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Thou hast  now,  O Lord, received me  back  indeed  to grace  with  the  kiss  of  peace, and embracest  me  with  loving arms; but thou  knowest  my infirmity;  let  me  not,  I beseech thee,  be  ever  again  separated from  thee,  nor  go astray  after  my  own  heart’s desire.

Preserve and  deliver  me from  all  the  evils  of  my  present and  future  life,  as  far  as they  are  opposed  to  the  advancement of  thy  glory  and my own  salvation,  that  I may suffer no  hindrance  in  serving thee  perfectly  upon  earth, and may  happily  enjoy  thee in heaven,  where  no  evil  can enter in,  but  thou  art  all  in all,  and  art  for  ever  the  highest good  of  those  that  love thee. Amen.

The Lord's  Prayer  is  most fruitful in  holy  meanings, and is, as it  were, a complete armory, or, if  you  mil,  a universal  charm  against  the plagues and  diseases  of  the soul, which all  spring  up  out of the  direful  root  of  the  seven capital  sins. Against these the  Lord’s  Prayer  is  the most suitable  defence.

This sevenfold  evil  principle is  therefore  described in the  Apocalypse  under  the figure of  a Beast  having seven heads,  which, as  being exceedingly hatef  ul  and  inveterate against  man, ceases  not to assail  us  with  one  or  other of its  heads,  and  to  pour  its baneful poison  upon  us;  so that  as  one  is  cut  down  another springs  up,  and  as  one loses another  gathers  strength, and thus  in  turn  they  succeed one another.

Nay, they  not  unfrcquently combine together, as  it  were, to attack  us  in  a body,  as every  one  soon  knows  by  experience whs  is  in  earnest about his  salvation. Hence our Saviour,  when  he  left  us this  contest  for  the  trial  of our  virtue  and  the  increase  of our  merit, gave  us  in  his  own prayer a remedy  ready  to  our hand; and  this  he  delivered to us  with  its  seven  petitions, as though  it  were  armed  with so many  weapons,  with  each of which  we  might  inflict  a wound  upon  every  head  of the  Beast. Therefore in  saying.

Lift up  thy  eyes  to  God  thy Father, who  dwells  in  heaven, and  knows  the  high  afar off; nay, is  nigh  to  all  that call upon  him,  and  to  them