صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

ing seeds in his heart, which will one day spring up and bear bitter fruit. It is a homely saying, that "if men take care of the pence the pounds will take care of themselves." We may borrow a good spiritual lesson from the saying. The Christian who keeps his heart diligently in little things shall be kept from great falls. The story of Peter's fall teaches us, secondly, how very far a believer may backslide.

In order to see this lesson clearly, the whole circumstances of Peter's case ought to be fully weighed. He was a chosen apostle of Christ. He had enjoyed greater spiritual privileges than most men in the world. He had just received the Lord's supper. He had just heard that wonderful discourse recorded in the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth chapters of St. John. He had been most plainly warned of his own danger. He had protested most loudly that he was ready for anything that might come upon him. And yet this very man denies his gracious Master, and that repeatedly and after intervals giving him space for reflection. He denies Him once,

twice, and three times!

The best and highest saint is a poor weak creature, even at his best times. Whether he knows it or not, he carries within him an almost boundless capacity of wickedness, however fair and decent his outward conduct may seem. There is no enormity of sin into which he may not run, if he does not watch and pray, and if the grace of God does not hold him up. When we read the falls of Noah, Lot, and Peter, we only read what might possibly befall any of ourselves. Let us never presume. Let us never indulge in high thoughts about our own

strength, or look down upon others. Whatever else we pray for, let us daily pray that we may "walk humbly with God." (Micah vi. 8.)

The story of Peter's fall teaches us, thirdly, the infinite mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is a lesson which is brought out most forcibly by a fact which is only recorded in St. Luke's Gospel. We are told that when Peter denied Christ the third time, and the cock crew, "the Lord turned and looked upon Peter." Those words are deeply touching! Surrounded by bloodthirsty and insulting enemies, in the full prospect of horrible outrages, an unjust trial, and a painful death, the Lord Jesus yet found time to think kindly of His poor erring disciple. Even then He would have Peter know, He did not forget him. Sorrowfully no doubt, but not angrily,—He "turned and looked upon Peter." There was deep meaning in that look. It was a sermon which Peter never forgot. The love of Christ towards His people, is a deep well which has no bottom. Let us never measure it by comparison with any kind of love of man or woman. exceeds all other love, as far as the sun exceeds the rushlight. There is about it a mine of compassion, and patience, and readiness to forgive sin, of whose riches we have but a faint conception. Let us not be afraid to trust that love, when we first feel our sins. Let us never be afraid to go on trusting it after we have once believed. No man need despair, however far he may have fallen, if he will only repent and turn to Christ. If the heart of Jesus was so gracious when He was a prisoner in the judgment hall, we surely need not think it is less gracious, when He sits in glory at the right hand of God.

It

The story of Peter's fall teaches us, lastly, how bitter sin is to believers, when they have fallen into it and discovered their fall. This is a lesson which stands out plainly on the face of the verses before us. We are told that when Peter remembered the warning he had received, and saw how far he had fallen, "he went out and wept bitterly." He found out by experience the truth of Jeremiah's words, "It is an evil thing and a bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord." (Jer. ii. 17.) He felt keenly the truth of Solomon's saying, "The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways." (Prov. xiv. 14.) No doubt he could have said with Job, "I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." (Job xlii. 6.)

Sorrow like this, let us always remember, is an inseparable companion of true repentance. Here lies the grand distinction between "repentance unto salvation," and unavailing remorse. Remorse can make a man miserable, like Judas Iscariot, but it can do no more. It does not lead him to God.-Repentance makes a man's heart soft and his conscience tender, and shows itself in real turning to a Father in heaven. The falls of a graceless professor are falls from which there is no rising again. But the fall of a true saint always ends in deep contrition, self-abasement, and amendment of life.

Let us take heed, ere we leave this passage, that we always make a right use of Peter's fall. Let us never make it an excuse for sin. Let us learn from his sad experience, to watch and pray, lest we fall into temptation. If we do fall, let us believe that there is hope for us as there was for him. But above all, let us remember, that

if we fall as Peter fell, we must repent as Peter repented, or else we shall never be saved.

NOTES. LUKE XXII. 54—62.

55.-[Kindled a fire.] It must be remembered, that although the climate of Palestine is generally very warm, the nights about the Passover season, according to the testimony of all travellers, are intensely cold

[The hall.] The Greek word so rendered is more frequently translated "palace." Parkhurst thinks that here it means, “an open court inclosed by buildings,—a court-yard exposed to the open air." In Rev. xi. 2, it is translated "court," and can there bear no other sense.

[Sat down among them.] Let it be noted, that the Greek expression rendered "among" them, is the very same that in the former part of the verse is translated, "in the midst."

56.-[Sat by the fire.] It is a curious fact, that the Geek word here rendered, "fire," is a totally different word from the one rendered, "fire," in the preceding verse. Here it means literally, "the light." The word is found sixty-nine times in the New Testament, and in sixty-seven places is translated "light." The two exceptions when it is rendered "fire," are the passage before us, and the parallel passage in St. Mark, describing the same transaction. (Mark xiv. 54.)

It is evident that the word was used intentionally by St. Luke, in order to show us, that it was "by the light of the fire" that Peter was recognized and charged with being a disciple. Had he kept in the background, and been content with a darker position, he might have escaped notice.

59.-[He is a Galilæan.] It is clear from this expression that Peter had been talking and conversing with those among whom he was sitting. Had he been content to say nothing, and await silently the result of his Master's trial, he might even now have escaped detection.

61.—[Looked upon Peter.] Parkhurst says, that the Greek word rendered "looked," signifies, "to look with stedfastness and attention."

Some have thought it strange that our Lord Jesus Christ should have been in a position where He could see Peter, and Peter could see Him, and also that He could hear Peter denying Him.

It is not at all necessary to reply to this, that our Lord had a miraculous knowledge of what Peter was saying, or that he was passing through the court-yard, or hall, where Peter was, at the time of the third denial and the cock-crowing.

It is most probable that our Lord was either in the same hall with Peter, or in a room opening out of it. There is no improbability in supposing that He was within sight and hearing of the apostle. Above all it must be remembered that the vehemence of Peter's third denial, when he even cursed and swore, would most likely make him speak so loud that he might be easily heard at some distance. The crowing of the cock of course would be heard much further even than Peter's voice.

Augustine, Stella, and others, go so far as to regard the whole transaction as an inward and spiritual one,—a turning of the Lord's heart towards Peter, and a gracious looking of the Lord's mind towards him. They consider that our Lord was not in the same room with Peter, and could not literally look at him. But this view seems most unsatisfactory. It is not the natural meaning of the words before us, and there is really no necessity for it in the nature of the event described.

LUKE XXII. 63-71.

63 And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him.

64 And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophecy, who is it that smote thee?

65 And many other things blasphemously spake they against him.

66 And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the Chief Priests and the Scribes came together, and led him into the council, saying,

67 Art thou the Christ? tell us.

And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:

68 And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.

69 Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.

70 Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am.

71 And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.

WE should notice, firstly, in these verses the shameful treatment that our Lord Jesus Christ underwent at the hands of His enemies. We read that the men who held Him, "mocked" Him, "smote" Him, "blindfolded" Him, and "struck him on the face." It was not enough to have taken prisoner a person of most blameless and charitable life. They must needs add insult to injury.

Conduct like this shows the desperate corruption of human nature. The excesses of savage malice to which

« السابقةمتابعة »