The Power of Godliness, Book 6 · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX. Of the Second Clause of this Petition, viz. But Deliver us from evil; Discovering what it is to Deliver, and what is meant by Evil. What it is we desire of God in these words; with the Conclusions that may be drawn from thence.
Question: WHat is the second Clause of this Petition?
A. But deliver us from evil. These words are understood by some Divines, as a distinct Petition from the former: but they rather seem to be an explanation or correction annexed;Jansen. har. ev…ng. cap. 41. Maldonat. in Mat. 6.9. as the Particle [but] in other sentences insinuateth. But the matter is of no great importance, when in the exposition of the words, both sorts agree.
Q. What is it to Deliver?
A. The Greek word doth signifie to defend, protect, keep and save from evil,Homer. Ili. 10. & 15. that we fall not into it; and to free, deliver and pluck out of the evil, in which now we stick. The seventy Interpreters render those Hebrew words which signifie to deliver, free, and pluk from the hand of the enemies. In the New Testament the Apostle doth comprehend both significations in one place: Even Jesus (saith he) who delivered us from the wrath to come, that is, who hath freed,1 Thes. 1.10. Rom. 5.9. and doth preserve or keep us from the wrath to come And so in this place it implyeth these two things, First, Preservation from falling into sin. Secondly, Help of God to rise out of sin by repentance. Keeping from evil in Christs Prayer,Ioh. 17.15. and delivering from evil in this Prayer, have one and the same meaning. When Paul saith, Who shall deliver? He meaneth,Rom. 7.24. who shall give me power against this body of sinne? And that Gods giving of repentance is deliverance from evil, that of the Apostle maketh it manifest, where Gods giving men repentance,2 Tim. 2.25, 26. Col. 1.13. is all one with recovering themselves out of the snare of the Devil.
Q. What is meant by Evil?
A. The Devil, because he is of himself so exceeding evil, and doth make it his work to infect all men with evil, is called the Evil or the Evil One.Mat. 13.19. Mat. 13.34. Maldonat. in Mat. & Piscat. in Mat. 6. Beza annot. ibid. So he that is called the Evil One in the Greek is by the same Evangelist in that Chapter, and by others in the same Parable, called the Devil. And thus some Divines, antient and modern, popish and protestant would restrain this word evil, that it should mean the Devil, as if he only were prayed against in this Petition: and that because this word evil in the Greek hath his Article joyned with it, which giveth an emphasis to evil, pointing at some special evil one, which is the Devil. To which may be added, that in the New Testament the word is seldom or never put in the neuter gender absolutely, for adversity or what is hurtfull to us: but some other word is annexed unto it; as evil thoughts, an evil heart, evil times, evil men, evil works.Eph. 5.16. But though the Articles do give a special force sometimes unto the words to which they are annexed, yet for the most part, the Greeks use to adde them rather for a grace and ornament of speech; and are so used seven or eight times at least in the Lords Prayer.Gen. 39.9. 1 Sam. 18.8. And the Greek Interpreters use the word to signifie whatsoever is hurtfull or evil, as sinne, danger, loss, damage, adversity, and such like. In the New Testament it is used for wickedness. In this very sense are the words of Christ to be understood:Joh. 17.15. 1 Joh. 5.19. Gal. 1.4. Rom. 12.9. Father keep them from the evil, or from wickedness. The world lyeth in wickedness, that is, it wholly lyeth buried as it were in sinne. And that of the Apostle is without exception; Abhorre that which is evil, cleave to that which is good. By evil in, this Petition is meant that which maketh us worse, not in regard of our feeling only, but in truth, and before God: as which doth harmefully separate our union or diminish our communion with God, who is our only God and All-sufficient Portion.
Q What desire you of God in this Clause of the Petition?
A. 1. Whereas Satan goeth about seeking whom he may devoure, we pray that the Lord would mercifully defend, save, keep and protect us from and against his snares, tentations, traps, and tyranny. Or if he hath caught and intangled us in his snares,2 Pet. 2.9. that he would deliver and free us from them. 2. We pray that God would keep us from all sinne and every evil work, that we fall not into offences, or if we be fallen into any sinne, or lie under the power of any corruption, that he would powerfully snatch us out of it, and inable us to walk in new obedience before him.Jer. 31.18. Rev. 2.5. & 3.2, 3. Untill sinne be crucified, a man is as it were manacled, or as a Bird touched with lime-twigs: it taketh away the life and comfort of spiritual exercises: he cannot set about them with any nimbleness of spirit while he lyeth in any sinne. Sinne lodging quietly in the heart, taketh root, and infecteth further and further: it will increase it self, and beget other sinnes. And while a man lyeth in sinne, he may look every hour when God shall inflict some fearfull judgment or other, and then the remembrance of a sinne unrepented of proveth more heavy, and more stinging then the judgment it self. Whereas, though a man have sinned, yet if God have given him repentance, and have recovered him out of the sin, he may come before God with boldness and can perform exercises of religion with cheerfulness, and shall either prevent crosses or remove them, or they shall do much good to his soul, while they lie upon him. 3. We pray to be delivered from the evils of this life, dangers, losses, discommodities, so farre as the Lord knoweth them to be hurtfull for us. 4. In this life our deliverance is imperfect, and we lie open to new incursions of Satan, sinne and adversity, therefore we desire to be translated out of this world, where Satan is Prince, where in the valley of miseries, the earth bringeth forth the thornes and thistles of adversity,Rom. 7.24. 2 Tim. 4.16, 18. Ezek. 28.10. Psal. 34.21, 22. Joh. 8.24. Apoc. 14.13. Rom. 14.8. into the Kingdom of Glory, where we shall be free and safe from all miseries, where we shall feel no motion of sinne, nor assault of Satan. 5. We desire that our heavenly Father would keep us from an evil death, that we die not the death of the uncircumcised, that we be not taken unprovided in our sinnes without repentance, but that God would grant us a comfortable and happy end: for the death of the godly is the beginning of eternal blessedness, but the death of the wicked is the beginning of torments endless and remediless.
Q. What Conclusions may be drawn from hence?
A. 1. Satan and sinne are the greatest evils. Satan is that evil One that imagineth evil, nothing but evil, all manner of evil, and that continually without ceasing. Sinne is a shamefull evil, giving denomination unto all things that are truly evil, causing them to be called evil: the world is therefore called evil, because it is a sinfull world: men are called evil men, because they be sinfull men.2 Tim. 3.13. Mat. 13. And because the Devil exceedeth all other in sin, he is called the the evil one. Goodness is conformable to God the Author and Fountain of all good: but sinne is repugnant to the will of God, and so the greatest evil. Nor is it only evil in it self, but the cause of all evils that any creature is subject unto: for sinne brought man under the curse, and will hold him under it, except the mercy of God, through the death of Christ, do deliver him.
2. He that watcheth continually, striveth to grow in grace, nourisheth the motions of Gods Spirit, fighteth with good courage, and denying his own strength flyeth unto the Lord for help, shall be mightily supported against evil. He that doth these things shall never fall. The godly,2 Pet. 1.10. as may be observed in them that were foiled grievously, did fall, when they neglected their watch, not when they were most strongly assailed. The reasons ordinarily why the godly are grosly overtaken, are; either they make not resistance at the first, but are prevented by the temptation before they be prepared to withstand it, or being weary of resistance, they cast away their weapons.
3. In all evils and calamities God is the chief refuge of a Christian: the Saints acknowledg him to be the only Authour of all good, and their sole Deliverer; the power that is in any means to help or heal, they know to be of him, and that they profit as it pleaseth him, but not otherwise. God delivereth out of evil many waies. First, When he stoppeth calamities hanging over our heads, that they shall not fall upon us; as Jacob was delivered from his enemies, whom the slaughter of the Sichemits had stirred up against him.Gen. 3….…. Secondly, When being brought into great danger, he doth preserve them safe and sound; as Daniel in the Lyons den, and his three Companions in the fiery furnace. Thirdly, The comfort that God gives to his servants when they are oppressed with evils, is to them instead of deliverance.Psal. 94.19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul. Fourthly, When he turns the temptation to our good, and makes what is evil in it self to become beneficial. We must therefore learn to yeeld obedience, and bid our God smell a sacrifice for the bitterest things we taste, so farre as they are his disposition; taking shame to our selves in them, as they are the fruits of folly.
4. No temptation shall be able totally or finally to separate the Saints from God; fot that we are taught to pray agreeable with his will, we are heard in that. Now this were the greatest evil, not only in regard of our seeming, or appearance to us, but of the matter it self.
5. The faithfull must live in hope and assured confidence to be delivered from all evils, though not in this life, wherein they have received but the first fruits of the Spirit, yet in the life to come, when they shall be replenished with fulness of the Spirit. For that cause our most bount…f…ll Father hath commanded us to beg deliverance, that in him we might have hope to obtain what we ask. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth them, Psal. 34.17.and delivereth them out of all their troubles.