And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
Ver. 6. Yea, I know that thou didst this, &c.] God takes his excuse, and yet chastiseth him; to teach us, saith Calvin (in loco), Non prorsus vacare culpa qui humano modo puri sunt. He can find flaws in that for which we may look for thanks. This makes Nehemiah crave pardon of his zealous reformations; and David cries out, "Enter not into judgment," &c. Psa 143:2 Sordet in conspectu iudicis, quod fulget in conspectu operantis, saith Gregory. "Ye are they that justify yourselves before men," saith Christ to the Pharisees; "but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God". Luk 16:15 A thing which I see in the night may shine, and that shining proceed from nothing but rottenness. "But be not deceived," or if ye be, yet "God is not mocked". Gal 6:7 When he comes to turn the bottom of the bag upwards - as the steward did Benjamin's - all our secret thefts will out, all our collusions come to light a His law is a law of fire; Deu 33:2 His tribunal, of fire; Eze 1:27 His pleading with sinners, in flames of fire. Isa 66:15-16 The trial of our work shall be by fire; 1Co 3:15 and before God, who is a consuming fire. Heb 12:29 Happy are they that are here purged by that spirit of judgment, and burning. Isa 4:4 These shall stand in judgment, yea, dwell with everlasting burnings. Isa 33:14
For I also withheld thee.] Either by sickness, as aforesaid, or by a spirit of restraint, "a gift" that God gives "to men, yea, to the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them" Psa 68:18 in his religion and worshippers; which else the wicked would never suffer. Thus God chained up Laban, and made Saul to melt over David, &c. Now many take this poor counter (that is, I am not as some others are, so bad as the worst) and set it down for a thousand pounds. Our Saviour indeed is said to have "looked upon" the young Pharisee, and to have "loved him," Mar 10:21 because he saw him to be a tame man, free from foul crimes, and fit to live in a commonwealth: but no otherwise than as we love pictures, which are pretty things to look on, and that is all they are good for. A better nature, if rested in, is but a beautiful abomination, a smooth way to hell. And yet, say what we can, this kind of men grow crooked and aged with good opinions of themselves, and can seldom or never be set straight again. They will trust in Moses; Joh 5:45 and when they have sick fits, and qualms of conscience, lick themselves whole by their repentance, and so rest in it: which made Austin say, that repentance damneth more than sin. They seek not to be saved by the righteousness of faith neither see they any necessity of growing from faith to faith. No, they are set, they are as good as ever they mean to be; they that outstrip them are too forward, they that fall short of them are deeply censured.
a Sacco soluto apparuit argentum. - Ambrose.