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whole lives, even if it should be perfect, can never cancel the trespasses, which are past: just as the paying regularly all our future debts can never cancel a debt, which is already standing out against us. We are, therefore, taught, in this prayer, to implore a free forgiveness; and we are in it likened to debtors who have nothing to pay; and who, therefore, can only ask a free discharge. We are enabled by other parts of Scripture to know on what ground it is that we obtain this pardon of our sins. That we ought to pray for pardon is all that we are here taught. The more particular doctrine of the manner of that pardon was to be divulged and explained when CHRIST should have paid the ransom of His death. "In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins."* Let us not be surprised that the doctrine of the Atonement is not here declared. The Atonement was to be made, before it was to be distinctly revealed. That the sins of men might be forgiven; and that the GoD of the Christian is a GoD rich in mercy, was information enough for this place and it is information which should be unspeakably prized by every one, who knows that he is a sinner; who perceives, also, that his sins are so many debts due to GOD; and that he must be bound hand and foot, and cast into prison, having nothing to pay, unless GOD will freely forgive them all.

But it is also said, "Forgive our debts, as we forgive our debtors;" and in another place, "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us." By means of these words we are required, in our very prayer, to profess that we are in the habit of forgiving freely the debts, or trespasses of our neighbours; a profession, indeed, which every Christian ought to be able confidently to make; appealing, as he makes it, to that GOD who searcheth and knoweth the heart.

Let us, then, take care, that, while we put up this prayer

* Col. i. 14. Ephes. i. 7.

+ St. Luke, xi. 4.

for pardon, we do it in the spirit of free forgiveness to all others. It is necessary to feel this temper, in order to our praying acceptably, that our own sins may be forgiven. God rejects, with abhorrence, the prayer of that man who is not forgiving towards his neighbours. If we are unrelenting to others, GoD will be unrelenting to us. We may gather from this test, whether our supplications shall be accepted. We need not ascend into Heaven, nor desire to have thence a special revelation to tell us, whether our prayers shall be heard, or not. If we draw near to GOD, in the spirit of the humble publican, smiting on our breasts, and saying, "LORD, be merciful to me a sinner;" and if, at the same time, we feel, within us, a spirit of fervent charity towards all men, and of unreserved and free forgiveness towards those, in particular, who have in any way offended us, let us not doubt, that our heavenly Father hears the voice of our supplication, and will have compassion upon us. "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

XXVII.

ST. MATTHEW, VI. 13.

And lead us not into temptation.

THE excellency of this part of the LORD's prayer will be best understood by those who are most acquainted with the weakness of man, and his liability to be overcome by temptation. We are very apt to be severe on others when they fall into sin; little thinking how likely to yield we ourselves should be, in case we should be thrown into the

same scene of trial. If some sin were to present itself to us in its most inviting form, and at some of those moments when we are the most unguarded; if an opportunity should be given us of committing it in perfect secrecy; if it should be that sin, moreover, to which, from our age, temperament, circumstances, and condition in life, we might be most in danger of yielding; who shall say that he should escape? "LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION," ought surely then to be the language of all our hearts. The serious Christian feels, that the temptations, which are in life, constitute his great danger. He feels also, that it is safer to shun them; than to expose himself to them in the confidence of overcoming them. He wants to be safe landed in heaven; and, therefore, wishes only to pursue that course in life, which may make his passage to heaven the most easy, by lessening the occasions of his falling into sin. "LEAD ME NOT INTO TEMPTATION" will, therefore, be one earnest part of his prayer; and while he thus makes his supplication, that GOD, on whom he calls, will preserve him: GOD will give him grace to bear his smaller trials; and will break, in some way or other, the force of those fiercer temptations, which he may be too weak to endure. GOD will so order the events of His providence, as to protect and preserve him; for as the apostle observes, "GOD is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted, above that ye are able; but will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."*

One other remark is proper in this place. If we pray, not to be led into temptation, we should also take care, not to lead ourselves into it. How inconsistent, in this respect, is the conduct of many persons, with that LORD's prayer, which they perhaps daily use. They go to such places;— they read such books;-or they associate with such companions,―as serve to inflame their passions, and to put their virtue to more trials than it can bear. They suffer

* Cor. x. 13.

themselves to be carried to the very edge of sin; they run boldly and heedlessly into those very scenes of temptation, from which they, with their lips, implore GoD to deliver them, every time they utter the LORD's prayer. Let us, then, pray to be kept from temptation; and let us also flee from it. In choosing our profession in life, our acquaintance, our connexions, let us make it a principal point in our consideration, what the comparative degree of temptation is likely to be. By thus proceeding cautiously, we shall proceed safely and if we pray, at the same time, with our heart, to GOD that He will lead us not into temptation, we may hope that He will make all things work together for our good: and that, notwithstanding our extreme weakness. he will bring us safely through this dangerous and evil world, to His heavenly kingdom.

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XXVIII.

ST. MATTHEW, VI. 13.

But deliver us from evil.

THE word evil as it stands in the original Greek may either be rendered the evil one, that is, the Devil; or that which is evil. We shall choose, for our present purpose, to consider it in the latter sense. First, then, what is it to be delivered from that which is evil? "Deliver us from evil" is a short expression; but, like some other expressions in the LORD's prayer, it has a large and comprehensive meaning. We have already shown that "give us this day our daily bread" is a prayer for the gift of all that variety of things, whether spiritual or temporal, which are truly good for us. "Deliver us from evil," is in like manner a prayer for deliverance from all that variety of things which

are truly evil. In explaining the word "evil," we may first observe, that a very good exemplification of the meaning of the term is furnished by the Litany of the Church of England. We are there taught to pray for deliverance, as well from temporal evils, "from lightning and tempest, from plague, pestilence and famine, from battle and murder, and from sudden (or violent) death." As, also, from the spiritual evils of blindness of heart; and pride, vain glory, and hypocrisy, from envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness; from fornication and all other deadly sin; and from all deceits of the world, the flesh, and the Devil: and, further, from all false doctrine, heresy and schism, from hardness of heart, and contempt of God's word and commandment: and in short from the grand evil of sin, from the crafts and assaults of the Devil, from God's wrath, and from everlasting damnation. It would be easy to enlarge very widely on this subject; for we live in a world where we are exposed to ten thousand different evils. Dangers threaten us, both at home, and abroad; both by night and by day; both in solitude, and in company; at every age, under every circumstance, and in every situation. There is no place on earth to which we can retreat, and say, that there we shall be secure from evil. What various pains and diseases are there, which attack the body; and how many of these, which affect also the mind? There is the loss of reason; there are pangs and torments of various kinds to be dreaded by us; and there are a thousand accidents which may put an end to our comfort, or destroy our lives, even in a moment. Besides which, how constantly are we exposed to every kind of spiritual evil :-especially to our great adversary the Devil, who "walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." Let it only be remarked, further, that we are in unceasing peril from the corruption of our own evil nature; for we are ourselves often our own worst enemies. We are in peril from our unruly and tormenting passions, which both injure the body; and, also, war against the soul. It is in vain, therefore, to count the

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