Chapter 9. An Account Is Given How the All-Wise God Does Outwit the Devil in His Tempting of Saints to Sin, Wherein Are Laid Down the Ends Satan Propounds and How He Is Prevented in Them All

Quest. But how does God defeat Satan, and out-wit his wiles in tempting his Saints?

Answ. This God does by accomplishing his own gracious ends for the good and comfort of his people out of those temptations from which Satan designes their ruine, this is the noblest kinde of Conquest, to beat back the devils weapon to the wounding of his own head, yea, to cut it off with the devils own sword; thus God sets the devil to catch the devil, and layes, as it were, his own counsels under Satans wings, and makes him hatch them. Thus the Patriarchs help't to fulfil Josephs dream, while they are thinking to rid their hands of him. To instance in a few particulars.

SECT. I.

First, Satan by his temptations aimes at the defiling of the Christians conscience, and disfiguring that beautiful face of Gods image, which is engraven with holiness in the Christians bosome, he is an unclean spirit himself, and would have them such, that he might glory in their shame; but God out-wits him, for he turns the temptations of Satan to sin, to the purging them from sin; they are the black soap with which God washs his Saints white.

First, God useth the temptations of Satan to one sin, as a preventive against another; to Pauls thorn in the flesh to prevent his pride. God sends Satan to assault Paul on that side where he is strong, that in the mean time he may fortifie him where he is weak. Thus Satan is befool'd, as sometimes we see an army sitting down before a town, where it wasts its strength to no purpose, and in the mean time gives the enemy an advantage to recruit; and all this by the counsel of some Hushai, that is a secret friend to the contrary side: God, who is the Saints true friend, sits in the devils Councel, and over-rules proceedings there to the Saints advantage; He suffers the devil to annoy the Christian with temptations to blasphemy, atheisme, and by these, together with the troubles of spirit they produce; the soul is driven to duty, is humbled in the sense of these horrid apparitions in its imagination, and secured from abundance of formality and pride, which otherwise God saw invading him. As in a family, some businesse falls out, which keeps the Master up later then ordinary, and by this the thief, who that night intended to rob him, is disappointed; had not such a soul had his spirit of prayer and diligence kept awake by those afflicting temptations, 'tis likely Satan might have come as a seducer, and taken him napping in security.

Secondly, God purgs out the very sin Satan tempts to, even by his tempting. Peter never had such a conquest over his self-confidence, never such an establishment of his faith, as after his foule fall in the High Priests hall. He that was so well perswaded of himself before, as to say, Though all were offended with Christ, yet would not he, how modest and humble was he in a few days become, when he durst not say he loved Christ more than his fellow-brethren, to whom before he had preferr'd himself? what an undaunted Confessour of Christ and his Gospel does he prove before Councels and Rulers, who even now was dash't out of countenance by a filly maid? and all this the product of Satans temptation sanctified unto him. Indeed a Saint has a discovery by his fall, what is the prevailing corruption in him, so that the temptation does but stir the humor, which the soul having found out, has the greater advantage to evacuate, by applying those means, and using those ingredients which do purge that malady cum delectu. Now the soul sure will call all out against this destroyer? Paul had not took such pains to buffet his body, had he not found Satan knocking at that door.

Thirdly, God useth these temptations for the advancing of the whole work of grace in the heart. One spot occasions the whole garment to be washed. David overcome with one sin, renewes his repentance for all, Psal. 51. A good husband when he seeth it rain in at one place, sends for the Workman to look over all the house. This indeed differencs a sincere heart from an hypocrite, whose repentance is partial, soft in one plot, and hard in another. Judas cries out of his treason, but not a word of his thievery and hypocrisie. The hole was no wider in his conscience then where the bullet went in, whereas true sorrow for one, breaks the heart into shivers for others also.

SECT. II.

Secondly, Satan by tempting one Saint has a mischievous design against others, either by encouraging them to sin by the example of such a one, or discouraging them in their holy course by the scandal he has given; but God here befooles him,

First, making the miscarriages of such a seasonable caveat to others to look to their standing. Doest you see a meek Moses provok't to anger, what watch and ward have you need keep over your unruly heart? though loud winds do some hurt by blowing down here a loose tyle, and there a turret, (which was falling before,) yet the common good surmounts the private damage of some few; these being as a broom in Gods hand to sweep and cleanse the aire: so though some (that are wicked) are by Gods righteous judgement for the same hardened into further abominations by the Saints falls, yet the good which sincere souls receive by having their formality and security in a further degree purged does abundantly countervaile the other, who are but sent a little faster, where they were going before.

Secondly, God makes his Saints falls an argument for comfort to distressed consciences. This has been, and is as a feather, (when the passage seems so stop't, that no comfort can be got down otherwise) to drop a little hope into the soul, to keep the creature alive from falling into utter despair; some have been revived with this, when next door to hell in their own feares. Davids sin was great, yet found mercy; Peter fell foully, yet now in heaven. Why sittest you here, O my soul, under the hatches of despair? up and call upon your God for mercy, who has pardoned the same to others.

Thirdly, God has a design in suffering Satan to trounce some of his Saints by temptation, to train them up into a fitnesse to succour their fellow-brethren in the like condition: he sends them here to school, (where they are under Satans ferular and lash) that his cruel hand over them may make them study the Word and their own hearts, by which they get experience of Satans policies, till at last they commence Masters in this Art of comforting tempted souls. It is an Art by it self, to speak a word in season to the weary soul: 'tis not serving out an Apprenticeship to humane Arts will furnish a man for this: great Doctors have proved very dunces here, knowing no more how to handle a wounded conscience then a Rustick the Chirurgions instrument in dissecting the body when an Anatomy-Lecture is to be read. 'Tis not the knowledge of the Scripture (though a man were as well acquainted with it, as the Apothecary with his pots and glasses in his shop, able to go directly to any promise on a sudden,) will suffice. No, not grace it selfe, except exercised with these buffetings and soul-conflicts. Christ himself we finde trained up in this school, Isaiah 50:4. He wakens mine eare to heare as the learned. Even as the Tutor calls up his Pupil to reade to him; and what is the Lecture which is read to Christ, that he may have the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season to the weary soul? see, vers. 5. The Lord has opened mine eare, and I was not rebellious, neither turned I away my back, I gave my back to the smiters, &c. His sufferings (which were all along mingled with temptations,) were the Lecture from which Christ came out so learned, to resolve and comfort distressed souls. So that the devil had better have let Christ alone, yea, and his Saints also, who do him but the greater disservice in comforting others; none will handle poor souls so gently as those, who remember the smart of their owne heart-sorrowes; none so skilful in applying the comforts of the Word to wounded consciences, as those who have layen bleeding themselves; such know the symptomes of soul-troubles, and feel others pains in their own bosomes, which some that know the Scriptures, (for sack of experience) do not, and therefore are like a novice Physician, who perhaps can tell you every plant in the Herbal, yet wanting the practick part, when a Patient comes, knowes not well how to make use of his skill: The Saints experiences help them to a soveraign treacle made of the Scorpions own flesh, (which they through Christ have slain) and that has a vertue above all other to expel the venome of Satans temptations from the heart.

SECT. III.

Thirdly, Satan in tempting the Saint to sin, labors to make a breach between God and the soul. He hates both, and therefore labors to divide these dear friends. If I can (thinks he) get such a one to sin, God will be angry, and when angry he'll whip his child foundly, this will be some sport, and when God is correcting the Saint, he'll be questioning the love of God to him, and cooles in his love to God; so though I should not keep him from heaven at last, yet he shall have little joy there in the way. In this case God and the soul will be like man and wife fallen out, who neither of them look kindly one upon another. Now see how God befooles Satan in both these.

First, God useth his Saints temptations, as his method by which he advancs the communications of his love unto them. The devil thought he had got the goale, when he got Adam to eate the forbidden fruit, he thought now he had man in the same predicament with himself, as unlikely ever to see the face of God, as those Apostate spirits; but (alas!) this was by God intended to usher in that great Gospel-plot of saving man by Christ, who (assoon as this Prologue of mans fall is done) is brought upon the stage in that grand Promise of the Gospel made to Adam, and at Gods command undertakes the charge of recovering lost man out of Satans clutches, and re-instating him in his primitive glory, with an accesse of more than ever man had at first, so that the meanest lilly in Christs field, exceeds Adam in all his native Royalty. And as Satan sped in his first temptation, so he is still on the losing hand: what got he by all his paines upon Job, but to let that holy man know at last how dearly God loved him? When he foiled Peter so shamefully, do we not finde Christ owning Peter with as much love as ever? Peter must be the only disciple, to whom by name the joyful newes of his resurrection is sent: Go tell my disciples and Peter. As if Christ had said, Be sure let his sad heart be comforted with this newes, that he may know I am friends with him for all his late cowardise.

Quest. But does not this seem to countenance sin, and make Christians heedlesse, whether they fall into temptation or no? If God do thus show his love to his Saints after their falls and foiles, why should we be so shy of sin, which ends so well at last?

Answ. Two things will prevent the danger of such an inference.

First, we must distinguish between a souls being foiled through his own infirmity, and his enemies subtilty and power over-matching him; and another, who through a false heart does voluntarily prostrate himself to the lust of Satan; though a General will show little pity to a souldier that should traiterously throw down his armes, and run to the enemy, yet if another in fighting receives a wound and be worsted, it will be no dishonour for him to express his pity and love, no, though he should send him out of the field in his own coach, lay him in his own bed, and appoint him his own Chirurgion. God does not encourage wickedness in his Saints, but pities weakness. Even when the Saints fall into a sin in its nature presumptuous, they do not commit it so presumptuously as others; there is a part true to God in their bosomes, though over-voted Moses spoke unadvisedly, but the devil had his instruments to provoke him, quite against the good mans temper. David numbers the people, but see how the devil dogg'd and hunted him, till at last he got the better, 1 Chronicles 21:1. Satan stood up and provoked David to number Israel. How bravely did Job repel Satans darts? no wonder if in such a shower some one should get between the joynts of his armour. And for Peter, we know (good man) with what a loyal heart, yea, zealous he went into the field, though when the enemy appear'd his heart fail'd him.

Secondly, consider but the way how God communicates his love after his Saints falls, not in sinning, or for sinning, but in mourning and humbling their souls for their sins. Indeed did God smile on them, while acting sinfully, this might strengthen their sin, as wine in a feaver would the disease; but when the fit is off, the venome of the disease spent, and breathed out in a kindly humiliation, now the creature lies low. Gods wine of comfort is a cordial to the drooping spirit, not fuel for sin. When David was led into temptation first, he must be clad in sack-cloth and mourning, and then God takes it off, and puts on the garment of joy and praise, 1 Chronicles 21:10, 15. Job, though he exprest so much courage and patience, yet (bewraying some infirmities after he was baited long by so many fresh dogs, men and devils) he must cry peccavi, and abhor himself in dust and ashes, before God will take him into his armes, Job 42:6. and the same way God takes with all his children. Now to his Saints in such a posture, God may with safety to his honor and their good, give a larger draught of his love then ordinary; their feares and sorrow which their sin has cost them, will serve instead of water to dash this strong wine of joy, and take away its headinesse, that it neither fume up into pride, nor occasion them to reele backward into Apostasie.

Quest. But why does God now communicate his love?

Answ. 1 First, from his own pitiful nature; You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lordis very pitiful, and of tender mercy. God loves not to rake in bleeding wounds, he knowes a mourning soul is subject to be discouraged. A frown or an angry look from God, whom the Saint so dearly loves, must needs go near the heart, therefore God declares himself at hand to revive such, Isa. 57, 15. and he gives the reason, verse 16. For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be alwayes wreth, for the spirit should faile before me. Whose spirit is there meant? not of the presumptuous sinner; he goes on, and never blunks; but of the contrite and humble ones. As the father observes the disposition of his children, one commits a fault and goes on rebelliously, despising his fathers anger, another (when offending him) layes it to heart, refuss to eat, gets into some corner to lament the displeasure of his father; the father sees it, and his bowels yerne towards him. Indeed should he not put his child out of feare by discovering his love, the spirit of such a one would faile; 'tis not possible there should be a long breach between such a father and such a son, the one relenting over his sin, the other over his mourning son.

Secondly, God does thus to pour the greater shame upon Satan, who is the great make-bate between God and the soul. How is the man ashamed that has stirr'd up variance between husband and wife, father and son, to see the breach made up, and all set themselves against him? It went ill on Christs side, when Herod and Pilate were made friends, and can it go well with Satan to see all well between God and his children? If Esther be in favor, Haman her enemy shall have his face covered. Indeed, this covers Satans face with shame, to see a poor Saint even now his prisoner, whom he had leave to rob and plunder, tempt and disquiet, now sitting in the Sun-shine of Gods love, while he like a ravening Lion takes on for the losse of his prey.

Secondly, Satans aime is to weaken the Saints faith on God, and cool his love to God, but befool'd in both; for, first God turnes their temptations, yea, their falls, to the further establishment of their faith, which (like the tree) stands stronger for its shaking, or like the Gyant Anteus, who in his wrestling with Hercules is feigned to get strength by every fall to the ground. False faith indeed once foiled, seldom comes on again; but true faith riseth and fights more valiantly, as we see in Peter and other Scripture-examples. Temptation to faith is as fire to gold, 1 Peter 1:7. The fire does not only discover which is true gold, but makes the true gold more pure; it comes out may be lesse in bulk and weight, (because severed from that soile and drosse which embased it) but more in value and worth, when Satan is bound up, and the Christian walks under the shines of divine favor, and encouragement of divine assistance; his faith may appear great, if compared with another under the withdrawings of God, and buffetings of Satan, but this is not equall judging; as if to try who is biggest of two men, we should measure one naked, and the other over his clothes; or in comparing two pieces of gold, weigh one with the drosse and dirt it contracts in the purse, with the other purged from these in the fire; faith before temptation has much heterogeneal stuffe that cleaves to it, and goes for faith; but when temptation comes, these are discovered. Now the Christian feels corruption stir, which lay as dead before, now a cloud comes between the soul and the sweet face of God, (the sense of which latter, and the little sense of the other bore up his faith before) but these bladders prick't, he comes now to learne the true stroke in this heavenly Art of swimming on the promise, having nothing else to beat him up but that; and a little of this carries more of the precious nature of faith in it, then all the other; yea, is (like Gideons handful of men) stronger, when all these accessaries to faith are sent away, then when they were present; and here is all the devil gets: in stead of destroying his faith which he aimes at, he is the occasion of the refining of it, and thereby adding to its strength.

Secondly, the love of tempted Saints is enkindled to Christ by their temptations, and foiles in their temptations. Possibly in the fit there may seem a damp upon their love, as when water is first sprinkled upon the fire, but when the Conflict is a little over, and the Christian comes to himself, his love to Christ will break out like a vehement flame; First, the shame and sorrow which a gracious soul must needs feele in his bosome for his sinful miscarriage, while under the temptation, will provoke him to express his love to Christ above others, as is sweetly set forth in the Spouse, who when the cold fit of her distemper was off, and the temptation over, bestirs her to purpose, her lazy sicknesse is turned to love-sicknesse: she findes it as hard now to sit, as she did before to rise: she can rest in no place out of her Beloveds sight, but runs and asks every one she meets for him; and whence came all this vehemency of her zeale? all occasioned by her undutiful carriage to her husband: she parted so unkindly with him, that (bethinking what she had done) away she goes to make her peace. If sins committed in unregeneracy have such a force upon a gracious soul, that the thought of them, though pardoned, will still break and melt the heart into sorrow, (as we see in Magdalen) and prick on to show zeal for God above others, (as in Paul) how much more will the sins of a Saint, who after sweet acquaintance with Jesus Christ, lifts up the heel against that bosome where he has layen, affect, yea, dissolve the heart as into so many drops of water, and that sorrow provoke him to serve God at a higher rate then others? No child so dutiful in all the family, as he who is return'd from his rebellion. Again secondly, as his own shame, so the experience which such a one has of Christs love above others will encrease his love. Christs love is fuel to ours. Ex iisdem nutrimur quibus constamus; as it gives its being, so it affords growth: It is both Mother and Nurse to our love. The more Christ puts forth his love, the more heat our love gets, and next to Christs dying love, none greater than his succouring love in temptation. The Mother never has such advantage to show her affection to her child, as when in distress, sick, poor or imprisoned; so neither has Christ to his children as when tempted, yea, worsted by temptation. When his children lie in Satans prison, bleeding under the wounds of their consciences, this is the season he takes to give an experiment of his tender heart in pitying, his faithfulness in praying for them, his mindfulnesse in sending succour to them, yea, his dear love in visiting them by his comforting Spirit. Now when the soul has got off some great temptation, and reades the whole history thereof together, (wherein he findes what his own weakness was to resist Satan, nay, his unfaithfulnesse in complying with Satan, which might have provok't Christ to leave him to the fury of Satan) now to see both his folly pardoned, and ruine graciously prevented, and that by no other hand, but Christs coming in to his rescue (as Abishai to David, when that gyant thought to have flaine him.) This must needs exceedingly endear Christ to the soul. At the reading of such records the Christian cannot but enquire, (as Ahashuerus concerning Mordecai, who by discovering a treason had saved the Kings life,) what honor has been done to his sweet Saviour for all this. And thus Jesus Christ, whom Satan thought to bring out of the souls favor, and liking, comes in the end to sit higher and surer in the Saints affections then ever.

Question: How does God defeat Satan and outwit his schemes in tempting His saints?

Answer. God does this by accomplishing His own gracious purposes for the good and comfort of His people through the very temptations by which Satan intended their ruin. This is the noblest kind of conquest — turning the devil's own weapon back to wound his own head, cutting it off with his own sword. God sets the devil to catch the devil, laying His own plans, as it were, under Satan's wings and making him hatch them. This is how the patriarchs helped fulfill Joseph's dream while they thought they were getting rid of him. Let me illustrate with a few specific examples.

Section 1.

First, Satan's temptations aim at defiling the Christian's conscience and disfiguring the beautiful image of God — engraved in holiness on the Christian's heart. Satan is an unclean spirit and would make the saints unclean too, so that he might glory in their shame. But God outwits him, turning Satan's temptations to sin into a means of cleansing from sin. They are the dark soap with which God washes His saints white.

First, God uses Satan's temptation toward one sin as a preventive against another — as Paul's thorn in the flesh prevented his pride. God sends Satan to press Paul on the side where he is strong, so that in the meantime He can fortify him on the side where he is weak. So Satan is made a fool — like an army that lays siege to a town and exhausts itself to no purpose, while in the meantime giving the enemy the advantage of reinforcing elsewhere. And all this is done by the counsel of a Hushai — a secret friend to the opposing side. God, the saint's true friend, sits in the devil's council and steers proceedings there to the saint's advantage. God allows the devil to trouble the Christian with temptations toward blasphemy and atheism. Along with the spiritual distress these produce, the soul is driven to earnest prayer, humbled by the horror of these apparitions in its imagination, and protected from the formality and pride that God could see were otherwise encroaching. It is like a household where some urgent business keeps the master up later than usual — and by that means the thief who planned to rob the house that very night is kept out. Had Satan not kept that soul's spirit of prayer and watchfulness alive through those distressing temptations, Satan might very well have come as a seducer and found the soul napping in false security.

Second, God purges out the very sin Satan tempts toward — through the temptation itself. Peter never had such a conquest over his self-confidence, and never received such a grounding of his faith, as after his terrible fall in the high priest's courtyard. He who had been so certain of himself as to say, "Even if all the others stumble, I never will" — how modest and humble had he become within a few days, not even daring to claim he loved Christ more than his fellow disciples, those same men he had ranked himself above before. And what an unshakeable confessor of Christ and His gospel did he prove to be before councils and rulers — the very man who had just moments before been thrown off by the challenge of a servant girl! And all this was the fruit of Satan's temptation, sanctified to him. A saint discovers through a fall what the dominant corruption in him actually is. The temptation stirs up the problem — and having identified it, the soul is better positioned to deal with it, applying the specific means that address that particular illness. The soul will now marshal everything it has against this enemy. Paul would not have worked so hard to discipline his body had he not found Satan already knocking at that door.

Third, God uses these temptations to advance the whole work of grace in the heart. One spot leads the whole garment to be washed. David, overcome by one sin, renews his repentance for everything (Psalm 51). A good homeowner, when he sees rain coming in through one spot, calls in the workman to inspect the whole house. This is what distinguishes a sincere heart from a hypocrite, whose repentance is selective — soft on one point, hard on another. Judas cried out about his betrayal — but not a word about his thieving or his hypocrisy. The hole in his conscience was no wider than where the bullet went in. But genuine sorrow over one sin breaks the heart open to mourn for all the others as well.

Section 2.

Second, Satan's design in tempting one saint extends to others — either encouraging them to sin by that person's example, or discouraging them in their own walk by the offense he has caused. But God makes a fool of him here too.

First, God makes the failures of such a saint a timely warning to others to watch their footing. When you see a gentle Moses provoked to anger — how carefully you need to guard your own unruly heart. Strong winds do some damage — blowing down a loose tile here, a tottering turret there — yet the general benefit outweighs the harm to a few. They are like a broom in God's hand, sweeping and purifying the air. So, though some wicked people, by God's righteous judgment, are hardened into greater sin by the saints' falls — yet the benefit sincere souls receive through having their formality and false security further purged far outweighs that harm. Those wicked ones are only sent a little faster in the direction they were already heading.

Second, God makes the falls of His saints a source of comfort for troubled consciences. This has been and still is like a feather — when the passage is so blocked that no comfort can otherwise get through — dropping a little hope into the soul to keep it alive from falling into complete despair. Some have been revived by this when they felt themselves next door to hell in their own fears. David's sin was great, yet he found mercy. Peter fell terribly, yet he is now in heaven. "Why do you sit here, O my soul, under the darkness of despair? Rise up and call on your God for mercy — He has granted it to others for the very same sins."

Third, God has a purpose in allowing Satan to press and strain some of His saints through temptation: to train them into a fitness to comfort their fellow believers in similar conditions. He sends them to this school — where they are under Satan's rod and lash — so that his cruel treatment of them will drive them to study the Word and their own hearts. Through this they gain experience of Satan's strategies, until at last they become masters in the art of comforting tempted souls. Speaking a timely word to a weary soul is an art in itself. Completing an apprenticeship in human learning will not equip a person for it. Learned doctors have proven themselves utterly unprepared here — knowing no more how to handle a wounded conscience than a layperson knows how to use a surgeon's instruments during an anatomy lecture. Neither is book-knowledge of Scripture sufficient — even if a man knew it as well as a pharmacist knows every bottle on his shelf, able to reach instantly for any promise. No — not even grace itself is enough, unless it has been exercised through these buffetings and soul-conflicts. We find even Christ Himself trained in this school (Isaiah 50:4): "He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple" — as a tutor calls his student to sit and learn from him. And what was the lecture read to Christ so that He might have the tongue of the learned to speak a timely word to the weary? Verse 5: "The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not disobedient, nor did I turn back. I gave My back to those who strike Me..." His sufferings — which were mingled throughout with temptations — were the lecture from which Christ emerged so equipped to counsel and comfort distressed souls. So the devil would have done better to leave Christ alone — and to leave His saints alone as well, for their suffering only equips them to serve Satan's enemies all the more effectively in comforting others. No one handles struggling souls as gently as those who remember the pain of their own heart's sorrows. No one is as skilled at applying the comforts of Scripture to wounded consciences as those who have lain bleeding themselves. They recognize the symptoms of soul-trouble and feel others' pain in their own hearts — something those who know Scripture without that experience cannot do. They are like an inexperienced physician who can name every herb in the herbal, but when a patient arrives, does not know how to apply his knowledge in practice. The saints' experience gives them a sovereign remedy made from the very flesh of the scorpion — which, through Christ, they themselves have slain. And that remedy has a power above all others to draw out the poison of Satan's temptations from the heart.

Section 3.

Third, when Satan tempts a saint to sin, his aim is to create a breach between God and the soul. He hates both of them, and so he labors to divide these dear friends. "If I can get this person to sin," he thinks, "God will be angry — and when God is angry He will discipline His child soundly. That will be satisfying. And while God is correcting the saint, the saint will question God's love and grow cold in his love to God. So even if I cannot keep him from heaven in the end, he will have little joy on the way there." In that condition, God and the soul will be like a husband and wife who have quarreled — neither looking kindly on the other. Now see how God makes a fool of Satan in both of these aims.

First, God uses His saints' temptations as the very means by which He deepens the communication of His love to them. When Satan got Adam to eat the forbidden fruit, he thought he had scored the final victory — that he had placed man in the same hopeless position as the fallen angels, as unlikely ever to see God's face as those apostate spirits. But God had intended this very event to usher in the great gospel plan of saving humanity through Christ. No sooner had this prologue of the fall been completed than Christ was brought forward in the great promise of the gospel given to Adam — and at God's call, undertook the work of recovering lost humanity from Satan's grip and restoring them to their original glory, and more than that. The lowest flower in Christ's field exceeds Adam in all his original royalty. And as Satan fared in his first temptation, so he has been on the losing side ever since. What did all his labor against Job gain him — except to show that holy man at last how deeply God loved him? When he overthrew Peter so shamefully, do we not find Christ claiming Peter with as much love as ever? Peter was the one disciple singled out by name to receive the good news of the resurrection: "Go, tell His disciples and Peter." As if Christ said: Be sure that his sad heart is comforted with this news, so that he knows I am at peace with him in spite of his recent cowardice.

Question: Does this not seem to excuse sin and make Christians careless about falling into temptation? If God shows such love to His saints after their falls and failures, why should we be so careful to avoid sin when it ends so well in the end?

Answer: Two things will guard against that false conclusion.

First, we must distinguish between a soul that is overtaken through its own weakness and the enemy's cunning and power — and another who through a false heart deliberately surrenders himself to Satan's lust. A general will show little mercy to a soldier who treacherously throws down his arms and runs to the enemy — but if another soldier fights bravely and still receives a wound and is overpowered, it is no dishonor for the general to show his care and love, even sending the man from the field in his own carriage, laying him in his own bed, and assigning him his own surgeon. God does not encourage wickedness in His saints — He pities weakness. Even when the saints fall into a sin that is presumptuous in its nature, they do not commit it as presumptuously as others do. There is a part of them that remains true to God, though it was outvoted. Moses spoke rashly — but the devil had his instruments to provoke him, completely contrary to that good man's nature. David numbered the people — but see how the devil dogged and hunted him until he finally wore him down (1 Chronicles 21:1): "Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel." How valiantly did Job repel Satan's arrows! No wonder that in such a barrage one might slip between the joints of his armor. And as for Peter — we know that good man went into the field with a truly loyal, even passionate heart. It was only when the enemy appeared that his courage failed him.

Second, consider how God communicates His love after a saint's fall — not while they are sinning, or because they have sinned, but when they are mourning and humbling themselves for their sins. If God smiled on them while they were actively sinning, that might strengthen the sin — like giving wine in a fever that would feed the disease. But when the crisis has passed, the poison of the disease spent and breathed out through genuine humiliation, the soul lies low. God's wine of comfort is a strengthener for the drooping spirit — not fuel for sin. When David was first drawn into temptation, he had to be clothed in sackcloth and mourning — and then God removed it and put on him the garment of joy and praise (1 Chronicles 21:10, 15). Job, though he showed so much courage and patience, eventually revealed some weakness after being long attacked by so many fierce accusers — both human and demonic. He had to cry out, "I repent," and abhor himself in dust and ashes, before God took him in His arms (Job 42:6). God takes the same path with all His children. To His saints in that posture of humility, God can safely — to His own honor and their benefit — give a larger measure of His love than usual. Their fears and sorrow, which their sin has cost them, will serve as water to dilute this strong wine of joy and take away its intoxicating quality — so that it neither rises up into pride nor causes them to stumble backward into apostasy.

Question: But why does God now communicate His love?

Answer. First, from His own compassionate nature: "You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful" (James 5:11). God has no desire to keep probing bleeding wounds. He knows that a mourning soul is easily discouraged. A frown or an angry look from God — whom the saint loves so dearly — must pierce the heart deeply. Therefore God declares Himself ready to revive such a one (Isaiah 57:15), and gives the reason in verse 16: "For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before Me." Whose spirit is meant? Not the spirit of the presumptuous sinner — he goes on without flinching. But the spirit of the contrite and humble. A father watches his children's responses. One commits a fault and goes on defiantly, scorning his father's displeasure. Another, when he has offended, takes it to heart, refuses to eat, goes off to some corner to grieve over his father's displeasure. The father sees it, and his heart yearns toward that child. If he does not put the child's fear to rest by showing his love, that child's spirit would break. A long breach between such a father and such a son is simply not possible — the one melting over his sin, the other melting over his grieving son.

Second, God does this to pour greater shame on Satan, who is the great troublemaker between God and the soul. How humiliated is the person who has stirred up conflict between a husband and wife, a father and son, when he sees the breach repaired and all parties turned against him? Things went badly for Christ's enemies when Herod and Pilate became friends — can it go well for Satan when he sees all is well between God and His children? If Esther is in favor, Haman her enemy will have his face covered in shame. Indeed, this covers Satan's face with shame: to see a poor saint whom he just had permission to plunder, trouble, and torment now sitting in the sunshine of God's love — while he, like a ravaging lion, howls over the loss of his prey.

Second, Satan's aim is to weaken the saint's faith in God and cool his love for God — but he is outwitted in both. First, God turns their temptations, and even their falls, into a further strengthening of their faith. Like a tree, it stands more firmly for having been shaken. Or like the giant Antaeus in the myth of his wrestling with Hercules — who is said to have gained new strength from every fall to the ground. False faith, once overthrown, rarely rises again. But genuine faith rises and fights more boldly, as we see in Peter and other examples from Scripture. Temptation to faith is like fire to gold (1 Peter 1:7). Fire does not only reveal which is true gold — it also refines the genuine gold and makes it purer. It comes out perhaps less in volume and weight, since the dross and impurities that debased it are removed — but greater in value and quality. When Satan is restrained and the Christian walks in the sunshine of divine favor with the encouragement of divine help, his faith may appear great compared to another who is experiencing God's withdrawal and Satan's pressure. But this is not a fair comparison — like trying to determine which of two men is taller by measuring one naked and the other in heavy clothing. Or like comparing two pieces of gold by weighing one with the dirt and grime collected in the purse, against the other that has been refined in the fire. Faith before temptation has much foreign material clinging to it that goes for faith. But when temptation comes, these things are exposed. Now the Christian feels corruption stir that had seemed dead before. A cloud comes between the soul and the sweet face of God — and the sense of that cloud, combined with the little sense of the corruption before, had been holding up his faith. But those props punctured, he now learns the true stroke of this heavenly art of swimming on the promise, with nothing else to keep him afloat but that. And a little of this carries more of the genuine nature of faith than all the rest combined. It is like Gideon's small band — actually stronger when all the supporting troops are sent away than when they were present. And this is all the devil gains: instead of destroying the faith he aimed at, he becomes the very instrument of refining it and thereby strengthening it.

Second, the love of tempted saints is actually deepened toward Christ through their temptations and falls. In the midst of the struggle there may seem to be a dampening of their love — like water first sprinkled on a fire. But when the conflict is over and the Christian comes back to himself, his love for Christ will break out like a blazing flame. First, the shame and sorrow a gracious soul must feel for its sinful failure during the temptation will drive it to express love for Christ above all. This is beautifully illustrated in the bride, who — when the cold spell of her spiritual dullness had passed and the temptation was over — stirred herself with purpose. Her lazy sickness had turned into love-sickness. She found it as hard now to sit still as she had before found it hard to get up. She could rest nowhere out of her beloved's sight, but ran and asked everyone she met for him. Where did all this intensity of longing come from? It was all called forth by her unkind treatment of her husband: she had parted with him so coldly that, thinking over what she had done, she went to make her peace. If sins committed before conversion have such power over a gracious soul that the memory of them — even when pardoned — will still break and melt the heart into sorrow (as we see in Mary Magdalene) and press the person to show greater zeal for God than others (as in Paul) — how much more will the sins of a saint who, after sweet communion with Jesus Christ, lifts his heel against the very heart that received him? That sorrow will dissolve the heart into tears, and that grief will press him to serve God at a higher level than others. No child in all the household is as devoted as the one who has returned from rebellion. Second, beyond the shame — the experience such a person gains of Christ's love beyond others will also increase his love. Christ's love is fuel for ours. As the same things that give us being also provide our growth, so Christ's love is both the mother and the nurse of our love. The more Christ displays His love, the more our love is warmed. And next to Christ's dying love, none is greater than His rescuing love in temptation. A mother never has a better opportunity to show her affection for her child than when the child is in distress — sick, impoverished, or imprisoned. In the same way, Christ never has a better opportunity to show His love to His children than when they are being tempted, indeed, when they have been overcome by temptation. When His children lie in Satan's prison, bleeding from wounds of conscience — that is the moment He chooses to give proof of His tender heart in showing mercy, His faithfulness in praying for them, His care in sending them help, and His deep love in visiting them through His comforting Spirit. When the soul has finally come through a great temptation and reviews the whole history of it — seeing what its own weakness was in resisting Satan, and indeed its own unfaithfulness in going along with Satan, which might have provoked Christ to abandon it to Satan's fury — and then to see both its foolishness pardoned and its ruin graciously prevented, and by no other hand than Christ coming to its rescue (as Abishai came to David when the giant was about to kill him) — this must unspeakably endear Christ to the soul. Reading such accounts, the Christian cannot help asking — as Ahasuerus asked about Mordecai, who had exposed a conspiracy and saved the king's life — what honor has been shown to his dear Savior for all of this? And so Jesus Christ, whom Satan thought to drive from the soul's affections, ends up sitting higher and more securely in the saint's heart than ever before.