Of God's leading us into temptation,
An Exposition of the Affembly's Catechism.
A. That God is aGod of love, goodness, and pardon feeinghe will not pardon us, ifwedo not pardon others ; but will, ifwe do fo.
Q. 25. What is athird inference ?
A. That ifwe live in hatredwhenwe pray the Lord's prayer,we pray for our own damnation ; Matth. xviii. 22. Jeſus faithunto him,I ſay notunto thee,Until ſeven times, but until ſeventytimes ſeven. Ver. 35. So likewite ſhall myheavenly
Father do alſo untoyou, ifye from your hearts forgivenot every one his brother their trefpafles.
OfGod's leading us into temptation.
W Hat do we pray for inthe fixthpetition?
Queſt. 106.
A. Inthefixthpetition, which is, [And leadus not into temptation ; but deliver us,from evil:] vie pray,that God would either keep usfrombeing tempted tofin,or fupport anddeliver uswhen we are tempted.
Q. 1. Why is this petitionjoined to the fornterwith the copulative and?
A. Becauſe itwill be but little advantage tohaveformer 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 arighteous man turneth away from his righteouſneſs, and committeth iniquity, anddieth inthem; forhis iniquity that hehath done, ſhall he die Q. 2. What is meantby temptation ?
A. Ingeneral, atrial or probationofwhat is inus, or of what we will do.
Q. 3.What is meantbytemptationhere ?
A. Temptation to fin andwickedneſs .
Q. 4. Howmaywe be faid to be temptedto fin ?
A. (1.) Effectuallyby ourſelves, andourown hearts; Jama 1. 14, 15. But everyman is tempted,when he is drawn away ofhis own luft, and enticed.
Then when lufthath conceived, it bringeth forth fin ; and fin, whenitis finiſhed, bringeth forth death. (2 ) Formally,with an intention todraw into fin and ſo we are tempted ofthe devil ; 1 Chron. xxi. 1. And Satan ftood up against Ifrael, and provokedDavid to number
Ifrael. Matth . iv. 1, 3. Then was Jeſus led up ofthe Spirit into the wilderness, tobe tempted ofthe devil. And when the Temptercame to him,he said, Ifthoube theSon ofGod, command that theſe ſtones be made bread.
(3.) Innocently, and blamelefly ; andſo God is said to tempt; 2 Sam. xxiv. 1 .
An Exposition of the Affembly's Catechifm.
And again the angerof the Lordwas kindled against Ifrael; andhemovedDavid against them to ſay, Gonumber Ifrael and Judah.
Q. 5. How manyways mayGodbe saidto tempt evil ?
A. (1.) By withdrawing his grace, either common, or ſpecial; 2 Chron. xxxii. 31. Howbeit, inthe buſineſs of the ambaffadors ofthe princes of Babylon,who fent unto him to enquire ofthewonder that wasdonein the land ; God left him to tryhim, that he might know all that was in his heart. (2.)
Bypermitting Satan, and wicked men, totempt ; 2 Sam.xxiv.
1. HemovedDavid against them,toſay,Go and number Ifrael and Judah.
With Chron. xxi. 1. Satan ſtood up againft Ifrael, andprovoked David. Matth. iv. 1. Thenwas Jeſus led upof the Spiritinto the wilderneſs, tobe temptedofthe devil.
(3.) Bypreſentingoccaſions inhis providence, which he knows will be abuſed to fin'; as in the fall ofAdam, the hardening of Pharaoh, &c.
Q. 6. What do webeg in thispetition ?
A. Webeg, that we may not any of theſe, or any other ways, whereby the holyGod maybe faid to lead into temptation,be ledthereinto ; Pfalm cxli 1. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practiſe wickedworks with men that work iniquity; and letme noteat of their dainties. Pfalm xix. 13.
Keep back thy fervant alſo from preſumptuous fins; letthem not havedominion over me: Then ſhall Ibe upright, and I ſhall be innocent from the great tranfgreffion.
Q. 7. What is meant byevil ?
A. Someunderſtand itofthe 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 canbring upon us, and is uſually fo understood in fcripture; Pfalmxcvii. 10. Ye that love the Lord, hate evil.
Ifa. i. 16. Ceaſe to do evil. Amos v. 15.
Hatethe evil, and love the good. Rom. xii. 9. Abhor that which is evil.
Q. 8. What is meantby deliverance from evil ?
A. That ifGodfeesmeet to permit us tobe temptedby Sa. tan,andthewicked without, or by our own hearts within, to fin;oroccafionally,by his providence; thathe willnot leaveus, butundertake for us, that we maynot be ledinto finthereby, butby his gracebemade more than conquerors. Pfalm li. 10.
Create inme aclean heart, OGod, and renew a right ſpirit withinme. Pfalm cxix. 133. Order my ſteps in thyword, and letnot anyiniquity havedominion overme. According tohis
VOL. VIII.