A Learned and Fruitful Exposition Upon the Lords Prayer, Section 20 – Section 21
Lead vsus not into Temptation.
The Coherence.
THis Petition is ioyned with the former, to teach vsus, that as wée muſt carefully pray for pardon of ſins paſt, ſo alſo wée muſt endeuour to preuent ſinnes to come: wée muſt not fall againe into our old ſinnes, neither muſt we be ouertaken with new ſinnes.
Hauing obtained forgiueneſſe of our ſinnes, we deſire of the Lord to be preſent with vsus, that we fall not againe into them
Though God forgiue vsus our ſinnes, yet he doth not frée vsus of naturall corruption, but that ſtill remaineth and is left behind as the very ſéede & ſpawne of new ſinnes: ſo that in reſpect of this, eueryevery one of Gods children hath his hands full, and inough to doe, to withſtand ſinne, after he is iuſtified and ſanct…fied.
Therefore, whereas it may be obiected, what need hée care for temptations that hath the pardon of his ſinnes?
Anſwere.
Becauſe forgiueneſſe of ſinnes, and grieuous temptations be vnſeparable companions, for there is no man in this world ſo beaten and buffeted with temptations, as the penitent ſinner, that cryeth for the pardon of his ſinnes.
This is the eſtate that few men in the world are acquainted with, for many are neuer troubled with temptations, but liue in all peace and quietneſſe, both in body and ſoule: for when the ſtrong man armed, kéepeth his houſe, the things that hée poſſeſſeth are in peace, Luke 11.2.
Whereby is ſignified that the wicked of the World, being poſſeſſed of Sathan, are not a whit moleſted by him with any temptations, neither néed he trouble them, ſéeing he hath them at commandement to doe what he will.
But when a man once begins at make conſcience of ſinne, and to ſue vntounto the Lord for pardon of his offences, and ſtill continueth in diſlike of ſinne, and Sathan, then the enemie beſtirreth him, and vſeth all meanes to bring that man to confuſion.
Obiection.
Some Chriſtian conſcience may reaſon thus, no man is ſo troubled with ſinne and Sathan as I, therefore I am not in Gods fauour, but am a plaine caſt-away.
Anſwere.
If pardon of ſinne and temptations goe together, all is contrary: if thou hadſt no griefe for ſinne, no buffeting of the enemies, the Fleſh, the World, and the Diuell, thou couldſt not be in Gods fauour, but vnderunder the power of Sathan: now this great meaſure of ſpirituall temtations is a ſigne rather of Gods louelove: for whom God loueth, the Diuell hateth: and where God worketh in louelove, the Diuell worketh in malice.
Sence.
Theſe words be but all one Petition, 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 all wicked motions, which intice vsus vntounto ſinne.
Temptation is nothing elſe but the entiſement of the ſoule or heart, eyther by the corruption of mans nature, or the allurements of the world, or the Diuell to any ſinne.
Kindes of Temptations.
Temptations are of diuers ſorts, eyther of the Diuell, the World, or the Fleſh.
Firſt, the temptations of Sathan are not onelyonly innumerable, but alſo moſt ſlie, ſubtile, and pitched in method againſt vsus, and framed to eueryevery mans humor.
Therefore he is called, the tempter, of his diſpoſition, ſtudy and care, Matth. 4.1. The Apoſtle alſo ſayth, He was afrayde leaſt the Tempter had tempted them▪ 1 Theſ. 3.5.
Our firſt parents had tryall, with the great loſſe of all mankinde.
Chriſt was tempted by him, Matth. 4.1.
2 Sam. 24.2.Hée draue King Dauid into that minde, that of pryde hée commaunded the children of Iſrael to be numbred.
1 Pet. 5.8. Luke 22.32.He is our profeſſed aduerſarie, the roaring Lyon that goeth about, &c. he ſéeketh to winnow vsus.
Therefore we had néede to take héed of the traines and traps of this deadly enemie.
In the ſecond place commeth the World with her two breſts, profit and pleaſure: and with theſe ſhe carrieth away thouſands.
Thirdly, our Fleſh continually fighteth againſt vsus, and is our capitall enemie, and moſt deadly foe: hereof the Apoſtle ſaith, I ſee another law in my members, rebelling againſt the law of my minde, Rom. 7.23. Againe, the fleſh luſteth againſt the ſpirit, Galat. 5. From hence ſprings all euill motions.
(Lead vsus not) or carry vsus not into temptation: to be led, is to be ouercome of the temptation when it preuaileth, and wholy gets the victory: ſo as men tempted are brought to perdition, the meaning is this, when we are mooued or inticed to ſinne: Lord kéepe vsus that we be not ouercome, and giuegive thou an iſſue with the temptation.
To be led into temptation, is by the iuſt iudgement of God to be deliuered ouer, as bondſlaues to the Diuell, and to our owne luſts, and that oftentimes, eyther for our vnthankefulneſſe, contempt of his word, ſocietie, nouriſhing of ſecret ſinnes, pryde, preſumption, or ſuch like.
Obiection.
God is iuſt, and cannot ſinne: but if he leade men into temptation, then is he the author of euill.
Anſwere.
Many fearing to charge God with ſinne, reade the words thus, Suffer vsus not to be led: but the Text is méerely playne, Lead, or carry vsus not.
The Scriptures elſewhere vſe the like phraſes of God: for God is ſayd to harden the heart of Pharaoh, Exodus 7.3. And againe, GOD mooued Dauid to number the people. 2 Sam. 24.1.And againe, GOD ſent ſtrong deluſions, that men might beleeue lyes. 2 Theſſ. 2.11.
Therefore as God heardened Pharaohs heart, mooued Dauid to number the people, deliuered the Gentiles into a reprobate minde: and ſo, in the ſame ſenſe, hee leadeth men into temptation.
Obiection.
God tempteth no man, Iames. 1.15. therefore he leadeth no man into temptation.
Anſwere.
True it is, that in S. Iames ſenſe, God tempteth no man, that is, mooueth no man to ſinne, but as hée ſayth, eueryevery man when hée is tempted is led away, and ſnared of his owne concupiſcence.
Gods tempting of men, is after two ſorts, reſpecting the praiſe of his iuſtice, and the prayſe of his mercy.
Touching the firſt, he doth ſomtimes, for former euils, throw vsus to the Diuell, yet hée is not the author of euill when after this ſort hée leadeth vsus into temtation, for he doth it iuſtly for ſome notable euill which he ſéeth in vsus.
Touching the ſecond, he tempteth vsus for the prayſe of his mercy, when he tryeth and prooueth vsus by corrections and chaſtiſements, as pouertie, reproches, contempt, afflictions, &c. In which reſpect,Pſal. 26.2. Dauid ſaith, Proue me, O Lord, and trie me▪ and S. Iames ſaith, Bleſſed is the man that endureth temptation: for after he is tried, he ſhall receiue the crowne of life, which God hath promiſed to them that louelove him, Iames 1.
In this ſence Abraham and Iob were tempted, that is, tryed.
Then we ſée how God tempteth after one ſort, & Sathan after another. God for our good, by humbling and trying of vsus. The Diuell for our hurt and vtter deſtruction. Therefore, though God lead men into temptation, yet is he not the author of euill.
There be foure reſpects, in which God may be a worker in temptations, and yet frée from ſinne.
Firſt, he tempteth by offering occaſions and obiects, to trie whether a man will ſinne or not, as a maſter that layeth a purſe of money in his ſeruants way, which he ſuſpecteth. This triall is no ſinne in the Maiſter, though the ſeruant ſinne in ſtealing: Thou ſhalt not hearken vntounto the words of the Prophet, or dreamer of dreames, for the LORD thy GOD prooueth thee, whether thou louelove the LORD thy GOD with all thy heart, Deut. 13.
Secondly, God leadeth into temptation, by withdrawing of his grace: neither can this be a ſinne in God, becauſe he is bound to no man to giuegive him grace, and here is a difference betwéen… the tempting of God, and of Sathan: God holds backe grace when he tempteth, the Diuell ſuggeſts euill motions.
Thirdly, eueryevery action, ſo farre forth as it is an action, is good, and of GOD, for in him we liue, mooue, and hauehave our being: Therefore God is a worker in temptations, ſo farre foorth as they are actions. One man kils another, the very moouing of the body in the doing of this villany is of God, but the wickedneſſe of the action, is from man and the Diuell: a man rideth vponupon a lame horſe and ſtirs him, the rider is the cauſe o… the motion, but the horſe himſelfe o… the halting in the motion: ſo, God is th… author of the action, but not of the euil… in the action.
The fourth way, is in regard o… the end, for God tempts his ſeruants to correct and humble them for their ſinnes, to trie their patience, faith, and louelove, &c.
(Deliuer vsus from euill) that is, frée vsus from the power of the World, the Fleſh, and the Diuell: ſo euill in this place is onelyonly from the Diuell, but we may take it more largely, for all ſpirituall enemies, as S. Iohn ſayth, the whole world liueth in euill, vnderunder the power of Sathan and ſinne: our Lord Ieſus likewiſe ſayth, I pray not that thou wouldſt take them out of the world, but that thou wouldſt keepe them from euill. Iohn 17.
Theſe wordes therefore, as hath béene ſayd, are an 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.
The ſumme of all, is this, that for as much as we are by nature ſo féeble and weake, that we are not able of our ſelues to ſtand one minute of an houre againſt our ſpirituall enemies, that therefore God would vphold vsus, and ſtrengthen vsus by the power of his ſpirit, that wée faint not in this ſpirituall combat: therefore our Sauiour ſayth, Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation: for the Spirit is willing, but the Fleſh is weake.
That there is nothing more weake then man, ſo ſoone as he is left of the hand of God, we hauehave many teſtimonies and examples in the Scriptures: for thus ſayth the Prophet, The Lord knoweth whereof we are made, he conſidereth that we are but duſt.
Chriſt alſo ſayth,Iohn 15.1. Without mee you can doe nothing.
Dauid, Peter, and all the Apoſtles were examples of many infirmities.
Dauid, when hauing a little reſt from continually warre, he, by and by, fell into adulterie. 2 Sam. 11.3.
Peter, when being afrayd of a Damſell, he denied Chriſt.
The Apoſtles, when they forſooke their maſter.
If this befell them which were indued with ſo notable graces, what ought eueryevery one of vsus to thinke?
For thine is the Kingdome.
THis concluſiue reaſon, containeth the cauſe, for the which wée craue all the former things, namely▪ for that they concerne his Kingdome, Power, and Glory: for by the firſt thrée, his Kingdome is made manifeſt, and by the laſt thrée his Power is exerciſed: whereupon followeth the increaſe of his Glory.
Furthermore, this concluſion is added to encourage vsus with boldneſſe, and aſſurance, to come vntounto GOD in Prayer: for firſt, wée know, that hée is able to graunt all theſe Petitions, becauſe hée is a God of Kingdomes and Power. Secondly, we know, that he will graunt them, becauſe they concerne his owne Glory: and ſo is our faith and aſſurance confirmed.
FINIS.
End of the text · Arthur Dent, A Learned and Fruitful Exposition Upon the Lords Prayer (1613)