Wednesday after the Third Sunday — Deliver us from evil

Consider, first, that this petition is near akin to the two foregoing petitions; inasmuch as the main drift of the former of (hem was to deliver us from the evil of our past sins, and of the latter to keep us from the evil of sin for the time to come j and this, in general, begs to be delivered from all evil, past, pre»> eat, or to come. Now, of all these evils, sin is not only the greatest, but is, in some sense, the only thing that deserves to be called evil; because all other things, that we call evils, are either the consequences of sin, or cease to be real evils, when not accompanied with sin. So that die main business of this petition is, to beg of God that he would deliver us from all sin, past, present, or to come; from all the consequences of sin, and the punishments which our sins have deserved; from the slavery of our passions and sinful habits; and from the tyranny and possession of the evil one, who has the dominion over all wilful sinners. Good God, finr thy mercy sake, and through the precious blood of thy Son, our Redeemer, deliver us from all these dreadful evils.

Consider, secondly, by descending into particulars, all that scene of numberless evils, to which we are liable, on account of sin, in this miserable world, and from which we here pray to lx delivered by the mercy of God; such as all public calamities, wars, plagues, famines, earthquakes, tempests, inundations, dtc., besides a multitude of private evils, to which each particular person is so frequently exposed; then all spiritual evils, which are much more deplorable, whether public or private — heresies, schisms, persecutions of the church, errors, abuses, oppressions of the poor, sacrileges, scandals, national vices, and the general reign Satan and sin in the thoughts, words, and actions of the children of this world; and, with regard to the future, the dreadful evil of unprovided death and final impenitence, the dismal sufferings of another world, the judgment and sentence of eternal damnation, and the second death of a miserable eternity. And do not so many and such lamentable evils well deserve that we should continually pray, that God in his mercy would deliver us all from having any share in them?

Consider, thirdly, as to thyself in particular, how many and how great evils thou hast reason to apprehend, to be either actually upon thee, or to threaten thee on every side. Reflect on the multitude of thy past and present sins, infinitely more numerous and more enormous than thou imaginest; the uncertainty of the forgiveness of them, because of the uncertainty, the weakness, and inconstancy of thy repentance; the dreadful debt of punishment due to thy sins, and how little thou hast done towards the discharge of it; the vices and passions thou art daily subject to; the many enemies that encompass thee, and are continually laying snares for thy soul; the corruption of thy own heart, the blindness of tliy understanding, thy weakness in nil that IS good, and the violence of thy concupiscence, and inclinitions to evil. Then see what thou hast to apprehend of evil fctr tlie future, from the judgments of God, ever hanging over the head of impenitent sinners; from the malice and subtilty of thy enemies, ever intent upon thy ruin; and the hold thou givest them by thy passions, and that unhappy self-love which keeps a continual correspondence with them; lastly, from that miserable death, judgment, and hell, which are the portion of all who, by occasion of mortal sin unrepented of, fall into the hands of the living God; and thou wilt he convinced of the necessity of thy continually crying out to thy only Redeemer, Deliver us from evil. Amen,

Conclude to embrace humble and fervent prayer, as the sovereign means to be delivered from all evils, past, present, or to come; and as these evils continually threaten thee, so let th} prayer also be in some measure continual.