Bible tells us, that God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. God, therefore, cannot lead us into sin and wickedness: our own lusts and the devil lead us into it. When we pray to God not to lead us into temptation, we beg him not to put us in such situations, or expose us to such trials, as may be too much for our poor feeble natures, and if he does suffer us to fall into them, that he would give us his grace to save us in the evil day, and prevent us from ruining and destroying our souls. I will give you an instance or two, which will make you understand the thing better. A wise man, in the Bible says, in a prayer to God, remove far from me poverty, lest it make me steal, and take the name of my God in vain. Poverty leads many into crimes, that is, it

makes those who have wicked hearts and lusts, lie and steal and swear falsely. Now you may safely pray to God, not to lead you into such a state as this, where you may be tempted to do wrong, or if he does lead you into it, that he would give you his grace to bear it patiently, to take no wrong step for getting rid of it, and to suffer it as a trial from Him, who knows what is best for us. Idleness, or having nothing to do leads a great many people into wicked courses. Now you may safely pray to God not to let you fall into this state of temptation, not to let you know what idleness is, lest it tempt you to be wicked, or if he should try you by it, that he would give you his grace not to fall into the wicked thoughts, lusts, and desires, to which idleness gives birth. This, indeed, is a temptation, into which you, my friends, are not likely to fall, for I dare say, you have all work enough to do. And however fatiguing it may be sometimes to your bodies, take my word for it that you

have reason to thank your Heavenly Father for giving you so much employment and work, that you have no time for listening to the temptations of the devil, who never finds it so easy to tempt men into sin and wickedness, as when they have nothing to do, when time hangs heavily on them. When therefore you pray to God not to lead you into temptation, remember, that God does not tempt you to evil, but the devil and your own lust tempt you, and that you pray to him, when you say these words, to save you from all severe trials, and to give you grace and strength to resist the devil, and to govern your lusts and passions.

Deliver us,

But deliver us from evil. O Lord, from the evil of temptation, from the evil of our own hearts, from the evil of bad example, from the evil of wicked company, from the evil of discontent, malice, sickness, sorrow, and from every other evil, but above all, from him who is called

the evil one, the Devil. For such must be your meaning, when you use the words, Deliver us from evil.

My friends and hearers, the Bible speaks often of this evil world, and tells us to escape its corruptions and to have our minds not like to it, and assures us, that Jesus Christ came from Heaven to save from its snares and evils those few, those happy few, who will take Him for their Master, and follow him through life and death to those mansions, which he has gone before to prepare and get ready for them. He says, with great, very great kindness, I pray for them who love me and who follow me. I pray not that thou

shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. We are also told that the world lieth in wickedness, and that Christ gave himself for us, that he might deliver us from the present evil

world. We are therefore to expect to meet with wicked people, setting wicked examples, with people, acting as if they were the children of the devil. But you must not follow wicked examples, you must remember that the world is wicked you must keep your course through it as servants of Jesus Christ, you must approve yourselves his servants by being contented with your stations, by serving with all humility of mind, by praying to God, that you may so behave yourselves, in this world, that you may hear these words in the next from your Saviour and your Judge-Well done good and faithful servants; ye have been faithful over a few things, ye have been good slaves and good Christians, enter now into the joy of your Lord.

And now to God, &c.