The Remedy Which Faith Finds In Jesus Christ Alone Against The First Assault Of The First Temptation: "The Multitude Of
Spouse of Jesus Christ, her Husband (Rom. 7:2-6; 8:35; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph.
5:31, 32); it is to more clearly show the greatness of the union and communion which exists between Jesus Christ and those who, through faith, have entrusted themselves to him. For, by virtue of this union and this spiritual marriage through faith, He takes all our miseries upon Himself, and we receive from Him all His treasures, by His pure goodness and mercy. This is what we are going to see.
The remedy which faith finds in Jesus Christ alone against the first assault of the first temptation:
"The multitude of our sins": The assurance which we can have on this point regarding the saints or ourselves
Therefore let us now see how, in Jesus Christ alone, we find sure remedies against all the temptations of Satan and all the troubles of our conscience.
In the first place, Satan and our conscience, to show that we are truly unworthy of being saved and very worthy of perishing, put in the forefront the nature of God, perfectly righteous, He who is the great Enemy and Avenger of all iniquity. Now, it is true, we are covered with infinite sins. It follows therefore that there is nothing more for us to do than to wait for the wages of sin, that is to say, eternal death (Rom. 6:23).
What shall men be able to plead against this conclusion of Satan and of their conscience? Certainly, nothing which would avail, unless it is what I say. For if they have recourse to the mercy of God, forgetting His righteousness, they are deceiving themselves. One thing is certain, the mercy of God is such that it is necessary, however, that His righteousness also be totally acknowledged: which we declared already.
If we desire then, in order to cover our sins, to plead the merits of the saints:
1. We do them a great wrong; for David himself writes, "Enter not into judgement with Thy servant." (Ps. 143:2), and, in another passage, he confesses that his works cannot ascend to God (Ps. 16:2). And what does St Paul say of Abraham, this holy person and father of believers? "If Abraham", he says, "were justified by his works, he has reason for self-glorying, but not before God. For, what says the Scripture? Abraham believed in God, and this was imputed to him for righteousness." (Rom. 4:2-3). And what says St. Paul regarding himself? "Certainly," he says, "I do not feel guilty, but I am not
thereby justified." (1 Cor. 4:4). How then can we plead the merits of the saints to satisfy for our sins, since they themselves have recourse only to the mercy of God alone, procured by Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:8)?
2. Moreover, if the saints themselves have merited paradise by their holy life (which cannot be, seeing that they themselves testify to the contrary), would they not have already received payment for their merits? With what claim, therefore, shall we plead them before God one more time?
3. Since, to say that they had so much merit that there remains some left over for us, is to give the lie to what they have left us in writing. Moreover, is it not as if we were saying that they have nothing to do with the death of Jesus
Christ, seeing that they have in themselves more than enough to have need of Him?
4. And then, if they have excess merits, in what way would we know that they are ours? Is — it because we think it so, or because we have bought them? But St. Peter rebukes Simon the magician for this false and accursed trade: "May thy money perish with thee," he says, "for Thou hast thought to buy the gift of God with money". (Acts 8:20).
There is how, in believing that we honour the saints, we actually dishonour them as much as possible. Now, if the works of the saints have nothing to merit in this sphere, what shall we find in ourselves, or in any other living man, which is sufficient to fortify us against this assault of Satan? But, in order to cut short all these false imaginings, let us consider the following points.
Firstly, would we not think a man to be destitute of sense who persuades himself that he is free of a creditor under the pretext that he imagines he has paid, or that another has paid for him? This is how we always act towards
God when we are not content with the sole satisfaction of Jesus Christ. For, what foundation have all the rest except the fantasy of men, as if God must find good all that seems good to us. But, on the contrary, let us hear what
Jesus Christ says: "They honour me in vain, in teaching the commandments of men." (Matt 15:9). And, in another passage, "When you come to appear before me, who then demanded these things from you?" (Is. 1:12).
Secondly, In the second place, when we say that we rest on the sole mercy of God, but we imagine that we ourselves have paid for it, wholly or in part, is this not but to mock His mercy (Rom. 4:4)?
Thirdly, not to be content with the sole merit of Jesus Christ, but to wish to add others to it, is this not as if one were saying that Christ is not Jesus, that is to say, our Saviour, but only in part (Gal. 2:21,)?
Fourthly, is this not to strip God of His perfect righteousness (Rom. 3:26), and consequently of His Divinity (in the measure in which that is possible to us!) by daring to oppose to His wrath the works of men, against whom so much could be said, no matter how good they are (Luke 17:10)? David said,
"Enter not into judgement with thy servant." (Ps. 143:2).
Let us therefore learn to reply in a different manner to the aforesaid argument of Satan. You say, Satan, that God is perfectly righteous and the Avenger of all iniquity. — I confess it; but I add another property of His righteousness which you have left aside: since He is righteous, He is satisfied with having been paid once. You say next that I have infinite iniquities which deserve eternal death. — I confess it; but I add what you have maliciously omitted: the iniquities which are in me have been very amply avenged and punished in Jesus Christ who has borne the judgement of God in my place (Rom. 3:25; 1
Pet. 2:24). That is why I come to a conclusion quite different from yours.
Since God is righteous (Rom. 3:26) and does not demand payment twice, since Jesus Christ, God and man (2 Cor. 5:19), has satisfied by infinite obedience (Rom. 5:19; Phil 2:8) the infinite majesty of God (Rom. 8:33), it follows that my iniquities can no longer bring me to ruin (Col. 2:14); they are already blotted out and washed out of my account by the blood of Jesus
Christ who was made a curse for me (Gal. 3:13), and who righteous, died for the unrighteous (1 Pet. 2:24).
Thereupon, it is certain that Satan will know well to set our afflictions before our eyes, and especially death (Rom. 5:12). He will allege that these are so many testimonies showing that God has not pardoned our sins.
But, as for afflictions, we must reply, firstly: although all affliction and death entered into the world by sin, God does not always have regard to our sins when He afflicts us. We establish this from the whole history of Job and elsewhere (John 9:3; 1 Pet. 2:19; 3:14; James 1:2). But He has several other ends in view which tend to His glory and our profit, as we shall explain further on.
On the other side, when God afflicts His own for their sins, even if He comes to make them feel the pains of death (Job 13:15), He is not provoked to anger