Bishop Challoner's Meditations - Tuesday After the Third Sunday

 

LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION

Consider first, that after begging of our Lord, in the foregoing petition, the forgiveness of the sins we have already committed, we here beg of him to preserve us from relapsing into any of our former offences, or being ever any more guilty of wilful sin. The true penitent abhors the monster sin beyond all other evils whatsoever; and therefore he is not content with seeking the remission of all his offences, but is ever solicitous to avoid the like evils for the time to come; and therefore he flies the occasions of them, seeks to keep out of all dangerous temptations, and being sensible of his own weakness, he is earnest in prayer to beg of God to stand by him and to help him to overcome all the enemies of his soul, and rather to let him die a thousand deaths than to commit one wilful sin. And this is the principal meaning of this petition, 'Lead us not into temptation,’ which ought to be recited by all Christians, that they may have a great horror of sin, and an earnest desire to be ever preserved from it.

Consider 2ndly, in what sense we here beg of God 'Not to lead us into temptation' since, as St. James says, chap. i. 13, ‘God is not a tempter of evils and he tempteth no man,’ viz., so as to incite, allure, or provoke to sin. No certainly; such temptations as these cannot be from God, who is essentially good, and ever abhors sin; but they are from the world, the flesh, and the devil; yet as these never have power to tempt us, but with God’s permission, nor strength to overcome us, but when we neglect to apply in a proper manner to God for his grace; therefore we make use of this expression to signify our total dependence on God, and to beg that he would not give the enemy any power over us, nor suffer us to give ourselves up to him. Moreover, as those trials which God often sends for the exercise of our virtue, and for the proof of our fidelity, are also in Scripture called temptations, such as afflictions, crosses, pains, &c., of which God is certainly the author and distributor - we beg of him by these words, ‘Lead us not into temptation,’ that with relation to all such trials as these, he would ever have regard to our weakness, and never lay upon us any load above our strength.

Consider 3rdly, with regard to temptations, that they are no sins to us if we give no way to them, nor bring them upon us by our own faults. So far from it, that they are often the occasions of very great good to our souls by obliging us to watch and to pray the more, from the sense of our dangers; by keeping us humble, and by affording us the opportunity of gaining many victories, and consequently as many glorious crowns for all eternity as we have had conflicts with the enemy by occasion of temptations. Wherefore it is not the meaning of this petition to pray that we may never have any temptation, (for this might not be expedient for us,) but that we may never yield to temptation. But as for the seeking or desiring temptations, it would be too great a rashness to weak souls; and more especially with regard to temptations against purity, it would be a crime to affect them, or, without necessity, to expose one’s self to them. Christians, let us learn to arm ourselves for this warfare with the armour of the fear of God and a lively faith; let us stand upon our guard by watching and praying; let us readily and heartily resist the first attacks of the enemy; let us bear with patience and humility the labour and trouble of the conflict, and ever reject with horror the criminal satisfaction proposed by the enemy.

Conclude to observe these rules with regard to temptations to join always an humble distrust in thyself, with a firm confidence in God; and ever to have recourse to him in all thy conflicts by humble and fervent prayer. Do this, and thou shalt always come off with victory.