Secondly, Consider but the way how God communicates his love after the saints' fall ; 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 fever would the disease ; but when the fit is off, the venom of the disease spent, and breathed out in a kindly humiliation, now the creature lies low. God's wine and comfort is a cordial to the drooping spirit, not fuel for sin. When David was led into temptation, first he must be clad in sackcloth and moiu-ning, and then God takes it off, and puts on the garment of joy and praise, 1 Chron. xxi. 10, 15. Job, though he expressed so much courage and pa'ience, yet (bewi-aying some infirmities after he was baited long by so many fresh dogs, men and devils) he nuist cry peccavi, and abhor himself in dust and ashes, before God will take him into his arms. Job xlii. 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 honour and their good, give a larger draught of his love than ordinary ; their fears and sorrow, which their sin hath cost them, will serve instead of water to dash this strong wine of joy, and take away its headi- ness, that it neither fume up into pride, nor occasion them to reel backward into apostasj'.
Quest. But why doth God now connnunicate his love ?
^)is. First, from his pitiful nature : ' You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy.' God loves not to rake in bleeding wounds ; he knows a mourning soul is subject to be discouraged. A frown or 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. Ivii. 1.5 ; and he gives the reason, ver. 16: ' For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wrath, for the spirit should fail before me.' Whose spirit is there meant? Not of the presumptuous sinner ; he goes on, and never blinks ; 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 father's anger ; another, when offending, lays it to heart, refuseth to eat, gets into some corner to lament the displeasure of his father : the father sees it, and his bowels yearn towards him. Indeed, should he not put his child out of fear, by discovering his love, the spirit of such a one would fail ; it is 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 doth thus, to pour the greater shame upon Satan, who is the great mischief-maker between God and the soul. How is the man ashamed that hath stirred 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 Christ's 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 favour, Haman her enemy shall have his face covered. Indeed, this covers Satan's 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 sunshine of God's love, while he like a ravening lion takes on for the loss of his prey.
Secondly, Satan's aim is, to weaken the saint's faith on God, and cool his love to God, but befooled in both ; for, First, God tin-ns their tem])tations, yea, their falls, to the further establishment of their faith, which, like the tree, stands stronger for its shaking, or like the giant Antcus, 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 rises and fights more valiantly, as we see in Peter and other Scripture examples. Temp- tation to faith is as fire to gold, 1 Pet. i. 7. The fire doth not only discover which is true gold, but makes the true gold more pure ; it comes out may be less in bulk and weight, because severed from that soil and dross which em- based it, but more in value and worth. When Satan is bound up, and the Chris- tian walks under the light of Divine favour, and encouragement of Divine assistance, his faith may appear great, if compared with another under the with- drawings of God, and buffetings of Satan ; but this is not equal judgment; as if to try who is biggest of two mf^n, wp should measure one naked, and the other over
i^^i THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO STAND