Good Like a Medicine

Device (4) - By presenting to the soul the best men’s sins, and by hiding from the soul their virtues; by showing the soul their sins, and by hiding from the soul their sorrows and repentance; as by setting before the soul the adultery of David, the pride of Hezekiah, the impatience of Job, the drunkenness of Noah, the blasphemy of Peter, etc. and by hiding from the soul the tears, the sighs, the groans, the meltings, the humblings, and repentings of these precious souls.

Remedy (1) - The first remedy against this device of Satan is, seriously to consider, That the Spirit of the Lord hath been as careful to note the saints’ rising by repentance out of sin, as he hath to note their falling into sings. David falls fearfully, but by repentance he rises sweetly… It is true, Job curses the day of his birth, and it is as true that he rises by repentance: ‘Behold, I am vile,’ saith he; ‘what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.’

Peter falls dreadfully, but rises by repentance sweetly; a look of love from Christ melts him into tears… Some say that, after his sad fall, he was ever and anon weeping, and that his face was even furrowed with continual tears… Clement notes that Peter so repented, that all his life after, every night when he heard the cock crow, he would fall upon his knees, and weeping bitterly, would beg pardon of his sin. Ah, souls, you can easily sin as the saints, but can you repent with the saints? Theodosius the emperor, pressing that he might receive the Lord’s supper, excuses his own foul act by David’s doing the like: to which Ambrose replies, ‘Thou hast followed David’s transgressing; follow David’s repenting, and then think of the table of the Lord.’

Remedy (2) - Solemnly consider, That these saints did not make a trade of sin. They fell once or twice, and rose by repentance, that they might keep the closer to Christ for ever. They fell accidentally, occasionally, and with much reluctancy, and thou sinnest presumptuously, obstinately, readily, delightfully, and customarily… If thou wilt make a trade of sin, and cry out, ‘Did not David sin thus, and Noah sin thus, and Peter sin thus?’ No! their hearts turned aside to follow one day, but thy heart turns aside to folly every day (2 Peter 2:14, Proverbs 4:16); and when they were fallen, they rise by repentance, and by the actings of faith upon a crucified Christ…

Remedy (3) - Seriously consider, That though God doth not, nor never will, disinherit his people for their sins, yet he hath severely punished his people for their sins… Though God will not utterly take from them his loving-kindness, nor suffer his faithfulness to fail, nor break his covenant, nor alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth, yet will he ‘visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes’ (Ps. 89: 30-35).

God is most angry when he shows no anger. God keep me from this mercy; this kind of mercy is worse than all other kind of misery…

When Satan shall tell thee of other men’s sins to draw thee to sin, do thou then think of the same men’s sufferings to keep thee from sin. Lay thy hand upon thy heart, and say, O my soul! If thou sinnest with David, thou must suffer with David.

Remedy (4) - The fourth remedy against this device of Satan is, solemnly to consider, That there are but two main ends of God’s recording of the falls of his saints.

And the one is, to keep those from fainting, sinking, and despair, under the burden of their sins, who fall through weakness and infirmity.

And the other is, that their falls may be as landmarks to warn others that stand, to take heed lest they fall.

– Thomas Brooks, Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices (pp. 45-49)

These are so true! Satan attempts to pull us down by encouraging us to sin, knowing that we could look to the saints throughout history (and all around us, for that matter) as excuses to go our own ways. Satan wants us to look at their downfalls and totally miss the lessons of their sin, to ignore the repentance and restoration that God worked through his power in them.

I admit I’ve had those “Romans 6″ moments many times, thinking to myself, “If God has given the grace so freely before, what is the big deal?” That reality should break my heart into pieces, but I know how it makes me sad and zealous in this moment and how easily I am prone to wander in the next. Our hearts can be so deceived by lies!

“Ah, souls, you can easily sin as the saints, but can you repent with the saints?”

Ouch! My prayers after reading this chapter are, “O, Lord, please don’t let me fall and just be a lesson and warning for others! Keep me firm, standing on Jesus, my Rock, and trusting You. Let my heart not run willfully into sin but be a daily stream of humble repentance and faith!”