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SERMON VII.

蒸蒸鮮

MATT. VI. 13.

Lead us not into Temptation.

UR Saviour directed his Difciples, in the foregoing Petition, to avoid the Sasses guilt and punishment of their past fins, and in this teacheth them to prevent their danger for the future: in the former, they ask forgiveness from God's mercy; in the latter, protection from his providence, and affifting grace from his Spirit.

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It is obfervable, that the prevention of Temptations naturally follows the request for forgiveness of Trefpaffes, and very much ftrengthens the fuccefs of it; for what can be a more favourable plea for pardon than the defires we here exprefs for perfeverance; and what can more effectually fhew the value we set upon

God's

God's favour, than by avoiding Temptations never to run the hazard of forfeiting it? instead of saying

a

Some of the Antients, lead us not into Temptation, us'd to exprefs themselves fomewhat more foftly, fuffer us not to be led into Temptation; this difference of expreffion may be imputed to the excufable mistake, that Temptations were in their nature finful; and therefore the defire not to be led into them fuppos'd God to be the author of them: they therefore chofe to exprefs themselves fo, that they might rather appear the effects of his permiffion than his appointment. But as Temptations are in themselves indifferent, and only become finful by human weakness, we very reasonably ftick to the more common and truer reading, lead us not into Temptation.

a St. Matthew and St. Luke agree in reading un cioɛvéyxyg ŵμäs eis weegomóv· which the vulgar Latin truly renders, nè nos inducas in tentationem. However, St. Cyprian de Orat. and Ambrofe de facram. lib. 6. read it otherwife, & nè patiaris nos induci in tentationem. Multi autem precando ita dicunt, ne nos patiaris induci in tentationem, exponentes videlicet quomodo dictum fit inducas; non enim per feipfum inducit deus, fed induci patitur eum quem fuo auxilio deferuerit ordine occultiffimo & meritis. D. Aug. de Serm. Dom. It is probable that the Latin Church follow'd that way of expreffion in the Liturgies; however there feems to be no other reafon for this variation, but the unneceffary fear of making God from hence the author of evil.

In which request three things are to be confider'd.

First, The nature of Temptations.

Secondly, What it is we ask of God in praying not to be led into them.

Thirdly, How far this Prayer is affur'd of

$ fuccefs.

First, The nature of Temptations.

5.

Temptations are properly the feveral trials of human virtue. Common cuftom hath given this name more peculiarly to the trials of adverfity, fince, as the wife man obferves, Gold Ecclus. ii. is tried in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of adverfity. This condition of life more especially tries our trust in a good providence; and hath, according to our behaviour in it, this different effect, either of hardening our hearts, or of bringing them nearer to God. The word is us'd frequently in this fenfe throughout the New Testament. Te are they, faith our Saviour to his Dif- Luke ciples, that have continu'd with me in my Temptations; meaning by them his poverty and diftreffes. Thus St. James adviseth the Christians, To count it all joy when they fall Jamesi.z. into diverse Temptations, and pronounces the Ibid. 12. man bleffed that endureth them. Which common way of explication gave reafon to tranflate the words in fome of the old ver

fions b

xxii. 28.

9.

frons, Lead us not into the Temptations of affliction.

However the word is not fo confin'd to the trials of adverfity, as not to represent any other condition of life, by which our faithfulness to God may be try'd. St. Paul therefore applies the word to that danger, which 1 Tim.vi. arifeth from wealth and plenty, They that will be rich fall into Temptation, and a fnare, and into many foolish and hurtful lufts. Trials are not so fingular to a state of affliction, but that they may be as great and fatal in profperity; our eale may be as dangerous as fuffering; and as the one may tempt us to distrust providence, fo the other may lead us with an ungrateful floth to forget it. Temptations are therefore by our Church divided into thofe of the Devil, the World, and the Flesh; which divifion evidently fhews, that they are as applicable to one condition of life, as another.

It is obfervable, that there is not a station in life, nor a passion in human nature, which doth not bring men under the danger of Temptations. Our virtue is on the opposite side to inclinations, and the bufinefs of it is, like that of a fevere tutor, to curb and restrain

b Vide Polyglot.

them.

them. We are plac'd in a plentiful scene of dangerous pleasures, which nature prompts us to enjoy, and duty commands us to avoid; fo that the reasonable part of the man is employ'd in forbidding, what the fenfual part of him is eager to embrace.

This war then between flesh and spirit, makes life to a good Christian a continu'd conflict, and all the trials of it are but one love of the present in different shapes. The world tempts the young man with trifles, and the old with graver and more manly follies, and hath a suitable bait prepar'd for every age. The old finner in the exit of life pursues the fame road he did at the entrance into it; the fame finful love of the present continues to be his companion and his guide; it tempted him in his youth by lufts and pleasures, and still doth fo in his old age, by greediness and ambition. If fear be predominant in our complexions, our watchful enemy never fails to attack us at this unguarded quarter; our danger then comes arm'd with terror, and makes us ready to furrender our confcience for our fafety. But But yet defire is in fome more prevalent than their fear; and tho' they have too much courage to be affrighted from their duty, yet they have not prudence enough to avoid being deluded out of

it.