Gods Holy Mind Touching Matters Moral, Tract 1 · Part 20
Now to the opening of the words of this Petition, Lead vsus not into temptation, but deliuer vsus from euill.
Quest. VVhat is meant by temptation?
Answ. Temptation in a generall sense, signifieth a proouing, or a taking triall of a thing or person: It is Metaphoricall, as by pearcing thorow a thing is tryed what is within, whether it be sound or no. And temptation is either good or euill.
Quest. VVhat is a good temptation?
Answ. This; when God taketh triall of man, and proueth him either for the manifestation of the grace he hath bestowed on him, both to himselfe and to others; or for the discouering of his weakenesse, making him see how vnable he is to stand without Gods continuall assisting grace. Thus God tried Abraham. Gen. 22.1.2. And the Israelites, Deut. 13.3. And thus afflictions are called tentations. Iam. 1.2.
Quest. What is an euill temptation?
Answ. It is either when a man tempteth God, or when the Deuill tempteth man.
Quest. What is mans tempting of God?
Answ. This;Iob. 23.10. Luk. 18.22. when man leauing his ordinarie way of wayting on God in the vse of ordinarie and lawful meanes, takes on him to proue by vnlawfull meanes, whether God bee so powerfull, iust, and mercifull, as the Scriptures doe affirme him to be.
Quest. What is the Deuills tempting of man?
Answ. This; when the Deuill moueth, allureth,Exod. 17.2. Deut. 6.16. Psal. 78.18.19 and prouoketh man to sinne, and laboureth to bring him into sinne, and so withdrawes him from God, to his temporall and eternall destruction: and this is meant by temptation in this petition, Lead vsus not into temptation. And hence is the Deuill cald the Tempter: Mat. 4.3. and continuing in anger wee are said to giuegive place to the Deuill. Ephe. 4.26.27.
Quest. How doth the Deuill moue, allure, and prouoke man to sinne, and labour to bring him into sinne?
Answ. Ordinarily and vsually, two waies.
Quest. VVhat is the first of those?
Answ. This; by outward effects,Iob. 31.1. Mat. 4.3.8. Iosh. 7.21 Pro. 23.31. 1 Ioh. 2.16. the Deuill making externall obiects, such as the outward senses doe perceiue, as outward prosperitie, aduersitie, beauty, strength, riches, euill example, and such like occasions, of stirring vp the corruption of the nature of man, whereby man is prone to euill and sinne.
Quest What is the second way by which the Deuill doth ordinarily, and vsually moue, allure and prouoke, a man to sinne, and labour to bring a man into sinne?
Answ. This; by inward suggestion,1 Chron. 21.1, Ioh. 13.2. Act. 5.3. the Deuill suggesting and offering euill to the minde of man, and thereby soliciting, and stirring vp his corruption to yeeld to the doing of euil.
Quest. Doth not Satan sometimes tempt to sinne alone, without the stirring of the corruption of our nature?
Answ. Yes, he doth, and that so grossely, that the very flesh is ashamed of it, as by temptations that are against the light of nature, euen nature corrupted; as for a man to kill his owne louing and beloued father or mother, where there is no hope of gaine, or matter of displeasure to prouoke to it; and by thoughts of Blasphemie against God the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost, against the Word of God, and his holy Ordinances, and such like: these are meerely from Satan himselfe, and not from the corruption of nature.
Quest. How may we know that some temptations are meerely from Satan, and not from our owne corruption?
Answ. Thus; if temptations being against the light of Nature, doe come furiously, and like the flashings of lightning suddenly, either without any dependance on former cogitations, or without any occasion of any outward obiect at all: so as we cannot imagine how they should come; and withall they haunt vsus, and will not be put away; but the more wee striue against them, the more they come on vsus, and withall are contriued subtilly and artificially; then are they from Satan meerely, and not from mans corruption.
Quest. What is it to bee led into temptation?
Answ. To be led or carried into temptation as the word signifieth, is to bee ouercome of temptation to euill, and sinne; a man is led or carried into temptation, when temptation possesseth him, and preuailes ouer him, and holds him, after it hath assaulted him.
Quest. How doth God lead into temptation to euill, which we pray that he would not doe, Lord lead vsus not into temptation?
Answ. God leads into temptation to euill and sinne two wayes.
Quest. What is the first of those?
2 Sam 24.1. compared. 1 King. 22.22. 2 Cor. 12.7.Answ. This; by letting Satan loose to tempt a man, he giuing him power in some measure, that he may tempt him and preuaile ouer him to the committing of euill and sinne.
Quest. VVhat is the second way by which God leades into temptation to euill and sinne?
Answ. This; by desertion, by withdrawing his grace,2 Chro. 32.31. Psal. 8 12. Rom. 1.24.26. both the light of knowledge, & the gouernment of his spirit from a man, and by leauing him to himselfe, either for a time, as he doth sometimes his owne children, or vtterly as he doth some wicked persons whom hee iustly giues ouer to their owne lusts, and the power of Satan.
Quest. Doth God so let Satan loose to tempt a man, and leaue a man to himselfe in temptation to euill, as he onelyonly looketh on and suffers Satan to tempt him, without hauing any hand or worke at all himselfe in the temptation?
Answ. No, he doth not,2 Sam. 24.1. Isai. 19.14. & 63.17. Rom. 1.26.28. Gods permitting of Satan to tempt a man to sinne, is not a bare permission, God onelyonly looking on, and only suffering Satan to tempt him: but it is a powerfull working permission.
Quest. If Gods permitting of Satan to tempt a man to sinne bee not a bare perm…ssion, but a powerfull working permission, and God hath an hand and worke in it: How then is not God the authour of sinne?
Answ. Temptation to sinne is not simply and absolutely euill, but in some respects it is good: as it is an action it is good, and of God, in him we liue, moue, and hauehave our being, Act. 17.28. And as it is limitted, ordered, & guided to a good end, it is also good, and of God, as it is plaine in the sinne of Iosephs brethren, Genes. 45.5, 6. and so God hath an hand in temptation to sinne, so farre foorth as it is good: but as it is euill hee workes it not, but willingly permits it, and is not the authour of it.
Obiection. Iam. 1.13. God tempteth no man: therefore no temptation to sinne is the action of God.
Quest. How is this to bee answered?
Answ. Thus; the meaning of that place is, that God doth not stirre vp or moue any mans heart to sinne, or infuse euill and sinne into his heart.
Obiection. 1 Kin. 12.15. It is said that King Rehoboam following the counsell of the yong men, hearkened not to the people, and in not hearkning to them he sinned, and it is said it was the ordinance of the Lord, or the Lord was the cause; therfore it seems that God is sometimes the author & cause of some mens sins.
Quest. How is this to bee answered?
Answ. Thus; Rehoboams not hearkening to the people there spoken of, is to be considered not only as his euill act comming from him, left to himselfe and to the councell of his young Councellors, but also as a punishment of the Kingdome of Israel; and as a meanes to bring to passe the prophesie of Ahijah, as it is said in the text, in which respect it was good, and was caused of God.
Quest. What are we to vnderstand by (euill) in this petition Leade vsus not into temptation, but deliuer vsus from euill.
Answ. Euill here signifieth in generall, eueryevery thing whatsoeuer it is, that may or doth harme and hurt vsus; not only in regard of our owne sence and feeling; but in truth, as that which doth harmfully, either hinder our vnion with God, and seuer vsus from him; or diminish our comfortable fellowship and communion with him; wherein stands our true blessednesse.
Quest. What are the euill things that may doe harme, or hurt vsus, either by hindering our vnion with God, or by diminishing our comfortable fellowship and communion with him?
Answ. These; either Satan, who is the maine and principall euill:Ioh. 17.15. Rom. 12.9. Galat. 1.4. 1 Pet. 2.11. or other our spirituall enemies; as sinne, the World, the Flesh, and whatsoeuer else Satan vseth, as his agent and instrument in temptation against vsus: hence is Satan called euill, or the euill one. Mat. 13.19. and that euill one is called the Deuill. vers. 39.
Quest. Why is the Deuill called the euill one?
Answ. Because he is in himselfe exceeding euill, and his sinnes are in the highest degree sinfull, and he practiseth sins of all sorts and degrees; for all the sinnes that be in the world, are from him, either originally or by furtherance; and he also commits euill and wickednesse continually without ceasing:foreign. hence compared to an hunger-bitten Lyon, who goeth about seeking whom hee may deuoure, 1 Pet. 5.8. the most wicked man that is or euer was, will sometimes doe good: as Pharaoh, Exod. 10.16. and Saul. 1 Sam. 15.30. Herod. Mar. 6.20. But the Deuill doth nothing but practise wickednesse continually, and neuer ceaseth: therefore hee is iustly called the euill one.
Quest. What is meant by the word (deliuer) in this Petition?
Answ. Rom. 7.24. Coloss. 1.13.By deliuering is here meant a powerfull rescuing and freeing of vsus, wee being neither able nor willing of our selues to helpe our selues from the power of Satan, and of all other our spirituall enemies, and from the danger of temptation to euill and sinne, by the power of grace, and by the Spirit of God.
Quest. What are we to vnderstand by the word (vsus) in this Petition. Lead vsus not into temptation, but deliuer vsus from euill?
Answ. Both our selues and others also of Gods children, who either are, or may be tempted to euill and sin, the best of Gods children being in danger to bee tempted to foule and grieuous sins, as Abraham was, Gen. 20.2. Dauid, 2 Sam. 11.2, 3. yea Christ himselfe, Mat. 4.1, to 11. verse.
Quest. What is then the summe of this petition, Lead vsus not into temptation, but deliuer vsus from euill?
Answ. This; that God would not either let Satan loose to tempt vsus, or any of his chosen children,Luk. 22.40. Eccles. 7.28. Rom. 16.20. 2 Cor. 12.9. and giuegive him libertie in any measure, that hee may tempt vsus to euill and sinne, or withdraw his grace from vsus, and leaue vsus to our selues; that so Satan may either as hee doth ordinarily, by outward obiects, or inward suggestion, stirring vp our corruption, whereby wee are prone to euill and sinne, as sometimes hee doth by himselfe, without stirring vp our corruption, moue, allure, and prouoke vsus to sin, and labour to bring vsus into sinne; but that he would be pleased powerfully to rescue and to free vsus from the power of Satan, and of all oth…r our spirituall enemies, and from the danger of temptation to euill and sinne by the power of his grace, and of his owne good and holy Spirit.