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SERMON IX.

LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION.

MATT. xxvi. 41.

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation."

FROM the short Prayer, "Lead us not into temptation," which our LORD HIMSELF has given us, we are taught that in some sense or other GOD does HIMSELF lead into temptation; and that this is so great an occasion of fear, that we have reason to be constantly praying against it, as the worst evil that can befal us.

Now there is, indeed, one sense in which God can tempt no one; as St. James says, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for GOD cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth HE any man: but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed1." Men are apt when they fall into sin secretly to accuse GOD; they think it is owing to such and such circumstances in which God has placed them, or to their natural passions which they cannot help, and in numberless ways of this kind excuse themselves, as if GOD HIMSELF had been the occasion of their falling. This is, as St. James warns us, altogether wrong. "The tempter" is the very name of the great enemy; it is altogether far from the gracious Father and SAVIOUR, and COMFORTER of us all. " Say not thou," says the wise man, It is through the LORD that I fell away; for thou oughtest not to do the things which He hateth "."

1 James i. 13, 14.

2 Ecclus. xv. 11.

There is, again, another sense in which God is said to tempt men, which, though we may humbly fear, yet we have no reason to deprecate as an evil. As we read, " After these things GoD did tempt Abraham "." That is, GoD, knowing the great faithfulness of his heart, brought upon Abraham a trial and proof of his faith, to his infinite reward and blessing, and in order to set him forth as an example to all ages. So likewise was it with the trials of Job; he himself, indeed, in the depth of his afflictions saw this, and said, "When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." And so also with St. Paul, he had an angel of Satan sent to buffet him for the perfection of grace. In this sense, indeed, the holy Psalmist even prays for, and not against the trial of GoD, and says, "Try me, and seek the ground of my heart"." And St. James tells us that we are to be comforted by seeing the hand of GoD in such trials; "My brethren, count it all joy," he says, "when ye fall into divers temptations "." The Redeemed in the Revelation are those who are come out of great tribulation. In this sense, GOD is often said to be trying and proving His own children at all times for their profit and final salvation. As HE HIMSELF explains to Israel all His dealings in the wilderness; "that He might humble thee, and that HE might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end"." Nay, this was not only the case with God's chosen people of old, but of HIM, "Who was in all things tempted as we are, yet without sin." We read immediately after His baptism, "Then was JESUS led up of the SPIRIT into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil "." Thus the wise Origen says, in speaking of this Prayer, "But the use of temptation is something of this kind. Such things as the soul hath admitted, escaping the knowledge of all but GOD HIMSELF, become manifest to ourselves by means of temptations; so that our own characters are no longer hidden from ourselves, but we become conscious, if we wish, of our own evils, and thankful for that good which is thus made known to us "." The holy men of old did, indeed, suppose that by this Prayer against temptation, our LORD did intend to teach us that it was the part of a humble

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mind so to fear for oneself, as to avoid all trials of faith. Thus St. Chrysostom says, that hereby "He teaches us our own vileness, and quells our pride, instructing us to deprecate all conflicts 1." And the good martyr St. Cyprian, When we thus pray that we may not enter into temptation, we are cautioned by this Prayer of our infirmity, lest any presumptuously exalt himself"." For if we presume beforehand of our strength, even if we were to act rightly, we should attribute this to ourselves and not to God. And surely this Prayer does, in this sense, most strongly set before us the right temper and disposition of a Christian at all times; that while he is always praying for forgiveness for the past, he is always fearing himself for the future. For indeed none are so likely to fall under temptation, when it comes, as those who beforehand presume on their own strength. But no doubt there is in this petition a great deal more than this; it is not merely the expression of a humble mind shrinking from being tried and proved of God, for fear of its being found wanting in the trial. It is, I think, some very great and terrible evil hanging over us all, for which we have reason constantly to watch and pray, lest GOD HIMSELF should in some way lead us into temptation. Now of course this means, lest GoD should leave us to ourselves, and so the great tempter, the enemy of our souls, should gain an advantage over us; lest He should withdraw His grace from us, and so temptation should overtake us. It no doubt does mean this; but surely it must mean something more than this; for it is not said, leave us not to temptation," but "lead us not into temptation." It implies such temptation as comes upon us as a judgment from GOD: not a trial for our amendment and perfection, but something which is an awful punishment.

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Now let us consider a little more at length what this may be. A person is overtaken by some deadly sin; a young person, it may be, has fallen into some act of uncleanness, which he at once knows must have put him out of covenant with GOD, and is a sign to him, that without repentance he has forfeited his salvation. But when he reflects on himself in bitterness and alarm, he observes that the temptation by which he fell was a

1 Hom. xix. in Matt. vi. 13.

2 Treat. vii.

judgment of GOD: that God must have been justly displeased, and angry with him in allowing him thus to fall; he perceives, that although it appeared to overtake him unawares, yet it was not at all a sudden thing, for he had been neglecting God before; he was not living at the time in watchfulness and Prayer; or, it may be, was trifling with conscience; was by evil thoughts living in the very outskirts, and near neighbourhood of mortal sin, and thought that no harm would come of it, or perhaps thought not at all. In this sinful forgetfulness of GOD, death might have overtaken him, or some grievous affliction or accident. It is a very awful matter to trifle with GoD, and it can never be done with impunity. But, instead of these visitations, which might have arrested him in his course, there is another judgment of GOD more awful still, and more common, when in His anger HE withdraws His protecting Providence and Grace, and the tempter comes with opportunities and allurements to sin. Let him not throw off his guilt, by saying he was tempted of GOD: for he was drawn away and enticed of his own lust; he ought not to have done the things which God hates.

This is the history of all sin; it was the case with our first parents when they fell. Eve is represented to us in Scripture as conversing with the evil spirit, listening to his suggestions, and pleased with his false pictures of pride and pleasure, before she was deserted of GOD, so far as to be left to that temptation. It is so when an angry man is betrayed into some words or deeds of violence or ill-temper, the temptation by which his sin has overtaken him must be looked upon as a proof of God's displeasure. A covetous and dishonest man, in like manner, may be very prosperous in the world, that is to say, in other words, he may have abundant opportunities afforded him of gratifying the sins of his heart, and that, not because he pleases GOD, not because GOD is indifferent and sees him not, but because God is angry with him; he passes on from sin to sin, and fills up the measure of his iniquity. If there was hope, if there was some good in him, he would be chastened and corrected with the loving corrections of a FATHER; but because he is wilfully disobedient, he is left to temptation.

Now, when great calamities are abroad in the world, wars and rebellions, or shipwrecks, or sudden pestilences and famines, and

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the like; or when sufferings fall upon families or individuals by sickness, or loss of relations or property, these are usually looked upon as judgments of GOD; and that very truly, of course. to recognize the hand of GoD in these things is no great matter. His voice in these visitations is clear and loud, so that, as at the sound of thunder, the natural heart at once acknowledges, and is humbled. But to the Christian the voice of GOD, which speaks to him, is a still and small voice which requires him deeply to attend and listen. And GOD would have us notice and fear, much more than any outward calamities, His far more awful judgments in the sins that abound. Holy Scripture tells us that the whole world lieth in wickedness, and under the wrath of GOD and a description of the world for any given time,-a week, or a day, as we find in newspapers,—is but an account or catalogue of things that prove this-the displeasure of Almighty GOD-not so much in the calamities or troubles which they record, as in the sins against GOD, which are considered as no sins at all. This is the reason why a Christian cannot but look on every kind of sin, both in himself and the world around, with great fear, because it is a sign of God's judgment. It is a sad evidence that HE withdraws His protection.

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These considerations may serve to explain to us why it is that the LORD's Prayer does not say, keep us from temptation, or let us not fall into temptation and the snare of the devil, but lead us not into temptation." GOD would have us to fear sin, as His judgment. He would have us look to HIMSELF, seeking for protection; HE would have us consider that the tempter hath no power at all against us, unless it be given him from above. Thus St. Cyprian represents to us the force of this prayer: "It is," he says, "intended to show us that the adversary can nothing avail against us, unless God first permit him; so that all our fear, and devotion, and heed ought to be addressed to GOD"." "Undoubtedly," says St. Augustin, speaking of this Prayer, “in His deep and hidden judgment, HE abandons some. And when He hath abandoned them, the tempter finds his opportunity. For he finds no resistance against his power. Therefore, that HE may not abandon us, we say, 'Lead us not into temptation.'

s Treat. vii. 17.

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