(4.) We have a right to heaven, which is the great ground of hope : Rom. V. 10, ' For ii, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.'
Mat. VI. 13.] the lord's prayer. 199
Thirdly, The terms upon which it is dispensed are faitli and re- pentance.
1. Faith: Acts x, 43, ' To him give all the prophets witness, that, through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.' Faith is necessary to honour the mercy of God, to own the surety, to consent to his undertaking, to encourage the creature to look after this benefit.
2. Kepentance, which implieth a sorrow for sin, with a serious purpose of forsaking it. Sorrow for sin : no man can seriously desire a pardon but he that is touched with a sense of his sin, moved and troubled at it. And then, for purpose of forsaking : Ezek. xxxiii. 12, ' As for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness.' Sin pardoned must be left ; otherwise, a pardon given to a wicked man would be a con- firmation of his sin, or a concession of leave to sin. Well, then, let us seek pardon of God in this way.
And lead us not into temptation.
We are now come to the sixth petition, which is doubly expressed : —
1. Negatively, Lead us not into temptation.
2. Affirmatively, But deliver us from evil.
The first part doth more concern preventing grace, that we may not fall into evil; and the second, recovering grace, that if we fall into evil we may not be overcome of it, nor overwhelmed by it, but may find deliverance from the Lord. Here we pray : (1.) that we may not be tempted ; or, (2.) if the Lord see it fit we should be tempted, that we may not yield ; or, (3.) if we yield, that we may not totally be overcome. As the former petition concerned the guilt of sin, so this concerns the reign and power of it.
In this first part, take notice: —
First, Of the evil deprecated, or that which we pray against, and that is, temptation.
Secondly, The manner of deprecation, Lead us not.
In which there is something implied, and something formally asked.
1. Something implied ; and tJiat is : —
[1.] God's providence. When we say to God, ' Lead us not,' w^e do acknowledge he hath the disposal of temptation.
[2.] God's justice, and our desert ; that for former sins, God may suffer this evil to befall us. We have so often provoked the Lord, that in a judicial manner he may suffer us to be tempted.
[3.] Our weakness ; that we are unable to stand under such a con- dition by our own strength, therefore we go to God.
2. Something formally asked ; that is, either that God would pre- vent the temptation, or, if he should use such a dispensation towards us, give us grace to overcome it.
Of these things I shall speak in their order.
First, Of the evil deprecated ; and from thence observe : —
200 AN EXPOSITION OF [MaT. VI. 13.
Doct. 1. That temptations are a usual evil, wherewith we encounter in the present world.
Here I shall : —
I. Open the nature of temptations. II. I shall give you some observations concerning them.
III. The reasons of it.
I. For the nature of temptations.
Temptation is a proving or making trial of a thing or person ; what he is, and what he will do. And thus sometimes we are said to tempt God, and at other times God is said to tempt us.
1. We are said to tempt God when we put it to the proof whether he will be as good as his word, either in the comminatory or promissory part thereof : Ps. xcv. 9, ' When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works ; ' they tempted God, as they put him often upon the trial. To note that, by the way, there is a twofold tempting or proving of God, either in a way of duty or sin. (1.) In a way of duty, when we wait to see his promise fulfilled ; and so, Mai. iii. 10, ' Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing.' Come pay your tithes and oft'erings : he would have the portion which belonged to himself : ' and prove me now herewith,' &c. God submits to a trial from experience, when we wait for the good promised. Thus we try God, and try his word : Ps. xviii. 30, ' The word of the Lord is a tried word ; he is a buckler to all those that trust in him." All those which build upon it, that wait to see what God will do, they will find it, upon experience, to be accomplished to a tittle; never did any build upon it, or wait for the accomplishment of it, in vain. (2.) In a way of sin. Many ways we are said to tempt God. When we set God a task, in satisfying our conceits and carnal affections : Ps. Ixxviii. 18, ' They tempted God in their hearts, by asking meat for their lusts ; ' and when we will not believe in him, but upon conditions of our ow*n making ; or when we confine him to our means, or time, or manner of working ; or would have some extraordinary proof of his being, and power, and goodness ; or see whether God will punish us though we sin against him. All these ways we are said to tempt God in a way of sin. But that is not my business now. Therefore,