RELIGIOUS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 657, 26 September 1884, Page 7

RELIGIOUS.

A PRAYER FOR THE DEVIL. Thomas Aquinas, a good Catholic saint, and advocate of orthodox Catholic doctrine, was neverthless a very humane man, and he believed it possible that God’s mercy might be sufficient for the devil's salvation. It is related of Aquinas that he spent one whole night kneeling on the stones in prayer for the eventual saving of the enemy of mankind. This prayer has been rendered into verse by Francis W. Newman, a brother of the celebrated Cardinal Newman. Francis "Vy. Newman was a pronounced liberal, and a very excellent man. This is the prayer :

Ob ! God, he said, it cannot be Thy morning star, with endless moan, Shall lift his fading orbs to thee, And thou be happy on thy throne ; It were not kind, nay, Father, nay— It were not just, Oh ! God ! I say. Pray for the Devil, J esus, pray. How can thy kingdom ever come, While the fair angels howl below ? All holy voices would be dumb, All loving hearts be filled with woe, To think the lordliest peer of Heaven, The starry leader of the seven, Should never, never be forgiven.

Pray for the Devil, Jesus, pray. Oh ! Word ! that made thine Angel speak, Turn from thine own bright world away. Dear God ! not man alone is weak. What is created still must fall, And fairest, still, we frailest call, Will not Christ’s blood atone for all ?

He will not, will not do it more,. — Restore him to his throne again, Oh ! open wide that dreadful door, Which presses on the souls in pain. So men and angels all w>ll say, Our God is good. Oh ! day by day, Pray for the Devil, Jesus, pray.

All night Aquinas knelt alone ; _ Alone with black and dreadful night, Until before his pleading moan, The darkness ebbed away in light. Then rose the saint, and God, said he, If darkness change to light with Thee, The Devil may yet an Angel be !