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… What duties are we to endeavour after by virtue of the last petition? 1. To abstain from all sin; for this is the main thing here prayed against. This is it which maketh temptation so hurtful as it is. The more we forbear sin, the less damage shall we receive from any temptations. Many, many, therefore, are the dehortations of Scripture against sin. 2. To perfect holiness; for under the avoiding of any evil an endeavouring after the contrary good is always in Scripture implied; yea, they are very oft joined together. Now, holiness is perfected both by adding one grace to another, and also by continual growth in every grace. These two duties arise from the general sum of the last petition. 3. To be jealous over ourselves, fearing lest at any time we should be overcome by any temptation; for we are not only weak, easy to be overtaken and overthrown by every temptation, but a]so very prone to yield to Satan's temptations, because they are either agreeable to our corrupt humour, or else we so fearful as to think we shall never stand out against them. This Christian jealousy will make us the more instantly and constantly to seek help of God. 4. To avoid all occasions of evil. Occasions of evil are temptations to evil. Should not they, then, who pray against temptations avoid them as much as possibly they can? 5. To withstand beginnings. So did the apostle when he would not give place to false brethren (who were dangerous tempters), no, not for an hour. Thus much also he intendeth in this exhortation, "Give no place to the devil," which is as if he had said, "If Satan at any time tempt you, yield not an inch to him; let him get no advantage at all, which he cannot but get if at the beginning ye yield any whit at all to him." Much good is got by a due observation of this duty, and much wisdom is manifested thereby; for that evil which in the beginning is easily prevented can hardly, if at all, without very much damage, be redressed after it hath found some entrance. Instance poisonous and pestiferous diseases, fretting and festering sores, fires, breaches of water, and enemies entering within the walls of a city. 6. To watch continually. This is a duty whereunto in Scripture we are much exhorted, and that not without cause; for our spiritual enemies are always ready to tempt us, narrowly prying where to get any advantage against us. And soon they will get too great advantage if we be not the more watchful. To show that this duty is fitly inferred out of this petition, Christ expressly joineth it with prayer against temptation, saying, "Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation." 7. To be sober and temperate. Where these are not, every tempter will rule as he list; for intemperance and all excess blind the understanding, and open a passage to all manner of evil desires and filthy lusts, and make us unfit to pray, to watch, to fight, and to defend ourselves against our spiritual enemies. 8. To cast off every burden. By burdens are meant not only such things as are simply evil in themselves, but such also as being in their nature good, and may lawfully be used, yet through our weakness and inability to use them well, prove impediments to us in our spiritual combat; as the riches of that ruler whom Christ advised to sell all that he had, and to give it to the poor. Thus if honours, offices, recreations, companies which we frequent, or any worldly thing wherein we delight, prove a burden to us, and make us unfit to resist temptations — yea, rather make us yield to temptations — we are to cast them off, to avoid and forsake them. 9. To mortify our members on the earth. The flesh — that is, our corrupt nature — which containeth in it the mass of all sin, is styled a body. This body is made up of several particular lusts and evil motions, as a body of members. And as a body exereiseth all functions by the members, so the flesh executeth all mischiefs by particular lusts; and one lust helpeth another, as one member another, and as dear are these lusts to the natural man as the members of his body. Those particular lusts are therefore fitly styled members, and they are said to be members on the earth. (1) In opposition to the spirit, and the graces thereof which come from heaven, and bring men to heaven. (2) In their own condition, which is, as the earth, base, filthy, corrupt, and vain. (3) In their operation, whereby they make men grovel and dote on the earth, and the things therein. By mortifying these, the foresaid body (which is a dangerous tempter) will in time be deprived of all strength, and we freed from the danger of the temptations thereof. Be diligent, therefore, in searching them out, and having found them, spare them not, as Saul did the fat beasts, but deal with them as Samuel did with Agag, and Joshua with the kings of Canaan. 10. To beat down our body. This is done by forbearing to pamper ourselves, and to satisfy our carnal desires, that so the flesh may not wax wanton, and, like a pampered jade, become unruly; but that we may live within the compass prescribed and limited by God's Word. 11. To renounce the world. The world is such a tempter, as the friendship of it is enmity with God. "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Demas, that old disciple Demas, by embracing the world, was brought to renounce his Christian profession. It is therefore most meet that "the world be crucified to us, and we to the world"; that our hearts be clean alienated one from another, and that we have no more to do one with another than the living with the dead. Thus shall we be sure not to be overtaken by the temptations of the world. 12. To resist the devil. This is the only way to escape his temptations. He is like a wolf, which fiercely pursueth, and never leaveth such as fearfully fly from him, but flieth from such as manfully stand against him. So saith the apostle: "Resist the devil, and he will fly from you." 13. To put our trust in God. To what end do we else pray unto God? 14. To suffer afflictions patiently. All crosses and afflictions are temptations. By a patient enduring of them we keep ourselves from being overcome by them. Let patience, therefore, have her perfect work. The last twelve duties arise from the first part of the last petition. 15. To avoid that which is any way evil. This we, praying against, must carefully avoid. The apostle exhorteth to "abstain from all appearance of evil." 16. To return from that evil whereinto we have fallen; for they which pray to be delivered from evil must not lie in evil. All the exhortations in the Scripture to repent tend to this purpose. 17. To take heed of relapse. A relapse in bodily diseases is dangerous; much more in the soul's disease. (W. Gouge.) 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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