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If we confider with any degree of attention, the manner in which Peter was called to the miniftry, the extraordinary truft and confidence placed in him by his divine mafter, the affection which he conftantly expreffed for him, we must acknowledge that he was in reality the laft of our Lord's difciples from whom he had reafon to expect that ungenerous treatment, which he afterwards received from him.

The first connection between Peter and our bleffed Saviour, was occafioned by a circumftance of fo fingular a nature, as must doubtlefs have left the ftrongeft impreflion on him, fuch a one we should indeed imagine as could never have been effaced. The miraculous

draught of fifties had, we know, so powerful an effect on the mind of Peter, that after confeffing on his knees that he was a finful man, he was immediately converted, quitted his profeffion, attached himself intirely to Jefus, forfook all, and followed him; our Saviour, in confequence of this behaviour, rewarded his firm adherence, by taking every opportunity of distinguishing him.

When the twelve were felected by him, and called forth from the number of his followers, to preach his gospel to all nations, we fee the name of Simon, whom he firnamed Peter, ftanding foremost in the lift; when Jefus went up into the mountain to be transfigured, he was accompanied only by Peter, and two others, who were taken, as Scripture informs us, apart by themselves, an inftance, no doubt, of his partial regard and affection for them, which

fhould

fhould never have been forgotten. Peter was probably at that time not infenfible of the obligations which he had received, and made, we may fuppofe, the strongest resolutions of doing every thing in his power to return them. But fuch is the weaknefs of the human heart, that it is never to be relied, or depended on; there was a pride and inconftancy, and a timi- . dity and pronenefs to evil in the temper and difpofition of Peter, which though he was himfelf a stranger to, did not efcape the all-feeing eye of his divine Mafter: he had fo high an opinion, as we read in St. Mark, of his own abilities, that he even took upon him to teach and reprove his great inftructor: when our Saviour taught his doctrine openly, Peter took him and rebuked him: but he, when he had turned about and looked on his difciples, in his turn, and with much more reafon, rebuked Peter, faying, Get thee behind me, Satan, for thou favoureft not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

The feverity of this reflection could only be equalled by the juftice and propriety of it: he to whom all hearts were open, and all defires known, was no stranger to thofe peculiar weakneffes and imperfections, which his difciple was moft fubject to: the reproof, it is obfervable, at the fame time that it condemned his prefent behaviour, was prophetic alfo of his future conduct; the fame caufe was naturally productive of the fame effect: Peter favoured of the things that were of men. We are not therefore fo much fuprifed to find, that he who rebuked

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buked his master for preaching openly, fhould in the end deny and desert him.

So great a regard, notwithstanding, had our bleffed Saviour for this apoftle, and at the fame time fo perfect a knowledge of his nature and difpofition, that we find him on another occafion feverely reprehending him for a vice, which perhaps he did not imagine himself guilty of. When Peter said unto Jefus, We have left all and followed thee; Jefus turned to him and faid, Simon, Simon, Satan has defired to have you. The inftant that Peter began to boast of his friendship, our Saviour feems to have fufpected the integrity of it: when once pride enters into the heart of man, every virtue shrinks and diminishes at the approach of it; and the moment we begin to value ourselves on the performance of our duty, it ceafes to be meritorious.

The truth of our Saviour's remark was but too exactly verified in the behaviour of Peter; for when the day of trial came, this confident and opinionated fervant makes the strongest profeffions of friendship and attachment to his injured and oppreffed mafter: Though all men, fays he, fhall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Then Jefus, who knew him much better than he did himself, replied, Ve rily, I fay unto thee, that this night before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice; and Peter faid unto him, Though I fhould die with thee, yet will I not deny thee How faithfully he kept his word, and how religiously he fulfilled his promife we are not now to learn; for when our

bleffed

bleffed Saviour was given up to his enemies, betrayed, infulted, buffeted, and fpit on, this zealous defender was ashamed even to be seen with him; he followed afar off, difclaimed even the least knowledge of, or acquaintance with him: A damfel came to him, faying, thou alfo was with Jefus of Galilee; but he denied bes fore them all, faying, I know not what thou Sayeft: and when he was gone out into the porch, another maid faw him, and faid unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jefus of Nazareth; and again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. How natural. ly, though imperceptibly, doth one vice produce another! Peter, not content with having already denied his mafter, now adds perjury to falfehood, and to ftrengthen his affertion, impiously swears that he knew not the man; this, we cannot help obferving, is generally the confequence of lying; thofe who habituate themselves to the practice of one of thefe vices, are feldom very careful of avoiding the other. But, behold! whilft he was pouring forth his execrations, the cock crew.

The voice of thunder founding in his ears, could not have struck fo forcibly on his imagination, as this little circumftance, which at once reminded him of his falfehood, upbraided his breach of promife, and fet the whole of his bafe and inexcufable conduct, full before him: he was detected, aftonished, abashed, and confounded, and he remembered the words of Jefus, which faid unto him, Before the cock. Kk 2

crow;

crow, thou shalt deny me thrice: and he went out, and wept bitterly.

Having thus traced the lineaments of Peter's character, and illuftrated the caufes of his behaviour, permit me in the remainder of this difcourfe, to make a few reflections naturally arifing from a view of his conduct, which may perhaps be of fome service to us with regard

to our own.

And firft then, From the example of Peter, we may learn that there is no dependance to be placed on human friendships; no reliance on human virtue; but that man is weak and unftable in all his ways. There is no doubt but that Peter had contracted a real tenderness and affection for our Saviour; but it is equally indifputable, that he had by no means all that friendfhip and regard which he profeffed to have. We are indeed, for the most part, fuch flaves to our paffions, that we feldom know to what degree we love or hate, till accident and circumitance give us the opportunity of proving it, and then we generally, when perhaps it is too late, difcover the weakness of our nature, and learn by experience what strangers we are to our own hearts. When Peter faid he would go with our Saviour to prifon and to death, he very probably at that time intended fo to do; when danger is at a distance, it seems, like other objects, fmaller and more inconfiderable than it really is, and is confequently with the greater eafe fet at defiance, but in proportion as it advances, is magnified and increafed. When Jefus was purfued, perfecut

ed,

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