If I am proud in my spirit, and lose the place o humility before God, and some lust breaks out; God may use this particular failure, and even continuance of it, to get at and chasten me for this root of pride, or of self will, which seemed to have no connection with it. So it was with Peter; only in his case there was no continuance in the sin. Peter had confidence in himself, and this led to his fall. The Lord, in his grace, had provided for it beforehand; so He looks upon Peter, and breaks his heart. After this, He does not say one word about the particular failure; but He does deal with Peter in the closest way to bring out this confidence in himself. " Simon, son of Jonas," He says, "lovest thou Me more than these?" A second and a third time He says, "lovest thou Me?" So that at last Peter had to take refuge in the Lord's-omniscience. He who knew all things could see the love which was in Peter's heart, though it might be no one else could.
The soul that knows and owns its wretchedness, and makes no pretension to any claim, yet brings its misery before a God of goodness, is a soul that Jesus can never refuse to comfort. He may be repelled by the claims of a false and pretended righteousness; but He cannot hide Himself from the misery that seeks His aid, and has no plea nor appeal except in mercy's ear. For mercy dwells, as in its proper fountain, in the heart of God; and Jesus is both the expression of that mercy, and the channel through which it flows.
Did you ever notice Paul's rare and beautiful humility? As a sinner, he calls himself the chief; among saints, as less than the least; as an apostle, not worthy of the name.