of him was to do him an ill turn. And if we find it difficult to do more than just cease to feel revengefully against those who have injured us, let us try our Lord's prescription, and "pray for those who despitefully use us;" and as we pray, mentioning their names daily before the mercy-seat, we shall find that (gradually perhaps, but surely) the "old leaven of malice" will be " 'purged out" (1 Cor. v. 7, 8), and the grace of love and charity will permeate our heart, and we shall learn not only to forgive and forget our injuries, but also to "love our enemies (S. Matt. v. 44), and seek their welfare, and long

for their love.

A sad story is told in Ecclesiastical History of two friends at Antioch, Nicephorus and Sapricius, who afterwards became as great enemies as heretofore they had been friends. Nicephorus repented and sued to Sapricius for reconciliation, but was refused;—refused even to the very day that Sapricius was led forth to execution as a martyr for the Christian religion, at the time of the persecution of Valerian. Nicephorus purposely placed himself in his path, and on his knees begged for reconciliation, but in vain. The result was this: Sapricius, when he was led to the stake, recanted and renounced the religion of Christ, and so became a renegade and an apostate, and lost the crown of martyrdom; but Nicephorus, who came forward later, made a good confession for Christ, and by his martyrdom won his crown.1 The Spirit of God is soon "grieved,” and may at last be "quenched" by those who cherish "bitterness and malice" in their hearts (Eph. iv. 30−1), and so this one sin of uncharitableness may open the door to all other kinds of sin, whereas a loving, merciful spirit leads us on to all perfection. S. Cyprian says, "He cannot exhibit himself as a martyr for Christ who holds not fast his charity towards his brother;" as the apostle testifies, saying, "If I have all faith, so

1 Fleury: "Hist. Eccles.," vol. ii., p. 334.

that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing" (1 Cor. xiii. 2, 3).1

We may sum up our thoughts on this clause of the petition which we have been considering, in the words of Jesus the son of Sirach: "He that revengeth shall find vengeance from the Lord, and he will surely keep his sins in remembrance. Forgive thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done unto thee; so shall thy sins be forgiven when thou prayest. One man beareth hatred against another; and doth he seek pardon from the Lord? He sheweth no mercy to a man which is like himself and doth he ask forgiveness of his own sins? If he that is but flesh nourish hatred, who will entreat for pardon for his sins? Remember thy end, and let enmity cease (Ecclus. xxviii. 1-6).

1 "Exhibere se non potest martyrem, qui fraternam non tenuit caritatem. Docet hoc et contestatur Paulus, dicens, Et si habuero fidem, etc." (de unit. Eccles.).

292

"AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION.” THE connection between this petition and the one immediately preceding is so instructive that we may well preface our consideration of the petition by dwelling for a few moments on the connecting thoughts. The forgiveness of sin is so great a blessing that, if our thoughts ascend to heaven, they soar no higher than the Mercy-seat whence that pardon is dispensed, or if they descend into hell, they sink no lower than the deep abyss from which that pardon delivers us. But great as that blessing is, it is not enough to secure us from evil. We have not only stained our Baptismal robe, but we have poisoned our pure regenerate nature: the burden of our sin has not only wearied but has weakened our strength: its debt has not only depressed but has demoralised our soul. And hence, even when the words of forgiveness are still lingering on the ear and shedding peace and comfort and happiness on the heart, we may not forget that we are still weak in ourselves, and surrounded by numberless foes who are intent on our destruction. As long as this life remains the words of Absolution, "Thy sins be forgiven thee," are followed by the caution, “Go and sin no more” (S. John viii. 11). And when we consider what a world it is into which we are bidden to "go," what possibilities of danger, what likelihoods of ruin it presents, it seems as if it were impossible to obey both parts of the precept, and that to "sin no more" is impracticable, if we are to "go" into a "world that lieth in wickedness" (1 S. John v. 19). "The spirit indeed" may be "willing, but the flesh is weak" (S. Matt. xxvi. 41). Our iniquity may be blotted out, but our infirmity remains.1 And we have too

1 66 Numquid, quia deleta est iniquitas, finita est infirmitas ?" (S. Aug.)

good reason to fear lest, the house of our heart being swept of its former pollution, the evil spirit should "return with seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and enter in and dwell there; and the last state should be worse than the first" (S. Luke xi. 25, 26); a relapse being even more dangerous than the original disease. So that when we have prayed, "Forgive us our debts," we have need to add day by day, "And lead us not into temptation." And a blessed thing it is for us to know that, as the Psalmist says, God is able and willing not only to "forgive us all our iniquities," but also to “heal all our diseases" (Ps. ciii. 3).

Again, not only from a sense of danger and distrust of ourselves shall we pray thus, but also from the constraining power of love and devotion towards Him Who has so mercifully delivered us. "To whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little," our Lord says (S. Luke vii. 47), whereas he to whom God "has forgiven most will love Him most" (verses 42-3). And hence, so far from presuming on God's mercy, and perverting His grace into an argument for continuing in sin, we should say with the apostle, "God forbid: how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?" (Rom. vi. 2.) Each act of forgiveness should become a fresh and stronger motive for a more perfect obedience, as "the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule thou over us, for thou hast delivered us" (Judges viii. 22). If He hath "delivered us from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate us," it is that we might "serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the

1 "Ne scilicet purgatâ domo nostrâ a peccatorum sordibus, rursus tentatione victi, in eadem aut majora recidivantes, novissima nostra fiant prioribus pejora " (Biel. Lect. 77, de Missâ).

2 "Gravius ægrotant ii, qui cum levati morbo videntur, in eum de integro incidunt" (Cic. Fam. Ep. 30, lib. 12).—“ Ingens periculum ad deteriora redeundi" (Sen. Ep. 72).

3" Æterna magni debiti condonati recordatio erit fomentum maximi amoris" (Bengel).

days of our life" (S. Luke i. 74). So the Psalmist loves to argue—“O Lord, truly I am Thy servant, I am Thy servant : Thou hast loosed my bonds" (Ps. cxvi. 16). When S. John has been declaring to us in the plainest language the promises of God to the penitent, and telling us that "the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin" (1 S. John i. 7), he is careful to add, lest we should "turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness" (S. Jude 4), "These things write I unto you that ye sin not." Thus justification should naturally lead to sanctification, because the more deeply we feel the guilt of the debt from which we have been ransomed (Job xxxiii. 24), the more deeply shall we love our Redeemer, and the more earnestly endeavour to keep clear of sin for the future. "For as it was

our mind to go astray from God, so, being returned,” we should "seek Him ten times more" (Baruch iv. 28). But so possible is it that it may "happen to us according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire” (2 S. Peter ii. 22),1 that the old Fathers spake of the freeness of God's forgiveness with fear and reluctance, lest men should abuse and pervert it to their own destruction-"I speak unwillingly," says Tertullian; "I speak with fear," says S. Basil.3

Again, this word "and" which connects this petition with that which precedes it, teaches us that even after our enjoying revelations of God's goodness, so far from being exempted from the temptations of evil, we are even more likely then to be tempted. So the son of Sirach says, "My son, if thou come to serve the Lord, prepare thy soul for temptation" (Ecclus. ii. 1). The Israelites are delivered out of Egypt and miraculously conducted through the Red Sea; but they are led into the

1 "Crescit enim multitudo peccantium, cum redimendi peccati spes datur, et facile itur ad culpas, ubi est venalis ignoscentium gratia (Arnobius adv. gentes, 1. 7).

2 "Invite loquor " (de poenit.).

3 φοβούμενος λέγω (Hom. 14).