Exposition of the Lords Prayer, Part 14
Lead vsus not into temptation, but deliuer vsus from euil.
1 The Coherence.
IT might seem to some, that this petition is superfluous: for what need he care for temptations, that hath the pardon of his sinnes? But our sauiour did not teach vsus thus to pray without speciall reason. 1. Because forgiuenesse of sinnes, and wonderfull temptations, bee inseperable companions in this life: which thing wee finde to be true, both in Gods word, and in Christian experience: there is no man in this world so beaten and buffeted with temptations, as the penitent sinner, that cries most bitterlie for the pardon of his sins. This is the estate, that fewe men in the worlde are acquainted with, for they ar neuer troubled with temptation, but liue in all peace & quietnes, both in bodie and soule. Luke. 11. 21. When the strong man armed keepes his hold, the thinges that he possesseth are in peace. Euen so, the wicked of the world, being possessed of Satan, are not a whit molested by him with any temptatiōs; Neither need he, seeing hee hath them at commandement, to doe what he wil. But when a man once begins to make conscience of sin, and to sue vntounto the Lord for pardon of his offences, and still continues in dislike of sinne and Sathan: then the enemie bestirs him, and vseth all means to bring that man to famine: he offereth all maner of temptations to molest him, and neuer affoord this poore sinner anie rest. Hereupon, hee for feare of being ouercome, continuallie must pray vntounto the Lord, that he may not be led into temptatiō.
Here some christian conscience may reason thus. No man is so troubled with sin and Satan, as I, Therefore, I am not in Gods fauour, but am a plaine cast-away. Ans. If pardon of sinne, and temptations goe together, al is contrarie. If thou hadst no griefe for sin, no buffeting of thine enemies, the flesh, the world, and the deuil, thou couldst not be in Gods fauor, but vnderunder the power of Satā: now this great mesure of the spiritual temptations, is a signe rather of Gods louelove: For whō God loues, the deuil hates: and where God workes in louelove, the deuill workes in malice.
2. Meaning.
THese wordes be but all one petitiō: which hath two parts, the latter being a declaration of the former, Lead vsus not into temptation, how is that done? by deliuering vsus from euill.
[Temptation.] Temptation is nothing els, but the entisement of the soul or heart, either by the corruption of mans nature, or the allurements of the world, or the deuill to any sinne. Iam. 1. 13. God temptes no man. That is, God moues no man to sinne.
[Lead vsus not] Or carrie vsus not into temptation, to be led, is to be ouercome of the temptation, whē it preuailes and gets the victorie. Then the meaning is this. When wee are mooued or entised to sin, Lord keepe vsus, that wee be not ouercome: and giuegive thou an issue with the temptation.
Question. God is iust, and cannot sinne: but if he lead men into temtation, shall he not be the authour of sinne? Answer. Indeed many fearing to charge God with sin, read the wordes thus, suffer vsus not to be led, but the text is very piaine, leade or carrie vsus not. And the scriptures elsewhere, vse the like phrases of God. Exod. 7. 3. God is said to harden Pharaos heart. 2. Sam. 24. 1. The Lorde mooued Dauid to number the people. 2. Thes. 2. 11. God sent strong delusions, that men might beleeue lies. These and such like places hauehave a woorthie meaning, thus to be gathered. There is no action of man or of the deuil, absolutely euil: but although in some respects it be euill, yet in some other it is good: for we are not thus to think, that as there is a maine good, so also there is a maine euill. Thus then, temptation being an action, it is not in eueryevery respect euill: but in some good, in some euill. And so farre forth as it is good, the Lord workes it: but as it is euill, he doth not worke it, but willingly permits it to be done by him & Satan.
1. And there be foure respects in which God may be a worker in temptations, and yet be free from sinne. 1. First, he tempteth by offering occasions and objects, to trie whether a man will sinne or not. A maister suspecting his seruāt, that in worde professeth fidelitie, layes a purse of money in his way, to try if he will steale it: which if he steal, he hath found by watching him, a secreete theefe; and so hath laide him open, for deceiuing any more. Nowe, this trying o… him is no sin, though he sinne in stealing. In the same manner tempteth God his owne seruants to prooue and trye them. Deut. 13. 3. Tho… shalt not harken unto the … of the Prophet or dre…amer of dreames: in the Lord your God pro… … whether yee louelove the …rd your God with al your hart
2. Secondly, God leades into temptation, by withdrawing his grace. Neither can this be a sinne in God: because he is bound to no man to giuegive him grace. And heere is a difference betweene the tempting of God & Sathan. God holds backe grace, when hee tempteth, the Deuill suggesteth euill morions.
3. EueryEvery action so far foorth as it is an action, is good, & of God. Act. 17. 28. In him we liue, mooue, and hauehave our being. Therfore, God is a worker in temptations, so far forth as they ar actions. One man killes another: the very mouing of the body, in the doing of this villanie is of God: but the wickednes of the action, is from man and the deuill. Againe, a man rides vponupon a lame horse, and stirres him: the rider is the cause of the motion, but the horse himselfe of the halting motion. So God is the author of eueryevery action, but not of the euill of the action.
4. The fourth way, is in regarde of the end. God tempts his seruāts only to correct and humble them for their sinnes, and to trye howe they will abide the crosse, and to moue them the more to louelove him. Deut. 8. 2. God afflictes the children of Israell, to trie them whether they would keepe his commandements. 2. Chron. 32. 31. He trieth Hezekiah, to see what was in his hart. The deuils end in tempting, is onelyonly to bring the partie vntounto destruction. Thus we neede not for to say, that God in some respectes doth leade his seruants into temptations.
[Deliuer vsus from euill] that is, free vsus from the power of the flesh, the deuill and the world. Some take euil in this place, only for the deuil, but wee may take it more largely, for all spirituall enemies. 1. Iohn. 5. 19. The vvhole world lyeth in euill. vz. VnderUnder the power of sinne and Satan. These words (as I hauehave said) are a proofe and explanation of the former; for when a man is deliuered from euill, he is not led into temptation: the cause being taken away, the effect ceaseth.
3. The vses.
1. HEnce wee learne, what a righteous God, Iehoua is, that can work an euill action, & yet be void of sinne.
2. Whereas we say, Lead vsus not, &c. We note, that the deuil in tēptations can go noe further, then God permits him.
3. Wee are not to pray, that temptations be quite taken from vsus, or that we be whollie freed frō them: but that they doe not ouercome vsus. For it is the Lordes wil, that his Church should be tempted. Nay, Dauid desired some kind of temptations. Psal. 26. 1. Prooue me O Lord. And Iames saith, account it for exceeding ioy, when ye shall fal into diuers temptations. Iam. 1. 2.
4. Note also, that eueryevery man by nature is the bōdslaue of sin & Satan. For where is deliuerāce, there was a bondage first, This confutes the Papists, who maintain fre-wil: for we ar dead in him by nature, as a man in a graue; and we must still pray thus, til we be fully deliuered.
4. Wants to be b…wailed.
THE corruption, which in this petition we ought to mourn for, is, the continuall rebellion of our wicked natures; & our pronenes to yeeld vp our selues in eueryevery temptation to sin, and Satan. And the remnants of the old bondage vnderunder Satan, must be grieuous and irkesome vntounto vsus, and we must bewaile it very bitterly. The Iewes in a bodily captiuitie, wept vvhen they remembred Sion. Psal. 127. Howe much more should we weep, when we feele the lawe of our members rebelling against the lawe of our minds, & leading vsus captiue to sin.
5. Graces to be desired.
THE contrary blessing to bee desired, is, that God woulde stablish vsus by his free spirit. Ps. 51. 12 which is so called, because it settes vsus eueryevery day more & more at liber tie out of the reach of sin & Satan.