enemy of mankind employs all his artifices, and exerts all his powers against them, assailing them with such violence as to justify the apprehension, that, wavering in their good resolutions, they may relapse into sin, and their condition be thus rendered much worse than before their conversion to God. To them may be justly applied these words of the Apostle: " It had been better for them not to have known the way of justice, than, after knowing it, to turn back from that holy commandment which was delivered to them." [1] Therefore does our Lord command us to offer this petition, in order that we may commend ourselves daily to God, and implore his paternal care and assistance, well assured that when destitute of his protection, we must be caught in the ambushes of our crafty enemy. Nor is it in this petition alone that he commands us to beg of God not to suffer us to be led into temptation: addressing his Apostles on the eve of his death, and declaring them " clean," [2] he says: " Watch ye and pray that ye enter not into temptation." [3] This admonition, reiterated by our Lord on so solemn and affecting an occasion, makes it particularly incumbent on the pastor to spare no pains in exciting the faithful to a frequent use of this prayer, that beset, as they all are, on every side and on each day of their lives, by the dangers in which their enemy the devil seeks to involve them, they may unceasingly cry out: "Lead us not into temptation;" thus supplicating the protection of God, whose arm is alone able to crush the efforts of the infernal enemy.
The necessity of the Divine assistance the faithful will understand, if they but reflect on their own weakness and ignorance; if they call to mind these words of Christ our Lord: " The spirit indeed is prompt, but the flesh weak;" [4] and if they consider the heavy calamities and misfortunes that must befall men through the instigation of the devil, if not upheld and assisted by the strong arm of the Omnipotent. Of this our frailty what more striking example than that which the holy choir of the Apostles affords? Evincing, as they had already done, such resolute courage, they however trembled at the first alarm; and abandoning the Saviour, fled from the scene of danger. A more instructive lesson still is presented to us in the conduct of the prince of the Apostles. Loud in professing more than ordinary fortitude, and singular love towards Christ our Lord, and confiding in his own strength, Peter said: " Though I should die with thee, I will not deny thee;" [5] yet in a few moments after, affrighted by the voice of a poor servant maid, he protested with an oath that he knew not the Lord. Doubtless, his strength was unequal to his ardour, when he professed such devotedness to his Lord: but if the confidence, which they reposed in the weakness of human nature, has betrayed men of eminent piety into the most grievous sins, what just cause
