Vol. II. and God, who requires thefe Duties, and by whofe Providence Men are put into those Circumftances, may be faid to lead a Man into Temptation. And becaufe every Man is tempted in this Senfe, and it is impoffible it should be otherwise, this is not the Sense wherein we pray not to be led into Temptation.

3. By Temptation we may underftand here thofe hazardous Tryals, which are not the common Lot of Men, and with which God is pleafed fometimes to prove good Men, fometimes to punish evil Men. So that God may be faid to lead a Man into Temptation, or to tempt him, when he causeth some Extraordinary Accidents to befal him, which will prove his Sincerity to the utmost, and will certainly fhew him to himself, and to the World, that he either is, or is not, what he believes himself to be, and pretends to be to other Men, and which likewise may greatly endanger and shake the Conftancy of a Man, who is at prefent honeft and upright in his Way.

Now one Reason inclining me to believe, that we are to understand the Word Temp tation in this place after this manner, is, that I remember, the Word, when it is us'd of God, when he is faid to tempt Men, is ftill meant of fome Extraordinary Tryal of them, fuch as does not befal all Perfons, and feldom

any

any Perfon without the Appearance of a fpecial Providence, which is at least discernible by himself. Thus God was faid to tempt Abraham, Gen. 22. I. when he required him to offer up his only Son Ifaac; that is, by this Tryal God prov'd the Strength of his Faith, and the Sincerity of his Obedience in an Extraordinary manner. Thus also he was faid to tempt or prove the Ifraelites forty Years in the Wilderness, Deut. 8. 2. proving them by Various, and fo Extraordinary Providences, whether they would acknowledge him in all their Ways: And thus St. James calls the great Afflictions, which the Criftians suffered from their Perfecutors, Temptations, James 1. 2. And it is a great Temptation, which leaves a Man no other choice, than to lose all he has in this World, or to forfeit Everlasting Life. Thus great Poverty is a Temptation to Theft, and great Wealth to Luxury, and Forgetfulnefs of God; For which Reafon Agur pray ed, Give me neither Poverty nor Riches, feed me with Food convenient for me Prov. 30. 8. It is not poffible for me to fay how many kinds of Extraordinary Temptations Men are liable to, that is, fuch as will make the Tryal of their Strength in their Faith more than ordinarily hazardous to themselves. And perhaps it is a very hard Thing for any Man to fay, what the Temptation is, which

would

would put him hardest to it, whether great Pain, or great Poverty, or great Contempt on the one fide, or vaft Wealth or Power or uninterrupted Eafe and Profperity on the other, whether fudden good or evil Fortune, whether a great Temptation to Uncleanness, or to Covetoufnefs, or to Revenge: We fel dom understand our felves fo well, as to know what Tryal we are leaft able to bear ; And therefore perhaps we had better in moft Things of this Nature leave the Petition to God in general, as our Saviour has taught us to use it, that God would not lead us into Temptation, that is, that he would prevent thofe Temptations from falling upon us, which he, who knows best our Make and Frame, fees will moft of all endanger

us.

And there are some particular Temptations of an Extraordinary Nature which we are not to Pray Abfolutely againft, but with Submiffion to God's Pleasure and all-difcerning Knowledge: And of this kind is the Temptation of Perfecution, and all other Extraordinary Diftreffes like to that. We are not Abfolutely to pray against that, which may turn to our good, but with Submiffion to the Divine Will we may pray against any Tryal that will endanger our Conftancy, and may therefore prove a Mischief to us through our own Weakness. No doubt the

Ancient

Ancient Chriftians prayed for Deliverance, but this without question alfo with a Refolution to be very well Content, if their Preffures continued: Otherwife St. James would not have faid, James 1. 2. My Brethren count it all Foy when ye fall into diverfe Temptations, that is, into diverfe Afflictions and Tribulations for the Sake of the Gofpel; For the tryal of your Faith worketh Patience, v. 3. that is, God by trying your Faith this Way exercifeth and improveth you in the virtue of Patience for your greater Reward. So doubtlefs St. Paul did well in praying to be delivered from the Messenger of Satan, though his Grievance was continued to his Advantage in the event by the Grace of God that was fufficient for him, 2 Cor. 12. 7, 8, 9.

This Branch of the Petition feems to be founded upon that Modest Opinion of ones felf, which is almoft natural to a Wife and Good Man, and upon that Concern for Innocence and Eternal Life, which is infeparable from a true Believer, and a good Chriftian. Such a One cannot but think it very reafonable to befeech God, that neither the Devil, nor the World may be let loose upon him to try his Conftancy, and that he may have no Occafion to grapple with Temptations, which have overborn Great and Excellent Perfons heretofore, that he may not be

furpriz'd.

(

furpriz❜d, as Lot, as David and Peter were, Men, who had fo ftrong a Faith, and fo firm a Virtue, that his Condition in this World may be fo ordered by divine Providence, as that his Duty may become more eafie; and his State toward God more fafe, than Great Temptations will allow; that in all his Tryals his Strength, or rather his Weakness may be confidered, that he may be 'neither furpriz'd with the too great_Suddeness, nor overborn by the unusual Force, nor tir'd out by the long Continuance and Importunity of Temptations, whether to Pride and Voluptuoufness, and Uncleanness, or to Impatience, and Discontent, and Revenge, or to Apoftacy from God and Truth.

And thus much concerning the former Branch of the Petition.

2. The fecond, But deliver us from Evil, fignifies the fame Thing with the former, and something more: The fame thing, be cause the words are fo general, that they will include this meaning of being delivered from great and hazardous Temptations, but fomething more, inasmuch as the greater Evil is to fall under Temptations, whether they be greater or leffer. Take it in the former Sense, and the Petition is to be underftood of that which I noted before, that is of God's choofing that for our Portion in this Life, which he fees is beft for our Spiri

tual