ones may be remitted through the sacraments. These are called our debts, because by them we owe to God a satisfaction, which cannot be fully made, unless he remits it. But we must hope for this pardon, no otherwise than by pardoning others, even our greatest enemies; yet we may require the payment of just debts, and restitution for damage done. Not only the express command of God, but our own interest obliges us to this pardon of enemies; and indeed our salvation is not made harder, but easier by it: since by this, God puts his mercy into our own hands, promising that if we are merciful, and will forgive (which is in our power) we shall find mercy, and be forgiven; and if he forgives our great and innumerable offences, cannot we forgive an injury our neighbour has done us? As long as true charity reigns in our hearts, we render selves capable of this mercy; but when charity is destroyed by anger, ill-will, malice, or revenge, then is our prayer, Forgive us our trespasses, void and ineffectual. Thus we are exhorted: When you offer your gift to the altar, go first and be reconciled to your brother.

St. Matt. v. 23.

Qur

By this petition, we beg not only a forgiveness of sin, but also of the punishment due to it. The greater then our contrition is, when we repeat this prayer, the greater will be our pardon, according to that say-ing of our Saviour on St. Mary Magdalen, Many sins are forgiven her, because she has loved much. St. Luke

iii. 47.

EXHOR-Be you, O christian, an imitator of God: as he in his mercy forgives you, so do you forgive others. The more you sin, the oftener you sin, the more earnestly you ought, with hope in God, to repeat this prayer: Forgive us our trespasses. Think, O my soul, of those punishments due to sin beyond conception! Pray to God to forgive you now, and do works of penance while you may. Bewail your sins in time with tears of contrition, that you may not bewail them for eternity in torments.

R. WH

PET. VI.

Lead us not into temptation.

THAT do we beg by this petition? A. That God would not permit us to be tempted above our strength. Q. Does God tempt us to sin? A. No, he does not: He tempts no one to the evil of sin, St. James i. 13. Q. By whom are we tempted? A. By the devil, the world, and our own concupiscence. Q. Is it any sin to be tempted? A. not without some consent or delight on our part. Q. Can we live in the world without temptation? A. We cannot: Man's life is a warfare upon earth. Q. What is the best remedy against temptation? A. To keep out of the occasions of it: and often repeat this prayer devoutly: Lead us not into temptation.

INSTRUC. As then we pray to be delivered from the guilt of sin, in the foregoing petition; and this cannot well be done, unless we are freed from the dangers of sin; therefore the next petition is, Lead us not into temptation. By this we pray that God would remove the temptation that leads us into sin, at least that he would give us strength to overcome it. Temptation comes not from God: to say that God tempts any one to sin, is blasphemy; he does indeed permit us to be tempted, to try our obedience to him, but the temptation proceeds from the Devil's malice; so he tempted Adam and Eve in Paradise, even in the state of innocence it proceeds from the world, that is, from those depraved persons with whom we live, and who are labouring to corrupt us with their wicked maxims: it proceeds from our own depraved nature and concupiscence, which is that law in our members, that continually fights against our reason and the law of God: many are the sins and temptations, that proceed from concupiscence of the flesh. Gal. v. 19. &c.

There is no man living free from temptation: the root of it is born with us; the life of man is temptation: yet temptation is no sin, unless we make it such

by wilful consent; it often turns to our greater virtue and merit, through our resistance and christian fortitude: Blessed is the man that sustains temptation, because when he has been proved, he shall receive a crown of life. St. James i. 12.

There are three steps to sin: thought, delight, consent. The first arises in the mind, and is not sin, but a suggestion of the Devil to sin. The second, which is delight, arises from the flesh or concupiscence, and is not sin, unless we wilfully encourage it, and dwell in it. The third is consent, and this is done by the will; this last completes the temptation, and begets death; that is, proves mortal to the soul. The means to prevent it is, 1. To put a stop to the beginning: 2. To avoid all occasions: 3. To pray often; Lead us not into temptation.

EXHOR.-Remember, O christian, as you are in this world surrounded with enemies, and that your very life is a combat upon earth, how necessary it is to offer up this petition daily to God: Your fight is not against flesh and blood, (men) but against principalities and powers, against the wicked spirits who inhabit the air : besides the inconstancy of your state, and weakness of your nature, require you to arm yourself with this prayer; knowing it is impossible for you either to avoid evil, or do good, or to free yourself from the evils that already oppress you, without the means of God's grace, nor without using all care to deserve and obtain an increase of that grace. As then you have God for your almighty protector, and Jesus for your leader, do. your part: Resist the Devil and he will fly from you. Avoid all occasions, such and such company, such places, such conversation; but chiefly renounce your own will, which is the origin of temptation and sin.

PET. VII.

'Deliver us from evil.

WHAT do we beg by this? A. That God would free us from all evil, sin, and other mise

ries. From whence comes the evil of sin ? A. From the Devil's malice, and our own corrupt nature and perverse will, not from God. Sin in God there is none.

INSTRUC-By this last petition, we beseech God to deliver us from all evil; as the Devil, sin and every thing that obstructs our salvation: as for the evils of life, they may, by grace, be turned to our eternal good; yet we pray to be freed, even from these, so far as they may hinder our progress in virtue, and be a temptation of murmuring and impatience.

EXHOR. At the same time then, you pray to be delivered from all evils that are eternal, pray that you may with resignation and an humble mind, embrace those that are temporal, as from the hand of God, to be a penance for your sins: he that sends them sends strength to bear them: these are sent lest you should forget where you are, what you are, and for what you suffer. All the petitions of the Lord's prayer are to put you in mind of God and yourselves, and your entire dependance on him. O weakness of man, that can do nothing of himself! But O power of God, by which he can do all things, through him who strengthens us. I can do all things in him that comforts me. Phil. iv. 13.

SECT. II.

The Hail Mary expounded.

Q. WHAT is the Hail Mary ? A. It is a salutation and holy prayer, whereby we beg the intercession of the blessed Virgin Mary, and express our joy for the incarnation of the Son of God. Q. How many parts has it? A. Three. The first part is the salutation of the Angel Gabriel to the blessed Virgin, when he announced to her the incarnation of the Son of

God, saying, Hail Mary, full of grace our Lord is with thee. The second part was spoke by St. Elizabeth, inspired by the Holy Ghost, when the blessed Virgin came to visit her: Blessed art thou among woman and bessed is the fruit of thy womb. The third part was added by the church against the heretic Nestorius, and

his party, who denied the Virgin Mary to be the mother of God: Holy Mary, mother of God pray for us sinners now and in the hour of our death.

INSTRUC.-The most excellent prayer next to the Lord's prayer, is the angelical salutation, commonly called the Hail Mary; because it begins with these words, Hail Mary, full of grace. As the Lord's prayer was delivered by Christ himself, to teach us how we ought to pray through his mediation, to his eternal Father, so the Hail Mary was taught by divine inspiration, to beg the intercession of the blessed Virgin to her Son Jesus, for us sinners; and to express our joy, for the incarnation of the Son of God, which was the cause of all our good.

This prayer, though short, is full of mystery: it puts us in mind of our ancient misery, deprived as we were, through sin, of the sight, the grace and love of God. It excites gratitude in us, for the benefit of the incarnation: it honours God by renewing the memory great a mercy in a word, this prayer is odious to the Devil, as shewing how his wicked design was frustrated, and his head crushed by the seed of the wo

man.

of so

The first part of this prayer is the saluation of the blessed Virgin by the Angel Gabriel, and in it her singular graces are expressed: Hail Mary full of grace, our Lord is with thee. Hail Mary is a word of salutation, as if he had said, Rejoice, O mother of God: a word of joy then this to her, and to all heaven and earth, as renewing the memory of her son's conception. Full of grace: these words mean that the blessed Virgin had a special prerogative of grace above all others, as being elected by God, to conceive and bear him, who is the Author of all to men. grace No wonder then, if her conception and nativity, and whole life, were immaculate, and never subject to the stain of sin: no wonder that she, who was to bear our blessed Redeemer, who came to destroy sin, should be by his grace preserved from all sin and although it is written of others, that they were full of grace, as the apostles and St. Stephen, to the end of fulfilling the office whereto