Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
The Fifty-second Lord's Day On the sixth petition of the Lord's Prayer Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
In this petition the business is about the evil of sin in respect to its dominion which it has over men. Concerning dominion, we have first the petition, lead us not, and secondly its declaration or opposition, but deliver us. In the petition, we pray against this evil and its twofold cause, of which the first is the proper cause of sin — intending it — which is the temptation of the Devil, or the Devil tempting us to sin. Now temptation is nothing more than an argument proposed to us, whereby we are induced to be persuaded and drawn into sin. The other cause that is looked at in this petition is not properly the cause of the sin, nor any efficient or author of it.
Rather it is a governour and orderer of the sin itself, and of the tempting to sin, and of the effects of both. But it is the true cause of the evil of punishment that follows sin.
418 And this is God's effectual and powerful way of working with sin, or exercising his providence, which is usually called God's permission, although it is more than a bare and idle permitting. The explication of this petition is in praying
[299] for what is contrary to this evil, that we prayed against in the words lead us not; this evil is prayed against from God's gracious acting towards us, which is contrary to leading us into temptation; for it is called a delivering or plucking us out of temptation.
Doctrine 1. The guilt of former sins that have been committed, altogether deserves that we should be quite given over to temptations and sins at God's hands.
This is gathered from the connexion in which first, forgiveness of sins is sought, 420 and then deliverance from temptations, and evil for sin.
Reason 1. Because sin being an aversion, or turning away from God, therefore it deserves that he should turn himself and his grace away from us.
Reason 2. Because for sin, we both give ourselves up as servants to sin, and servants to the one that tempts to sin. We therefore deserve directly and very rightly that we should be given to those masters that we ourselves have chosen.
Reason 3. When we rush into sin, we neglect that grace of God by which we might have been preserved from sin; and therefore we deserve to be deserted by him.
Use 1. Of Admonition: that we all the more take care to keep ourselves from sin.
Use 2. Of Direction: that we daily seek from God the forgiveness of our sins, even for this end: that we are not further given up to sin and to temptation, but that we may be preserved from both.
Doctrine 2. Whoever has forgiveness of sins, or seriously seeks after it, has a desire and true purpose to abstain and keep themselves from sinning in time to come.
This is also clear from the connexion of these two petitions.
[300] Reason 1. Because otherwise they would not truly abhor sin, and so they would show themselves altogether indisposed and not qualified for remission of sins.
Reason 2. Because otherwise they would not be thankful to God who forgave them their sins.
Reason 3. Because otherwise that forgiveness would be in vain if they should again purpose to themselves to return to the like condition in which they were before.
Use. Of Reproof: of those who seem to wish for forgiveness of sin, but in the meantime have no care to fly from sin.
Doctrine 3. Whoever desires to keep himself from sin should also keep himself from all temptations and occasions that lead into sin.
It is clear from the petition, which prays against temptations to sins.
Reason 1. Because the end of such temptations is sin, and the misery that follows upon sin.
Reason 2. Temptations are so many, so subtle, and so powerful, that unless with great care we take heed to ourselves, it cannot be but that they lead us into sin.
Reason 3. Because of ourselves we are carried that way, and incline towards this, that by giving way to temptations, we may betray our own souls to the tempter.
Use. Of Admonition: to those who, from too much security and boldness, rashly expose themselves to the danger of various temptations and enticements to sin; for temptation is not to be desired and sought after, but as wisely as we can, to be shunned; and where that cannot be, it is to be stoutly and courageously repulsed.
[301] Doctrine 4. Our Father that is in Heaven, also disposes of our temptations according to his own good pleasure.
For thus it is held out to us here, that it is he that either leads us into temptation, or causes us not to be brought into it, but kept from it.
Reason 1. Because he exercises his providence in guiding and measuring every temptation.
Reason 2. From him depends the strengthening of our souls against such temptations as we are troubled with.
Reason 3. From him depends the issue of the temptation itself, together with its effects which follow from it, either of their own nature or by accident.
Use 1. Of Comfort: because from this we may have comfort against all temptations, that we are never fully led into them, as in 1Cor
10.13, No other temptation has overtaken you, except what usually befalls men; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able; but will with the temptation, also make a way to escape so that you may be able to bear it.
Use 2. Of Exhortation: to thanksgiving, that we are not led to this and that temptation; because this should not be attributed to our own strength and wisdom, but to the grace of God.
Use 3. Of Admonition: that with horrour, fear, and trembling, we pray chiefly against this judgment of God which he exercises upon many sinners when he leads them into manifold temptation.
Doctrine 5. It is a great benefit of God towards his own, that he so delivers them from evil that they are not delivered into temptation.
This is hence gathered, in that this is sought from God by doubling the same petition in this manner, lead us not into, but deliver us from.
[302] Reason 1. Because a mischief to man lies in the prevalence of temptations when he is not only tempted and led somewhere into temptation, but also led into it so as to be wrapped in it, held entangled in it, after the will of the tempter Satan, and so he is kept captive in the slavery of sin.
Reason 2. Because so great is the force of temptations, and such is our nature's slipperiness and deceitfulness, that we cannot be delivered from this evil of temptation, but by God.
Reason 3. Because God does not deliver all; but of his just judgment, he allows many to be led into temptation of whom a great part (for all we know) were no worse than we ourselves who yet are delivered from them.
Use. Of Direction: 1. What evil we should chiefly pray against to be delivered from at God's hands; namely, not against outward afflictions, which are also temptations; nor yet against all other temptations absolutely; but against that deadly evil of sin in them that is intended to us by Satan, both by afflictions and all others of his temptations — which in truth are often times no less dangerously couched in prosperity, than in adversity. 2. How we should wholly depend upon God for deliverance from this evil, and so give him the glory.