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النشر الإلكتروني

THE

CHRISTIAN MAGAZINE.

VOL. II.

SERMON.

APRIL, 1825.

JOHN, XXI. 17.—And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.

The third time that Christ appeared to his disciples after his crucifixion, he dined with them; and after they had dined and were sitting together in free and familiar conversation, Christ turned to Peter and addressed him in this free and affectionate manner: "Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord: thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith unto him again the second time, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord: thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, lovest thou me. And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee." Peter plainly perceived by Christ's putting the

No. 4.

It

question the third time, that he had reference to his denying him thrice, which cut him to the heart. It is now natural to inquire, how Peter could sincerely make such a solemn profession of love to Christ? Christ repeatedly asked him whether he loved him, and Peter as often replied, without hesitation or reserve, in the affirmative, and appealed to him as the Searcher of hearts, for the truth of his declaration-" Yea, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee." seems, that Peter must have had some solid foundation, upon which to make such a solemn profession of supreme love to Christ, whom he had so lately forsaken and profanely denied before his mortal enemies. He had given great occasion not only to Christ, but to his fellow disciples, to call his sincerity in question. He had been almost as guilty in denying Christ, as Judas had been in betraying him. How then could he obtain clear and satisfactory evidence to himself that he loved Christ sincerely and supremely?

To answer this question is the main design of the present discourse. Here then I would observe,

I. Peter had true love to Christ. When he called him to be his disciple, he instantaneously and cheerfully obeyed his call. And while he attended Christ in the course of his ministry, he frequently expressed a supreme love to him.

When some of Christ's nominal disciples disapproved his doctrines and forsook him, Peter remained firm and unshaken in his attachments to his person and doctrines. It is said, "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter anwered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.-And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God," By this profession, Peter manifested his sincere love to Christ, and his firm trust and confidence in him as the only and all-sufficient Savior. And so he did on another occasion, when Christ questioned his disciples respecting their faith. "When Jesus came into the coasts of Cesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say, that I the Son of man, am? And they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist; some say Elias; and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And

Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God. And Jesus anwered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." Here Christ not only approves of Peter's faith in speculation, but represents it as flowing from a special divine illumination, which stamps his character as a true believer. And this appears to have been his real character, from another declaration of his, connected with Christ's promise to him. When the disciples heard the remark which Christ made upon the rich young man, who had left him sorrowful," they were exceedingly amazed, saying Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Thus Christ repeatedly pronounced Peter to be a friend to truth and an heir of glory, which puts it beyond doubt, that he loved him supremely. Besides, Christ treated Peter with peculiar respect. Whenever he selected any of his

disciples to attend him on particular occasions, Peter was always one of the number. Peter, James and John attended him on the mount of transfiguration, and in his agonies in the garden. Christ loved Peter and Peter loved Christ, with a sincere and ardent affection. He was willing to part with all things for Christ, and even to lay down his life for him. This he manifested at the trying time, when his enemies came to apprehend him. He smote off the ear of the high priest's servant; and had not Christ restrained him, he would undoubtedly have persisted in his defence, until he had either dispersed his enemies, or fallen by their hands. Thus it appears that Peter did really love Christ sincerely and supremely. This leads me to observe,

H. That Peter's love to Christ was essentially different from all the selfish affections of his heart. True love to Christ is disinterested and supreme, and consequently distinct from, and opposite to, every unholy and selfish exercise of the true believer. This Christ taught at different times and in different forms. He said, "no man can serve God and Mammon." "He said no man can be his disciple, unless he loves him more than father or mother, brother or sister wife or children, houses or lands, or even his own life." And he applied this doctrine practically. When a very amiable young man came to him, to know what he must do to inherit eternal life, he

taught him to exercise pure disinterested love.

Such an affection

as this is entirely different from any unholy, selfish affection. Peter's supreme love to Christ was totally distinct and different from any unholy, selfish affection. By nature he was like all other men by nature, totally depraved and under the entire dominion of selfishness. Whenever it was that he became a friend to Christ, his affections were changed from what they were in the state of nature.His gracious affections never harmonized with his sinful ones, but created a sensible warfare in his own breast, by which he could distinguish them from each other. The moral discernment which he had as a moral agent, enabled him to perceive the moral difference between his sincere and supreme love to Christ, and all the other exercises of his mind. When Christ was in view, and his mind was fixed on his person and character, he could sensibly feel those affections towards him, which he never felt towards any other person or object. When he was conversing with him, he could enjoy a pleasure and satisfaction, which was different from, and superior to, all other enjoyments. He could sensibly prefer him before all created objects. He could feel a willingness to deny himself of any thing and every thing, to promote his cause and interest in the world. He could be conscious that he was him, or for

willing to die with him. In a word, se

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often as he loved Christ supremely he could distinguish his love to him from all other feelings and exercises of his heart. On supposition, that he did actually love Christ supremely, we may easily conceive of his plainly distinguishing his holy, from his unholy affections. When many of Christ's disciples went back and followed him no more, and when he put the trying question to the twelve, "Will ye also go away?" Then Peter's love to him was put to the severest test, and found sincere. "Simon Peter then answered, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.And we believe, and are sure, that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." At that time Peter could, and undoubtedly did, distinguish his love to Christ from every unholy, selfish affection that had ever existed in his heart. And therefore,

III. When he had distinguished his supreme love to Christ from all his sinful affections, he knew that his sinful affections did not prove that he had not the true love of Christ in him. Our Savior never taught, that none could love him sincerely and supremely, unless they were absolutely free from all the remains of moral corruption. Nor is it a doctrine of the gospel that sinful affections are a conclusive evidence, that a person never loved Christ in sincerity. Though Peter found, by unhappy experience, that he was far from being free from the bondage of sin, and

had frequently offended his Savior, yet he knew, that this did not prove he had never given him the supreme place in his heart.-He knew, that Christ had repeatedly reproved him, and especially by his significant look, after he had denied him thrice. But yet he was conscious, that notwithstanding all his remaining, moral imperfection, Christ was the supreme object of his affection. Hence he knew that his moral imperfection did not destroy the evidence of his being a sincere friend to Christ. If the least moral imperfection could destroy the hope of a saint, it would be difficult to find a real saint in the Bible. For the best of men, whose characters are there recorded, manifested and lamented their moral imperfection and the native contrariety of their hearts to God. Paul says, " Ơ wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" And the apostle John says in the name of all christians, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Peter, as well as Paul, had a right to consider himself a sincere friend and follower of Christ, notwithstanding his moral imperfection. Besides,

IV. Peter's supreme love to Christ was a positive evidence of his being his real friend, and destroyed all other evidence against it. Sinful affections are an evidence of men's being enemies to Christ. And under certain circumstances they are an infalli

en reflected upon his ingratitude
and baseness in denying Christ.
He had wept bitterly for it. And
the more he saw and conversed
with Christ, the more tender,
humble, and affectionate he felt
towards him.
fore, naturally
answered his

We may, theresuppose, that he question from the

fulness of his heart, and an immediate consciousness of a supreme love to his person and cause. And on this ground, he had a right to make the solemn profession in the text; for such sensible exercises of supreme love to Christ, totally destroyed the evidence of his being a hypocrite or false professor, arising from his forsaking and denying him. In the actual and sensible exercises of supreme love to Christ, he could, with propriety and confidence, appeal to Christ and say, "Lord thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee."

ble evidence of it. Thus the sinful affections of all unrenewed persons are infallible evidence, that they love not the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. And indeed sinful affections are always an evidence, that men are in the state of nature; unless this evidence is destroyed by the opposite evidence of supreme love to Christ. But whenever supreme love to Christ takes place in the heart, and is discovered; then it totally destroys the evidence of a graceless state, arising from sinful exercises. According to scripture, one exercise of real holiness or supreme love to Christ, constitutes a real saint. And when any person is conscious, that he has such a holy affection, he has the witness in himself, that he has the spirit of Christ and is one of his. This evidence Peter had in his favor. He had loved Christ supremely and knew that he had loved him supremely; of course, he knew that Christ knew that he was his real friend. On this ground he could humbly and confidently say, "Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee." It is very likely that Peter was in the most sensible exercise of sincere love to Christ, when he put and repeated the question, "Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me?" For he was sitting with Christ and his disciples while they were freely and pleasingly conversing about the great and glorious things of moral imperfections, he knew Christ's kingdom. Peter had oft- that he was a subject of grace

This subject now suggests several useful reflections.

I. It appears from the character and conduct of Peter, that all real christians may have satisfactory evidence that they are so. Peter was a real christian, for he loved Christ sincerely and supremely, and he knew that he loved him so, which gave him satisfactory evidence of his being in the state of grace and favor with Christ. Peter had not already attained, neither was he already perfect; but with all his

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