pofed that God may lead a man into temptation, I will confider in what fenfe that muft be underftood in this place. A man may be faid to lead another into temptation, when he entices him to fin, or by any argument, art, or violence, perfuades or compels him to it. But we are not to understand any thing of this nature on God's part-for in this fenfe, God tempts no man. He neither defigns, or lays any trap. or fnares, to make men fin: he purposes nothing to their hopes or fears, to deceive, allure, or fright them into fin; nor does he by any impulfe on their minds, incline or neceffitate them to fin; to conceive such things as thefe of God, would be the highest impiety. Again. To tempt a man may fignify in, general to prove and try him, whether he will faithfully discharge his duty, and answer another's expe&ation of him, or not. In this fenfe, it is certain, God tempts every man; that is, he gives him occafions and opportunities portunities of performing, or refusing to do his duty. Thus the laws of God to mankind in general, or to Christians in particular, the former by Nature, the latter by Revelation, are temptations or trials of our obedience, whether we will observe them or not; and in regard that the circumstances of men are very various, and that they have respective duties to be performed, therefore every man's particular. condition of life, his honour or meanness, his wealth or poverty, his autho tity or fubjection, his fingle or married ftate, his temper and conftitution of body, his health or fickness, his calling and profeffion, in a word, his condition in life, with respect to circumstances of this nature, which are infinite, is a temptation or trial, whether he will live up to the general rules of his religion, and perform that duty which his place, relation and peculiar intereft in the world, require of him. In this fenfe then, every man is led into temptation; that is, he hath the general rules of religion to obferve, and the particular duties proper to his place and condition to perform. And God who requires thefe, and by whofe providence men are put into fuch circumstances, may fo far be faid to lead a man into Temptation. But as every man in this fenfe, is, and must be tempted, this cannot be the meaning of the words, when we pray, not to be led into Temptation. By Temptation we may here also understand, thofe hazardous trials with which God is pleafed fometimes to prove good, and punish wicked men. So that God may be faid to lead a man into Temptation, when he permits fome extraordinary accident to befal him, in order to try his fincerity. It is impoffible to mention the various kinds of Temptation to which we are liable, and perhaps it would be very hard for any man to declare which Temptation he could best refift, or which would be moft difficult to him. We are fo ignorant of ourselves, in things of this nature, that we know not what trial we can best encounter; therefore, we ought to leave the petition to God in general, as our Saviour hath here taught us, namely that God would not lead us into Temptation, or that he would keep those Temptations from us, which he, who beft knows our make and frame, by his infinite wisdom fees will most endanger us Haying Having thus confidered the first part of this petition, I proceed to the fecond. But deliver us from evil: which fignifies the fame, and fomething more than the former. The fame, as including deliverance from great and dangerous temptations; but more, as the evil is greater to fall under Temptations, than only to be tempted. If confidered in the former fenfe, it implies God's providence in allotting us fuch a portion in this life, as he fees is beft for our fpiritual estate, and in removing from us whatever he knows to be inconfiftent therewith. It is alfo to be understood of thofe innumerable methods of Providence, by which God keeps men from fundry temptations that would befal them, if he did not interpofe to prevent them. Taking it in the latter sense, as keeping us from being overcome by temptations when they happen, then the petition means, the good providence of God without us, and the motions and operations of his holy Spirit within us, whereby he fupports and preferves those who in time of their trials trust in him. God delivers us by his outward providences, and which are very confiderable; fiderable; fometimes by the good examples of others labouring under the fame circumstances, fometimes by the faithful advice of a friend, the feafonable prefence of a good man, a sudden change in our fortunes, and divers unforeseen accidents, cafual indeed to us, but purposely ordered by the wife difpofal of God, to prevent our being led away by Temptations that affault us; therefore, in this prayer, we commit ourselves to the good Providence of God, that he would still continue to preserve us by fuch ways as to his wisdom feems most requifite.. By the operations of his holy fpirit within us, he delivers us from evil under Temptation, when he reprefents to us the reafons of our duty, and ftrongly impreffes them on our minds; whereby good men have been often rescued from their paffions, and kept from falling when on the brink of danger. Therefore, in this prayer we intreat God not to caft us away from his prefence, nor take his holy spirit from us, that he would not forfake us when we are in the greatest danger of forgetting him, but that his grace may prevent us from yielding to any Temptation, whether fudden, violent, or long, that so we may n never |
