Christopher Love's quote (Louis' comment)

Remember this for your comfort: if you conscientiously make use of those means that the Lord has sanctified for the mortifying of your sins, then, even if, notwithstanding all, your sins prevail over and overcome you, in this case the Lord will hold you guiltless. I might urge that place to you which I quoted the Last Lord's Day concerning the law of God touching a damsel in Deuteronomy 22:25-27, which was that the adulterer should be put to death. But, God says, if the damsel was walking in the field and a man came to her and defiled her, if she strove against him and cried out, then the damsel shall be guiltless, but the man shall die the death.

When the devil spiritually rapes you, if your soul can bear you witness that you cried out to God for help, and struggled and strove against the corruption with all your might and strength to suppress and keep them under, and yet you could not prevail but the devil overmatched you, in this case know that God will count you guiltless.

-- Christopther Love. The Mortified Christian, Sermon 7.

Dutiful and honest reader Louis comments,

That sounds like something I've heard before... "The devil made me do it"?

1 Cor. 10:13 says, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

Maybe I'm reading Love or the Scripture wrong, but don't those two disagree? I read one as saying God won't allow us to be tempted above our ability to resist, hence sin in man is his own fault; and I read Love as saying that sometimes Satan can overcome us with temptation and it's not OUR fault.

I think a more accurate example (again, if I understand these two correctly, which I very well may not) for Satan overpowering us would be the case of a woman being extremely tempted to fornicate, instead of being forced.

Good question, Louis. First, note that Mr. Love does not deny that the one overcome is sinning, as he affirms "notwithstanding all, your sins prevail over and overcome you." What he is saying, is that even though you've fallen into sin, if you have done so fighting against sin every inch of the way, and yet were still overcome due to the weakness of your flesh, and the strength of Satan, the Lord (says Love) will not hold you guilty. This is not the same thing as saying sin is not our fault. Second, these comments are made in the middle of a series of sermons on mortification. He brings up this comfortable doctrine towards those poor souls who might be despairing that they have no true mortification since they fell into such and such a sin. I say this lest anyone think that Love is simply excusing people's sins. He had just spent a good while telling people that think they are mortified that they were not mortified!

I take Love to be saying that there are times when a Christian can have a degree of mortification, and yet sometimes can fall into a sin against which he earnestly strove, but this is not evidence that he is not mortified, but only that there remains weakness in his flesh, for which the Lord pities, rather than condemns, the believer.

"The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" -- Matt. 26:41.

That he may not terrify and discourage his disciples, he gently reproves their slothfulness, and adds consolation and good ground of hope. And, first, he reminds them, that though they are earnestly desirous to do what is right, still they must contend with the weakness of the flesh, and, therefore, that prayer is never unnecessary. We see, then, that he gives them the praise of willingness, in order that their weakness may not throw them into despair, and yet urges them to prayer, because they are not sufficiently endued with the power of the Spirit. Wherefore, this admonition relates properly to believers, who, being regenerated by the Spirit of God, are desirous to do what is right, but still labor under the weakness of the flesh; for though the grace of the Spirit is vigorous in them, they are weak according to the flesh. And though the disciples alone have their weakness here pointed out to them, yet, since what Christ says of them applies equally to all, we ought to draw from it a general rule, that it is our duty to keep diligent watch by praying; for we do not yet possess the power of the Spirit in such a measure as not to fall frequently through the weakness of the flesh, unless the Lord grant his assistance to raise up and uphold us.

-- John Calvin, Harmony of the Gospels Vol. 3.

"For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." -- Rom. 7:15-17.

You must not understand that it was always the case with him, that he could not do good; but what he complains of is only this — that he could not perform what he wished, so that he pursued not what was good with that alacrity which was meet, because he was held in a manner bound, and that he also failed in what he wished to do, because he halted through the weakness of the flesh. Hence the pious mind performs not the good it desires to do, because it proceeds not with due activity, and doeth the evil which it would not; for while it desires to stand, it falls, or at least it staggers. But the expressions to will and not to will must be applied to the Spirit, which ought to hold the first place in all the faithful.

The flesh indeed has also its own will, but Paul calls that the will which is the chief desire of the heart; and that which militates with it he represents as being contrary to his will....

This is not the pleading of one excusing himself, as though he was blameless, as the case is with many triflers who think that they have a sufficient defense to cover all their wickedness, when they cast the blame on the flesh; but it is a declaration, by which he shows how very far he dissented from his own flesh in his spiritual feeling; for the faithful are carried along in their obedience to God with such fervour of spirit that they deny the flesh.

This passage also clearly shows, that Paul speaks here of none but of the godly, who have been already born again; for as long as man remains like himself, whatsoever he may be, he is justly deemed corrupt; but Paul here denies that he is wholly possessed by sin; nay, he declares himself to be exempt from its bondage, as though he had said, that sin only dwelt in some part of his soul, while with an earnest feeling of heart he strove for and aspired after the righteousness of God, and clearly proved that he had the law of God engraven within him.

-- John Calvin, Commentary on Romans 7:14-17.

Well, I hope that helps.

Thoughts on this are appreciated.