Page images
PDF
EPUB

sitive influence. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; let the whole earth be filled with his glory.

But God is said in Sacred Scripture to lead men into temptation, when he permits the tempter to exercise his arts. For, as all creatures are in his hand, none can act without his permission. Thus events are sometimes expressed in Scripture as if they were done by the Almighty, when Satan is the real agent: The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. 2 Sam. xxiv. 1. The parallel passage, 1 Chron. xxi. 1, is, And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. God permitted this, as the wise and holy Governor of the universe, to punish the sins of the people; Satan did it as the enemy of David maliciously tempting him to moral evil in order to destroy him. In like manner God suffered the devil to tempt Job, and to vex Saul, and to send a lying spirit into the prophets of Ahab.

God, again, is said to lead us into temptation, when we are placed, in the course of his providence, in such circumstances, that Satan gains an easy advantage over us. Some events so alter our station and duties, that our inward corruptions and the temptations of the devil ase sault us in a new and more formidable manner

God may permit these circumstances to arise, in order to prove the reality and power of our religion, to show the sincerity or deficiency of our love, to convince us of the remaining corruption of our hearts, to humble and prepare us for prosperity or adversity, to excite constant watchfulness and prayer, to dispose and enable us to instruct and benefit others, and to exercise and perfect our faith and patience. In other cases, God may send these trials in the severity of his anger, as the punishment of former sins, as the consequence of incorrigible obstinacy, and perhaps as the heralds of approaching ruin.

In

Accordingly, with this clear understanding that the blessed God is in no evil sense the author of sin, we may safely say that Joseph, the old prophet of Bethel, David, Solomon, and Peter were severally led into temptation. these and similar cases, God was pleased to allow the person about to be tried, to fall into such circumstances as would give Satan and his followers the opportunity of assailing him, and would allow the governing principles of the mind to show themselves in their full force; even as in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, God left Hezekiah to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.

The import, then, of the petition which we are to consider will now be obvious, It is, that

the events of our lives may be so ordered as not to display to us those objects, or provide those occasions, by which Satan may prevail over uš and betray us into sin.

It is to be considered, then, as the prayer of one who FEELS A SINCERE HATRED OF SIN, AND A SOLICITUDE NOT TO BE ENTANGLED IN ITS SNARES. The bent and turn of the mind of a true Christian is opposed to all sin. He repents of his past offences, and abhors himself as the perpetrator of them. His great object and concern is, to believe in the meritorious death of Christ, to be deeply sensible of his love, to obey his commandments, to have fellowship with him by his Spirit. His anxious care therefore will be to avoid all the occasions of temptation. He dreads it as a serpent in his path. He trembles at its entrance into his heart, like a man discovering for the first time the symptoms of a malignant fever. He earnestly and unceasingly beseeches of God to grant him his protection, that he may not be betrayed into sin. He is sensible how readily he may be turned aside like an unfaithful bow, and is always conscious of his own feebleness and impotence.

This petition also implies an ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF OUR OWN WEAKNESS and inability to overcome temptation. The Christian is like a man only partially recovered from a dangerous

sickness, and who is afraid of a relapse. Sin has still too easy an access to his heart. His necessary duties in life expose him to continual trials. He fervently begs of God, therefore, not to expose him to any unnecessary scenes of difficulty. He knows how little force is requisite to overthrow him; he is aware that the least enemy is more than he can encounter of himself; and therefore, like a prudent warrior, he avoids a rash provoking of his foe. Already does he feel himself ready to halt; already does he find that he is feeble and sore broken. Shall he then be careless or indolent? Shall he venture needlessly on forbidden ground? Shall he act a presumptuous part? Whilst he feels his weakness, shall he not watch and pray against temptation?

We ask further in this petition, that God would not BRING US INTO THOSE SITUATIONS

WHICH HE KNOWS WILL PROVE RUINOUS TO US.

We are ignorant and impatient creatures; discovering little of the real tendency of things; and eager for change and variety. We desire ease, indulgence, worldly power, prosperity, riches. We readily acquiesce in all proposals which promise greater measures of influence and authority. Our imagination is soon caught by pleasing appearances. This is the natural bias of our hearts, which remains more or less even after true regeneration and conversion;

weakened indeed and vanquished, but not wholly destroyed. The Christian, therefore, humbly prays that God would not place him in a state which would irritate the slumbering evils of his nature; which would throw him off his guard; which would impart to some particular passion a new and dangerous force; which would confirm some evil habit; which would draw off the heart from God; which would expose him to those temptations which experience has shown him he cannot easily surmount. Thus he prays in effect, against success in his most favourite schemes, against prosperity in his concerns, against the favour and applause of men, against the increase of riches, and even against uninterrupted health, if God sees that they would expose him to any peculiar or fatal temptations.

The petition imports further an earnest desire that, in those temptations which befal us, God would NOT LEAVE US TO OURSELVES, BUT ASSIST US WITH HIS ALMIGHTY AID. We are sensible of our danger, and our need of mercy and grace to help in every time of need. We therefore pray that no temptation may happen to us, but what is common to man; and that God of his faithfulness would not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able, but would with the temptation also make a way for escape, that we may be able to bear it. Joseph had to

[ocr errors]
« EelmineJätka »