Luke 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation… We will show — 1. What it is to be "delivered from evil." 2. That it is the work of God alone. 3. That being delivered we must offer up the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving Jovi Liberatori, "to God our Deliverer," and give all the glory of the victory to Him alone. 1. When we hear of deliverance from evil, we may conceive perhaps such a deliverance as may set us at such a distance from it that it may not come near us. But there is a further deliverance, ut prosit, "that it may help us," that "out of this eater may come meat" (Judges 14:14, 15), even "sweeter than honey or the honeycomb" (Psalm 19:10). We may truly say, "The very finger of God is here" (Exodus 8:19). For it is the work of God to create good out of evil, and light out of darkness, which are heterogeneous and of a quite contrary nature. 1. First. When we pray to be "delivered from evil," we acknowledge that God hath jus pleni dominii, "such a full power over us," that He may, if He please, without any injustice deliver us up unto Satan, as He did Job, to be "smitten from the sole of the foot unto the crown" (Job 2:7); that He may withdraw His blessings, and make us smart under the cross. 2. But, in the next place, because we are men, not angels, and converse on earth, where is officina tentationum, "a shop where the devil forgeth his terrors and his allurements, his fearful and his pleasing temptations," we send out prayers as in an humble embassage to crave God's aid and auxiliary forces. For as God hath His army to fight against His enemies — His locust, His caterpillar, and His palmer-worm (Joel 2:25) — so hath He His army to defend those who are under His protection — His angels and archangels, who "are all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation." 3. But further yet, in the last place, we beg God's immediate assistance, His efficacious and saving grace, that He will not only send His angels, but make us angels to ourselves. For no man can be "delivered from evil," nisi in quantum angelus ease coepit, "but so far forth as he is become an angel," yea, nisi in quantum Deus esse coepit, "but so far forth as he is become a God," "partaker," saith St. Peter, "of the Divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4), and endued with "wisdom from above" (James 3:17). And as we pray for sight, so we do for foresight. (A. Farindon.) Parallel Verses KJV: And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. |
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