What Do We Pray for in the Sixth Petition?

imw. In the sixth petition (which is, And tend us not into temptation, hut deliver us from evV ) we pray that God would either keep us from hein tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted.

Q. What do you mean by temptation $

A. Temptation properly signifies an enticing to sin.

Q. Doth God properly tempi any man? A. No 3

God tempteth no man, but only tries them, James i. 13.

O. What then is meant by God’s leading into temptation? A, His laying such occasions before men, as their lusts can improve to sinful purposes; withdrawing his grace •, and permiting Satan, the world, and the flesh, to seduce them into sin, Joshua vii. 21. Job i. and ii.

Q. What is meant by evil in this petition?

A. Chiefly sin, the worst of evils, Hab. i. 13.

O. Who are our tempters to this evil of sin

A. Satan, the world, and the flesh j but especially Satan, who is expressly called the tempter, Matth. iv. 3.

Q, How doth the flesh tempt us to sin? A. By

enclining and exciting us to sinful deeds. James i. 14.

g. What with respect to the world tempts men to sin 2

A. The men and things of it, Prov. i. 10, 13.

Qj How do the men of the world tempt us to sin?

A. By enticing to, encouraging in, or rewarding for it.

Q. What things of the world tempt men to sin?

A. The prosperity and adversity of it, Prov. xxx. 9.

Qj How doth prosperity tempt us to sin?

A* It is an occasion of pride, presumption, security, covetousnecs, &Cg. How doth adversity tempt us to sin?

A. It is an occasion of discontent, disquiet, and distrust of God’s ability and readiness to help us, 2 Kings vi. 23*

Q. What for a tempter is Satan? A. A most crafty* malicious, powerful, and active tempter, Rev xx.

g. In what do Satan’s craft and subtility appear?

A. In his exact observation of our constitution •, seizing the most proper seasons of temptation -f proposing the most deceiving baits, as shews of religion and friendship; and hindering us from such duties as do most oppose his designs, as faith, meditation, self-examination, &c-Q. In what doth Satan’s malice appear r*

A. He tempts, though filled with torment; and though he knows his temptations shall increase his punisbmer.tj and where he is certain he cannot prevail, Rom. xvi. 20.

g. In what doth Satan’s activity appear?

A. In his tempting so constantly, especially when he Inds- any peculiar opportunity y and in the great variety

and frequent changes of the matter and manner of his te in stations.

Q. In what doth Satan’s power appear?

A. In the great success of his temptations, and terrible pressure of some, Gen. iii. 2 Cor. xii.

£). Whom doth Satan especially tempt? A. Eminent saints, novices in religion, proud, malicious, melancholy, discontented, lustful, and idle persons, Job i.

p. When is Satan most ready to tempt us to sin?

A. When the objects of temptation are near us; when we are idle, secure, under convictions, or attending God’s ordinances, or near death; or have met with signal tokens of God’s love, Joshua vii. 2 Sam. xi, &c.

Q. Doth not our heart so join with Satan in his temptations, that we cannot perfectly distinguish between his, and these that proceed from our heart? A. Yes;

though when temptations are sudden, violent, and terrible to nature, they seem chiefly to proceed from Satan.

<£). What are Satan’s principal method* of temptation?

A. His producing or strengthening sinful habits •, preventing conviction or the success of it; hindering our closing with Christ *, injecting blasphemous thoughts, driving to despair, &c. 2 Tim. ii. 26.

£). How doth Satan produce or strengthen sin’ul habit in us? A. By enticing us to sins sui:ed to our tempers, stations, and circumstances in the world.

Q. By what wiles doth Satan persuade us to sin?

A. By representing sin as virtuous or indifferent, or as a small, secret, and profitable thing, which our fortune or situation obligeth us to commit, and which God will easily pardon.

Q. How doth Satan hinder men’s convictions?

A. By opposing the faithful preaching of the gospel, hindering reproof for sin, or causing it to be given in such a m inner as tends to render it hurtful or useless.

£). How doth Satan stop the success of our convictions?

A. By dazzling our eyes with the things of this world j suggesting that we are no worse than others, and are in a good state; and oy causing us make vows, and perform duties in our own strength, Rom. x. 3.

Q. llow doth Satan hinder men from closing with Christ? A. By keeping them in gross ignorance, per-Quest. 106. Of the sixth Petition. vs

suading them to trust in the general mercy of God, or caus» ing them embrace fancied, instead of the true Christ*

Q. How doth Satan inject vile and blasphemous thoughts into our mind?

A. By secretly whispering them into our soul, exciting us to think on them, and upbraiding us with them, Acts v. 3.

Q. How doth Satan tempt and drive us to despair?

A. By keeping us from thinking on the promises and infinite mercy of God, and merit of Christ’, driving us from prayer, and other ordinances; and suggesting, that we are matchless sinners, rep obafes, or such as have commuted the sin against the Holy Ghost, &c.

Q. What are the most deceitful temptations of Satan?

A These delusions in which, as an angel of light, he apes the work of God’s Spirit on the souls of men.

Q^ How may we know if we are under the influence of oatan’s delusions? A. If the influence we are under, dispose us to distrust the worship of God, cherish imaginary views of Christ and spiritual things, or rest on frames instead of Christ in his word •, or if it render us proud, despisers of others, haters of such as suspect our saintship, averse from impartial trial, neglec-ers, contemners, or opposers of any truth or duty of religion plainly expressed in scripture, &c.

Q. Have Satan’s temptations always equal success?

A. No *, his temptations succeed to the destruction of trie wicked 5 but are at last wholly defeated with respect to believers, 1 Peter v. 8. Rom. xvi. 20.

Q, Why then doth Satan tempt believers to sin?

A. Because of his great malice and hatred against God and their souls, 1 Peter v. 8.

£). Whether doth Satan tempt saints or sinners most violently?

A. Ordinarily saints, 2 Cor. xii. 7. Eph. vi.

Q. Why doth God suffer the wicked to be tempted?

A. To punish them for their sin, Psal. cix.

Q. Why doth God suffer his own people to be tempted?

A. To make them sensible of their weakness and wickedness, and of the strength and subtility of their spiritual enemies; and to cause them depend on his righteousness, power, and wisdom *, long for heaven; and be diligent and watchful in every duty, 2 Cor. xii. 7,

Q. What do we pray for in the sixth petition?

A. Thai God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted.

Q. How doth God keep us from temptation?

A. By restraining sin, Satan, and the world, from seducing u«.

(^. How doth God support us under temptation?

A. By giving us grace to watch against, and resist it»

£). How doth God deliver us when we are tempted?

A. By giving us grace to conquer the temptation, or recovering us when fallen into sin, 2 Cor. xii. 9.

Q. How doih God recover us when fallen by temptation? A. By speedily convincing us of sin, turning us from it, pardoning, and over-ruling it to our good.

Q. Why do we pray, that God would keep and deliver us from temptation?

A. Because we cannot keep nor deliver ourselves from it, Psalm exxvii. 1.

Q^. Why may we not pray absolutely for preservation from temptations? A. Because it may be for God’s

glory and our good, that we be tried by them, James i.

Q. Wr.at are some means of preservation from temptation? A. An humble jealousy of our heart; sense of our weakness and wickedness; daily application of Christ’s righteousness and strength; careful and constant watchfulness; and cautious avoiding all occasions and appearances of evil, 1 Peter v. 8. Eph. vi. Rom. xii.