midst sparks of fire; were they but let loose, they would set on vigorously.

2. That no temptation can befall us without an over-ruling providence. Though the lion roar, he is in a chain, and cannot fet on us, but as he is permitted of God, Job i. 8. 9. 10. He who rules the fea, when the waters therefore do roar, has an over-ruling hand over devils, men, and the corruptions of our hearts, that no flood can break out, but where the fluice is opened, he withdrawing the restraint.

3. That when the Lord leads us into temptation, we will be fure of an attack. There is no hope in the mercy of our enemies, no hope that they will let an occafion of fighting us flip. He that goes about feeking his prey, will not pafs by it, when it is laid in his way. We are ready to let advantages a gainst fin and Satan flip, but they will let none flip which they have against us.

4. That God may juftly lead us into temptation, and leave us under the power of them, Pfal. lxxxi. 11. 12. How often do we court temptations, and tamper with them like the fly about the candle till its wings be burnt? How often do we grave his Spirit, and cleave to our idols over the belly of warnings? What wonder he fay, Ephraim is joined to idols : let him alone? Hof. iv. 17.

5. That we are not able of ourselves to ftand against temptation, but if once we be engaged, we are fair to be foiled, Rom. vii. 23. 24. And fo much the more unable are we. that prefumption and felf-confidence is our ordinary plague in this cafe. So that there is much need of fear and trembling when entering into temptation, left we come foul off.

6. Lafily, That it is the duty of all, and the difpofition of the people of God, to defire they may be kept from engaging with temptations, as with an enemy too ftrong for them, Matth. xxvi. 42. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. It is their fouls defire that God would reftrain Satan, 2 Cor. xii. 8. fubdue their lufts, Pfal. cxix. 133. and overrule all in this evil world, as they may be kept from the evil of it, John xvii. 15.

I fhall conclude this first part of the petition with a few inferences.

Inf. 1. Trials and perfecutions, though God may bring good out of them, are not to be defired, but the averting of them prayed for. For they are fharp temptations to fin, wherein though God is much honoured by fome, he is much dishonoured by many, Matth. xiii. 21. forecited, compared with Luke viii. 13. They on the rock are they, which when

they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And they that defire them are much of the temper of thofe difciples who would have prayed down fire from heaven, when they knew not what spirit they were of. The defire of them is downright contradictory to this petition; for the language of it is, Lord, lead us into temptation.

2. To run into temptation, cannot be from God's Spirit, but from Satan, and a corrupt, blind, and prefumptuous heart. For it is a running into that which we thould beg of God that he would not lead us into. If a man be called of God into a place where he is befet with temptations, he may look for grace to be kept up against them, because he is in God's way, and where he has his call to be, Pfal. xci. 11. For he fhail give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. See 1 Kings xviii. 3. Obadiah was the governor of the house of Ahab, an idolatrous prince. But it is observed of him, that he feared the Lord greatly, even in such a corrupt court. But where a man fteps in among temptations without a call from God, he cannot expect fuch grace to be vouchfafed him. This rafhnefs, felf-confidence, and curiofity has coft dear to many.

3. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation, Matth. xxvi. 41. Praying without watching is a tempting of God: watching without praying is a contempt of God and his grace. There is need to watch, for our enemies are ever lying at the catch, and they are ready to steal a dint of us when we are not aware; and we cannot expect God's help, but when we are in the way of duty. There is need to pray; for watch as we will, our enemies are too strong for us, if the Lord himself do not fecond us. We must have new fupplies of grace, from the grace in Chrift Jefus, if we would stand. What then God has joined, put not ye afunder.

The SECOND part of this petition is for affifting grace, But deliver us from evil. Here I fhall fhew,

1. What is meant by evil.

2. What by deliverance from it.

3. What is the import of this part of the petition. First, What is meant by evil? By evil is meant,

1. Sin, which is the greatest of evils, the worst of evils, and the caufe of all other evils, Amos v. 15. Hate the evil. There is no good in fin, it is an only evil. What makes the devil evil, the world evil, and the heart evil, but fin? Strip them of fin, and there would be no evil in them.

2. Temptation to fin, or whatsoever draws the foul to fin that is the evil of the world, John xvii. 15. The foul-ruining fnare that is in any thing, is the evil of it. For as fin is evil, fo every thing that has a native tendency to draw into fin is evil.

Secondly, What is meant by deliverance from evil? It stands in two things.

1. To be brought out of it, by way of recovery when fallen into it, Pfal. li. 12. Temptation may get the child of God down, his foot may be faft in the fnare, and he needs an omnipotent hand to rid him out of Satan's net.

2. To be kept from it, that he fall not into it again. The fnares are fo many, that it is hard to ftand; there is need of a divine power to keep back the finner's foul from the pit of fin, Jude 14. to take part with him, when engaged with a temptation.

Thirdly, What is the import of this part of the petition? We may take it up in thefe three things.

1. There is no efcaping of temptation, in greater or leffer measure, while we are in this world. Though we should watch ever fo narrowly, fo as not to caft ourselves into temptation; though by no special providence we be led into temptation; yet the heart within is fo full of corruption, the world without is fo full of fnares, and Satan goes fo conftantly about, that we are in danger every where, and no where fafe.

In profperity we are apt to be proud, vain, carnal, fecure; to forget God, and grow taftelefs of heavenly things, &c. In adverfity, we are inpatient, and difcontented, and fretting, and dead to good things, Pfal. cxix. 107. In company we are apt to be infected, or to infect others; and in folitude to become a prey to the tempter. House nor field, bed nor board, civil duties nor religious duties, are not fuch, but temptations will haunt us at them.

2. God's children would fain be delivered from evil, from fin and temptation to it, Rom. vii. 24. O wretched man that I am fays Paul: who shall deliver me from the body of this death? The new nature in them makes them long and groan for it, as ever the captive exile longs for deliverance from his captivity. And there is a threefold deliverance which their fouls defire here.

(1.) A deliverance in temptation, that God would powerfully fupport and enable them to ftand in the hour of temptation, 2 Cor. xii. 8.; that when they are engaged in the battle with Satan, the world, and the flesh, the Lord himself would come

in for their refcue. They fee they are not man enough for their enemies; and they would fain have heaven to interpofe, and caft the balance of victory to their fide.

(2.) A deliverance under temptation, Pfal li. 8. Sometimes they are trod under foot by their lufts and paffions; they are lying in the mire, and cannot get out. But they look again towards the Lord, as Jonah out of the whale's belly, that he would afford them his heiping hand, and fo fanctify their lot to them, as all may work for their good.

(3.) A deliverance completely from all fin, and temptation to it, Rom. vii. 24. forecited. And thus the petitions of this prayer end with a longing cry for perfect freedom from fin in another world. And this good the Lord brings out of the hard handling which his people get here, that thereby they are made to long for heaven.

3. They believe that God, and he only, can deliver them from evil. Without this faith they could not put up this petition; but the belief of the power and willingness of God to grant this deliverance to his people, daily excites them to cry unto him, Deliver us from evil.

I fhall conclude this part of the fixth petition with a few in-ferences.

Inf. 1. Sinning is more terrible than fuffering, in the eyes of the children of God. They pray to be delivered from fin abfolutely, at any rate, coft what it will. And they have good reafon for it; for there is more evil in the leaft fin than in the greateft fuffering. In finning we are conformed to the devil, but in fuffering to Jefus Chrift. Let us then cry earnestly to God, that he may deliver us from evil.

2. It is a black mark of one that belongs not to God, when there is no parting betwixt him and his lufts. The word and providence works to the delivering the man from his fin, but he will not part with it; he is not content to let it go. It is not the fpot of God's children.

3. A carelefs, fearless way of going through the world, without daily care of being enfnared into fin, is an evidence that the man is at home, and is not travelling Zion-ward, For those who are going through this world as a wildernets, are walking with fear and trembling through it, ftill faying, Lord, lead us not into temptation.

4. Lastly, It is in the nature of all God's children, to de fire to be home. Our Father, which art in heaven,-deliver us from evil. They know that this will never be completely and fully anfwered till they be beyond the clouds: but from their

hearts they defire it. Let us evidence ourselves to be the children of God, by our ardent defires for this complete deliverance from fin.

The Conclufion of the Lord's Prayer.

MATTHEW vi. 13.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.

W

E come now to the conclufion of the Lord's prayer, which teacheth us, "to take our encouragement "in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to praise "him, afcribing kingdom, power, and glory to him. And, "in teftimony of our defire, and affurance to be heard, we "fay, Amen."

In this conclufion three things are to be confidered.

I. The connection thereof with the petitions.

II. The concluding fentence.

III. The concluding word.

IV. I fhall deduce fome inferences.

I. Let us confider the connection of this conclufion with the petitions, in the particle for; which fhews it to contain arguments to be used in prayer for hearing: q. d. Lord, hear us, for the kingdom is thine, the power is thine, and the glory is thine; and teaches us, that when we pray, we fhould plead and pray, prefs our prayers, and enforce our petitions with arguments and reasons, to be heard. I fhall fhew you, 1. The truth of it.,

2. The reafon of it.

First, I fhall fhew you the truth of this pleading. And that it is fo, appears from,

1. The Lord himfelf's teaching us fo to do, which fhews it to be acceptable to him, fince he himself directs us to it. We have the Mediator's direction for it in this pattern of prayer, petition 5. and conclufion. Sée alfo Luke xi. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. And the more of the Spirit that one has in prayer, he will have his mouth the more filled with arguments.

2. The practice of the faints. See how Mofes pleads and, reafons with God in prayer, Exod. xxxii. 11. 12. 13. Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou haft brought jorth out of the land of Egypt, with great power, and with a