindness he will not take away from us.z The faithful, therefore, are to be admonished to recognize, in such chastisement, the fatherly love of God,a to keep in their memory and on their lips these words of the patient Job;b to repeat these words of the prophet Jeremiah, spoken in the name of the people of Israel : Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke : turn me, and I shall be turned ; for thou art the Lord my God ;c and to keep before their eyes the example of Tobit, who, when he felt the fatherly hand of God upon him, visiting him with blindness, exclaimed, Blessed art thou, 0 God, for thou hast scourged me.a

Question 12. It must be inculcated that God never forgets us.

Here the faithful should beware most carefully against the error of believing, that whatever afflictions or calamities befall them, happen without the knowledge of God ; for he himself saith : A hair of your head shall not perish : e nay, let them rather console themselves with these words of the divine oracles, contained in the Revelation : As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten ;f and let their apprehension be calmed by this exhortation, addressed by St. Paul to the Hebrews : My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint lohen thou art rebuked of him : for whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom lie receiveth. But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our Jlesli which corrected us, and we gave them reverence : shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live ?s

Question 13. Why we are here ordered to call God “our” Father, in the Plural.

When we all invoke the Father, calling him our Father, we are taught that, as a necessary consequence of the gift and right of the divine adoption, the faithful are all brethren, and should love one another as brethren : Ye are all brethren, saith the Redeemer ; for one is your Father, ivhich is in heaven ;h and hence also in their epistles, the apostles call all the faithful brethren. Another necessary consequence is, that by the same adoption of God, not only are all the faith ful united in one common relationship of brotherhood, but, as the only-begotten Son of God is man, they are called and are his brethren also. Hence the apostle, in his epistle to the Hebrews, speaking of the Son of God, says : He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying : I will declare thy name unto my brethren. This David had, so many centuries before, prophesied of Christ the Lord ;J and Christ himself thus addresses the women in the Gospel : Go, tell my brethren that they go into Galilee ; and there shall they see me.k This he said after his resurrection from the dead, when he had put on immortality, lest it should be supposed that this fraternal relation was dissolved by his resurrection, and ascension into heaven. So far is the resurrection of Christ from dissolving this bond of union and love, that we are assured, that from the throne of majesty and glory, on which he will sit on the last day to judge all men, he will call even the least of the faithful by the name of brethren.111

Question 14. Wherefore the faithful are accounted among the Brethren of Christ.

But Low can we possibly be other than brethren of Christ, called as we are joint heirs with him ? n For he is the firstbegotten, appointed heir of all ;P but we, begotten in the next place, are co-heirs with him, according to the measure of heavenly gifts, according to the degree of love with which we approve ourselves servants and co-operators of the Holy Ghost, by whose inspiration we are impelled and inflamed to virtue and to meritorious actions, that, relying on his grace, we may engage with fortitude in the combat for salvation, the wise and firm termination of which will be rewarded by our Heavenly Parent, at the close of our earthly career, with that imperishable crown of righteousness, reserved for all who shall have run the same course : for, says the apostle, God is not unrighteous, to forget our work mid labour

Question 15. In u-hat manner we ought to pray for others, and to account all Men mutually Brothers.

But with what sentiments of heartfelt piety we should utter the word our, we learn from St. Chrysostom, who says, that God wittingly hears the prayer of a Christian, not only when offered for himself, but for another ; because nature prompts us to pray for ourselves, grace for others ; necessity obliges us to pray for ourselves, brotherly charity exhorts us to pray for another. He adds : The prayer, that fraternal charity recommends, is more pleasing to God than that which necessity utters On this subject of salutary prayer, a matter so important, it is the duty of the pastor to admonish and exhort all of every age, condition, and rank, that, mindful of this common brotherhood, instead of arrogating an insolent superiority over others, they exhibit in their conduct a bear ing of courtesy and fraternal regard. For although there are many gradations of office in the Church of God ; yet that diversity of rank and office is very far from removing the bond of this fraternal relationship : in the same manner as variety of use and diversity of function do not cause this or that member of the same body to forfeit the name or office of a member.

Question 16. For what Reasons Christians are united in so strong a Connection of Relationship.

Take the monarch, invested with royal authority : is he not, if one of the faithful, the brother of all who are within the communion of the Christian faith ? Yes ; and why ? Because there is not one God the Father of the rich, and of kings, and another of the poor, and of subjects ; but there is one God, who is common Father and Lord of all. “Wherefore, one spiritual origin of all, the nobility, the dignity, the natal splendor of all is therefore the same, born as we all are of the same spirit, through the same sacrament of faith, children of God, and coheirs to the same inheritance. The wealthy and the great have not one Christ for their God, the poor and the lowly another ; they are not initiated by different sacraments, nor do they expect a different inheritance of the celestial kingdom. No, we are all brethren, and, as the apostle saith to the Ephesians, We are members of Christ's body, of his flesh, and of his bones The apostle signifies the same in his epistle to the Galatians : Ye are all the children of God, by faith in Christ Jesus ; for as many of you as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek ; there is neither bond nor free ; there is neither male nor female ; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. But this is a subject that pastors of souls should treat of with accuracy, and dwell on with knowledge, because it is not less calculated to fortify and animate the indigent and the lowly, than to restrain and repress the arrogance of the rich and the powerful. It was to remedy this human evil, that the apostle urged, and pressed on the attention of the faithful, this fraternal charity. u

Question 17. In what Spirit the Christian should utter the ivords “ Our Father.”

When, then, O Christian, thou art about to address this prayer to God, remember that thou, as a son, dost approach God thy Father ; when, therefore, thou beginnest the prayer, and utterest the words, Our Father, think how lofty is the position to which the supreme bounty of God hath raised thee, commanding thee, as he does, to approach him, not with the reluctance and timidity of a servant approach ing his Lord, but with the willing eagerness and security of a child flying to his father ; and, in this remembrance and this thought, consider with what care and devotion on thy part, thou shouldest pray ; for thou must endeavour to approach him as becometh a child of God ; that is, that thy prayers and actions may not be unworthy of the divine origin, with which it has pleased the most gracious God to ennoble thee. To this duty the apostle exhorts, when he says : Be ye there fore followers of God, as dear children ;v that of us may be truly said, what the same apostle wrote to the Thessalonians, Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day.™

Question 18. Since God is everywhere present, how can he be said to have his Dwelling peculiarly in Heaven ?

It is certain amongst all who have a correct idea of God, that he is everywhere present. This is, however, not to be understood as though he consisted of parts, filling and govern ing one place with one part, another place with another ; for God is a spirit, and therefore indivisible. And who would presume to circumscribe within the limits of any place, or confine to any particular spot, Him, who saith of himself, Do I not fill heaven and earth ? x which again is to be under stood to mean, that by his power and virtue God embraces heaven and earth, and all things contained in heaven and earth j not that he himself is contained in any place. For God is present with all things, either creating them, or pre- serving them when created, whilst he himself is confined to no place, is circumscribed by no limits, nor so defined as to prevent his being present everywhere with his nature and power, which the blessed David expresses in these words : If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there! Although God be present in all places and things, and, as we have said, circumscribed by no limits, yet He is frequently said in Scripture to have his dwelling in the heavens, because the heavens which we behold are the noblest part of the world ; undecaying ; surpassing all other objects in power, magnitude, and beauty ; and moving in uniform and steady revolutions. To elevate, therefore, the souls of men to the contemplation of his infinite power and majesty, which shine forth most pre-eminently in the work of the heavens, God declares in the divine writings, that his dwelling is in the heavens. He also frequently declares, as is the fact, that there is no part of the universe that is not embraced by his nature and power, there present.3

Question 19. What Subject for Meditation is presented to the Faithful ly the words “which art in Heaven.”

In this consideration, however, the faithful will propose to themselves not only the image of the universal Father of all, but likewise that of God reigning in heaven, to the end that, when approaching him in prayer, they may recollect, that heart and soul are to be upraised to heaven ; and in proportion as we derive hope and confidence from the word, Father, ill the same proportion should we learn Christian humility and piety from the glorious nature and divine majesty of our Father who is in heaven. These words also define the proper objects of prayer, for all our supplications offered for the useful and necessary things of this life, except they embrace the good things of heaven, and are directed to that end, are to no purpose, and are unworthy of a Christian. Of this manner of praying, pastors therefore will admonish their pious hearers, and will strengthen the admonition with the authority of the apostle : If, saith he, ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things wldch are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on the things on the earth.

Question 1. Why u'c should begin our Requests from the Hallowing of the Divine Name.

should be the objects and order of our prayers to God, we learn from the instruction and injunction of the Lord and Master of all : for as prayer is the messenger and interpreter of our wishes and desires, we then pray as we ought, and in accordance with reason, when the order of our demands corresponds with that of the objects to be sought. True charity admonishes us to consecrate to God our whole soul and affections, because, constituting in himself alone the supreme good, he justly commands our most particular and especial love ; and this heartfelt and peculiar love we cannot cherish towards God, unless we prefer his honour and glory to all created things. Whatever good we or others enjoy, whatever is called good, having proceeded from him must yield to him, who is the sovereign good. That our prayers, therefore, may proceed in order, the Saviour has placed this petition, which concerns our chief good, at the head of the others ; thus teaching us that, before we pray for anything for our neighbour or ourselves, we should pray for those things that appertain to the glory of God, and make known to him our wishes and desires for their accomplishment. Thus shall we remain in the practice of charity, by which we are taught to love God more than ourselves, and to make what we desire for the sake of God the first, and what for ourselves, the next object of our prayers.

Question 2. Since the Divine Nature cannot be increased by, or deficient in, anything, why was it Necessary that we should here crave Sanctification of the Name of God ?

But as desires and petitions regard those things that we want, and as God, that is to say, his nature, can receive no accession, nor does the divine substance, adorned as it is after an ineffable manner with all perfections, admit of increase, we must understand, that what we ask from God regarding himself are extrinsic, and belong to his outward glory; for we desire and pray that the name of God may be better known to the nations ; that his kingdom may be enlarged ; and that the number of faithful servants to the divine name may be every clay increased ; three things, his name, his kingdom, and the obedience [paid to his name], that belong not to the intrinsic and essential, but to the extrinsic and accidental, good of God.

Question 3. In what manner this First Petition is to le understood, and ivhat Vows Christ desires us to offer to God the Father in this Petition.

But that the force and import of these petitions may the more clearly be understood, it will belong to the pastor to inform the faithful people, that the words, on earth, as it is in heaven, may be referred to each of the three first peti tions : as, Hallowed be thy name on earth, as it is in heaven ; also : Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven; and likewise : Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven ; but when we pray that the name of God may be hallowed, we mean that the sanctity and glory of the divine name may be augmented. And here the pastor will observe, and will instruct his pious hearers, that our Saviour does not say, that it be hallowed on earth, in the same manner, that is, with the same perfection, as it is in heaven, for this were utterly impossible ; but that it be hallowed through love, and from the inmost affection of the soul.

Question 4. In what manner the Name of God, in itself holy, can be hallowed ly us.

True, in itself his name requires not to be hallowed ; It is terrible and liolyf as God himself is by his own nature holy;a nor can anything be added to the holiness which he possesses from all eternity ; yet, as on earth he is treated with much less honour than is due, and is even sometimes dishonoured by impious and blasphemous execrations, therefore do we desire and pray, that his name may be celebrated with praises, honour, and glory, as it is praised, honoured, and glorified in heaven ; or, in other words, that his honour and worship may be so constantly in our hearts, in our souls, and on our lips, that we may glorify him with all veneration both inter nal and external ; and, like the citizens of the heaven above, celebrate, with all our might, the praises of the high, pure, and glorious God. For we pray that, as the spirits in heaven praise and glorify God with one accord, mankind mav do the same 011 earth, and that all nations may know, worship, and venerate God, so that no mortals may exist who embrace not the religion of Christ, and, dedicating them selves wholly to God, rnay believe that he is the fountain of all holiness, and that there is nothing pure or holy, that does not emanate from the sanctity of his divine name.

Question 5. How it is that the Name of God can le Holy amongst the Unfaithful.

For the apostle beareth witness, that the Church is cleansed by the laver of ivater in the word of life ; f meaning by the tvord of life, the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, in which we are baptized and sanctified. As for those then on whom the divine name has not been in voked, there can be no expiation, no purity, no integrity, we desire and pray of God, that the whole race of mankind, quitting the darkness of impure infidelity, and illumined by the rays of the divine light, may confess the power of this name, so as to seek therein true sanctity, and receiving the sacrament of baptism in the name of the holy and undivided Trinity, may be conducted by the right hand of God himself unto perfect holiness.

Question 6. In what manner the Name of God can be Sanctified among Sinners.

Our desires and prayers also extend no less to those who, contaminated by crimes and enormities, have lost the spotless integrity of baptism, and the robe of innocence, whence the most foul spirit has again taken up his abode in those most unhappy beings.” We therefore desire, and beseech of God, that in them also his name may be hallowed ; that return ing to the heart, and unto holiness, they may recover through the sacrament of penance their former holiness, and present themselves a pure and holy temple and dwelling to God.h

Question 7. In what manner all Men may be alle to sanctify the Name of Crod in themselves.

We pray, in fine, that God may display his light to the minds of all, by which they may be enabled to see, that from him we receive every best gift and every perfect gift, coming from the Father of lights to whom they should refer temperance, justice, life, salvation, all goods, in a word, of soul and body, whether they regard external things, or things of life, or salvation, as his gifts, from whom, as the Church proclaims, all blessings proceed.J If the sun by his light, if the other heavenly bodies'1 by their motion and revolution, minister to the race of man j if life is sus tained by this circumfused air; if the earth by the profusion of its productions and fruits supports the life of all ; if through the agency of the civil magistrate we enjoy quiet and tranquillity ; these and innumerable similar blessings we receive from the boundless benignity of God. Nay, those causes, which philosophers call secondary, we should regard as so many instruments, marvellous in their production, and admirably adapted to our use, by which the hand k Sidera.

of God distributes to us his blessings, and diffuses them far and wide.

Question 8. In what manner the Name of God is Ilalloived by the A cknowledyment and Veneration of the Catholic Church.

But the most important object of the petition is this, that all recognize and revere the spouse of Christ, our most holy Mother the Church, in whom alone is that copious and per ennial fountain to cleanse and efface all the stains of sin, from which are drawn all the sacraments of salvation and sanctification ; by which, as it were by so many celestial con duits, the fertilizing dew of sanctity is conveyed to us from God ; to whom alone, and to those whom she embraces and fosters in her bosom, belongs the invocation of that divine name, which alone, under heaven, is given among men, whereby we must be saved.1

Question 9. In what manner the Name of God is defied by Christians at the Present Time.

But pastors will urge this point with peculiar emphasis, that it is the part of a good son, not only to pray to God his Father in words, but to endeavour, in deed and in work, to present a bright example of the sanctification of the divine name. Would that there were none, who, whilst they pray assiduously for this sanctification of the name of God, violate and defile it, as far as on them depends, by their deeds ; who are sometimes the criminal cause why God himself is blasphemed ; and against whom the apostle hath said : The name of God through you is blasphemed amongst the Gentiles;111 and we read in Ezekiel .u They entered unto the heathen whither they went, they profaned my Iwlij name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land. For as are the lives and morals of the professors of religion, so does the unlettered multitude judge of religion itself and of its author. Those therefore who live, as they have undertaken to do, according to the rules of the Christian religion, and who regulate their prayers and actions according to its standard, afford great occasion to others, to praise, honour, and glorify the name of our Father who is in heaven. To excite other men to the praise and exaltation of the divine name is an obligation, which our Lord himself hath imposed on us, whom he thus addresses in the Evangelist : Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father ivhich is in heaven;0 and the prince of the apostles : Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that, by your good works ivhich they shall behold., they may glorify God.v

Question 1. How often in Scripture the Preaching of the Kingdom of Heaven is recommended.

THE kingdom of heaven, which we pray for in this second petition, is the great end to which is referred, and in which terminates all the preaching of the gospel. For from it St. John the Baptist commenced his exhortation to penance, when he says : Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand ;1 and with it the Saviour of the human kind opens his preaching.r In that salutary discourse on the mount also, in which he pointed out to Ms disciples the way toeverlasting life, having proposed, as it were, the subjectmatter of his discourse, he commences with the kingdom of heaven : Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven :s nay more, to those who would have detained him with them, he assigned the same cause for his departure : To other cities also I must preach the kingdom of God; for therefore am I sentt This kingdom he after wards commanded the apostles to preach ;u and to him who expressed a wish to go and bury his father, he replied : Go thou, and preach the kingdom of God ;y and after he had risen from the dead, during the forty days on which he appeared to his apostles, he discoursed of the kingdom oj God.w Pastors, therefore, will treat this second petition with the greatest attention, that faithful hearers may under stand its great importance and necessity.

Question 2. What is comprehended in this Second Petition.

In the first place, they will find its judicious and accurate exposition much facilitated by the reflection, that [the Redeemer] commanded this petition, although united with the others, to Ije also offered separately, to the end that wo may seek with the greatest earnestness the object of our prayer : Seek ye, first the, kingdom of God and his righteous ness, and all these things shall be added unto you?- And, indeed, so great is the efficacy and profusion of heavenly gifts contained in this petition, that it embodies all things necessary for the preservation of the life of soul and body. What king, who pays no attention to those things on which depends the safety of his kingdom, should we esteem worthy of the name? If, then, men are anxious for the safety of their kingdom, what must be the solicitude and providential care, with which we must believe that the King of kings guards the life and safety of man ? In this petition, there fore, [ Thy kingdom come,] are comprised all things that we stand in need of in our present pilgrimage, or rather exile ; and this God graciously promises that he will grant us, for he immediately subjoins ; All these things shall be added unto you ; thus unequivocally declaring, that he is that king, who, with bounteous hand, bestows upon the race of man an abundance of all things ; in the contemplation of whose infinite goodness David was enraptured, when he sang : The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not wantj

Question 3. Means of obtaining what we ask in this Petition.

But it is not enough, however, that we earnestly petition for the kingdom of God, unless we also employ in our petition all those instruments, as it were, by which it is sought and found. For the five foolish virgins uttered the same earnest petition in these words : Lord, Lord, open unto us ;z but because they used not the means necessary to see-ure its attainment, therefore were they excluded ; and not without good reason, for God himself has said : Not every one that saith unto me. Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven

Question 4. Of the Motives by which Men are incited to the Desire of the Kingdom, of God.

The priests, therefore, who are charged with the care of souls, will draw from the most abundant fountains of the sacred letters such considerations as are calculated to excite the faithful to the desire and pursuit of the kingdom of heaven ; which set before their eyes our deplorable condition ; and which should so affect them, that, reflecting, and coining to themselves, they may call to mind the supreme felicity and the unspeakable goods, with which the eternal abode of God our Father abounds. Here we are exiles,b inhabitants of a land in which dwell demons ; whose hatred to us cannot be mitigated ; seeing they are the most malignant and implacable foes of mankind. What shall we say of those domestic and intestine battles, in which the soul and the body, the flesh and the spirit, are continually engaged against each other ; c in which we have always to apprehend defeat ; nay, in which our instant defeat must be inevitable, were we not defended by the protecting right hand of God? Feeling this weight of misery, the apostle exclaims : 0 wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body of this death ?d

Question 5. Ifoiv great is the Misery of Man, is shown by a Comparison of Other Tilings with Man.

This misery of our condition, it is true, strikes us at once of itself, yet, by comparison with that of other natures and creatures, it may still more forcibly be understood. Whether irrational or even inanimate, they are seldom seen to depart from the acts proper to them, from the instinct, the movements innate in them by nature, so as to fail of obtaining their proposed and determinate end. This is so obvious in the beasts of the field, in fishes, birds, as not to require elucidation ; but if we look to the heavens, do we not behold the verification of what is said by David 1 For ever, 0 Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.c Constant in their motion, and uninterrupted in their revolution, they depart not in the least from the laws prescribed from above. If, moreover, we regard the earth, and the rest of the universe, one may at once perceive that they adhere strictly to, or at least deviate but very little [from the laws of their being.] But the most unhappy race of man is continually falling aside : he seldom realizes his good purposes, but generally abandons and despises what he has commenced well : his best resolutions, which pleased for a time, are suddenly abandoned ; and after their rejection he plunges into projects at once degrading and pernicious.

Question 6. Chief Cause of Man's Misery.

What then is the cause of this inconstancy and misery? Manifestly a contempt of the divine inspirations j for we close our ears to the admonitions of God, we are unwilling to raise our eyes to the divine lights which shine before us, nor do we hearken to our heavenly Father when he giveth precepts for our salvation. To depict to the eyes of the faithful people the miseries of man's condition, to detail their various causes, and to point out the remedies for their removal, are therefore amongst the objects which should employ the zealous exertions of pastors ; and in the dis- charge of this duty, their labour will be not a little facili tated, by employing what has been said on the subject by John Chrysostom and Augustine/ men eminent for sanctity j but principally by consulting our exposition of the Creed. For who can be so abandoned a man as, with the knowledge of these truths, and aided by the preventing grace of God, not to endeavour, like the prodigal son men tioned in the gospel,? to arise from his abasement, assume an erect attitude, and hasten into the presence of his heavenly Father and King 1

Question 7. Meaning of the words “ Kingdom of God” in the Sacred Writings.

Having explained these matters, [the pastor] will proceed to point out how salutary is this petition of the faithful, and the objects for which it sues : the declaration of which becomes the more necessary, as the words, kingdom of God, ' have a variety of significations, the exposition of which will not be found without advantage in elucidating other passages of Scripture, and is necessary to the know ledge of our present subject. The words, kingdom of God, then, ordinarily in Scripture, signify not only that power which he possesses over all men, and over universal creation, but also his providence, by which he rules and governs the world • and in this sense they frequently occur in Scripture : In Ids hands, says the prophet, are the ends of the earth) The word ends includes those things also that lie hidden and buried in the depths of the earth, and in the inmost recesses of all things ; and in this sense Mardochseus ex claims, 0 Lord Lord, Almighty King, for the whole ivorld is in thy power, and there is no man that can gainsay thee : and there is none that can resist thee, which art the Lord)- h Ps. cxiv. (cxv.) 4. “Deep places,” in our version.

Question 8. Of what kind is the Kingdom of Christ towards the Pious.

By the kingdom of God is also understood that special and singular system of providence, by which God protects, and watches over, pious and holy men ; and of this peculiar and pre-eminent care David speaks, when lie says : The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want ;J and Isaiah : The Lord is our king : he will save us.k But although, even in this life, the pious and the holy are, as we have already observed, placed in an especial manner under this kingly power of God ; yet did Christ our Lord inform Pilate, that his king dom was not of this world, that is to say, had not its origin in this world, which both was created, and is doomed to perish. This is the tenure on which empire is held by emperors, kings, commonwealths, dukes, and all those who govern states and provinces at the desire and election of men, or who, by violent and unjust usurpation, have seized upon sovereign power. Not so Christ our Lord, who, as the prophet declares, is appointed king by God ;m whose king dom, as the apostle says, is righteousness : the kingdom of God, says he, is righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.11

Question 9. In u-hat manner Christ reigns in his oivn Faithful.

But Christ the Lord reigneth in us by the inward virtues, faith, hope, charity ; virtues by which we are in some sort constituted a portion of his kingdom ; and being in a peculiar manner subject to God, we are consecrated to his worship and veneration ; that as the apostle said, / live, yet not I ; but Christ liveth in me, so we too may say : I reign, yet not I ; but Christ reigneth in me.

But this kingdom is called righteousness, because it is based on the righteousness of Christ our Lord ; and of this kingdom our Lord saith in St. Luke : The kingdom of God is within you.v For although Jesus Christ reigneth by faith in all who are within the bosom of our holy mother the Church, yet doth lie in an especial manner reign over those who, endued with superior faith, hope, and charity, have yielded themselves as pure and living members unto God j and in these is said to consist the kingdom of grace.

Question 10. Of the Kingdom of Glory of Christ our Lord.

By the words [kingdom of God] is also meant that king dom of his glory, of which we hear Christ our Lord saying in St. Matthew : Come, ye blessed of my father, inherit the king dom prepared for you from the foundation of the worlds This same kingdom the thief in St. Luke, acknowledging his crimes, admirably begged of him in these words : Lord, remember me when thou earnest into thy kingdom : r of this kingdom St. John speaks : Except a man be born again of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God ;s and of it the apostle saith, in his epistle to the Ephesians : No whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man (who is an idolater), hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ, and of God To it also refer some of the parables made use of by our Lord, when speaking of the kingdom of heaven. u

Question 11. Of the Nature and Variety of the Kingdom of Grace and of Glory.

, But the kingdom of grace must necessarily precede that of glory, for the glory of God cannot reign in him, in whom his grace has not reigned. Grace, according to the saying of the Redeemer himself, is a well of water springing up into ever lasting life and how shall we designate glory otherwise than a certain perfect and absolute grace 1 for as long as we are clothed with this frail and mortal body, whilst, weak and wandering in this dark pilgrimage and exile, we are separated from the Lord, rejecting the aid of the kingdom of grace by which we were supported, we often stumble and fall ; but when the light of the kingdom of glory, which is perfect, shall have shone upon us, we shall stand for ever firm and immoveable. Then shall every imperfection and inconvenience be utterly removed : then shall every infirmity be strengthened and invigorated j then, in a word, will God him self reign in our souls and bodies. But on this subject we treated at considerable length in [the exposition of] the Creed, when speaking of the resurrection of the flesh.

Question 12. Objects of this Petition to God.

Having thus explained what is meant by the ordinary acceptation of the words kingdom of God, we now come to point out the particular objects sought for in this petition. We beg, therefore, of God, that the kingdom of Christ, that is, his Church, may be propagated • that infidels and Jews may turn to embrace the faith of Christ, our Lord, and the knowledge of the true God ; that schismatics and heretics may return to soundness, and to the communion of the Church of God, which they have deserted ; that thus may be fulfilled and realized the words of the Lord, spoken by the mouth of Isaiah : Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations : lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes ; for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left ; for thy Maker is thine husband.' And again : The Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about and see : all they gather themselves together, they come to thee : thy sons shall come from afar, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.x

Question 13. Second Object of this Petition.

But as in the Church of God, there are those who, con fessing God in words, denying him in deed,? exhibit a deformed faith, in whom, because of sin, the devil dwells and rules as in his proper abode, we also pray that to them may come the kingdom of God, by which the darkness of sins being dispelled, and [their minds] being illumined by the rays of the divine light, they may be restored to their former dignity of children of God ; that, all heresy and schism being removed, and all offences and causes of wickedness eradicated from his kingdom, our heavenly Father may cleanse the floor7- of his Church ; and that, worshipping God in piety and holiness, she may enjoy undisturbed and tranquil peace.

Question 14. Third Object.

Finally, we pray that in us God alone may live, alone may reign ; that death may no longer exist, but may be swallowed up in the victory of Christ our Lord,a who, having broken and scattered every principality, power, and virtue of the enemy, may subject all things to his dominion.

Question 15. IVhat are the Chief Duties and Matters for Contemplation presented to Christians by Occasion of this Petition.

But pastors will take care to teach the faithful people, and this the nature of the petition demands, with what thoughts and meditations they should be impressed, in order to offer this prayer piously to God. And first they will exhort them to consider the force and import of that similitude brought forward by the Redeemer : The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hid in a field ; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof, goeth and selleth all he hath, and buyeth that field ;c for he who knows the riches of Christ our Lord, will despise all things when com pared to them ; to him, wealth, riches, power, will appear as dross ; for nothing can be compared to, or at all stand before, that invaluable treasure.'1 Whoever, therefore, is blessed with this knowledge, will exclaim with the apostle : / count all things but loss, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ. e This is that precious jewel of the gospel, to purchase which he who sells all his earthly goods, shall enjoy eternal bliss.f

Question 16. How desirable is the Kingdom of Christ through Grace in this World and through Glory in the World to come.

O, happy we, should Jesus Christ shed on our path so much light, as that we may be able to discover this jewel of divine grace, by which he reignetli in those that are his ; for then should we be prepared to sell all that we have on earth, and even ourselves, to purchase and secure its possession ; for then in fine should we confidently say : Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ?s But would we know the surpassing excellence of the kingdom of God's glory, let us hear the concurrent language and sentiment of the prophet and of the apostle : Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him)1

Question 17. To obtain the Objects of our Prayers, Humility is a Necessary Disposition.

To obtain the object of our prayers, it will be found most available to reflect within ourselves who we are; that is, children of Adam, justly outcasts and exiles from paradise, and deserving, by our un worthiness and perversity, to become the objects of God's supreme hatred, and be doomed to ever lasting punishment. We should therefore be impressed with sentiments of deep humility and abasement : our prayers too should be replete with Christian humility ; and mistrust ing ourselves entirely, we shall seek refuge, like the publican/ in the mercy of God ; and, attributing all to his bounty, shall render immortal thanks to him who has imparted to us his spirit, relying 011 whom, we are emboldened to say, Abba, Father.)

Question 18. IVJtat Efforts should be made to attain the Kingdom of Heaven.

We must also be careful to consider what is to be done, what avoided, in order to arrive at the kingdom of heaven ; for we are not called by God to lead a life of ease and indolence :k nay, lie declares, that the kingdom of heaven suffer eth violence, and the violent take, it by force y1 and : If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. m It is not enough, therefore, that we pray for the kingdom of God, unless men also give their best attention and exertions to its attainment. For we must co-operate with the grace of God, in pursuing that course that leads to heaven. God, who has promised to be with us at all times, never abandons us ; so that we have only not to forsake God, nor [abandon] ourselves And indeed it is God who, in this kingdom of his Church, provides all those succours, by which he defends the life of man and accomplishes his eternal salvation, be they invisible to us ; such as those which we receive from the hosts of angelic spirits, or visible, such as we receive from the sacra ments, those most abundant sources of celestial virtue. In these, there is so great a safeguard, divinely ordained for us, that we not only may be secure from the dominion of our most determined enemies, but may even lay prostrate, and trample under-foot, the tyrant himself, with all his nefarious satellites.

Question 19. Conclusion of this Petition and another Brief Exposition thereof.

Wherefore, in conclusion, let us earnestly implore of the Spirit of God, that he command us to do all things in accordance with his will ; that he overthrow the empire of Satan, so as that he may have no power over us on that last great day ; that Christ may be victorious and triumphant ;° that his laws may be in effect throughout the world ;P that his decrees may be observed ; that there be found no traitor to, or deserter from, his standard j but that all may so con duct themselves, as to come with confidence into the presence of God their king,! and may attain the possession of the heavenly kingdom, prepared for them from all eternity, in the enjoyment of endless bliss with Christ.r

Question 1. Why “Thy will be done “ is subjoined to the Prayer for the Coming of God's Kingdom.

As Christ our Lord has said : Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven the prayer of all, who desire to enter into the kingdom of heaven, should be, that his will may be done ; and therefore does this petition immediately succeed that which prays for the coming of his kingdom.

Question 2. In what ic ay we may attain to the Right Understanding of this Petition.

But that the faithful may understand the necessity of what we ask in this petition, and the numerous and salutary gifts which we may obtain through its concession, pastors will direct their attention to the load of misery and wretchedness, with which primeval guilt has oppressed mankind.

Question 3. Of the Evils which the Sin of our First Parent brought upon the Human Race.

From the beginning God hath implanted in creatures an innate desire of their own happiness, that, by a sort of natural impulse, they might seek and desire their proper end, from which, except impeded by some external obstacle, they never deviate. This propensity of seeking his end, which is God, the Author and Parent of his happiness, existed originally in man, and, endowed as he is with reason and judgment, Avas in him a more noble and exalted principle. But whilst irrational creatures, which at their first creation were good, preserved this their instinctive impulse, and thus continued, and still continue, in their original state and con dition ; the unhappy race of men held not in the direct course, and lost not only the goods of original righteousness, with which he had been supematurally gifted and adorned by God, but also weakened the predominant natural desire of the soul, the love of virtue. Every one of them is gone back ; they are altogether become filthy ; there is none that doeth good, no, not one / for the imagination and thought of maris heart are prone to evil from Ids youths Hence, it is easy to under stand, that of himself no man is wise unto salvation, but that all are prone to evil ;v and that innumerable are the corrupt lusts of men, by which they are hurried with ardent impetuosity to anger, hatred, pride, ambition, and to almost every species of evil.

Question 4. Althovjh Man is overwhelmed with, many Miseries, yet he is ignorant of Ids own State.

Although we are continually beset by these evils • yet, and this is the greatest misery of our race, many of them appear to us not to be evils, a melancholy proof of the most calamitous condition of men, who, blinded by passion, see not, that what they deem salutary is generally pestiferous : nay, they are hurried with precipitation towards those per nicious evils, as towards a desirable and enviable good ; whilst the things that are really good and honourable, are shunned as the contrary. Of this false estimate and corrupt judgment of man, God thus expresses his detestation : Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil ; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness ; that put hitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.™

Question 5. In what manner the Sacred Writings depict this our Unhappy State.

In order, therefore, to place before our eyes the miseries [of our condition], the sacred Scriptures compare us to those who have lost the natural sense of taste j and who, in consequence, loathe wholesome food, and relish only what is unwholesome.

It also compares us to sick persons ; for as they, unless they shake off disease, are unable to fill the offices, or discharge the duties, of sound and healthy men ; so neither can we, without the aid of divine grace, perform actions acceptable to God.

Question 6. Hoiv f/rcat is the Infirmity of Man in the Corrupt State of Nature for the, Performance of any Good Thiny.

And if, being thus circumstanced, we accomplish some things, they are trivial, and of little or no moment towards the attainment of salvation. But to love and serve God as we ought, which is something greater and more exalted than we in our prostrated condition can accomplish, that we can never do, unless aided by the grace of God.

Question 7. In Divine Things we are like unto Children.

Another most appropriate comparison to illustrate the miserable condition of the human race, is that by which we are likened unto children, who, if left to their OAvn discretion, are hastily excited to everything. We indeed, if deprived of the divine protection, are children, imprudent, given to ludicrous conversations and trivial pursuits ; for wisdom thus reproves us : How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity, and fools covet those tilings which are hurtful to themselves ?x And the apostle thus exhorts us : Be not children in understanding J We, however, are the dupes of still greater silliness, and of grosser error than children ; for they only lack human wisdom, which however they may in time attain of themselves ; but we, unless guided and assisted from above, can never aspire to the divine wisdom which is necessary unto salvation ; for having spurned those things, that are really good, unless the assistance of God be at hand, we rush on voluntary destruction.

Question 8. What Remedy for so Great Evils is proposed in this Petition.

But should any man's soul, emerging from the darkness in which it is enveloped, discover these miseries that encompass it ; should man, awakening from his lethargy, feel the law of the members, and recognize the desires of sense, as repugnant to the spirit :z should he discern every evil propensity of his nature, who would not ardently seek a suitable remedy for the mass of misery entailed on us by our corrupt nature, and sigh for that salutary rule, by which the life of a Christian is to be regulated, and to which it is to be conformed ? This, then, is what we implore, when we thus address God in prayer : Thy will be done ; for we having fallen into this misery by disobeying and despising the divine will, God proposes to us, as the sole corrective of so many arid so great evils, a conformity to his will, which by sinning we despised ; and commands us to regulate all our thoughts and actions by this standard ; and for the attainment of this end, we humbly address to him the prayer, Thy will be done.

Question 9. This Petition necessary even to the Just, The same should also be the earnest prayer of those in whose souls God already reigns, and who have already been illumined with the rays of the divine light, by the aid of which grace they may obey the will of God. Although thus gifted and disposed, they still have to struggle with their own passions, on account of the propensity to evil implanted in the sensual appetites of man ; so that even though we be of their number, we are still exposed to great danger from ourselves, lest, drawn aside and allured by the concu piscences which war in our members we again stray from the way of salvation ; a danger of which Christ our Lord admonishes us in these words : Watch ye and pray, that ye enter not into temptation : the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is iveak.

Question 10. Concupiscence, which no one can utterly extinguish, still reigns in the Just.

To reduce the desires of the flesh to such a state of sub jection, as that they may never after be excited, is not in the power of manj-not even of him who has been justified by the grace of God j for although the grace of God healeth the minds of those who are justified, it removeth not the in firmity of the flesh, according to these words of the apostle : / know that there dwelleth not in me, that is to say in my flesh, any good thing ;c for the moment the first man lost original righteousness, which after a manner was a bridle to the passions, reason was no longer able to restrain him within the bounds of duty; so as not to desire those things that are repugnant also to reason. Hence the apostle saith that sin, that is a propensity to sin, dwelleth in the fleshf- in order that we may understand, that it does not, like a stranger, make a temporary stay with us, but, as an inhabitant of our body, takes up its permanent abode in our mem bers, as long as we live. Continually beset then as we are by domestic and intestine enemies, we at once perceive the necessity of flying to the assistance of God, and of praying that his will may be done in us.

Question 11. Meaning of the words “ Will of God.”

In the next place, omitting many questions on the will of God, • which scholastic doctors have discussed usefully and- at large, AVC say, that the word will is here put for that which is commonly called the will of sign/ and signifies what God commands or admonishes us to do or to avoid. Here, there fore, the word will comprehends all things that are proposed to us as the means of attaining heavenly bliss, whether they regard faith or morals ; all things, in fine, which Christ our Lord has commanded or prohibited, either in person or e Anselm. de volunt. Dei. Thorn. Aq. in i. sent. dist. 45-48. Bonavent. in i. sent. dist. 45, qu. 1, a. 4.

f Thorn. Aq. in i. sent. dist. 45, qu. 1, a. 4. “ Voluntas signi.”

through his church ; and of this will the apostle says : Be ye not unwise, but understanding what is the will of God.s

Question 12. What we pray for in the Third Petition.

When, therefore, we say, Thy will be done, we first beseech our heavenly Father to enable us to obey the divine com mands, and to serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives ;h to do all things in accordance with his will and pleasure ; to perform those duties, of which we are admonished in sacred Scripture ; guided and assisted by him, to perform all other things that become those, who are bom not of the will of the flesh, but of God, following the example of Christ our Lord, who was made obedient unto death, even the death of ilie, cross ;J to be prepared to suffer all thingsrather than depart even in the least from his will.

Question 13. To whom it is especially granted to burn most ardently with Zeal and Lovefor the Tilings prayed for here.

Nor is there any one who desires or loves more ardently the objects of this petition, than he to whom it has been given to contemplate the surpassing dignity of those who obey God. He it is who understands, that with the utmost truth is it said, that to serve God and obey him, is to reign : k Whoever, saith the Lord, shall do the will of my Father, ivhich is in heaven ; the same is my brother, mid sister, and mother y1 that is to say, to him am I most closely united by all the bonds of benevolence and love. The saints, with scarcely a single exception, failed not to make the principal gift con tained in this petition the object of their earnest prayers :m all indeed have made use of this admirable prayer, but not unfrequently in different words ; and amongst them Davidr whose language displays such, marvellous sweetness, pours out the same prayer in various aspirations, at one time ex claiming : 0 ! that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes ;n at another time saying : Make me to go in the path of thy commandments ;° sometimes : Order my steps in thy ivord, and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. In the same spirit he says : Give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments ;1 Teach me thy judgments ;r Give me tunder standing, that I may know thy testimonies The same sentiment he often expresses, and varies in other words : and [the pastor] must diligently notice the passages, and explain them to the faithful ; that all may understand the fulness and profusion of salutary gifts comprehended in the first part of this petition.

Question 14. What we further signify in this Petition.

In the second place, when we pray, Thy will be done, we express our detestation of the works of the flesh ; of which the apostle saith : Now the works of the flesh are manifest ; which arc, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, torath, strife, sedi tions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like ; • and : If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die.n We also beg of God, that he suffer us not to yield to the sugges tions of sensual appetite, of lust, or of our infirmity, but that he govern our will by his. Sensualists, whose care is fixed on, whose thoughts are absorbed in, earthly things, are far removed from the will of God ; for they are hurried head long to the indulgence of their sensual appetites, and to place all their happiness in their gratification, pronouncing them blessed who attain what they desire. But we, on the con trary, beseech God, in the language of the apostle, that we make not provision for thejlesli, to fulfil the lusts thereof f but that Ids loill be done.

Question 15. It is better to wish, for God's Will to be done than our own.

We are n'ot, however, easily brought to entreat God not to satisfy our inordinate desires ; for to this it is difficult to bring the mind, whereas, by offering such a prayer, we seem in some sort to hate ourselves. By those who are wholly slaves to the body, such conduct is attributed to folly; but be it ours cheerfully to incur the imputation of folly for sake of Christ, w who has said, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself. Better is it, we know, to desire what is right and just, than to obtain what is opposed to reason, to virtue, to the laws of God. And certainly the condition of the man who attains the gratification of his rash and libidinous desires, is worse than that of him who obtains not the object of his pious desires.

Question 16. TItose Tilings which bear not the Semblance of Piety must not be souyht for from God.

Our prayers, however, have not solely for object that God should deny us what accords with our own desires, vitiated as we know they are, but also that he would deny us those things for which, under the persuasion and impulse of the devil, who transformeth himself into an angel of light/ we sometimes pray, believing them to be good. The desire of the prince of the apostles to dissuade our Lord from his determination to go to meet death, appeared most reasonable and pious ; yet did our Lord severely rebuke him, because it originated, not in divine impulse, but in natural feeling.2 What stronger proof of love towards the Lord than that evinced by the request of St. James and St. John, who, in their wrath against the Samaritans for refusing to entertain their Master, besought him to command fire to descend from heaven to consume those obdurate and inhuman men ? Yet were they reproved by Christ our Lord in these words : You know not ivhat manner of spirit ye, are of; for the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives, but to save

Question 17. When the Things we crave appertain to the Preservation of Nature, we i.mst especially ask that they may be, if God be willing.

But we should beseech God that his will be done, not only when what we desire is, or appears to be, evil, but also when it is not evil ; when, for instance, the will obeys that first impulse of nature that prompts it to desire the things necessary for our preservation, and to reject the contrary. When about to pray for such things, let us therefore say from our heart, Tlty will be done. Let us imitate him, from whom we have received salvation and the discipline of salvation, Avho, when agitated by a natural dread of torments and of a most cruel death, in that horror of extreme torture bowed with submission to the will of his Divine Father : Not my will, saith he, but thine be cloned

Question 18. Without the Aid of God, we cannot avoid Sin. We therefore pray for it in this Petition.

But so wondrous is the degeneracy of the human race, that, even when they have done violence to inordinate desire, and subjected it to the will of God, they cannot avoid sin without his assistance, by which they are protected from evil and directed to good. To this petition, therefore, we must have recourse, and beseech God to perfect in us what he hath begun ; to repress the turbulent motions of desire ; to render our appetites subject to reason ; to make us, in a word, entirely conformable to his will. We also pray that the whole world may receive the knowledge of his will ; that thus the mystery of God, hidden from ages and from generation may be made known and manifest to all.

Question 19. Of the Meaning of this Clause.

We also pray for the form and manner of this obedience, that is, that our conformity to the will of God may be regu- lated according to the rule observed by the blessed angels, and the choirs of other celestial spirits ; that, as they spontaneously, and with supreme delight, obey the Divine Being, we too may yield a most cheerful obedience to the will of God, in the manner most acceptable to him.

Question 20. God must be obeyed, not for the Sake of Reward, but, out of Pure Lore.

And, indeed, God requires, that in serving him we be actuated by intense love and exalted charity ; that, whilst we devote ourselves entirely to him, with the hope of re ceiving heavenly rewards, we hope for that reward, because it hath pleased the Divine Majesty that we should enter on that hope. Let our whole hope, therefore, be based on that love of God, who has proposed eternal happiness as the reward of our love. For there are those who serve another with love, but who do so with a view solely to some recompense, which is the whole aim of their love. Others there are who, influ enced by love alone, and by piety, look to nothing else in him whom they serve, than his goodness and virtue, filled with the idea and with admiration of whom, they esteem themselves happy in being able to serve him.

Question 21. Other Expositions of the Same Clause.

This is the meaning of the opposition of the sentence, On earth as it is in heaven, for we must endeavour, as much as possible, to be obedient to God, as we have said the blessed spirits are, whose praises in the performance of this exercise of supreme obedience are celebrated by David in the psalm that begins, Mess the Lord, all ye his hosts ; ye ministers of his that do his pleasured Should any one, however, adopting the interpretation of St. Cyprian, understand the words in heaven to mean, in the good and the pious, and the words on earth, in the wicked and the impious, we approve of the in terpretation, by the word heaven understanding the spirit, and by the word earth, the flesh, that all creatures, animate and inanimate, may in all things obey the will of God.

Question 22. This Petition contains Thanksgiving, This petition also includes thanksgiving ; for we revere themost holy will of God, and in utmost transports of joy celebrate all his works with the highest praises and gratulations, knowing as we do with certainty that he has done all things icell. God is confessedly omnipotent, and the necessary consequence thereof is, that at his command were all things created. Since we also affirm that he is the Supreme Good, we must therefore confess that all his works are good ; for he imparted his own goodness to all. If, however, we fathom not the divine economy in all things, disregarding every cause of ambiguity, and rejecting all hesitation, we profess with the apostle, that inscrutable are his ways.% We also find a most powerful motive for revering the will of God in the reflection, that by him we have been made worthy of his? heavenly light ] for he hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his be loved Son

Question 23. What Reference to Contemplation is contained in this Petition.

But, to close our exposition of this petition, in regard to the meditation thereupon, we must revert to a subject at which we glanced at its commencement, which is, that in uttering this petition, the faithful people should be humble and lowly in spirit, keeping in view the violence of inordinate desires, in nate in nature, which revolts against the will of God ; recol lecting that in this duty [of obedience] man is excelled by all other creatures, of whom it is written, All are thy servants and reflecting, that he must be very weak who, unsupported by the divine aid, is unable to undertake, not to say perform, anything acceptable to God But as there is nothing more magnificent, nothing more exalted, than, as we have said, to serve God, and to live according to his law and precepts, what can be more desirable to a Christian man than to walk in the ways of the, Lord ;k to think nothing, to undertake nothing, that is at variance with the will of God 1 In order, then, that the faithful may adopt this rule of life, and adhere to it with the greater diligence, [the pastor] will recur to the divine writings for instances of individuals who failed in all their undertakings, by not referring their views to the will of God.

Question 24. Hoiv much A dvantage in regard to the Quiet Passing of our Life we may derive from Meditating on this Petition.

Finally, let the faithful be admonished to acquiesce implicitly in the simple and absolute will of God ; let him who thinks that he holds a place in society inferior to his dignity, bear his lot with a patient mind : let him not abandon his own sphere ; but abide in the same calling in which lie was called y1 and subject his own judgment to the will of God, who consults better for our interests, than we ourselves can do by the suggestions of our own desires. If oppressed by poverty at home, if by sickness of body, if by persecutions, if by other troubles and afflictions, we must be firmly con vinced, that none of these things can befall us without the will of God, which is the supreme reason of all things ; and that therefore we should not suffer ourselves to be too grievously disturbed by them, but bear them with an unconquered mind, having always on our lips the words of the apostles, The ivill of the Lord be done ;m and those of holy Job, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the name of the Lord.n

Question 1. What Order is to be observed in this Prayer of our Lord.

THE fourth and following petitions, in which we par ticularly and expressly pray for succours of soul and body, are subordinate to those that preceded ; for, in the order and arrangement of the Lord's Prayer, we ask for what regards the body and its sustenance after what regards divine things, because, as men are referred to God as to their ultimate end, so in like manner are the goods of human life directed to those of the next.

Question 2. Why the Goods of Human Life are lawfully prayed and sought for from God.

The former therefore are to be desired and prayed for, either because the divine order so requires, or because we have occasion for those aids to attain divine goods, which are comprised in the kingdom and glory of our heavenly Father, and in the practice and observance of those precepts which we know to emanate from the will of God. To God, there fore, and to his glory, we should refer all the force and purport of this petition.

Question 3. In asking for Temporal J3lessinys, wlcat Limit is to be observed.

Pastors, then, will perform their duty towards faithful hearers, by endeavouring to make them understand, that, in praying for what regards the use and enjoyment of earthly things, our minds and thoughts are to be directed to a con formity with the ordinance of God, from which we are never in the least to swerve. For by these petitions for earthly and transient things, we but too often transgress in what the apostle saith : We know not what we should pray for, as we ought? Temporal blessings, therefore, we should pray for as toe ought, lest, praying for anything as we ought not, we receive from God for answer : Ye know not what ye ash.P But to judge aright what petition is good, and what bad, the design and purpose of the petitioner affords a sure criterion. Thus if a person seek temporal blessings with the idea that they are absolutely good, and, resting in them as in the desired end, seek nothing else, he undoubtedly does not pray as he ought ; for, as St. Augustine 1 observes, we ask not these temporal things as our goods, but as our necessaries. The apostle also, in his epistle to the Corinthians, teacheth, that whatever regards the necessary purposes of life is to be referred to the glory of God : Therefore, ivhether ye eat or drink, says he, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God?

Question 4. How many and how great Goods Man obtained in a State of Innocence.

But that the faithful may perceive how great is the necessity of this petition, pastors will remind them how much we stand in need of external things for the maintenance and preservation of life. This they will more easily comprehend, if they compare the wants of the first parent of our race with those of his posterity. For although in a most exalted state of innocence, from which he, and through his fault all his posterity, fell, he had need to use food to recruit his strength ; yet between his wants, and those to which our life is subject, there exists a wide difference. He would not have stood in need of clothes to cover his body, of a house to shelter him, of weapons to defend him, of medicine to restore health, nor of many other things, which we require for the protection and preservation of our weak and frail nature. To enjoy immortality, it would have been sufficient [to eat of] the fruit which the blessed tree of life would have spontaneously yielded to him and his posterity.8 Placed, however, by God in that habitation of pleasure in order to be occupied, he was not, in the midst of such supreme delights of paradise, to lead a life of indolence ; but to him no employment could be troublesome, no duty unpleasant. Occupied in the cultivation of those happy gardens, his care would have been ever blessed with a profusion of fruits the most delicious, his labours or hopes never frustrated.

Question 5. What great Evils followed the Sin of Adam.

But his posterity are not only deprived of the fruit of the tree of life,u but also visited with this horrible sentence : Cursed is the ground for thy sake : in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the earth. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it thou wast taken : for dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return.' Entirely different, therefore, is our lot from what his and that of his posterity would have been, had he obeyed the command of God. Therefore have all things been thrown into disorder, and have been changed iitterly for the worst ; and of the con sequent evils the most grievous is, that the heaviest cost, the severest labour and sweat, are very often expended without fruit ; either because the crops deteriorate, are smothered by the springing up of noxious weeds, or perish stricken and prostrated by rains, storm, hail, blight, or mildew. Thus is the entire labour of the year in a brief season reduced to nothing, by some calamity arising from the atmosphere or the soil, a calamity caused by the enormity of our crimes, from which God turneth away, and is prevented from blessing our labours ; but the dreadful sentence first pronounced against us still remains : In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread.

Question 6. Men are compelled to labour, in order to relieve their Necessities ; yet, if God be not favourable, they labour in vain.

Iii treating of this subject, therefore, pastors will exert their diligence, to the end that the faithful people may know, that, if these misfortunes and miseries are incidental to man, the fault is his own ; that he must sweat and toil to procure things necessary to life ; but that unless God bless our labours, all our hopes must prove deceitful, all our exertions unavailing ; for neither he that planteth is anything, nor he that tvatereth ; but God that giveth the increase ;w and: Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.K

Question 7. God must be besought to supply us with the Things of which we stand in need. This he doeth abundantly.

Pastors therefore will teach, that those things that are necessary to human existence, or, at least, to its comforts, are almost innumerable j and by this knowledge of our wants and weaknesses, the faithful will be stimulated to have re course to. their heavenly Father, and humbly to solicit from him. terrestrial and celestial blessings. They will follow the example of the prodigal son, who, when he began to experience want in a far country, and there was no man who, when he hungered, might even give him the husks [on which the swine fed,] at length returning to himself, perceived that, for the evils that oppressed him, he could expect a remedy from no one save only from his father, y Here also the faith ful people will have recourse more confidently to prayer, if, in reflecting on the divine goodness, they recollect that his paternal ears are ever open to the cries of his children. For whilst he exhorts us to ask for bread, he promises to bestow it 011 us abundantly, if we ask it as we ought; where as, by teaching us how to ask, he exhorts ; by exhorting, he urges j by urging, he promises j by promising, he inspires us with the most certain hope of obtaining it.

Question 8. Objects of this Prayer for' Bread.

When, therefore, the minds of the faithful are thus animated and inflamed, [the pastor] will next proceed to declare the objects of this petition ; and first, what is that bread for which we pray. It should then be known that, in the sacred Scriptures, the word bread has a variety of signi fications, but more especially the two following ; first, whatsoever is necessary for the sustenance of the body, and for our other bodily wants ; secondly, whatsoever the divine bounty has bestowed on us for the life and salvation of the soul ; but in this place, according to the interpretation and authority of the holy fathers, we ask those succours of which we stand in need in this life.

Question 9. It is shown that Temporal Blessings may le asked of God.

Those, therefore, who say that it is unlawful for Christian men to ask from God the earthly goods of this life, are by no means to be listened to ; for to this error are opposed not only the unanimous opinions of the fathers, but also very many examples both in the Old and New Testament. Thus Jacob, making a vow, prayed as follows : If God loill be ivitk me, and will keep me in this ivay which I go, and ivill give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my fathers house in peace ; then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be the house of God ; and of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth to thee. Solomon also prayed for a means of sub sistence in this life, when he said : Give me neither poverty nor riches : feed me with food convenient for me.c Nay, the Saviour of the human kind himself commands us to prayt/br those things which no one will dare deny are corporeal bless ings : Pray, says he, that your Jlight be not in the winter, neither on the /Sabbath.- ' St. James also saith : Is any among you afflicted ? Let him pray. Is any merry ? Let him sing.c And the apostle thus addresses himself to the Romans : / beseech you, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God, for me, that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea.f As then we are divinely permitted to ask those temporal succours, and as this perfect form of prayer was delivered by Christ our Lord, there can be no doubt that it constitutes one of the seven petitions.

Question 10. What, appertaininy to the Needs of the Body, is here understood ly the Name of “Bread.”

”We also ask our daily bread, that is to say, the things necessary for sustenance, understanding by the word bread, whatever is sufficient for food and raiment, whether it be bread, meat, fish, or anything else ; for in this sense we find the word made use of by Elijah, when admonishing the king to give bread to the Assyrian soldiers, who had received a large quantity of meats.s We also know that of Christ our Lord it is written, that he went into the house of a certain prince of the Pharisees on the Sabbath-day to eat bread, that is to say, whatever appertained to eating and drink. To comprehend the full meaning of the petition, it is also to be observed, that by this word bread we are not to understand a profusion of exquisite meats, and of rich clothing, bui; what is necessary and simple ; according as the apostle writes : Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content / and of Solomon as already quoted : Feed me with food convenient for me)

Question 11. Why we do not ask simply for “oread,” but for “our bread.”

Of this frugality and parsimony, we are admonished in the next word of the prayer ; for when we say our, we pray for that bread to satisfy our necessities, not to gratify luxury ; for we do not say our, to imply that of ourselves, and inde pendently of God, we can procure it ; for we read in David r These wait all upon thee, that thou tnayest give them their meat in due season; that thou givest them they gather : thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good ;k and in another place : The eyes of all wait upon thee, 0 Lord ; thou givest them their meat in due season;1 but to imply, that it is necessary for our sustenance, and is given to us by God, the Father of all, who by his providence feeds all living creatures.

Question 12. The Bread that ice crave as “our bread,” must be obtained by our own Labour.

It is also called our bread, because we are to obtain it law fully, not by injustice, fraud, or theft ; for what we obtain by evil arts, is not our own, but the property of another ; and it generally happens, that the injustice is embittered by the acquisition, the possession, or, at least, by the loss of such [ill-gotten] goods ; whilst, on the contrary, the fruits of honest industry are enjoyed by religious men in peace and great happiness, according to these words of the prophet : For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands : happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well ivith thee.m To those who, by honest labour, strive to obtain the means of subsistence, God pro mises the fruit of his benignity in these words : The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto ; and he shall bless thee.n The object of this petition, however, is not solely to beg of God to grant us to use with the aid of his benignity the fruit of our virtuous toil, for that we truly call our own ; but we also pray for a right understanding, well and prudently to use what we have acquired well.

Question 13. Why this icord is added.

By this word also, is conveyed that idea of frugality and parsimony, of which we have just spoken ; for we pray not for variety or delicacy of meat, but for that which may satisfy the necessary demands of nature j and they should here blush who, loathing with fastidiousness ordinary meat and drink, look for the rarest viands and the richest wines. The word daily conveys a no less severe censure against those to whom Isaiah holds out these awful threats : Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay jield to field, even till there be no place : that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth /° The cupidity of such men is insatiable : He that loveth silver, says Solomon, shall not be satisfied with silver ;V and to them apply the words of the apostle : Tltcy that will be rich, Jail into temptation, and a snared We also call it our daily bread, because we use it to recruit the waste of vital humour, which suffers daily diminution from the natural heat of the system.

Finally, another reason for the use of the word daily, is the necessity of unceasing prayer, to the end that we may be kept in the practice of loving and serving God ; and that we may be thoroughly convinced, as is the case, that 011 him depend our life and salvation.

Question 14. What ample matter is afforded by these two words, for exhorting the faithful to worship and revere with piety and holiness the infinite power of God, in ivhose hands are all things and to detest that execrable ostentation of Satan : To me all things are delivered, and to whom I will, I give them ;s is too obvious not to strike every one ; for by the sovereign will of God alone are all things dispensed, and pre served, and increased.

Question 15. In u'hat sense these words are applicable to the Rich.

But what necessity, some one may ask, have the rich to pray for their daily bread, possessing as they do abundance of all things. They are under the necessity of praying thus, not that those things in which by the benignity of God they abound, may be given to them, but that they may not lose what they abundantly possess. Let, therefore, the rich, as the apostle teacheth, hence learn, not to be high-minded, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God ; who giveth us richly all things to enjoy As a reason for the necessity of this petition, St. Chrysostom saith, that in it we pray not only for the means of subsistence, but that it may be supplied us by the hand of God,n which, imparting to our daily bread a salubrious and salutary influence, renders the food profitable to the body, and the body subject to the soul.

Question 16. But why say give us, in the plural number, not give me ? Because it is the proper part of Christian charity, that each u Chrys. opus, imperf. in Matt. horn. 14.

individual be solicitous not for himself alone, but also active in the cause of his neighbour j and that, whilst he attends to his own interests, he forget not the interests of others.7 Furthermore, the gifts which God bestows, he bestows not with a view that he to whom they are given, should possess them exclusively, or live luxuriously in their enjoyment ; but that he should impart his superfluities to others. As St. Ambrose and St. Basil say, It is the bread of the hungry that tkou withholdest : it is the clothes of the naked that thou lockest up ; it is the redemption, the freedom, the money of the, wretched, that thou dost bury under ground.™

Question 17. What is meant by these words.

These words remind us of our common infirmity ; for who is there who, although he may not hope to be able by his own exertions to provide permanent subsistence, does not feel confident of having it in. his power to procure necessary food at least for the day ? Yet even this confidence God will not permit us to entertain, for he has commanded us to ask him for the food even of each successive day ; and the reason is, that as we all stand in need of daily bread, we should all, as a necessary consequence, make daily use of the Lord's Prayer. Thus much touching that bread, which, received by the mouth, serveth to nourish and support the body, and which, being common to believers and unbelievers, to pious and impious, God, who maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust bestows, in his admirable beneficence, indiscriminately on all.

Question 18. What is here to be understood bi/ the Spiritual Bread, included in this Petition.

It now remains to treat of that spiritual bread, which we also ask in this petition, and under which are comprehended all things necessary in this life for the safety and salvation of the soul. The soul, not less than the body, is nourished by a variety of food ; for the word of God is the food of the soul. as wisdom saith : Come, eat my bread, and drink the wine lohich I have mingled J When God deprives men of the means of hearing this his word, which he often does when grievously provoked by our crimes, he is then said to visit the human race with famine ; for thus we read in Amos : / will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst of water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.2 And as an incapability of taking food, or of retaining it when taken. is a sure sign of approaching death ; so is it a strong proof of the utter hopelessness of salvation, when men either seek not the word of God, or, having it, endure it not, but utter against God the blasphemous cry, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ivays Such is the phrenzy, such the menta 1 blindness of those, who, disregarding the Catholic bishops and priests, who legitimately preside over them, and abandoning the holy Catholic Church, have transferred themselves to the direction of heretics, who corrupt the word of God.

Question 19. Of the true Supernatural Bread, wliicli is Christ the Lord.

Christ our Lord is also that bread, which is the food of the soul : / am, says he, the bread which came dwvn from heaven.]) It is incredible with what pleasure and delight this bread fills the souls of the pious, when they have most to contend with earthly troubles and disasters; and of this we have an illustration in the holy choir of the apostles, of whom it is recorded : They indeed went from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus.c The lives of the saints are replete with similar examples ; d and of these inward delights of the righteous, God thus speaks : To him that overcometh, I uiill give to eat of the hidden manna.c

Question 20. Christ is truly contained in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and therefore is properly called our Bread.

But Christ our Lord, who is substantially contained in the sacrament of the Eucharist, is himself pre-eminently our bread. This ineffable pledge of his love he bequeathed to us, when he was about to return to the Father ] and of it he said : He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him: take, eat: this is my body. But, for useful matter to the faithful people on this subject, pastors will recur to what we have already said specially touching the force and nature of this sacrament. But it is called our bread, because it is the food of faithful men only, that is, of those who, uniting charity with faith, wash away the defilements of sins in the sacrament of penance ; who, not unmindful that they arc the children of God, receive and adore this divine sacrament, with all possible holiness and veneration.

Question 21. Why the Eucharist is called our Daily Bread.

It is called daily for two obvious reasons ; the one, that in the sacred mysteries of the Christian Church it is offered to God daily, and is given to those who seek it with piety and holiness : the other, that it should ber received daily, or at least that we should live in such a manner as to be worthy, as far as possible, to receive it daily. Let those who, on the contrary, are of opinion, that we should not partake of this salutary banquet of the soul but at distant intervals, hear what St. Ambrose11 says : If it is daily bread, why dost thou receive it yearly ?

Question 22. llow we ought to be affected, if we receive not the sought- for Bread forthwith.

But in this petition the faithful are emphatically to be exhorted, when they have honestly used their best consider ation and industry to procure the necessary means of sub sistence, to leave the issue to God, and submit their own desire to the will of him, who shall not suffer the righteous to waver for ever.1 For God will either grant what is asked ; and thus their wishes will be realized ; or he will not grant it ; and this will afford most unequivocal proof, that what they desire will promote neither their interest nor their sal vation, whereas it is denied to the pious by God, who is more careful of their salvation than they themselves. This topic pastors can amplifv, by explaining the reasons admirably collected by St. Augustine in his letter to Probaj

Question 23. What subject for Meditation is here presented.

Finally, in the exposition of this petition, [the pastor must exhort] the rich to recollect, that they are to look upon their wealth and riches as gifts of God, and to reflect that these goods are accumulated on them in order that they may share them with the indigent. And with this truth the words of the apostle, in his first epistle to Timothy, will be found to accord,k and will supplv pastors with an abundance of divine precepts, wherewith to elucidate the subject in a useful and salutary manner.

Question 1. From the Passion of Christ, Remission of all our Sins proceeded.

ALTHOUGH the things which display the infinite power of God, combined with equal wisdom and goodness, are so numerous, that, turn our eyes and thoughts where we will, we meet with the most certain evidences of omnipotence and benignity ; yet of a truth does nothing more eloquently pro claim his supreme love and admirable charity towards us, than the inexplicable mystery of the passion of Jesus Christ, whence sprang that perennial fountain to wash away the defilements of sin, in which, under the guidance and gift of God, we desire to be merged and purified, when we beg of him to forgive us our debts.

Question 2. This petition contains a sort of summary of those benefits, which have been accumulated on the human race through Jesus Christ, as was foretold by Isaiah : The iniquity of Jacob shall be purged ; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin.01 This is also the language of David, proclaiming those blessed, who could partake of that salutary fruit : Messed is he whose transgressions are forgiven.11 Wherefore a petition, which we perceive to be so important to salvation, is to be considered and explained by the pastor with accuracy and diligence.

Question 3. The Manner of Prayer here is different from that of the previous words.

But now we enter on a new manner of praying, for hitherto we asked of God not only eternal and spiritual, but also transient and temporal blessings ; but now we deprecate the evils of the soul and of the body, of this life and of the life everlasting.

Question 4. Thinys required in him that scekcth to obtain Pardon for a Sin.

”Whereas, however, to obtain what we ask, we must pray as we ought, it appears expedient to explain the disposition wherewith this prayer should be offered to God. The pastors then will admonish the faithful people, that he who comes to offer this petition, must first acknowledge, and next feel sorrow and compunction for, his sins ; and must feel firmly persuaded that to the sinner, when thus disposed, God is willing to extend pardon, a conviction necessary to the siniier, lest perchance the bitter remembrance and acknowledgment of his sins should be followed by despair of pardon, as was the case of old with Cain0 and Judas,? both of whom held God to be solely an avenger and punisher of crime, and not also a God of clemency and mercy. In this petition, therefore, we should be so disposed, as that, acknowledg ing our sins in the bitterness of our souls, we may fly to God as to a father, not as a judge, imploring him to deal with us not according to his justice, but his mercy.

Question 5. Motives to lead Man to the Acknowledgment of his Sins.

”We shall be easily induced to acknowledge our sins, if we but listen to God himself admonishing us in the Scriptures of our sinfulness ; for we read in David : TJiey are all gone aside : they are altogether become filthy : there is none that doeth good, no not one. Solomon speaks to the same effect : There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not yr and to this subject apply also these words : Who can say : I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sins ?s St. John has written to the same effect, with a view to deter men from arrogance : If we say that we have no sin, we deceive our selves, and the truth is not in ts y and Jeremiah : Thou hast said, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.11 Their sentiments the same Christ our Lord, who spake by their mouth, confirms by this form of prayer, in which he commands us to confess our sins ; for the Council of Milevisv forbids to interpret it otherwise, in these words : It hath pleased the council, that whosoever will have it, that these words of the Lord's Prayer : Forgive us our debts, are said by holy men in humility and not in truth, be anathema ; for who can endure a person praying, and lying not to men but to God, saying with the lips that he desires to be forgiven, but with the heart, that he has no debts to be remitted.

Question 6. In what manner after Sin is acknowledged, litiny Grief and true Repentance are excited in the mind.

But in the necessary acknowledgment of our sins, it is not enough that we lightly call them to mind : for the recollection of them, must be bitter, must touch the heart, stimulate the mind, and brand us with sorrow. This point then pas tors will treat with diligence, to the end that their hearers may not only recall to their recollection their sins and iniquities, but may also recall them with displeasure and sorrow ; that, pained to their innermost senses, they may betake them selves unto God their Father, humbly imploring him to pluck from the soul the inherent stings of sin.

[The pastors] should not, however, be content themselves with placing before the eyes of the faithful the turpitude of sin : they should also depicture the unworthiness and degradation of us men, who, mere rottenness and corruption that we are, dare to outrage in a manner beyond all belief the incomprehensible majesty and ineffable excellence of God, par ticularly after having been created, redeemed, and enriched by him with countless and invaluable blessings.

Question 7. In what manner we, through sin, deliver ourselves up to the most Disgraceful Servitude of the Devil.

And why 1 that, estranged from God our Father, who is the supreme good, and lured by the most base rewards of sin, we may devote ourselves to the devil, to become his most wretched slaves. For language is inadequate to depict the cruel tyranny which he exercises over the minds of those who, having shaken off the sweet yoke of God, and broken the most lovely bond of charity, by which our spirit is bound to God our Father, have gone over to their relentless enemy, who is therefore called in Scripture the prince and ruler of the world, the prince of darkness and king over all the children of pride ;? and to those who are the victims of the tyranny of the devil, apply with truth these words of Isaiah :

Question 8. ”What great evils Sin entails on the Mind.

If we are unmoved at having violated this covenant of love, let our insensibility be excited at least by the calamities and miseries into which we fall through sin. It violates the sanctity of the soul, which we know is wedded unto Christ ; profanes the temple of the Lord, against the contaminators of which the apostle utters this denunciation : If any man violate the temple, of God., him shall God destroy Innumerable are the evils that sin has brought upon man, which almost infinite pest David expressed in these words : There is no soundness in my flesh, because of thine anger : neither is there any rest in my bones, because of my sin)1 He marks the virulence of this bane, by confessing that it left 110 part of him uninfected ; for the poison of sin entered even into his bones, that is to say, it infected his understand ing and will, which are the two most solid faculties of the soul. This wide-spread pestilence the sacred Scriptures point out, when they designate sinners, the lame, the deaf, the dumb,, the blind, the palsied. But, besides the anguish which he felt on account of the wickedness, as it were, of his sins, David was afflicted yet more by his knowledge of having provoked the wrath of God ; for the wicked are at war with God,c whom their crimes offend beyond relief : Wrath and indignation, saith the apostle, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil.A For although the sinful act is transient, the sin by its guilt and stain remains ; and the impending wrath of God pursues sin, as the shadow does the body.

Question 9. ffoiv, having perceived the Calamity of our Sins, we ought to le turned unto Repentance.

Pierced by these stings, David was excited to seek pardon for his sins ; and that the faithful, imitating his example, may learn to grieve, that is, to become truly OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. DOi penitent, and to cherish the hope of pardon, pastors will place before their eyes and impress upon their attention, the example of his penitential sorrow, and the lessons of instruction drawn from his fiftieth psalm. The importance of such instruction as teaches us to grieve for our sins, God himself declareth by the mouth of Jeremiah, who, when exhorting Israel to repentance, admonishes him to awake to a sense of the evils that flow from sin : Know,, therefore, and see that it is an evil and a bitter thing that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts. c They who lack this necessary sense of acknowledgment and grief, are said by the prophets Isaiah/ Ezekiel,e and Zachariah, to have a stout heart, a hard heart, a heart of adamant ; for like stone they are softened by 110 sorrow, and are devoid of every principle of life, that is, of the salutary recognition of their own sinfulness.

Question 10. By what Meditation the Sinner is to Ic encouraged to hope for Pardon, after Acknowledgment and Detestation of his Sins.

But lest, terrified by the grievousness of their crimes, the people despair of obtaining pardon, the pastor will animate them to hope by these considerations ; that, as is declared in one of the articles of the Creed, Christ our Lord gave power to his Church to remit sins, and that in this petition he maketh known unto us the extent of God's goodness and bounty towards us ; for if God were not disposed and ready to pardon penitent sinners, never would he have prescribed to us this formula of prayer : Forgive us our debts. We should, therefore, be firmly convinced in mind, that, commanding us, as he does in this petition, to solicit, he will also bestow on us, his paternal mercy.

Question 11. In what manner, if we repent, God easily pardoneth our Sins.

For this petition implies, that God is so disposed towards us, as willingly to pardon us when truly penitent. For God it is against whom, having cast off obedience, we sin ; the order of whose wisdom we disturb, as far as in us lies ;

whom we offend, whom we outrage by word and deed ; but he also is our most beneficent Father, who, having it in his power to pardon all transgressions, not only declares his willingness to do so, but also urges us to seek pardon from him, and teacheth us in what words we are to do so. To no one, therefore, can it be matter of doubt, that, under his guidance, we have it in our power to conciliate the favour of God ; and as this attestation of the divine willingness to pardon sin, increases faith, nurtures hope, and inflames charity, it will be worth while to amplify this subject, by citing some scriptural authorities to this effect, and by referring to the examples of individuals, whose repentance of the most grievous crimes God rewarded with pardon.1 As, however, in our exposition of the prefatory portion of this prayer, and of that part of the Creed which treats of the forgiveness of sins, we were as diffuse on the subject as cir cumstances allowed, pastors will revert to those places for whatever may seem pertinent for further instruction on this point, for the rest drawing on the fountains of the divine writings.

Question 12. What in that part of the Petition is understood ly the name “Debtors.” He will also pursue the same plan [of instruction] laid down by us in the other petitions, that the faithful may under stand the meaning of the word debts in the present passage ; lest perhaps, deceived by the ambiguity of the word, they may pray for something different from what should be prayed for. In the first place, then, we are to know, that in it we by no means pray for exemption from the debt we owe to God on so many accounts, the payment of which is essential to salvation, that of loving him with our whole heart, our whole soul, and our whole might ;J neither do we ask to be in future exempt from the duties of obedience, worship, veneration, or any other similar obligation, although comprised under the word debts ; but we pray that he may deliver us from our sins. This is the interpretation of St. Luke, who, instead of debts, makes use of the word sins ;k for this reason, that by their commission we become responsible to God, and incur a debt of punishment, which we liquidate by satisfaction or by suffering. Of this nature was the debt of which Christ our Lord spoke by the mouth of his prophet : Then I restored that which I took not aiuay)- From which words of God we may infer, that we are not only debtors, but also unequal to the payment of our debt ; the sinner being of himself utterly incapable of making satisfaction.

Question 13. Whence derive Means of Satisfying.

”We, therefore, must fly to the mercy of God ; and as justice, of which God is most tenacious, is an equal and corresponding attribute to mercy, we must have recourse to prayer, and to the advocacy of the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, without which no one ever obtained pardon for sins, and from which, as from its source, have flown all the efficacy and virtue of satisfaction. For of such value is the price paid by Christ our Lord on the cross, and communicated to us through the sacraments received either actually or in desire, that it obtains and accomplishes for us the object of our prayer in this petition, namely, the remission of our sins.

Question 14. We here pray for Indulgence and Remission of Venial and Mortal Sins.

Here we ask pardon not only for our venial offences, for which pardon may most easily be obtained, but also for grievous and mortal sins, of which the petition cannot pro cure forgiveness, unless it derive that efficacy from the sacrament of penance, received, as we have already said, either actually or in desire.

Question 15. Meaning of “our” in this, different from that of “ our” in the preceding Petition.

The word our, we here use in a sense entirely different from that in which we said, our 'bread ; for that bread is ours, because given unto us by the kindness of God ;

whereas the sins which we commit are ours, because with us rests the guilt thereof : they are our voluntary acts, other wise they would not have the character of sin. Sustaining, therefore, and confessing our sins, we implore the clemency of God, which is necessary for their expiation. In this we make use of no palliation of our guilt, nor do we transfer the blame to others, as did our first parents Adam and Eve : m we point out11 ourselves, pouring out, if we are wise, the prayer of the prophet : Incline not my heart to any evil thing., to practise wicked works.0

Question 16. Nor do we say, forgive me, but, forgive us : because the fraternal relationship and charity, which subsist between all men, demand of each of us, in our solicitude for the common salvation of all, when we pray for ourselves, to pray also for them. This manner of praying, delivered by Christ our Lord, and subsequently received and always retained by the Church of God, was most strictly observed and enforced by the apostles themselves ;P and of this ardent zeal and earnestness in praying for the salvation of others we have the splendid example of Moses in the Old, and of St. Paul in the New, Testament ; the former of whom besought God in these words : Yet noiv if thou wilt forgive their sin ; and, if not., blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written; and the latter said : / could wish that myself were accursed from Christ, for my brethren

Question 17. How these words are to be understood.

The word as may be understood in two ways ; for when we beg of God to pardon us our sins, as we pardon the wrongs and contumelies which we receive at the hands of those by whom we have been injured, it has the force of a comparison. It is also the mark of a condition, and in this sense we find it interpreted by Christ our Lord : If, says he, ye forgive 'men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you ; but if ye forgive not men their tresyiasses, neither ivill your Father forgive your trespasses.5 Either sense, however, equally implies the necessity of forgiveness on our part, intimating as it does, that if we desire to obtain from God the pardon of our offences, we must spare those from whom we have received injury. For such is the rigour with which God exacts from us oblivion of injuries, and mutual affection and love, that he rejects and despises the gifts and sacrifices of those who are not reconciled to one another.

Question 18. The Remission of all Injuries is proved to be agreeable both to the Dictates of Nature and the Mandates of Christ.

To conduct ourselves towards others, as we would have them conduct themselves towards us, is an obligation founded also upon the law of nature : u how great, then, must be the insolence of him, who, whilst his breast is armed with enmity against his neighbour, demands of God to pass over the punishment due to his offences. Those, therefore, who have sustained injuries, should be prepared and prompt to pardon, urged to it as they are by this form of prayer, and also by the command of God in St. Luke : If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him ; and if he repent, forgive him ; and if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him ;v and in the Gospel of St. Matthew we read: Love your enemies; and the apostle, and before him Solomon, said : If thine enemy hunger, feed him ; if he thirst, give him drink; and we read in the evangelist St. Mark : When ye stand praying, forgive if ye have any thing against any ; that your Father also which is in heaven, inay forgive you your trespasses, T

Question 19. By what Arguments the Minds of Men may be bent to the Lenity which God here demands.

But, .whereas, through the fault of depraved nature, there is nothing to which man brings himself more reluctantly than to the pardoning of injuries, pastors will exert all the powers and all the resources of their minds, to change and bend the dispositions of the faithful to this mildness and mercy necessary to a Christian. Let them dwell on those passages of the divine oracles, in which we hear God himself commanding us to pardon our enemies ; and let them pro claim what is most true, that easily to forgive injuries, and to love their enemies from the heart, is a strong evidence of their being the children of God ; for, in loving our enemies, there shines forth in us some likeness to God our Father, who, by the death of his Son, ransomed from everlasting perdition, and reconciled to himself, the human race, who before were his most inveterate enemies. Let the closing passage of this exhortation and injunction be the command of Christ our Lord, which we cannot, without utter disgrace and ruin, refuse to obey : Pray for them that despite/idly use you and persecute you ; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.7-

Question 20. How those should be dealt with, who are unable utterly to Obliterate all Injuries from their Minds.

Iii this place, however, is required no ordinary prudence on the part of pastors, lest, knowing the difficulty and necessity of this precept, any one despair of salvation. For there are those who, aware that they ought to bury injuries in voluntary oblivion, and to love those that injured them, desire to do so, and do so as far as they are able, but feel that they cannot possibly efface from the mind all recollection of injuries. For there lurk in the mind some lingering grudges, in consequence of which they are agitated by the mighty waves of a troubled conscience, fearing lest, not having simply and sincerely laid aside their enmities, they are guilty of disobedience to the command of God. Here, therefore, pastors will explain the opposite inclinings of the flesh and of the spirit, the one being prone to revenge, the other ready to pardon ; from which contrariety arise between them con tinued struggles and conflicts.11 He will therefore show that, if the appetites of corrupt nature are ever reclaiming against and opposed to reason, we are not to yield to misgivings regarding salvation, provided the spirit persevere in the dutv and disposition of forgiving injuries, and of loving our neighbour.

Question 21. Those u-ho still Retain the Desire of Rerenye, may make use of this Prayer without Sin.

Some perhaps there may be, who, because they have not yet succeeded in bringing themselves to forget injuries and love their enemies, are therefore deterred by the condition contained in this petition, as already explained, from makinguse of the Lord's Prayer. To remove from their minds this pernicious error, pastors will adduce the two following con siderations : first, that whosoever belongs to the number of the faithful offers this prayer in the name of the entire Church, which must necessarily contain within it some pious persons, who have forgiven their debtors the debts here mentioned ; and, secondly, that when we offer this prayer to God, we also pray for whatever co-operation with the petition is necessary on our part in order to obtain the object of our prayer. For we pray for the pardon of our sins and the gift of true repentance : we pray for a feeling of inward sorrow : we pray for a horror of our sins, and that we may be able to confess them truly and piously to the priest. As then it is also necessary for us to forgive those who inflicted on us any loss or injury, when we ask pardon of God, we also beg of him to grant us grace to be reconciled to those against whom we harbour hatred. Those, therefore, who are agitated by the groundless and depraved apprehension, that to utter this prayer would be to provoke the wrath of God still more, are to be deterred from such an opinion ; and are, on the contrary, to be also exhorted to the frequent use of prayer, in which they should beseech God our Father to grant them the dis- position to forgive those who have injured them, and to love their enemies.

Question 22. What is to be done in order to render our Prayer for the Hernias ion of Sins efficacious.

But that our prayer may be really fruitful, we should first seriously reflect and consider that we are suppliants to God, soliciting from him pardon, which is not granted but to the penitent ; that we should therefore be endued with the charity and piety that become penitents ; and that it becomes them in an especial manner to keep, as it were before their eyes, their own crimes and enormities, and to expiate them with tears. With this consideration should be united circumspection in guarding for the future against the occasions of sinning ; and against whatever may possibly expose us to the danger of offending God our Father. Under these pre cautions David suffered, when he said : My sin is always before me ;b and in another place : All night make I my bed to swim : I water my couch with my tears.c Let each one also propose to himself the most ardent love of prayer, with which they were animated who obtained from God the pardon of their sins ; such as that of the publican, who, standing afar off through shame and grief, and with eyes fixed on the ground, smote his breast, crying, God be merciful to me a sinner ;d and also of the woman, a sinner, who, standing behind Christ our Lord, and having washed his feet and Aviped them with her hair, kissed them ; e and, lastly, of Peter the prince of the apostles, who, going out, wept bitterly

Question 23. What are the Chief Remedies to Ileal the Wounds of the Soul.

It should next be considered, that the weaker men are, and the more liable to diseases of the mind, the greater the necessity they are under of having recourse to numerous and frequent remedies. The remedies of a sickening soul are penance and the eucharist ; and to these, therefore, the faith ful people should have frequent recourse. Alrnsdeeds also, as the sacred Scriptures declare,? are an efficacious remedy for healing the wounds of the soul ; and those, therefore, who desire to offer up this prayer piously, should act kindly to the poor according to their means ; for, of the great efficacy of alms in effacing the stains of sin, we have in Tobit the testimony of holy Raphael, the angel of the Lord, who says : Alms deliver from death, and shall purge away all sin ; those that exercise alms and righteousness shall be filled with life)1 “We have also that of Daniel, who thus admonished king Nebuchodonosor : Break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor.1 But a most excellent species of benefaction, and exercise of mercy, is forgetfulness of injuries, and good-will towards those whoinjure us or ours, in person, property, or character. Who soever therefore desires to experience in an especial manner the mercy of God, should make an offering to God of all his enmities, remit every offence, and pray for his enemies with, the best good-will, seizing every opportunity of deservingwell of them also. This, however, is a subject which was ex plained when we treated of murder; and we therefore refer pastors to that exposition. They will, however, conclude what they have to say on this petition with the reflection, that nothing is, or can be conceived, more unjust, than that he, who is so rigorous towards his fellow-man as to extend indulgence to no one, should demand of God to be mild and benignant towards himself.

Question 1. How great is the Danger, lest, after receiving the Remission of Sins, we again relapse into Sin.

WHEN the children of God, having obtained the pardon of their sins, and being inflamed with the desire of giving worship and veneration to God, long for the kingdom of heaven, and when, engaged in the performance of all the duties of piety toward the divine Being, they depend entirely on his paternal will and providence ; then it is, no doubt, that the enemy of the human race employs the more actively all his artifices, and prepares all his machinery to attack them so violently, as to justify the apprehension, that, wavering and altered in their resolutions, they may relapse into sin, and their condition thus become far worse than beforej To them may justly be applied these words of the apostle : It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteous ness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto thern.-

Question 2. In vhat manner Christ wished to fortify us against the Snares of our most Cunning Enemy.

Therefore doth Christ our Lord command us to offer this petition, to the end that we may commend ourselves daily to God, and implore his paternal care and assistance, nothing doubtful that when destitute of his protection, we must be caught in the snares of our most crafty enemy. Nor is it in this rule of prayer alone that he hath commanded us to beg of God not to suffer us to be led into temptation ; he does the same in his address to his apostles, just upon the moment of his death, after he had declared them clean, he admonishes them of this duty in these words : Pray that ye enter not into temptation.™ This admonition, reiterated by our Lord, im poses a heavy obligation on pastors to spare no pains in inciting the faithful to a frequent use of this prayer, that, beset as men hourly are by their enemy the devil, with so many serious dangers of this sort, they may assiduously address to God, who alone can repel those dangers, the prayer, Lead us not into temptation.

Question 3. From u-Jiat Reasons men may best understand the Necessity of this Petition.

The faithful people will understand the paramount necessity of the divine assistance, if they but reflect on their OAVII weakness and ignorance, if they recall to mind these words of Christ our Lord : The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak;11 and if they consider the grievous and destructive calamities that must befall men through the instigation of the devil, if they be not upheld and assisted by the heavenly right hand. What dearer example can there be of human infirmity than that which the holy choir of the apostles affords 1 Evincing, as they had before done, such resolute courage, they however, at the very first alarm, abandoned the Saviour, and fled.0 A still more striking illustration is presented to us in the conduct of the prince of the apostles, who, when he, loud in professing extraordinary fortitude and love towards Christ our Lord, and confiding much in himself, had said, Though I should die ivith thee, yet I twill not deny theep yet a short time after, affrighted by the voice of a poor servant-maid, he affirmed with an oath that he knew not the Lord.fi Doubtless his strength was not equal to his intense alacrity ; but if, by the frailty of human nature, in which they confided, men of eminent holiness have fallen into most grievous sin, what have not others to fear who are very far inferior to them in holiness.

Question 4. To hoio many, and how great Temptations the Life of Man is exposed, The pastor, therefore, will place before the eyes of the faithful people the conflicts and dangers in which we are continually engaged, whilst the soul dwells in this mortal body, assailed as we are on all sides by the world, the flesh, and the devil. Of the effects of anger, of lust, in us, who has not had sad experience to his cost 1 “Who is not harassed by their assaults 1 Who feels not their stings '? Who burns not with these smouldering torches ? In truth, so numerous are these assaults, so varied these attacks, that it is extremely difficult to escape some grievous wound. Besides the enemies that dwell and live within us,r there are also those most sharp foes, of whom it is written : For we wrestle not against Jlesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers., against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high place.5

Question 5. How grievous are the Assaults of Demons upon us, according to the opinion of St. Paul.

The efforts of our inward conflicts are seconded by the attacks and attempts of the devils from without, who assail us openly, and insinuate themselves also by stratagems1 into our souls ; insomuch, that it is not without difficulty that we can beware of them. These the apostle calls princes, on account of the excellence of their nature (for by nature they are superior to man, and to all other visible creatures) ; he calls them -powers, because they excel not only by their nature, but also by their power ; he calls them riders of the world of darkness, for they rule not the world of light and glory, that is to say, the good and the pious ; but the gloom and darkness, that is, those who, blinded by the defilement and darkness of a wicked and guilty life, are delighted to have the devil for a leader, the prince of darkness. He also calls the evil demons the spirits of wickedness ; for there is a wickedness of the flesh and of the spirit. The wickedness of flesh inflames the appetite to sensual lusts and pleasures ;

the spirits of wickedness are wicked purposes and desires, which belong to the superior part of the soul, and are morecriminal than the former, in proportion as mind itself and reason are superior. This wickedness of Satan, the apostle denominates in the high places, because its chief aim is todeprive us of the inheritance of heaven. Hence we may understand that the power of the [infernal] enemies is great, their courage undaunted, their hatred enormous and un measured ; that they wage against us a perpetual war with such fury, that with them there can be no peace, no cessation of hostilities.

Question 6. Of the Boldness and Perversity of the Devil in Tempting.

How bold they are, we may form an idea from the words of Satan recorded by the prophet, I will ascend into heaven ;u he attacked our first parents in Paradise ; v he assailed the prophets j w he beset the apostles, and, as our Lord declares in the gospel, he would sift them as wheat; nor was his audacity abashed even by the presence of our Lord himself ! y His insatiable cupidity and unwearied diligence are thus ex pressed by St. Peter : Your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.7' Nor are we tempted by one demon only, for sometimes a host of de mons combine in the assault against us individually. This, was avowed by the evil spirit, who, when asked his name by Christ our Lord, replied, My name is legion?- that is, a host of demons, which had tormented that unhappy being ; and of another it is written, He taketh ivith himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there, and the last state of that man is worse than the fir st.

Question 7. Why the Pious are harassed by Demons, more than the Wicked.

There are many who, because they feel not in themselves the impulses and assaults of the devil, imagine that the whole matter is fictitious. ~No wonder that such persons are not attacked by the devil, to whom they have surrendered at discretion. They possess neither piety nor charity, nor any other virtue worthy of a Christian, and are hence entirely subject to the dominion of the devil j and becoming as they do his willing abodes, there needs no temptation to insure their overthrow. But those who have dedicated themselves to God, leading a heavenly life upon earth, are the chief objects of the assaults of Satan ; against them he harbours most malignant hatred, for them he is every moment laying 'snares. The history of the Sacred Scriptures abounds in examples of holy men, whom, although firm and resolute, he perverted by violence or artifice. Adam, David, Solomon, and others,s whom it were tedious to enumerate, experienced the violent assaults and crafty cunning of demons, which human wisdom and strength are unable to combat. Who then can esteem himself sufficiently secure in his own re sources ? Hence the necessity of offering to God pure and pious prayer, that he suffer us not to be tempted above our strength, but make issue with temptation, that we may be able to bear it)1

Question 8. Demons cannot tempt Men as much, or as lony as they desire.

But should any of the faithful, through weakness of mind or ignorance of the truth, feel terrified at the power of the clevils, they are to be encouraged, when overtaken by the storm of temptation, to take refuge in this harbour of prayer, for the power and pertinacity of Satan, however great, are not, in his utter hatred of mankind, such as to enable him to tempt or torment as much, or as long, as he pleases ; but all his power is governed by the control and permission of God. Of this we have a most conspicuous example in Job, nothing belonging to whom could the devil have touched, had not God said, Behold, all that lie, hath is in thy hand y1 whilst, on the other hand, he himself, with his children, and all that he possessed, would have been at once destroyed by the devil, if God had not added, Only put not forth thy hand upon him- self. So restricted is the power of devils, that, without the permission of God, they could not enter even into the swine mentioned by the Evangelists. k

Question 9. Meaning of “ Temptation.'”

But to understand the force of this petition, it is necessary to point out the meaning of the word temptation, as here employed, and also, what it is to be led into temptation. To tempt, is to make trial of him who is tempted, that, eliciting from him what ive desire, ive may extract the truth.1 In this sense of the word, God does not tempt ; for what is it that is unknown to God 1 All things are naked and opened to his eyes.m Another species of temptation consists in pushing our scrutiny rather far, when we have some further object in view, either for a good or an evil purpose ; for a good pur pose, as when some one's worth is thus tried, in order that having been ascertained and known, it may be rewarded and honoured, and his example proposed to others for imitation, and that, in fine, all may therefore be excited to give praises unto God. This is the only sort of temptation consistent with God ; and of it we have an example in these words of Deuteronomy : The Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye, love the Lord your God ivith all your heart, and with all your soid.n In this sense God is also said to tempt those who are his, when he oppresses them with want, disease, and other calamities, with a view to try their patience, and in them to present to others an example of Christian duty. We read that Abraham was thus tempted to immolate his son, by which fact he became a singular example of obedience and patience, to the remembrance of men for ever :° thus also is it written of Tobit, Because thou wast acceptable to God, it was necessary that temptation should prove thee.v

Question 10. In what manner the Devil Tempts Men.

Men are tempted for an evil purpose, when they are im pelled to sin or destruction ; and this is the peculiar province of the devil ; for he tempts mankind with the view of deceiving and precipitating them into ruin ; and, therefore, is he called in Scripture, the Tempter. In those temptations, at one time stimulating us from within, he makes use of the agency of the affections and passions of the mind ; at another time assailing us from without, he makes use of external things, of prosperity to puff us up with pride, or of adversity to break our spirits. He sometimes employs as his emissa ries and scouts depraved men, particularly heretics, who, sitting in the chair of pestilence? scatter the deadly seeds of evil doctrines, unsettling, and precipitating headlong their adherents, who draw no line of distinction between vice and virtue, and are of themselves inclined to evil.

Question 11. In what manner any one is said to le Led into Temptation.

We are said to be led into temptation, when we yield to temptation. And we are so led in a twofold manner ; first, when abandoning our position, we rush into the evil to which we are allured by the temptations of others. God tempts no man thus ; for to no one is God the author of sin, nay, he hates all who work iniquity ; and accordingly we also read in St. James : Let no man, when he is tempted, say, I am tempted of God ; for God cannot be tempted of evil. Next, he too is said to lead us into temptation, who, although he him self does not tempt us, nor co-operate in tempting us, yet, having it in his power, does not prevent us from being tempted, or from yielding to temptations. In this manner God indeed suffers the good and the pious to be tempted, but leaves them not unsupported by his grace. Sometimes, however, we fall, being left to ourselves by the just and hidden judgment of God, in punishment of our crimes.

Question 12. The Blessings of God sometimes lead us into Temptation.

God is also said to lead us into temptation, when we abuse, to our own destruction, the blessings which he hath bestowed upon us as the means of salvation ; and, like the pro digal son, dissipate in luxurious living our Father's substance, yielding to our evil desires.11 In such circumstances we may truly say what the apostle hath said of the law : The commandment which was ordained to life, I found to be unto deaths Of this Jerusalem, as Ezekiel testifies, affords an apposite exemplification. Enriched and adorned by God with every sort of embellishment, insomuch that God said by the mouth of that prophet, Thou wast perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee ;w yet, loaded with an accumulation of divine gifts, that city, far from evincing gratitude to God, from whom she had received, and was still receiving, so many favours j far from making use of those heavenly blessings for the end for which they had received them, the attainment of her own happiness, cast away the hope and idea of celestial fruit [Jerusalem], most ungrateful to God her Father, was sunk in abandoned luxury, looking only to the enjoyment of her present abundance. On this subject Ezekiel x dwells at considerable length, in the same chapter. Those, therefore, who convert into instruments of vice the abundant means of virtuous deeds, with which he has blessed them, are equally ungrateful to God as was Jerusalem.

Question 13. In what manner we are to understand the Words of Scripture, when God is said to Tempt Man.

But it behoves us particularly to observe this usage of Scripture, which sometimes signifies the permission of God in language which, if taken literally, implies, as it were, a positive act on the part of God, for in Exodus we read : / will harden the heart of Pharaoh ; and in Isaiah : Makz the heart of this people ; 'L and the apostle writes to the Romans : God delivered them up to vile affections, and to a reprobate mind.

These and similar passages,' we are not at all to understand as implying any positive act on the part of God, but his permission only.

Question 14. In tills part of the Prayer we do not ask Freedom from all Temptation, but that we may not be Deserted by God in Temptation.

These things premised, it will not be difficult to know what we pray for in this petition. We ask not to be entirely exempted from temptation, as man's life is a temptation upon earth ,c and this is useful and advantageous to the race of man • for in temptations we are taught to know ourselves, that is, our own weakness, and to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God ;A and by fighting manfully, we expect to receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away ;e for he also that striveth for the mastery is not crowned, except he strive lawfully ;f and as St. James saith : Blessed is the man that endureth temptation ; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them, that love kim.% But if we are sometimes hard pressed by the tempta tions of the enemy, it will cheer us much to reflect, that we have a High-priest to help us, ivho can have compassion on our infirmities, tempted himself in all things1 What, then, do we here pray for 1 We pray, that, unforsaken by the divine assistance, we may not yield to temp tation, deceived by the wicked one ; nor may give up the victory, worsted in the contest ; that the grace of God may be at hand, to refresh and invigorate us on the evil day., when our own strength fails.

Question 15. In what manner we should Beseech Assistance from God in our Temptation.

We should therefore implore the assistance of God in general under all temptations, and when assailed by any par- ticular temptation, we should have recourse in particular to prayer. This we find to have been done by David under almost every species of temptation ; for against lying he prays in these words : Take not, the word of truth utterly out of my mouth ; against covetousness thus : Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness ;i and against the vanities of this life, and the allurements of concupiscence, he makes use of this prayer : Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. We therefore pray that we may not yield to evil desires, nor be wearied in enduring temptation that we turn not aside from the way of the Lord ;m that in adversity as in prosperity we may preserve equanimity and fortitude ; and that God may not in any respect deprive us of his protection. We pray, in fine, that God my tread Satan under our feet. n

Question 16. How Victory may be borne off from Temptation, and by what means it may be obtained.

It remains that the pastor exhort the faithful people to those things, which in this petition should constitute the chief objects of their thoughts and meditations. In offering this prayer, it will be found most salutary, if, aware of our extreme weakness, we distrust our strength \ and, placing all our hope of safety in the goodness of God, and relying 011 his protection, we encounter even the greatest dangers with greatness of soul, calling to mind particularly the many in stances of persons, who, animated with this hope, and armed with this resolution, were delivered by God from the gaping jaws of Satan. When Joseph was surrounded on every side by the burning torches of a furious woman, did not God rescue him from the extreme peril, and exalt him to glory ?P Did he not preserve Susannah in safety, when beset by the ministers of Satan, and on the very point of being made the victim of a nefarious sentence 1 Nor should this excite our surprise, for her heart, saith the prophet, had confidence in the Lord. Distinguished is the praise and the glory of Job, who triumphed over the world, the flesh, the devil ! There are many similar examples, by which the pastor should diligently exhort his pious people to that hope and confidence.

Question 17. Christ is the Standard- Bearer in our Conflict, all the Holy are Comrades, and they who folloiv them not, are Coivards.

The faithful should also reflect, under what leader they have to fight against the temptations of the enemy, no other than Christ our Lord, who was victorious in the same combat.1 He himself conquered the devil : he is that stronger man, who coming upon the strong armed man, overcame him, deprived him of his arms, and stripped him of his spoils.8 Of his victory over the world, we read in St. John, Have con fidence ; I have overcome the world arid in the Revelation he is called the conquering lion ; and is said to have gone forth conquering, that he might conquer ; u and by this his victory he has given to his followers the power to con quer. The epistle of the apostle to the Hebrews abounds with the victories of holy men, who through faith subdued kingdoms, stopped the mouths of lions ; and what follows.v Whilst we read of such achievements, let us also take into the account the victories every day won by men eminent for faith, hope, and charity, in their inward and outward con flicts with the devil ; victories so numerous and so signal, that, were we spectators of them, we should deem no event more frequent, none more glorious. Of the defeat of these enemies St. John says : / have written to you, young men, because ye are strong, and the ivord of God abideth in you, •cmd ye have overcome the wicked one.™

Question 18. In what manner the Devil may be Overcome ly us.

Satan, however, is overcome not by indolence, sleep, wine, revelling, lust ; but by prayer, labour, watching, abstinence, continence, chastity : Watch ye and pray, that ye enter not into temptation is, as we have already said, the admonition [of our Lord] : they who make use of these weapons in that conflict are sure to put the enemy to flight ; for from those who resist the devil, he is sure to flee, y In these victories, how ever, which are achieved by holy men, let no one indulge self-complacency, nor presumptuously flatter himself, that by his own exertions he is able to withstand the hostile tempta tions and assaults of devils : for this is not within the power of human nature, nor the competency of human frailty.

Question 19. In what manner Strength to Conquer is given us by God.

This strength, by which we lay prostrate the satellites of Satan, is given by God, who maketh our arms like a brazen bow ;z by whose aid, the bows of the mighty men are broken, and they are girt with strength ;a who giveth us the protection of salvation ;b whose right hand receiveth us ;c who teacheth our hands to fight, and our fingers to war ;d so that, for the victory, we should give thanks, and be grateful to God alone, by whose inspiration and assistance alone we are able to conquer. This grateful acknowledgment is exemplified in the conduct of the apostle : Thanks be to God, says he, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. e The voice from heaven in the Eevelation also proclaims God to be the author of our victories : Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdcm of our God, and the power of his Christ, for the accuser of our brethren is cast down ; and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.1 That to Christ our Lord belongs the victory obtained over the world and the flesh, we learn from the same authority : They shall make war icith the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them. On the cause and manner of conquering temptation, let thus much suffice.

Question 20. The Rewards which await the Victors in the Spiritual Conflict.

These things explained, the pastor will propose to the faithful people the crowns prepared by God, and the eternal amplitude of rewards destined for those who conquer : he will cite divine authorities to this effect from the same reve lation : He that overcometh, shall not be hurt of the second death ;h and in another place : He that overcometh, ilw same shall be clothed in white raiment) and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels ; and a little after, our God and Lord himself thus addresses John : Him that shall overcome, I will make a pillar in the temple of my God ; and he shall go out no more . he then says : To him that overcometh, I will grant to sit with me in my throne ; even as I also overcame and am set down with tny Father in his throne. Finally, having unveiled the glory of the saints, and the never-ending bliss which they shall enjoy in heaven, he adds, He that overcometh, shall inherit all things ; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. l

Question 1. Nothing is contained in the Former Petitions, which is not included in the Latter.

THIS last petition, with which the Son of God concluded this divine prayer, is equivalent to all the rest. To show its force and weight, he made use of this same clause when, about to quit this life, he invoked God his Father for the salvation of mankind : / pray, saith he, that, thou shouldest keep them from the evil.m In this formula of prayer, therefore, which he delivered by way of precept, and confirmed by example, he as it were embraced in an epitome the force and substance of the other petitions ; for, when we shall have obtained what is contained in that prayer, accord ing to St. Cyprian, nothing more remains to be demanded, when once ve ask the protection of God against evil : that once obtained, ive stand safe and secure against all the combined efforts of the devil and the world.n Such then being the importance of this petition, the pastor ought to bestow extreme diligence on the exposition thereof to the faithful. But it differs from the preceding petition in this respect, that in the former we ask the avoidance of sin, but in this, escape from punishment.

Question 2. What urges us to pour forth this Prayer before God.

Nor can it be any longer necessary to remind- the faithful people of the numerous inconveniences and calamities to which they are exposed, arid how much they stand in need of the heavenly assistance. For not only have both sacred0 and profane P writers, most copiously described the many and great miseries to which the life of man is exposed, but the dangers which beset himself and others have made almost every man understand them ; and we are all persuaded of the truth of these words of holy Job, himself a model of patience : Man, that is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble ; lie cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down, he Jleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. And that no day passes without its own trouble or inconvenience is attested by this saying of Christ our Lord : Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof; and indeed, the condition of human life is pointed out by our Lord himself, when he admonishes us, that we are to take up our cross daily, and. follow him. s 11 De orat. Dom.

Feeling, therefore, as every one does, the labours and dangers inseparable from this system of life, it will be easy to convince the faithful, that of God is to be implored deliver ance from evils, especially as nothing more powerfully induces men to pray than a desire and hope of deliverance from those ills, which oppress or threaten them. For to fly to God for assistance in distress, is a principle implanted in the human mind ; as it is written, Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek thy name, 0 Lord.

Question 3. How to Pray to God for the Removal of Dangers and Calamities.

If then in dangers and calamities men almost spontaneously call on God, it surely becomes the duty of those, to whose fidelity and prudence their salvation is confided, to instruct them, in an especial manner, as to the proper per formance of this duty. For there are not wanting those, who, contrary to the command of Christ our Lord, invert the order of prayer ; for he, who commands us to have recourse to him in the day of tribulation? has also prescribed to us the order of prayer. For it is his will that, before we pray that he deliver us from evil, we pray that the name of God be sanctified, and that his kingdom come, and so of the other petitions [of the the Lord's Prayer], by which, as it were, by so many steps, we ascend to this place. Yet are there those who, if their head, their side, their foot, ache ; if they sustain loss of property ; if threats or dangers from an enemy alarm them ; in famine, in war, or pestilence, omit all the other gradations of the Lord's Prayer, and ask only to be delivered from those evils. This practice, however, is at variance with the command of Christ : Seek first the kingdom of Godj Those, therefore, who pray aright, when they beg to be delivered from calamities and evils, refer all to the glory of God. Thus, when David offered this prayer : Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger he subjoined a reason, by which he shows the most earnest desire for the glory of God : For, saith he, there is in death no remembrance of thee : and who shall give thee thanks in hell ?x and, having, on another occasion, implored God to have mercy on him, he added : 7 will teach transgressors thy ways ; and the, sinners shall be con verted to theej The faithful are to be excited to this salutarymanner of praying, and to an imitation of the prophet ; and at the same time their attention should also be directed to the great difference that exists between the prayers of the infidel and those of the Christian.

Question 4. Difference between the Prayers of Infidels and Christians.

The unbelievers also beg earnestly of God that they may recover from sickness, and be healed of their wounds, that they may escape pressing or impending ills ; but they never theless place their principal hope of deliverance in the reme dies provided by nature, or by the industry of man ; and also make no scruple of using medicine given no matter by whom, no matter if accompanied by charms, spells, or other diabolical arts, provided some hope of recovery be held out. Not so Christians : in sickness and in all adversities, they fly to God as their sovereign refuge and resource for safety ; him only do they acknowledge and revere as the author of all good, and their deliverer ; to him they unhesitatingly ascribe whatever healing virtue resides in medicines ; and are convinced that their degree of efficacy in restoring health to the sick is such as God wills it should be ; for medicine is given by God to the human race to heal their infirmities. Hence these words of Ecclesiasticus : The Most High hath created medicines out of the earth, and he that is wise will not abhor them.1- They, therefore, who have pledged their fidelity to Jesus Christ, do not place their supreme hope of recovery in such remedies ; but place it in God, the author of these medicines.

Question 5. In what manner in Disease we otight to Trust in God alone, who has Delivered many from the most Critical Dangers.

And hence, in the sacred Scriptures is condemned the conduct of those who, confiding in the power of medicine, seek no assistance from God.a Nay, more, those who regu-- late their lives by the divine laws, abstain from the use of all remedies that are not evidently intended by God to be medicinal ; b and, were there even a certain hope of recovery by using any other, they abhor them as charms and diabolir cal artifices. The faithful, then, are to be exhorted to re pose their confidence in God ; for our most beneficent Father hath ordered us to beg of him our deliverance from evil, that in the very fact of his having so ordered we may also find a hope of its attainment. Of this there are many instances in Scripture, so that they who by reasoning may not be inspired with confidence, may be compelled to yield to a strong array of examples. Abraham, Jacob,d Lot,e Joseph/ David,” are, in the eyes of all, most unexceptionable witnesses of the divine benignity. The instances recorded in the New Testa ment of persons rescued from the greatest dangers by the effect of pious prayer, are so numerous as to supersede the necessity of citing examples :]l and we shall, therefore, con tent ourselves with one sentence from the prophet, which is sufficient to confirm even the weakest : The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth ; and delivered them out of all their troubles.

Question 6. What is here understood ly the name of “Evil” and of the meaning of this Petition.

The force and nature of the petition next follows, that the faithful may understand that in it we do not altogether solicit deliverance from every species of evil. For there are some things that are commonly considered evils, and which, not withstanding, are fraught with advantage to those who suffer them, such as that sting experienced by the apostle, that, by the aid of the grace of God, power might be made perfect in weakness! When the pious learn the influence of such things, far from praying for their removal, they rejoice in them exceedingly. It is, therefore, against those evils only, which cannot bring any advantage to the soul, that we pray j not against such as may be auxiliary to our salvation.

Question 7. How many and how great are the Evils from which we desire to be Liberated.

The full force of the petition, therefore, is this, that, freed from sin, we may also be freed from the clanger of temptation, from internal and external evils ; that we may be pro tected from water, from fire, from lightning ; that the hail may not injure the fruits of the earth ; that we be not visited by dearth, seditions, war ; that God may keep away dis eases, pestilence, desolation, may preserve us from slavery, imprisonment, exile, treason, plots, and from all other evils, by which the life of man is wont to be filled with such terror and misery. Finally, we pray that [God] may remove all causes of sin and iniquity. We do not, however, pray to be delivered solely from those things, which, by the consent of all, are evils ; but with them we also deprecate those things which almost all confess to be goods, such as riches, honours, health, strength, and life itself ; that is, we pray that these prove not detrimental or destructive to our souls. We also beg of God that we be not cut off by a sudden death ; that we provoke not the anger of God against us ; that we suffer not the punishments that await the wicked ; that we be not tormented in the fire of purgatory, from which we piously and devoutly implore the liberation of others. Such is the explanation of this petition given by the church in the mass,k and in the Litanies ;} that is to say, in it we beseech God to deliver us from all evils, past, present, and to come.

Question 8. God bjth va)'ds off Impending Evils, and sometimes Wonderfully Delivers us from Present Ones. '

But the goodness of God delivers us from evils in a variety of ways ; for he prevents impending calamities ; as we read that the great Jacob was liberated from his enemies, whom the slaughter of the Schechemites had stirred up against him ; for we read : The terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. And, indeed, all the blessed, who reign with Christ our Lord in heaven, have been delivered by God's assistance from all evil ;n but [God], whilst he delivers us from some, does not wish that we, sojourning in this pilgrimage, should be exempt from all evils. The consolation with which God sometimes refreshes those who labour under adversity is, however, in some sort, equivalent to an exemption from all evils : with it the prophet consoled himself when he said : In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul.0 God, moreover, delivers men from evils, when he preserves them safe and unhurt in ex treme danger, as we read of the children who were thrown into the fiery furnace,? and of Daniel :4 the former were preserved unhurt amid the flames ; the latter among the lions.

Question 9. The Devil specially called “ the Evil One,” because he is the Author of Evil, and the Inflictor of its Punishment.

The devil also is especially called evil, according to St. Basil,” Chrysostom, and Augustine, because he was the author of man's transgression, that is, of his sin and iniquity ; and because God makes use of him as an instrument to exact punishment for the wickedness of sinners ; for all the evil that mankind endure on account of sin is given by God ; and this is the meaning of these words of the divine writings : Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done ?u also : / am the Lord, and there is none else : I form the light and create darkness : I make peace and create evilj [The devil] is also called evil, because, although we have done him no harm, he wages perpetual war against us, and pursues us with mortal hatred ; but although, if we be armed with faith and shielded with innocence, he cannot hurt us, yet he never ceases to tempt us by external evils, and annoy us by every means in his power : and, therefore, do we beseech God to vouchsafe to deliver us from evil.

Question 10. We say from Evil, not from Evils, and why.

We say ./row evil, not from evils, because the evils which proceed from others we ascribe to Satan, as their author and instigator. This is also a reason why we should be less dis posed to be angry with our neighbours : we should rather turn our hatred and anger against Satan himself, by whom men are impelled to inflict injury. If, therefore, thy neigh bour hath injured thee in aught, when thou prayest to God thy Father, beg of him not only to deliver thee from evil, that is, from the injuries which thy neighbour inflicts on thee ; but to rescue thy neighbour also from the hand of the devil, by whose impulse men are led into injustice

Question 11. How we ought to behave under Afflictions, even if we be not liberated forthwith.

Finally, we should know, that if through prayers and vows we are not delivered from evils, we should bear our afflictions with patience, aware that it is the divine will that we should patiently endure them. If, therefore, God hear not our prayers, we ought not to be annoyed or grieved, but should refer all things to the divine will and pleasure, considering that what God pleases, not what may otherwise be agreeable to our wishes, is useful and salutary.

Question 12. How many, and how great Advantages result to us from Tribulation.

In fine, that during this our mortal career, we should be prepared to bear every kind of affliction and calamity, not only with patience, but even with joy, is a lesson of instruction which the pastor should impress upon his pious hearers ; for All that will live godly in Christ Jesus, says St. Paul, shall suffer persecution ;x also : Through much tribulation ive must enter into the kingdom of God /y again : Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory ;z for a servant should not be greater than his master ; a nor, as St. Bernard observes, do delicate members become a head crowned with thorns. b The glorious example of Uriah challenges our imitation, who, when urged by David to re main at home, replied : The ark of God, and Israel, and Judah dwell in tents ; and shall I go into my house. c If we come to prayer, endued with these reflections and this dis position, although surrounded by menaces and encompassed by evils on every side, we may not, like the three children, who were preserved untouched amidst the fiames,d pass un hurt through the ordeal, but like the Maccabees, may at least bear up against adverse fortune with firmness and for titude. In contumelies and tortures we shall imitate the blessed apostles, who, after they had been scourged, rejoiced exceedingly that they were accounted worthy to suffer con tumelies for Christ Jesus. f Thus disposed we too shall sing in transports of joy : Princes have persecuted me without a cause ; but my heart standeth in awe of thy word : I rejoice at thy word, as one thatjindeth great spoilt

Question 1. Of the Use and Fruit of this Particle.

THIS word Amen, St. Jerome, in his Commentaries on Matthew, calls what it really is, the seal oft/ie Lord sprayer) As then we before admonished the faithful of the preparation which is to be made before we commence divine prayer ; so do we now deem it proper to make known to them the reason why we close our prayers with this word, and what it signifies ; for devotion in concluding, is of equal importance with attention in beginning, divine prayer. The faithful people then are to know that numerous and abundant are the fruits, which we gather from the close of the Lord's Prayer ; but of these, the richest and most agreeable fruit is the attainment of the objects of our prayers, a matter on which we have already treated with sufficient fulness. By this concluding word of the prayer, however, not only do we obtain that our prayers be heard, but also receive blessings, the magnitude and excellence of which surpass all powers of description.

Question 2. Of the Good Things which result to men from Prayer.

For when, as St. Cyprian1 says, we commune with God by prayer, the divine majesty becomes, after a certain inexplicable manner, nearer to him who is engaged in prayer than to others ; and also enriches him with peculiar gifts. Those who pray devoutly, may thus in some sort be com pared to persons who approach a fire ; who, if cold, derive warmth ; if warm, heat : in like manner, those who approach God, acquire a warmth and ardour proportioned to their piety and faith : for their soul is inflamed with zeal for the glory of God ; their mind illumined after an admirable manner ; they are enriched exceedingly with divine gifts ; for it is written : Thou preventest him with blessings of good ness.' Of this, the great Moses affords an illustrious ex ample to all, for withdrawing from his interview and conversation with God, he shone, as it were, with the reflected splendours of the divinity ; so that the Israelites could not look upon his eyes or countenanced Those, in fine, who pray with such fervour, enjoy, after an admirable manner, the benignity and Majesty of God : In the morning, says the Prophet, / will direct my prayer unto thee and will look up : for thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness.1 The better men know these truths, the more piously do they venerate and worship God ; the more delightfully too do they taste, how sweet is the Lord, and how truly blessed are all that hope in him.m Encircled by that most brilliant light, they also consider how great is their own lowliness, how exalted the majesty of God. This is the rule of St. Augustine ; May I know thee, may I know my 'self. ,n Thus it is that, mistrusting their own strength, they commit themselves altogether to the goodness of God, not doubting that he, embracing them in his paternal and admirable love, will afford them in abundance all things necessary unto life and salvation. Hence they should turn themselves to give thanks unto God, to the utmost extent that their minds can conceive, or their tongues express ; following the example of the great David, who having commenced by praying : Save me from all them that persecute me, concludes with these words : / will praise the Lord according to his righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord the Most High.0

Question 3. Why it is, that the Prayers of the Saints, beginning in Fear, end with Joy.

There are extant innumerable such prayers of the saints, the beginnings of which are full of fear, but which end with good hope and joy ; but in the psalms of David, this spirit is eminently conspicuous. Agitated by fear, he thus began : Many are they who rise up against me : many say to my soul: there is no help for him in God ;P but at length, armed with fortitude, and filled with joy, he adds a little after : / will not fear ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about. In another psalm also, after he had deplored his misery, at length confiding in God, he rejoices exceedingly in the hope of everlasting hap piness : / will both lay me down in peace and sleep. What shall we say of these words ? 0 Lord rebuke me not in thine anger, nor chasten me in thy hot displeasure;91 with what fear and dismay must they not have been uttered by the prophet ! On the other hand, with what confidence and joy must he not have added : Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity ; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. ,fc When he dreaded the anger and fury of Saul, with what lowliness and humility did he not implore the assistance of God : Save me, 0 God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength;”' and yet, in the same psalm, he cheerfully and confidently added : Behold, God is my helper, and the Lord is the upholder of my soul.v Let him, therefore, who has recourse to holy prayers, fortified by faith and hope, approach God his Father, not at all despairing to obtain those blessings, of which he may stand in need.

Question 4. Why the pronunciation of the word “Amen” in this Prayer, and in the Mass, is reserved for the Priest.

The word, amen, with which the divine prayer concludes, contains many germs, as it were, of those reasons and re flections which we have already mentioned ; and, indeed, so frequent was this Hebrew word in the mouth of the Saviour, w that it pleased the Holy Ghost to have it retained in the Church of God. Its meaning in some sort is : Know that thy prayers are heard, for it is in substance, as if God answers the supplicant, and graciously dismisses him, after he has obtained the object of his prayers. This interpretation has been approved by the constant usage of the Church of God ; for in the sacrifice of the mass, when the Lord's prayer is being said, she has not assigned the word, amen, to the persons serving the mass, whose business it is to say : But deliver us from evil, but has reserved it as appropriate to the priest himself, who, as interpreter be tween God and man, answers, amen, thus intimating that God has heard the prayers of his people. x

Question 5. Why in the other Prayers the Cleric, but in this the Priest, answers “Amen.”

This rite, however, is not common to all the prayers, for in the others it is the duty of the clerk to answer, amen ; but it is peculiar to the Lord's prayer. For in the other prayers it expresses consent and desire only ;7 in this it is an answer, that God has assented to the prayer of the sup pliant.

Question 6. The word, “Amen” is interpreted variously.

By many this word, amen, has indeed been variously interpreted : the Septuagint translates it : So be it : z some render it, truly :a Aquila makes it, faithfully; but which of these versions we adopt is matter of little moment, pro vided we understand it to have the force already mentioned, which is that of the priest confirming the concession of what was prayed for ; an interpretation to which the apostle lends his testimony in his epistle to the Corinthians, where he says : All the promises of God in him are yea : and in him, amen to God unto our glory. c To us also this word is well suited, containing as it does some confirmation of the petitions, which we have hitherto presented ; and awakening our attention, whilst engaged in holy prayers ; for it also often happens, that in prayer men's thoughts are distracted to other objects. Nay, by this very word we most earnestly beg of God, that all may be accomplished, that is, that all our previous petitions may be granted ; or rather, understanding that they have been all granted, and feeling the virtue of the divine assistance present with us, we sing with the prophet : Behold, God is my helper ; and the Lord is the upholder of my soul.- Nor has any one reason to doubt, that God is moved by the name of his Son, and by a word very often used by him, who was always, as the apostle says, heard in that he feared ; e whose is the kingdom, and the power, and the empire, for ever and ever.