Chap. Viii.—The Seventh Or Final Clause.
CHAP. VIII.—THE SEVENTH OR FINAL CLAUSE.
For the completeness of so brief a prayer He added—in order that
we should supplicate not touching the remitting merely, but touching
the entire averting, of acts of guilt" Lead us not into temptation:"
that is, suffer us not to be led into it, by him (of course) who
tempts; but far be the thought that the Lord should seem to tempt,[7]
as if He either were ignorant of the faith of any, or else were eager
to overthrow it. Infirmity[8] and malice' are characteristics of the
devil. For God had commanded even Abraham to make a sacrifice of his
son, for the sake not of tempting, but proving, his faith; in order
through him to make an example for that precept of His, whereby He was,
by and by, to enjoin that he should hold no pledges of affection dearer
than God.[10] He Himself, when tempted by the devil, demonstrated who
it is that presides over and is the originator of temptation." This
passage He confirms by subsequent ones, saying, "Pray that ye be not
tempted;"[12] yet they were tempted, (as they showed) by de-setting
their Lord, because they had given way rather to sleep than prayer.[13]
The final clause, therefore, is consonant, and interprets the sense of
"Lead us not into temptation;" for this sense is, "But convey us away
from the Evil One."