nts to sin, but a secondary significance
is to do so maliciously, and with desire that we should fall. It is in
this secondary sense that James denies that God tempts any man. We tempt
ourselves, or evil tempts us. But God does tempt in so far as He
presents outward circumstances which become occasions of falling or of
standing, as we take them. He sends temptations, He sends trials, and
the two only differ in name, and in what is implied in the word, of the
disposition of the sender. Christ was led into the wilderness by the
Spirit to be tempted. If God does not in malice tempt, still He does in
mercy try. God sends trials; we make them temptations.

II. Implies that our chiefest wish is holiness, our greatest dread sin.

This is the only negative petition.

What would be _our_ deprecatory prayers? Lead us not into sorrow, loss,
poverty, disease, death?

How we fill our prayers with womanish shriekings and fears!

This petition can come only from a man whose will is resigned and fixed
on God. One thing he fears, and that is to sin.

The one thing to be desired is not outward well-being, but inward
character.

Think of our lives: what do we dread most?

III. Expresses our self-distrust.

It is from consciousness of our weakness that we pray thus. The language
at first sight seems to breathe only a wish to be exempt from
temptation. If that were its meaning, it were contrary to Christ's
teaching and to the whole tenor of Scripture. But such a wish _is_
included in it, and corresponds to one tone of mind, and to what ought
always to be our feeling. We rightly shrink from temptation because we
know our own weakness. That is the only allowable ground; if we do it
from indolence, or dread of trouble, we are wrong. If flesh shrinks from
pain, we are 'carnal and walk as men.' If we desire simply to have a
smooth path, then we have yet to learn what our Master meant when He
said, 'In the world ye shall have tribulation.' His servants should
'count it all joy when they fall into divers temptations.'

But if we rightly understand our own weakness, we shall dread to meet
the enemy, because we know how often circumstances make all the
difference between saint and sinner.

IV. Expresses our reliance on God if temptation comes.

I take to be 'tempted' as being presentation of inducement to sin. I
take to 'enter into temptation' as the further step of consenting to it.

Perhaps there may be hovering in the words of the