Principles of Faith and Good Conscience, Chapter 47
CAP. XLVII.
The 6th Petition. Lead us not &c.
IN the former Petition we prayed to have our ſinnes forgiven, now we pray that we may be kept from ſinne for time to come.
Q. What doe we learne from the order and connexion of theſe two Petitions?
A. All that pray aright to have their ſinnes forgiven, muſt be as earneſt to be kept from ſinne for time to come, Pſ. 15.7 Rom. 7.24. Pſal. 19.13. Carnall people can pray for mercy, but the Godly will pray for Grace as well as mercy.
Q. What is here meant by Temptation?
A. Any thing whereby a man is enticed and drawn into ſin. Jam. 1.14. 2 Cor. 11.3. 1 Theſ. 3.5. Iohn 13.2 Prov. 1.10, 11. There lieth a Temptation in moſt things we have to deale withall: as in Meats Drinks and Apparrel, in Wealth, in Poverty, in Preferments, in Examples, in Counſelles, in fear of Men, in love of life in our Pleaſures, yea in our very callings And unleſſe the Lord do gratiouſly keep us, we ſhall be enticed and drawn away.
Q. What is it to be … Temptation?
A. To be tempted is to be aſſured & provoked unto evil; but to be led into temptation is, when we are deceived and overcome of the evil. [When we yeeld to the evil motion, the ſnare is laid and we are caught.] 2 Sam. 11.2, 4. Mat. 16, 35, 69, 70. 1 Tim. 6.9.
Q. How doth God lead into Temptation?
A. When hee doth not ſupport and ſtrengthen us againſt the evil, but leaveth us to our own wit, ſtrength, or luſts, or unto Satan. 2 Chron. 32.31. 2 Chr. 10.15. 1 Kings 22.22. 2 Th. 2.11. Ro. 1.24. Job 1.12.
Q. How doth God enable us to reſiſt temptation?
A. Three waies, 1. By making us wiſe to diſcerne an evil motion. 2 Cor. 2.1…. Mat. 16.13. Neh. 6.11 13.
Q. How, ſecondly?
A. By making us …a … full over our ſlippery hearts, and … c…tions of faling. M…. 26.1 Prov. …8 1 Theſ. 5 22.
Q How, Thirdly, doth the Lord enable us to reſiſt Temptations?
A. By fortifying us with ſaith and courage whereby we clea…e to God againſt all the world. Mat. 4.7. it is written: Eph. 6.11.
Q. What do we pray for in this Petition?
A. That God would give us ſpiritual wiſdome and ſtrength to diſcerne and overcome all temptations unto ſinne; and if at any time he ſuffer us to be tempted, yet that he would not leave us to our ſelves to be deceived and overcome of the evil. [We pray that God will hold us up, and deliver us from the power of all ſpiritual enemies.]
But deliver us from evil.
Q. What's here meant by evill?
A. The evill one, (that is) Sathan & all his wiles, and ſubtilties. Iohn 17.11, 12, 15. 1 Iohn 5.18. Iob 2.6.
Q. What doe we pray againſt in theſe words?
A. That ſeeing we deſire to be kept from ſinne, we deſire alſo to be kept from the power and wiles of the temptor: [That God would diſcover his wiles; and help us againſt him, Gen. 20.6. 1 Sam: 25.33. Zach. 3.2. Rev. 12.13, 16. Pſal. 17.4, 5.
Q. What muſt they doe that pray to be kept from temptation?
A. In a due ſenſe of our own weakneſſe we muſt ſhun occaſions of evil, we muſt not caſt our ſelves upon temptations: [For elſe we are not true to our owne prayers] Iudg: 16.15, 17. Prov. 7.8. Gen. 34.1. Eccleſ. 2.3.
For thine is the Kingdome, &c.
Q. Theſe words are for matter and forme, a thanksgiving, What do we aſcribe to God therein?
A. We acknowledge that Kingdome a over all the world, and b power to doe what he will, and c glorious excellencies do belong to God our Father in Heaven: And we aſcribe the praiſe thereof to him. [The excellency of Grace, Majeſty, Mercy, Power, any thing whereby one may be magnified and extolled is the Lords peculiarly, and tranſcendently.] 1 Chron: 29.11. Rev: 4.10, 11. a 1 Tim. 1.17. Pſal: 103.19. Dan: 5.21. b Pſal: 115.3. Pſal: 62, 11. Rev: 4.8, 9. Deut. 32.31. c Eſay 6.3, 5. Eſay 43.7. Rom: 9.17.
Q. What is required to an holy and right praiſing of God?
A. Two things. 1. We muſt labour to have our hearts a affected with his glorious excellencies and greatneſſe,Conditions in right Thankſgiving. as being the fountaine b of all the good we are, or have. a Eſay 12.4. Pſal: 126.2, 3. b 1 Chron: 29 11, 12. Pſal: 116.12, 13, 14. Mic. 7.18
Q. What 2ly muſt we doe, If we deſire to praiſe God aright?
A. We muſt endeavour to Live and Dye unto him who loved us firſt: we muſt uſe all mercies which we receive from Him, unto his Honour and ſervice. Pſal: 50.23. Pſ: 18.1, 2. Rom: 14.8. 2 Cor. 5.15. Rom: 12.1, 2.
Q. Wherefore is this clauſe added to the end of the Lords prayer?
A. To teach us that the hearing & anſwering of our Prayers is grounded on a Gods own goodneſſe, b greatneſſe, and c glory: [and by them he is engaged to hear us. We muſt preſſe God with the intereſt of his own glory, power and Kingdome, for hearing and helping of us.] a Ezek. 36.22, 32. b Mic. 4.8. Dan. 3.16, 17. 2 Chron. 14.11. c Ier 14.8, 21, 22. Exod: 32.11, 12. Ioſh. 7.9.
Q. What muſt they do that aſcribe all theſe to God?
A. We muſt ſet a up God in our hearts as …upream King, make him our Rock and Fear, not b giving any part of his glory to any creature. a Matth. 10.37. Luke 12.5. Ier. 10.7. Eſa. 8.12, 13. b Dan. 2.30.
Q. [For ever,] What doth that word import?
A. That Gods a Kingdome, power and glory, in, and over the Church, is everlaſting; it failes not: and that the Church ſhall b aſcribe the ſame unto him in all ages, and throughout all eternity: [When all Kings and Kingdomes ſhall ceaſe: when we are dead and gone; yet Chriſt remain… a King of the Church, and ſhall be magnified in it.] a Dan. 7.14. Eſa. 50.2. Eſa. 46.3, 4. b Eph. 3.21. Rev. 5.13, 14 according to that antient doxologie uſed in the Churches of Chriſt, Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghoſt,Hooker Pol. lib. …. 8. 42. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever ſhall be, world without end. Rom. 11.36. Rev. 5.13.
AMEN.
Q. What doth that Word import?
A. Amen being ſet after any prayer or thankſgiving, it doth imply our conſent, confidence, and deſire, that the thing ſhall be as is uttered Deut. 27.15, 16. Jer. 11.5. Jer. 28.6. 1 Kings 1.36. 2 Cor. 14.16.
Q. What followes hereof?
A. That we muſt underſtand, attend unto, and affect the things prayed for; elſe how ſhall I ſay Amen? They that pray in an unknown tongue, or gaze up and down, or fiddle about their cloathes and other matters, and complements in time of prayer, do not bear a part in Prayer, & their Amen is fruitleſſe and vaine. 1 Cor, 14.16. Rev. 22.20.