To conclude all : let us oft make this prayer, " Lead us not into temptation." If Satan woo us by a temptation, let us not give consent. But in case a Christian hath, through weakness, and not out of a design, yielded to a temptation, yet let him not ' cast away his anchor;' take heed of de-. spair, this is worse than the fall itself. Christian, steep thy soul in the brinish wa- ters of repentance, and God will be appeas- ed. Repentance gives the soul a vomit; Christ loved Peter after his denial of him, and sent the first news of his resurrection to him ; " Go tell the disciples and Peter." It is an error to think that one act of sin can destroy the habit of grace. It is a wrong to God's mercy and a Christian's comfort, — to make this despairing conclusion, that af- ter one hath fallen by temptation, his estate is irrecoverable. Therefore, Christian, if thou hast fallen with Peter, repent with Peter, and God Avill be ready to seal thy pardon.
Mat. vi. 13. But deliver us from evil.
Ana. First, In general, from the evil of
THE second branch of this sixth Petition is, Lihern nos a ma/u, — '' Deliver us from evil." There is more in this petition than is expressed ; the thing expressed is, that we may be kept from evil ; the thing further in- tended is, that we may make a progress in piety, Titus ii. 12., " Denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts ;" there is being deliver- ed from evil ; " that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly;" there is a progress in piety. I begin with the first thing in this petition expressed, " Deliver us from evil."
Quest. What evil do xve pray to be deliver- ed from f
sin.
Secondly, More particularly, we pray to be delivered, —
1. From tlie evil of our own heart; it is called "an evil heart," Ileb. iii. 12.
2. From the evil of Satan ; he is called " the wicked one," Mat. xiii. 19.
3. From the evil of the world; it is call- ed " the ])resent evil world," Gal. i. 4.
First, In general, " Deliver us from evil :'* we pray to be delivered from the evil of sin. Not that we pray to be delivered im- mediately from the presence and in-being of
OF THE SIXTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
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sin, for tliat cannot be in this life, we can- not shake off tliis viper ; but we pray, that God wouUl deliver us more and more from the power and practice, from the scandalous acts of sin, whicii cast a reflection upon the gospel. Sin then is the deadly evil we pray agrunst : " Deliver us from evil." With what pencil shall I be able to draw the de- formed f.ice of sin ? The devil would bap- tize sin with the name of virtue : it is easy to lay fair colours on a black face. But I shall endeavour to shew you what a prodi- gious monster sin is ; and there is great reason we should pray, " Deliver us from evil."
Sin is (as the apostle saith) " exceeding sinful," Rom. ^^i. 13. Sin is the very spi- rits of mischief distilled ; it is called " the accursed thing," Josh. vii. 13. That sin is the most execrable evil, appears several ways ;
1. Look upon sin in its original.
2. Look upon sin in its nature.
3. Look upon sin in the judgment and opinion of the godly.
4. Look upon sin in the comparative.
5. Look upon sin in the manner of cure.
6. Look upon sin in its direful effects ; and when you have seen all these, you will apprehend what an horrid evil sin is, and what great reason we have to pray, " De- liver us from evil."
1st, Look upon sin in its original ; it fetch- eth its predigree from hell. Sin is of the devil, John viii. 34. Sin calls the devil, father. It is serpentis venenwn, as Austin saith, — it is the poison the old serpent hath spit into our virgin-nature.
2dly, Look upon sin in its nature, and so it is evil.
L See what the scripture compares it to. Sin hath got a had name, it is compared to the vomit of dogs, 2 Pet. ii. 22., to a men- struous cloth, Isa. xxx. 22., which, as Jcrom saith, was tlie most unclean thing under the law ; it is compared to the plague, 1 Kings \\n. 38., to a gangrene, 2 Tim. ii. 17. Persons under these diseases we would be loath to eat and drink with.
2. Sin is evil in its nature, as it is inju- rious to God three wavs :
(L) It is a breach of God's royal law, 1 John iii. 4., " Sin is a transgression of
! the law :" It is crimen lessee majestafis-^ — l"gJ» treason against heaven. What greater in- jury can be offered to a prince than to trample upon his royal edicts ? Neh. ix. 2fi., " They have cjist thy laws behind their backs."
(2.) Sin is a contum.icious affront to God, it is a walking contrary to him. Lev. xxvi. 40. The Hebrew word for sin signifies re- bellion : sin flies in the face of God, — Job XV. 25., " He stretcheth out his hand a- gainst God." We ought not to lift u|) a thought against God, much less to lift up an hand against him ; but the sinner dotli so. Sin is Deicidium ; it would not only unthrone God, but ungod him ; if sin could help it, God should be no longer God.