SERM.
XVI.

1 Thes. 4.3.

As we prayed that God's will touching "sanctification" and suffering may be done of us, so we are to pray not generally to be delivered from the temptations of sin, but particularly from the temptation of any several sin whereunto Tit. 2. 12. we are inclined: if to "worldly lusts," that He would keep I Pet.2.11. us from them; if to "the lusts of the flesh," that He will not suffer us to be tempted of them neither; that as our temptation increaseth so His strength may increase, and if not increase then that He will cause His temptation to decrease.

THE LORD'S PRAYER.

SERMON XVII.

MATTHEW vi. 13.

But deliver us from evil.

THIS last petition concerneth the last of those three evils which we desire to have removed from us; under which we comprehend all miseries and calamities of this life, for that is

it which our Saviour understandeth by "the evil of the day" [Mat. 6. 34.] in the last verse of this chapter.

So there is a plain opposition betwixt this petition and the fourth.

As there by "daily bread" we understood all things necessary for this present life, so when we say, "Deliver us from evil," we seek to be delivered from all such things as are laborious and troublesome to us in the same.

There are that make but six petitions of this prayer, saying that the two last are but one, but they have no warrant for it. The ancient Church hath always divided it into seven, and this division they grounded upon the motive which caused our Saviour Christ to pen this prayer, which was the avoiding of that TavToxoyia used by the heathen, into which they Mat. 6. 7. cannot choose but fall which affirm that these two last petitions contain but one thing; wherein they are deceived, for temptation and evil are not of one scantling.

Every evil is not temptation, neither is every temptation evil.

Some things are evil in their own kind, as wolves and kites; other things are not only evil in themselves but bring forth evil effects, for our sins are not only evil but the calamities and miseries which our sins bring upon us are also evil; and therefore we are to pray no less against the one than against the other.

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SERM.
XVII.

Ps. 50. 25.

Touching the misery of this life, we are to pray as the Prophet wills us, for the deliverance from them, "Call upon Me in the day of thy trouble."

That this and the former cannot be one petition, is manifest: for when we pray that we be not led into temptation, we desire that we may do no evil; when we pray that we may be delivered from evil, our desire is that we may suffer no evil.

In the first we pray against malum culpæ, 'the evil of sin,' in the second against malum pœnæ, the evil of punishment.'

The first is an evil of our own doing, the other of God's Amos 3. 6. doing, as the Prophet speaks, Non est malum in civitate quod non fecit Dominus, "There is no evil in a city but the Lord hath done it."

As before sin committed we desired non induci, not to be led into it,' so here when we have committed sin our desire is that God would not deliver us to our ghostly enemy that he may afflict us in this life with temporal plagues, nor in the life to come keep us in eternal torments.

When we desire that God will deliver us from the miseries of this life and of the life to come, we have these things to consider: first, that the case of Christian men is not like the state of the heathens, for they had Joves, white gods, from whom they received good things, and black gods, whom they called depulsores malorum, deliverers from evil;' but Christians have but one God to fly to, Whom they acknowledge to be both Δωτῆρα and Σωτῆρα, a God That doth not only give us good things but takes from us those that are evil. So Gen. 15. 1. God testifieth of Himself to Abraham, that He is not only his 66 exceeding great reward," but also his "shield," both which we are to consider in this, that in Scripture He is compared to a rock.

Secondly, that the devil hath a desire to carry us away into sin and transgression, to the end he may endanger our souls; and if he cannot hurt us that way, then he will labour to do us some outward mischief; if he cannot prevail as a tempter, he will endeavour that he may hurt us as a tormentor.

So he dealt with Job, who for that he was a just and perfect man, so as Satan could not tempt him to sin against God, therefore his desire was that he might touch his body

and torment him with outward losses, for his delight is evermore in doing of mischief; if he can no longer vex the soul of man, yet he will crave this leave that he may torment the Lu. 8. 32. poor hogs.

Thirdly, that we have two kind of helps against this evil: first, that precaution which our Saviour telleth us of in the former petition, that before we commit sin we pray non induci, 'not to be led into it,' that neither temptation come at us nor we at it. Secondly, that albeit we by sin are fallen into evil, yet there is a bepaπeía or 'salving' to be looked for of God, Who will deliver us after that we are delivered into the hands of our adversary. As in the first petition we pray that we may not fall into evil by yielding to temptation, so here if we be fallen yet God would deliver us out of it. Both these helps are ascribed to God.

Of the first it is said to him, he that maketh his prayer for His help, "The enemy shall not be able to do him hurt, and Ps. 89. 22. the son of wickedness shall not come nigh him." Of the other, "Let not the waterflood drown me, nor the deep swallow me ra. 69. 15. up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me."

Touching the evil from which we desire to be delivered, [S. Chrys. Chrysostom and the rest of the Greek Church expound it off loc.] the devil, who is lerna malorum, or the greatest evil that can befall us, which exposition is grounded upon the article àπò TOU. But this exposition is too narrow, for the holy word is best expounded when it is most enlarged; so that we shall have a full understanding of this matter if under the word "evil" we include whatsoever is evil, and so desire generally to be delivered from it; but if we desire to be delivered from whatsoever is evil, then from ourselves, saith Augustine; for [Serm. i82. 4, 5.] we are evil, and so we have need to pray. For as, when we ask forgiveness of sins, it is from those sins unto which our lust hath already drawn us away into sin, so when we say, Libera nos a malo, "Deliver us from evil," it is from that infirmity of the flesh and necessity of sinning which doth accompany our nature, in regard whereof the Apostle saith, Quis me liberabit de hoc corpore mortis? "Who shall deliver me from this Roni. 7. 24. body of death?"

So Augustine under the word "evil" doth include not only τὸν πονηρὸν but πονηρίαν.

But Cyprian's exposition is, when we pray, Libera nos a [De Orat.

Dom.]

XVII.

SERM. malo, "deliver us from evil," we desire not to be delivered from this or that evil, but generally from all evil, by which he meaneth not πονηρὸν nor πονηρίαν but πόνον, that is, all manner of trouble and calamity, and whatsoever turns away good from us, especially that evil which keeps us from God Which is the chiefest good thing. So then our desire is not only to be delivered from the devil who is the beginning of all evil, as that which is opposed to our chief good, but from that which may turn away from us the meanest blessing which we Lu. 11. 13. stand in need of outwardly, which also are bona data, "good gifts."

2 Cor. 11.

14.

1 Pet. 5. 8.

If we understand by evil, Satan, then we pray to be delivered from him not only when he playeth the subtle serpent, and changeth himself into "an Angel of light," but when he playeth the "lion." First, to be delivered from his jaws, that he swalloweth us not down-for then there is no help for us-Ps. 86. 13. that is, that God would save us from "the nethermost hell," Rev. 20. 6. that which is called "the second death," and aiwvia Kóλaois. Secondly, from his claws, under which are comprehended all temporal calamities; first, the loss of life, against which the Apostles being in a great tempest pray unto Christ that Mark 4.38. He would save them, " Master, carest Thou not that we perish ?"

Secondly, of good name, whereof the Prophet saith, Libera Ps. 120. 2. me a contrariis hominibus.

37-39.

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Thirdly, the loss of goods, concerning which, when the Lord had formed grasshoppers to destroy their fruit, the ProAmos 7. 2. phet prayed, “O Lord God, spare, I beseech thee." And this is the remedy in all outward afflictions, as Solomon saith: . 1 Kings 8. If there be dearth in the land, through blasting, caterpillar, or grasshopper, then if the people come into the temple and say, Libera nos a malo, "Deliver us from evil," God will hear their prayers and deliver them. Therefore in that dearth which is spoken of, Revelations the sixth, where corn was [Rev. 6. given by measure and weight, the remedy they had was prayer; "How long, Lord, dost thou defer to avenge our blood?" The reason why we pray to be delivered from these miseries is, that we may the better intend God's service: so said David, "Deliver me from the slanders of men, that I may keep Thy commandments."

6, 10.]

Ps. 119. 134.

Christ doth not expressly name tribulation, affliction, and