II. What Is It to Lead into Temptation?

When God is said to lead us into temptation, we are to understand by it, that he tries and proves us according to his most just will and judgment. When the devil is said to lead us into temptation, it means that God permits him to entice and solicit us to sin. We are here in this petition taught to pray for deliverance from both of these forms of temptation. We therefore pray, 1. That God will not tempt us for the sake of trying us, if such be his will and pleasure, or if he does tempt us, that he will give us strength to endure the temptation. 2. That he will not permit the devil, or the world or the flesh to entice us to sin, or if he does permit us to be tempted, that he himself will be present with us, that we may not fall into sin. This, therefore, is the true sense and meaning of this petition, Lead us not into temptation—suffer us not to be tempted above that which we are able to bear; neither permit the devil to tempt us in such a way that we may either sin, or wholly fall from thee.

Obj. Temptations which are good in respect to God, are evil in respect to the devil, and yet God, notwithstanding, leads us into them. Therefore God is the cause of sin. Ans. There is here a fallacy of the accident. They are sins in respect to the devil, because he designs to entice us to sin by these temptations. In respect to God, however, they are not sins, because they try us and withdraw us from sin, and also confirm our faith. Temptations, therefore, in as far as they are trials, chastisements, martyrdoms, &c., are sent of God; but in as far as they are evil and sinful, God does not will them, so as to approve and effect them, but only permits them.

III. What Is It, to Deliver Us from Evil?

There are some who understand by the term evil as here used, the devil; others understand by it, sin, and others, death. It is best, however, to understand it as comprehending all the evils of guilt and punishment, whether they be present or future; yea, and the devil himself, the author and grand contriver of all wicked deeds, who is called by the Apostle John, according to a significant form of speech, the wicked one. “I write unto you young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one.” “Whatsoever is more than these, cometh of Evil.” (1 John 2:13. Matt. 5:37.) Cyprian understood the term evil as here used, to include all the adverse circumstances which the enemy brings against us, from which we can have no sure protection, except God deliver us. Hence when we pray that God will deliver us from evil, we desire, 1. That he will send no evil upon us, but keep and defend us from present and future evils, both of guilt and punishment. 2. That if he does here send evils upon us, he will be pleased to mitigate them, and make them contribute to our salvation that they may be profitable to us. 3. That he will at length fully and perfectly deliver us in the life to come, and wipe away all tears from our eyes.

IV. Why Is This Petition Necessary?

This petition is necessary, 1. On account of the number and power of our enemies, together with the magnitude of the evils to which we are exposed, and our own weakness. 2. On account of the preceding petition, that we may obtain the forgiveness of our sins, inasmuch as our sins are not forgiven except we continue in faith and repentance. But we will not continue in these, if we are tempted above our strength, if we rush into sin, and fall from God himself.

Obj. 1. We should not pray for deliverance from things good and profitable to us. The temptations which are from God, such as trials by afflictions, poverty, false prophets, &c., are things good and profitable to us. Therefore we should not pray for deliverance from them. Ans. We are not to pray for deliverance from things which are in themselves good and profitable. But trials, afflictions, crosses and other temptations are profitable not in themselves, but only by an accident, which is the mercy of God accompanying them, without which they are not only not profitable, but constitute a part of death and lead to death, both temporal and eternal. Hence in as far as afflictions are evil in themselves, and destructive to our nature, in so far we are to pray for a deliverance from them; but in as far as they are by the goodness of God, good and profitable to those who believe, we should not desire to be delivered from them. Or we may express it thus; that which is good, and which accompanies afflictions and the cross, we should not pray for deliverance from; but afflictions and the cross itself, which are evil in themselves, being destructive to our nature, from these we should pray for deliverance, as Christ himself also prayed when he said, Let this cup pass from me, that is, let it pass from me in as far as it is a destruction and evil, in which sense the Father himself did not desire it. But in as far as the death of Christ was a ransom for the sins of his people, in so far both Christ and the Father desired it; “Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matt. 26:39.)

Obj. 2. We ought not to pray for deliverance from what God wills. But God wills our temptations. Therefore we ought not to pray for deliverance from them. Ans. We ought not to pray for deliverance from what God wills, in as far as he simply wills it. But he does not simply will temptations—he does not will them in as far as they are destructive to us; but only in as far as they are trials and exercises of our faith, prayer and constancy. In this respect we ought also to desire these things. And that we ought not simply to desire temptations is evident from this, that it is the part of patience to endure and submit to them, which it would not be (but rather our duty) if we should simply desire them, without being permitted to pray for deliverance from them. God will not, therefore, have us to desire evils in as far as they are evils, but will have us patiently to endure them in as far as they are good and profitable to us.

Obj. 3. It is in vain that we pray for what we never obtain. But we shall never obtain a complete deliverance from temptations in this life; for “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Tim. 3:12.) Therefore it is in vain that we pray not to be led into temptation. Ans. There is here an error in regarding that as a cause which is none: for we pray that we may not be led into temptation, not because we are here wholly to be delivered from temptations; but because we are dilivered from many temptations and evils in which we should have perished, had we not sought and prayed for deliverance. This should be a sufficient reason why we should pray as we are here taught. But we may add still further, that this petition is necessary, in order that the evils into which we fall may be made contributary to our salvation. Those now who desire deliverance in general, obtain these two great blessings from God, notwithstanding he designs that this benefit be imperfect, even to those who desire it, on account of the remains of sin, which still cleave to us; and that because he will have us to pray with confidence, and submission to his will, that we may obtain it fully and perfectly in the life to come.

The benefit of this petition is, 1. A confession of our weakness in enduring temptations, even the smallest, that no one may be unduly exalted and filled with conceit, as Peter was, when he declared himself willing to die with Christ; and that no one may take to himself the glory of his confession and sufferings, seeing that the Lord himself teaches us humility, saying, “Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation.” “Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.” (Matt. 26:41. 1 Cor. 10:12.) 2. A declaration of the miseries and evils of this present life, that we may not become secure, and fall in love with the world. 3. An acknowledgement and confession of the providence of God, which, as Cyprian writes, teaches that the devil can effect nothing against us, except God first give him permission; which should lead us to reverence and fear God, since the wicked one can accomplish nothing in all our temptations, except God give him power to do so. God now grants Satan power over us according as we permit sin to reign in us, as it is said, “Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord: he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were obedient to his law.” (Is. 42:24.) This power too which is given to Satan is two-fold; either for our punishment when we sin against God, or for our glory when we are tried and exposed. This is Cyprian’s view of the subject.

It is proper that we should here notice the order and connection between the different petitions which we have now considered. 1. The Lord commands us to seek the true knowledge or profession of God, which is the cause of all his other blessings. 2. That God would rule us by his Spirit, and so continually confirm and preserve us in this knowledge. 3. That every one may by this means properly discharge his duty in his appropriate sphere and calling. 4. That he would give us those temporal blessings necessary, that every one may perform his duty. The fourth petition, therefore, agrees with the preceding, for if it is necessary that we should all be in our proper calling, we must live and have what is necessary for the support of life. 5. The petition for temporal and spiritual blessings follows next in order, and is thrown in to meet our unworthiness: That thou mayest give us temporal and spiritual blessings, forgive us our debts. The fifth petition is, therefore, the foundation of the rest. If this be overthrown, the rest will likewise fall to the ground. For if any one has not the assurance that God is reconciled to him, how can he know him to be merciful? How can he continue in that knowledge which he has not? How can he do his duty and the will of God, when he is the enemy of God and desires contrary to his will? How can the gifts of God contribute to his salvation? 6. After the petition for temporal and spiritual blessings, the petition for deliverance from present and future evils follows, being the last. From this last petition we return again to the first; Deliver us from all the evils of guilt and punishment, present and future, that we may know thee, our perfect Saviour, that so thy name may be sanctified by us.

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