A brief exposition of the Lords PrayerA briefe exposition of the Lords Prayer

The frame of heart and disposition of Soul,¹ that best be-seems us in the putting up of this Petition, appears principally in four things.

The frame of heart and disposition of Soule,¹ that best be-seemes us in the putting up of this Petition, appeares principally in four things.

1. 1Answ.

First, when we desire that the Lord would not let us be drawn aside, nor led into temptation, we must labour to avoid all occasions as may be too strong for us or like to prevail over us. In vain we desire to be delivered from evil, when we rush into evil and into temptations. He that should take pitch into his hand, ⟨p. 83⟩and pray not to defiled; put fire into his bosom, and pray not to be burnt; it is a slighting of Gods mercy, and a provoking of God to wrath, rather then a begging of mercy. We would count it a madness for a man to cast himself into the Sea, and desire to be saved; to make our selves sick that God may make us whole again. It is nothing else, but as we may say, to make God work; so to run into evil, and to pray to the Lord to deliver us from evil; it is provoking and mocking of the Lord: the wise mans rule is here memorable, Prov. 23.23. If a man be given to his appetite, let him put his knife to his throat. If thou lovest the wine, look not upon it; a man that is given to his appetite, it is in vain to pray against it, and yet nourish it: but thou must put thy knife to thy throat, abstain from that which may provoke it; for if we please our appetite, it will be a temptation to us. Psal. 30