Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/184

 existence of  angel  guardians  implies  the  existence of the  devil  as  day  implies  night  and  defence denotes offence. As an  answer,  therefore,  I  remind you to-day  of  that  consoling  doctrine;  viz.,  that God hath  given  His  angels  charge  over  you,  to keep  you  in  all  your  ways. In their  hands  they  shall bear you  up,  lest  you  dash  your  feet  against  a  stone."

Brethren, in  tempting  Christ  with  scriptural  words to cast  Himself  from  the  pinnacle  of  the  Temple,  the devil trebly  sinned. First, he  misapplied  the  text. The ninetieth  Psalm  from  which  he  quoted  does  not apply to  Christ,  but  to  the  virtuous  man  amid  the pitfalls of  this  world. Christ's soul  enjoying  perpetually the  beatific  vision  and  His  body  being  the temple of  the  Most  High,  He  had  no  need  of  angel guardians. He it  is  who  guards  them  all,  and though they  came  and  ministered  to  Him,  they  came when Satan  left;  they  came  not  to  protect  but  to serve,  for  sin  to  Christ  was  an  impossibility. To Peter in  Gethsemane  He  said :  "  Knowest  thou  not that  I  can  ask  My  Father  and  He  will  give  Me  presently more. than  twelve  legions  of  angels?" Were there no  such  things  as  devils  or  were  man  proof against their  wiles,  the  need  of  angel  guardians would cease. Again, the  devil  misinterpreted. The stones of  which  the  Psalmist  speaks  are  spiritual stumbling-blocks, over  which  the  angels  help  whoever has  a  mind  to  help  himself. To literally,  therefore, cast  one's  self  from  a  lofty  tower,  or  plunge down the  precipice  of  sin,  relying  on  God  for  safety, would be  both  tempting  God  and  presuming  on  His