THE falls of the People of God do darken their sincerity: they are as a Cloud covering their uprightness: they do make their sincerity questionable unto others: some that take notice of their falls are ready to suspect, and others are ready to deny their sincerity; standers by are apt to impute their falls to their Hypocrisy and the reigning power of sin; as if they had now proved themselves to be Hypocrites. They are ready to say of them, as David said of Doeg, Lo this is the man that made not God his trust. And their ⟨p. 2⟩falls make their sincerity questionable to themselves: if they have seen something of uprightness in themselves before, now they fear, they were mistaken: they think if there had been any Grace, that would have preserved them from falling: their falls wound their Consciences and disturb their Peace. They think if God had loved them, he would not have suffered them to fall into such sin: it seems to them to be the fruit of Gods hatred: they are apt to think that their sins have turned away the heart of God from them, and that he cannot delight in them: they think moreover that if they had loved God, they could not have been drawn to sin so against him. Satan is wont to improve their falls unto their discouragement; and raises such mists, that day is turned into night unto them. Upon this occasion Christ puts this question to Peter: the Disciples might be unsatisfied with him, because of his fall; and he might be dissatisfied with himself: but hereby Christ is leading of him into the Examination of his own sincerity. You may conceive Christs meaning thus: Peter you have made a Profession many years: but in the time of my affliction, you shamefully denied me, you formerly professed that you would dye with me, before you would deny me, but as soon as the Temptation came; you presently denied me: and as if it were not enough to do it once, you did it a second ⟨p. 3⟩and a third time: and as if plain denying had not been enough, you did it with Cursing and Swearing: is there any love in your heart […] me! you showed some affection but now, […] throwing your self into the Sea, but is it […] love? have I your heart? am I the object […] your love? you professed more love than othe• Disciples; but do you indeed love me?
THE falls of the People of God do darken their sincerity: they are as a Cloud covering their uprightness: they do make their sincerity questionable unto others: some that take notice of their falls are ready to suspect, and others are ready to deny their sincerity; standers by are apt to impute their falls to their Hypocrisy and the reigning power of sin; as if they had now proved themselves to be Hypocrites. They are ready to say of them, as David said of Doeg, Lo this is the man that made not God his trust. And their ⟨p. 2⟩falls make their sincerity questionable to themselves: if they have seen something of uprightness in themselves before, now they fear, they were mistaken: they think if there had been any Grace, that would have preserved them from falling: their falls wound their Consciences and disturb their Peace. They think if God had loved them, he would not have suffered them to fall into such sin: it seems to them to be the fruit of Gods hatred: they are apt to think that their sins have turned away the heart of God from them, and that he cannot delight in them: they think moreover that if they had loved God, they could not have been drawn to sin so against him. Satan is wont to improve their falls unto their discouragement; and raises such mists, that day is turned into night unto them. Upon this occasion Christ puts this question to Peter: the Disciples might be unsatisfyed with him, because of his fall; and he might be dissatisfyed with himself: but hereby Christ is leading of him into the Examination of his own sincerity. You may conceive Christs meaning thus: Peter you have made a Profession many years: but in the time of my affliction, you shamefully denied me, you formerly professed that you would dye with me, before you would deny me, but as soon as the Temptation came; you presently denyed me: and as if it were not enough to do it once, you did it a second ⟨p. 3⟩and a third time: and as if plain denying had not been enough, you did it with Cursing and Swearing: is there any love in your heart 〈…〉 me! you shewed some affection but now, 〈…〉 throwing your self into the Sea, but is it 〈…〉 love? have I your heart? am I the object 〈…〉 your love? you professed more love than othe• Disciples; but do you indeed love me?
