Of God's leading us into temptation,
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism.
A. That God is a God of love, goodness, and pardon feeinghe will not pardon us, if we do not pardon others ; but will, if we do fo.
Q. 25. What is a third inference ?
A. That if we live in hatredwhenwe pray the Lord's prayer,we pray for our own damnation ; Matth. xviii. 22. Jesus faith unto him,I say not unto thee,Until seven times, but until seventy times seven. Ver. 35. So likewite shall my heavenly
Father do also unto you, ifye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trefpafles.
Of God's leading us into temptation.
W Hat do we pray for in the fixthpetition?
Quest. 106.
A. Inthefixthpetition, which is, [And lead us not into temptation ; but deliver us,from evil:] vie pray,that God would either keep us from being tempted to fin,or support and deliver us when we are tempted.
Q. 1. Why is this petition joined to the fornterwith the copulative and?
A. Because it will be but little advantage to have former fins pardoned, and to be left to the power and practice, to the love and trade of fin for the future ; Ezek. xviii. 26. Wheri a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, anddieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done, shall he die Q. 2. What is meant by temptation ?
A. In general, atrial or probationofwhat is in us, or of what we will do.
Q. 3.What is meantbytemptationhere ?
A. Temptation to fin and wickedness .
Q. 4. Howmaywe be said to be tempted to fin ?
A. (1.) Effectuallyby ourselves, and our own hearts; Jam a 1. 14, 15. But everyman is tempted,when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Then when lufthath conceived, it bringeth forth fin ; and fin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (2 ) Formally,with an intention to draw into fin and so we are tempted of the devil ; 1 Chron. xxi. 1. And Satan stood up against Israel, and provokedDavid to number
Israel. Matth . iv. 1, 3. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil. And when the Temptercame to him,he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
(3.) Innocently, and blamelefly ; and so God is said to tempt; 2 Sam. xxiv. 1 .
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism.
And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel; andhemovedDavid against them to say, Gonumber Israel and Judah.
Q. 5. How many ways mayGodbe said to tempt evil ?
A. (1.) By withdrawing his grace, either common, or special; 2 Chron. xxxii. 31. Howbeit, in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon,who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land ; God left him to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart. (2.)
By permitting Satan, and wicked men, to tempt ; 2 Sam.xxiv.
1. HemovedDavid against them,to say,Go and number Israel and Judah.
With Chron. xxi. 1. Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David. Matth. iv. 1. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil.
(3.) Bypresentingoccasions in his providence, which he knows will be abused to fin'; as in the fall of Adam, the hardening of Pharaoh, &c.
Q. 6. What do we beg in this petition ?
A. We beg, that we may not any of these, or any other ways, whereby the holy God maybe said to lead into temptation,be ledthereinto ; Psalm cxli 1. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity; and let me not eat of their dainties. Psalm xix. 13.
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous fins; let them not have dominion over me: Then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Q. 7. What is meant by evil ?
A. Some understand it of the devil,but the best meaning is fin, which is the evil of evils, and makes the devil evil, and is the worst of evils the devil can bring upon us, and is usually fo understood in scripture; Pfalmxcvii. 10. Ye that love the Lord, hate evil.
Ifa. i. 16. Cease to do evil. Amos v. 15.
Hate the evil, and love the good. Rom. xii. 9. Abhor that which is evil.
Q. 8. What is meant by deliverance from evil ?
A. That ifGodfeesmeet to permit us to be tempted by Sa. tan,and the wicked without, or by our own hearts within, to fin;or occasionally,by his providence; that he will not leave us, but undertake for us, that we may not be led into finthereby, but by his gracebemade more than conquerors. Psalm li. 10.
Create in me a clean heart, OGod, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm cxix. 133. Order my steps in thy word, and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. According to his
VOL. VIII.