CHRIST the Support of the Tempted.
MATTHEW vi. 13.
_Lead us not into Temptation._
THE great and important duty which is incumbent on christians, is
to guard against all appearance of evil; to watch against the first
risings in the heart to evil; and to have a guard upon our actions,
that they may not be sinful, or so much as seem to be so. It is true,
the devil is tempting us continually, and our own evil hearts are ready
to join with the tempter, to make us fall into sins, that he thereby
may obtain a victory over us, and that we, my brethren, may be his
subjects, his servants, his slaves; and then by-and-by he will pay
us our wages, which will be death temporal, and death eternal. Our
LORD JESUS CHRIST saw how his people would be tempted; and that the
great enemy of their souls would lay hold of every opportunity, so he
could but be a means of keeping poor sinners from coming to the LORD
JESUS CHRIST; hurrying you with temptation, to drive you to some great
sins; and then if he cannot gain you over, fall it to a smaller, and
suit his temptations time after time; and when he finds none of these
things will do, often transform himself into an angel of light, and
by that means make the soul fall into sin, to the dishonour of GOD,
and the wounding of itself: the LORD JESUS, I say, seeing how liable
his disciples, and all others, would be to be overcome by temptation,
therefore advises them, when they pray, to beg that they might not
be led into temptation. It is so dangerous to engage so subtle and
powerful an enemy as Satan is, that we shall be overcome as often as we
engage, unless the LORD is on our side. My brethren, if you were left
to yourselves, you would be overcome by every temptation with which you
are beset.
These words are part of the prayer which CHRIST taught his disciples;
and I shall, therefore, make no doubt, but that you all believe them to
be true, since they are spoken by one who cannot lie. I shall,