2. Now for imvard sins, as anger, covetousness, distrust, and such like, these often prove advantageous to the saints. Their corruptions are a means of their humiliation. Paul and Barnabas having a breach between them, were so exasperated that they forsook each other's company, by which means it came to pass that the church was more instructed than before.* And hence we may see what the best men are in themselves. If Luther had had no infirmities, how would men have attributed to him above measure ? As we see, they were ready to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas ; which shews us that even the distempers and weaknesses of God's servants are disposed by divine providence to their eternal welfare.
* Cf. Acts XV. 39 with 2 Tim. iv. 11.— Q.
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3. Yea, God often suflcretli his cluldrcn to fall into some outward gross sins, that by means thereof they might be humbled and abased, and in the end be cured of that provoking sin of being proud in spirit.
4. Tlie fallbuf of God's children doth much deject them, and bring them upon their knees with shame. It makes them gentle and meek in the reprehen- sion of their brethren ; for having slipped out of the way themselves, and being by repentance recovered, thoy learn to ' restore others with the spirit of meekness,' as the apostle speaks, Gal. vi. 1. A man humbled by experience of sin in himself will soon relent at the fall of others. Those often- times prove the most excellent instruments in the church who have formerly been overtaken with some gross sin, by means whereof they have ever after been much abased in their own eyes.
"We see David, Paul, and Peter fell grievously, but being afterwards raised again and finding comfort themselves, they were a great means of strengthening others ; for he which teacheth out of his own experience and feeling, is the fittest and best teacher of all. So it was with Jonah : when by casting him into the sea God had humbled him, he was fit to preach repentance to Nineveh. This is a most certain truth, that never any of God's elect fell grievously, but he was the better all the days of his life for his fall. David having been thoroughly humbled for sin, when Shimei his subject cursed him to his face, how patiently did he bear the same, 2 Sam. xvi. 13, seq. So Peter having denied his Master, and afterwards recovering himself again, we see how zealous he was for his Lord Christ, and suffered death for him.
5. Furthermore, not only the sins of God's children, which they them- selves commit, do work for their best, but also the sins of others of the saints u-ith u-hom they converse and live, do much tend to their good and ■welfare. Do not the falls of David, Peter, Manasseh, and Paul comfort the distressed and despairing souls of such as languish and are ready to faint under the burden of their sins ? And do not the registry of their sins in Scripture give hope to us that God will be merciful to our sins also ? We may not think it is God's will to set upon perpetual record the sins of his servants for their shame, disgrace, and punishment, but for our comfort, who live and remain to the end of the world. And the faults of the saints have two excellent uses, whereof the one is for comfort, the other for instruction.
Use 1. The use in regard of comfort is this. God hath sheu-ed mercy to David, Paul, Peter, and others, sinnimj grievously against him, and repenting of the same. Therefore if I also shall sin and truly repent as they did, surely God is where he was, as full of mercy and readiness to forgive now as ever.
Use 2. The second use for instruction is this : If such excellent and eminent saints by sin have fallen grievously, how then much more are we poor weak souls subject to fall if ire neglect watchfulness over ourselves! If a weak Christian, oft assaulted with temptations, should not see the falls and slips of God's worthier sen'ants, he would be in a wonderful* desperation, and cry out of himself, saying, Alas ! what shall I do ; never was any so assaulted and tempted, so cast down and overcome in temptations as I am ; and therefore my case is more fearful and worse than ever was any. But when he considereth the grievous falls of God's special servants, how they have stepped aside foully and yet obtained mercy, by their examples he beginneth to be revived and receive inward comfort, whereby it is evident that aU sins whatsoever of God's elect, as vile and as loathsome as they are, do by
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God's providence and our own serious repentance turn to tbeir good, and the good of those with whom they hve.
4. The next spiritual evil is that which followeth after sin committed, viz., GoiVs (h'si'rtion or forsaking of us, when he seems to hide his favour from men after they have sinned against him. "When God manifests himself as an enemy to his people, this grieves them more than anything else in the world heside. We see David, how he calls upon God not to ' rebuke him in his wrath, nor forsake him in his displeasure,' Ps. vi. 1, where he sheweth how grievously he was afflicted with the auger of the Almighty.