Luke 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation… What evil do we pray to be delivered from? First, in general, "deliver us from evil": we prey to be delivered from the evil of sin. Not that we pray to be delivered immediately from the presence and in-being of sin, for that cannot be in this life, we cannot shake off this viper; but we pray that God would deliver us more and more from the power and practice, from the scandalous acts of sin, which cast a reflection upon the gospel. That sin is the most execrable evil, appears several ways. 1. Look upon sin in its original; it fetcheth its pedigree from hell. Sin is of the devil. 2. Look upon sin in its nature, and so it is evil. (1) See what the Scripture compares it to. Sin hath got a bad name. (2) Sin is evil in its nature, as it is injurious to God. It is a breach of God's royal law; "sin is a transgression of the law"; it is high treason against heaven. (3) Sin is evil in its nature, as it is a foolish thing. (4) Sin is a polluting thing. Sin is not only a defection, but a pollution; it is as rust to gold, as a stain to beauty; it is called "filthiness of the flesh and spirit."(5) Sin is a debasing thing, it degrades us of our honour. (6) Sin is an enslaving thing. A sinner is a slave when he sins most freely. (7) Sin is an unsavoury thing; "they are altogether become filthy" — in the Hebrew, they are become stinking. (8) Sin is a painful thing, it costs men much labour and pains to accomplish their wicked designs; "they weary themselves to commit iniquity." "Sin is its own punishment."(9) Sin is a disturbing thing; whatever defiles, disturbs. 3. Look upon sin in the judgment and opinion of the godly, and it will appear to be the most prodigious evil. The primitive Christians said, they chose rather to be devoured by lions without than lusts within. The godly testify sin is a great evil, in that they desire to die upon no account more than this, that they may be rid of sin. 4. Look upon sin in the comparative, and it will appear to be the most deadly evil. (1) Compare sin with affliction: there is more evil in a drop of sin than in a sea of affliction. Sin is the cause of affliction, the cause is more than the effect. Sin is the Phaeton that sets the world on fire. Affliction doth but reach the body, and make that miserable, but sin makes the soul miserable. Afflictions are good for us; "it is good for me that I have been afflicted." Thus affliction is for our good; but sin is not for our good, it keeps good things from us — "Your sins have withholden good things from you." A man may be afflicted, and his conscience may be quiet. Thus, in affliction, conscience may be quiet; but when a man commits a presumptuous, scandalous sin, conscience is troubled; by defiling the purity of conscience, we lose the peace of conscience. In affliction we may have the love of God. Afflictions are love-tokens — "As many as I love, I rebuke." But when we commit sin, God withdraws His love; it is the sun overcast with a cloud, nothing appears but anger and displeasure. There are many encouragements to suffer affliction. Thus sin is worse than affliction; there are encouragements to suffer affliction, but no encouragement to sin. When a person is afflicted, only he himself suffers; but by sinning openly he doth hurt to others. Affliction can hurt a man only while he is living, but sin doth hurt him when he is dead. (2) Sin is worse than death. Were it not for sin, though death might kill us, it could not curse us. 5. Look upon sin in the manner of its cure; it cost dear to be done away; the guilt of sin could not be removed but by the blood of Christ; He who was God must die, and be made a curse for us, before sin could be remitted. How horrid is sin, that no angel or archangel, nor all the powers of heaven, could procure the pardon of sin, but it cost the blood of God! 6. Look upon sin in the dismal effects of it, and it will appear the most horrid prodigious evil — "The wages of sin is death," that is, "the second death." Is sin such a deadly, pernicious evil, the evil of evils? See, then, what it is we are to pray most to be delivered from, and that is from sin; our Saviour hath taught us to pray, "deliver us from evil." Hypocrites pray more against temporal evils than spiritual. If sin be so great an evil, see, then, the folly of those who venture upon sin, because of the pleasure they have in it — "but had pleasure in unrighteousness." If sin be so great an evil, then, what wisdom is it to depart from evil? "To depart from evil is understanding." If sin be so great an evil, then, how justifiable and commendable are all those means which are used to keep men from sin? If sin be so great an evil, see, then, what should be a Christian's great care in this life, to keep from sin — "Deliver us from evil." Some make it all their care to keep out of trouble; they had rather keep their skin whole than their conscience pure; but our care should be chiefly to keep from sin. (1) Take heed of sins of omission. (2) Take heed of secret sins. (3) Take heed of your complexion-sin, that sin which your nature and constitution doth most incline you to. (4) Take heed of your sins which attend your particular callings. (a) The godly have something which may restrain them from sin. (b) The sins of God's people are greater than others, because they sin against more mercy. (c) The sins of the godly are worse, and have this aggravation in them that they sin against more clear illumination than the wicked- "They are of those that rebel against the light."(d) The sins of the godly are worse than the sins of the unregenerate, for, when they sin, it is against great experiences. (e) The sins of the godly are greater than others, because they sin against their sonship. Secondly, in this petition, "deliver us from evil," we pray to be delivered from the evil of Satan. He is "the evil one." In what respect is Satan the wicked one! 1. He was the first inventor of evil; he plotted the first treason. 2. His inclination is only to evil. 3. His constant practice is doing evil. 4. All the evils and mischiefs that fall out in the world, he hath some hand in them. (1) He hinders from good. (2) He provokes to evil. The devil blows the fire of lust and strife. Thirdly, in this petition, "deliver us from evil," we pray to be delivered from the evil of the world. In what sense is it an evil world? 1. As it is a defiling world. It is like living in an infectious air; it requires a high degree of grace to "keep ourselves unspotted from the world." 2. It is an evil world, as it is an ensnaring world. The world is full of snares. Company is a snare, recreations are snares, oaths are snares, riches are golden snares. 3. It is an evil world as it is a discouraging world. It casts scorn and reproach upon them who live virtuously. 4. It is an evil world, as it is a deadening world. It dulls and deadeneth the affections to heavenly objects. 5. It is an evil world, as it is a maligning world. It doth disgust and hate the people of God — "Because ye are not of the world, therefore the world hateth you." 6. It is an evil world, as it is a deceitful world. 7. It is an evil world, as it is a disquieting world. It is full of trouble. The world is like a bee-hive; when we have tasted a little honey, we have been stung with a thousand bees. A man may abstain from evil, yet he may go to hell for not doing good. "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire." "Deliver us from evil," that is, from temporal evil.We pray that God will either prevent temporal evils, or deliver us out of them. 1. We pray that God will prevent temporal evils; that He will be our screen, to stand between us and danger — "Save me from them that persecute me." 2. We pray that God will deliver us out of temporal evils; that He will remove His judgments from us, whether famine, sword, pestilence — "Remove Thy stroke away from me." Yet with this we may pray to be delivered from temporal evils only so far as God sees it good for us. In all the troubles that lie upon us, let us look up to God for ease and succour — "Deliver us from evil." "Should not a people seek unto their God?" (T. Watson.) Parallel Verses KJV: And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. |
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