He Never Lacks an Apple for an Eve

It is ten thousand times a greater judgment and

affliction--to be given to a fretful spirit, a froward

spirit, a muttering spirit under an affliction--than

it is to be afflicted. This is both the devil's sin, and

the devil's punishment. God is still afflicting, crossing

and vexing him; and he is still a-fretting, repining,

vexing, and rising up against God. No sin like the

devil's sin; no punishment like the devil's punishment.

A man were better to have all the afflictions of all the

afflicted throughout the world at once upon him--than

to be given up to a froward spirit--to a muttering,

murmuring heart under the least affliction. When you

see a soul fretting, vexing, and stamping under the

mighty hand of God, you see one of Satan's first-born,

one who resembles him to the life. No child can be so

much like the father, as this froward soul is like to the

father of lies.

Though he has been in chains almost this six thousand

years, yet he has never lain still one day, nor one night,

no, nor one hour in all this time--but is still a-fretting,

vexing, tossing and tumbling in his chains--like a

princely bedlam.

He is a lion--not a lamb;

a roaring lion--not a sleepy lion;

not a lion standing still--but a lion going up and down.

He is not satisfied with the prey he has already gotten--

but is restless in his designs to fill hell with souls.

He never lacks . . .

an apple for an Eve,

nor a grape for a Noah,

nor a change of clothing for a Gehazi,

nor a wedge of gold for an Achan,

nor a crown for an Absalom,

nor a bag of silver for a Judas,

nor a world for a Demas!

If you look into one company, there you shall find

Satan dishing out his meat to every palate. If you

look into another company, there you shall find him

fitting a lace to every shoe. If you look into a third

company, there you shall find him suiting a garment

to every back. He is under wrath, and cannot but be

restless. Here, with Jael, he allures poor souls in with

milk--and murders them with a nail! There, with Joab,

he embraces with one hand--and stabs with another!

Here with Judas, he kisses--and betrays! And there,

with the whore of Babylon, he presents a golden

cup--with poison in it! He cannot be quiet, though his

chains be always on!

And the more unquiet any are under the rebukes of

God, the more they resemble Satan--whose whole life

is filled up with vexing and fretting against the Lord.

Let not any think, says Luther, that the devil is now

dead, nor yet asleep; for as he who keeps Israel, so

he who hates Israel, neither slumbers nor sleeps!