We do not however pray to be delivered solely from those things, which all look upon as evils; with them we also deprecate those things which almost all consider to be good, such as riches, honours, health, strength, and even life itself, rather than that they should prove destructive or detrimental to our immortal souls. We also beg of God that we be not cut off by a a sudden death; that we provoke not his anger against us; that we be not condemned to suffer the punishments reserved for the wicked; that we be not sentenced to endure the fire of purgatory, from which we piously and devoutly implore the liberation of others. This is the explanation of this petition given by the Church in the Mass and Litanies: in it we beseech God to avert from us all evil past, present, and to come. God deli- The goodness of God delivers us from evil in a variety of versus ways. He prevents impending evils, as we read with regard a variety of to the Patriarch Jacob: the slaughter of the Sichimites had ways. exasperated the fury of his enemies; but God delivered him from their hands: " The terror of God fell upon all the cities round about, and they durst not pursue after them as they went away." [1] The blessed, who reign with Christ the Lord in heaven, have been delivered by the divine assistance from all evil; but, although the Almighty delivers us from some evils, it is not his will that, whilst journeying in this our mortal Note. pilgrimage, we should be entirely exempt from all. The consolations with which God sometimes refreshes those who labour under adversity are, however, equivalent to an exemption from all evil; and with these the prophet consoled himself when he said: " According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, thy consolations have rejoiced my soul." [2] God, moreover, delivers men from evil when he preserves them unhurt in the midst of extreme danger: thus did his protecting arm save the three children who were thrown into the fiery furnace, [3] and Daniel, who was cast into the lion's den, and who also escaped unhurt. [4]
According to the interpretation of St. Basil, St. Chrysostome, and Augustine, the devil is specially called " the evil one;" 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 chastise the impiety of sinners. The evils which mankind endure in punishment of sin are appointed by God; and this is the meaning of these words of the prophet Amos: " Shall there be evil in a city which the Lord hath not done?" [5] and also of Isaias: " I am the Lord and there is none else: I form the light and create darkness: I make peace and create evil." [6] The devil is also called evil, because, although we have never done any thing to provoke his hostility, he wages perpetual war against us, and pursues us with mortal hatred; but, if we put on the armour of faith and the shield of innocence,
