Whatever we say of such stories, it is foundations-Christ still being the "head of very probable that Peter came to Rome and the corner." These references to the apostles suffered martyrdom. Though Papists make must allude to their work in founding her so much of it, Protestants have no reason churches,-the founders of the Christian to deny it. His being at Rome is a very Church are, in Oriental figure, its foundadifferent thing from his being bishop or tions. Now, Peter was the first to confess primate of the whole Church, and bequeath- Christ, and our Lord gave him the honour of ing supremacy and prerogative to his so- being the first to found the Church. First in called successors. The germs of truth seem confession, he was first in honour. On the to be in such old traditions of Peter's having day of Pentecost he laid the foundation of the visited Rome traditions beginning in the Jewish Christian Church; and though he was very age in which this apostle left the world. especially "the apostle of the circumcision,” Papias, Irenæus, Clement of Alexandria, yet he was selected to lay the foundation Tertullian, Caius, Origen, and Eusebius agree of the Gentile Christian Church in the house in the report that Peter was martyred at of Cornelius the Roman centurion. This apRome; and there is no counter-tradition. pears to be all that the words imply: they are Where an event that must soon have been so merely the description of a personal honour notorious as this martyrdom is so unanimously which was to be conferred on Peter-a reward attested, there is no reason to call its authen- for the priority of his confession. Such an ticity in question. In this last portion of interpretation does no violence to the Saviour's Peter's career was fulfilled the Lord's prophecy, language. Some suppose Jesus to have pointed John xxi. 18, 19. to himself as the Rock; others regard the sentiment of Peter's confession as the foundation of the Church. Such expositions are forced, and would perhaps have never been proposed but for the abuse of this passage which has been made by the Popish Church. Personal honour given to Peter was not official superiority over his colleagues. Such supremacy Peter never enjoyed. The notion of his being first bishop of Rome is a silly fallacy-the chair of St. Peter he never sat on; and this passage of Matthew, so interpreted as we have done, gives no countenance to the popish dogma. It neither speaks of a primacy, nor limits it to Rome, nor declares it transmissible only in a direct line of Italian primates. Yet, as the first herald of the Gospel after the ascension, Peter stands first in the evangelical catalogue as "the first, Simon, who is also called Peter." We find him also named in this way, "Peter standing up with the eleven" (Acts ii. 14); "Peter and the rest of the apostles" (Acts ii. 37). For more than 300 years no other interpretation than the one we have advanced was ever heard of or hinted at. All who knew or spoke Greek never doubted that Peter and the Rock are identified. Chrysostom, Gregory of Nyssa, and Pope Leo the First, started the other modes of exposition. Jerome admits that Peter, though a married man, was the Rock. Our Lord, when he changed the apostle's name, did not at the time assign the reason; but he afterwards did so on a memorable occasion. When Christ said to his apostles, "But whom say ye that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. xvi. 15, 16). Having made this prompt and full confession, he was congratulated by the following answer: --"And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (v. 17, 18). It seems clear that Jesus took occasion now to explain why he had changed Peter's name at the commencement of his apostleship. The English version cannot preserve the similarity of sound and of words which the Saviour employed; and if he spoke in Syro-Chaldaic, the resemblance would be closer even than it appears in the original Greek. Peter had confessed his Messiahship, and his Master says, Thou art Rock, and on the self-same Rock Í will build my Church; i. e., I called thee Rock -this confession proves thou hast been well named-I will build my Church on thee. The Saviour intended to confer an honour upon Peter, because of his confession. That honour is declared in these words, "on the self-same rock," or on him who had been surnamed Rock, would he build his Church. The confessor was to be honoured by being made in some sense a foundation of the church. Now, Christ himself is the one foundation-"the chief corner stone;" yet his apostles so far resemble him-"ye are built upon the foundations of the apostles and prophets" (Eph. ii. 20). There are human foundations lying themselves on the Divine basis. We read, too, in the Apocalypse, "And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb" (Rev. xxi. 14). Not only Peter, but all the apostles are The apostle's mind was saturated with Jewish thought; to him the old economy had not been supplanted, but it had passed over into the new and spiritual dispensation, having burst its national barriers. PETER, EPISTLES OF. They are called epistles general, because they were not addressed to any particular church or community of believers. They are supposed to have been written in a time of violent persecution, by which the converts were scattered abroad (1 Pet. i. 1; iv. 16-19). The date usually assigned to them is between A. D. 64 and 66. Babylon, from which the first of these epistles was written (1 Pet. v. 13), is supposed to be Babylon on the Euphrates, which, though in ruins, PET PET contained many thousand inhabitants, among | is quoted with a similar application in 1 Pet. whom were very many Jews. There is no reason ii. 8 and in Acts iv. 11. A peculiar mode of to believe that this Babylon is not intended; allusion to the death of crucifixion, and to its and in the absence of all evidence in favour of instrument of torture, the "tree," is found in any other place, it is safest to take the place Acts v. 30; x. 39; 1 Pet. ii. 24. The followwhich is most generally known and mentioned ing marked references to the Old Testament Both the epistles of Peter are found in the epistle :by that name. express the noble vehemence and fervour of nis spirit, his full knowledge of the genius and tendency of Christianity, and his strong assurance of the truth and certainty of all he taught. 1 Pet. i. 16, 24, 25,................. -ii. 9, .......... 17,........... 22, -iii. 6,........... -iv. 8, 18, Lev. xi. 64. ..Isa. xl. 6, &c. ........ Ps. xxxiv. 9. .Ps. cxviii. 16. ..Isa. xxviii. 16. .Ps. cxviii. 22. (Exod. xix 5, 6. Isa. xliii. 20, 21. Hos, ii. 23. Prov. xxiv. 21. ..Isa. liii. 4, 6,7,9. ..Gen. xviii. 12. ...Ps.xxxiv. 13, &c. ..Isa. viii. 12, &c. ...Gen. vi. 3, 12. .Prov. x. 12; xvii. 9. V. 5, ...................... -xi. 31. PETER, FIRST EPISTLE OF. The first epistle, which is the larger of the two, bears upon it the image of its author; for his soul seems to have stamped an impression of itself on every sentiment and action. The apostle bids the elect strangers reckon it no novelty if severe persecution were to fall upon them; patience under unmerited trial became them. The trial of faith issues in glory. The Saviour is a v. 34. ..Ps. iv. 23. pattern of suffering-even slaves are to bear wrong submissively. Husbands and wives are to cherish such love to each other as shall enable them to perform their respective duties. Peter has referred to the epistles of Paul in Elders are to watch over the flock with cheer- his own second letter (2 Pet. iii. 15); and many ful and affectionate superintendence; and the sections of his first epistle have a close resemwhole Christian community are to be charac-blance of thought and sentiment to numerous terized by humility. The tone and language paragraphs in the writings of his "beloved of the epistle point to a season of impending brother." Compare trial and danger. It is a warning to the faithful to anticipate such a critical period by a careful preparation. Peter is the apostle of hope. The elect strangers addressed by Peter lived in "Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia." These provinces are named in a circuit, just as one would describe them if he viewed them from Babylon. If Silas be the same with Sylvanus, then he, having travelled in those countries with Paul, might have brought such a report to Peter as, under the Spirit, induced the apostle to write this letter. Peter had not made a missionary tour in those countries himself; yet the letter sent by Silas, who was known to these churches would be readily received as an authentic document. It is undoubted that the elect strangers Some suppose that they were Christians. were Jews prior to their conversion. Yet such a theory cannot apply to all of them. It could not be said of Jews that they had in the past part of their lives been given to ": idolatries" (1 Pet. iv. 3). Yet so many Old Testament allusions, so many applications of its phraseology, so many thoughts clothed in its striking and impressive diction, could have been appropriate only to such as had possessed and believed in the ancient Jewish Scriptures. Perhaps not a few of the persons to whom Peter wrote had been Jewish proselytes from Gentilism before they embraced Christianity. 7,........... 1 Pet. i. 3, 20,....... -ii. 13,.... -iii. 3, 4,. .v. 1........... 14, ..Eph. i. 3. .1 Tim. ii. 9. ..Eph. i. 20, &c. Rom. xii. 6, ka viii. 18. 8............................................1 Thess. v. & .....1 Cor. xvi. 20; Rom. xvi. 16; 1 Thess. v. 26. Peter wrote to "strangers scattered;" and James wrote to "the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad." Some similarity of thought may therefore be anticipated, as we perceive in cliffs above the Arabah is estimated at about 2,000 feet. The elevation of the Wady Musa, above the same, is about 2,200 feet; and the limestone ridges farther back may not be less than 3,000 feet. The entire breadth of the mountain range between the Arabah and the Eastern Desert is about 20 or 25 miles. The whole aspect of this region is less barren than the mountains in the west; and many tracts of country embraced in it are so abundant in fertility as to afford striking illustration of the fulfilment of the promise made to Esau, "Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above." It is in the Wady Musa, in this mount Seir, where the ruins of ancient Petra are now seen. The length of the valley in which the city lies measures from north to south nearly a mile. Its average breadth is about half a mile. On the east and west it is skirted by precipitous rocks, rising to the height of from 200 to 1,000 feet; but on the north and south they are much lower, and afford, through ravines between them, two entrances to the city. The ancient and principal entrance, however, was from the east, by the Wady es Sik. This is a deep and narrow defile of more than a mile long, shut in on either side by lofty perpendicular rocks, and coursed by a pretty rivulet which runs westward through the city. At the entrance of the valley the cliffs are between 40 and 50 feet high, with a space between them of about 50 yards; but farther on it contracts, and the cliffs become much higher, presenting on each side multitudes of tombs hewn out of the rock. Onwards towards the mouth of the valley, a splendid arch is thrown across from one cliff to another, below which the width of the passage is not more than 12 feet, and the height of the adjacent rocks measures nearly 300 feet. The bottom of this passage was anciently paved with square stones, some of which still remain; and the whole valley forms a wonderful scene of wild and striking sublimity. Passing westward in a winding direction through this dark and rugged defile, the path opens into a broader PETRA-rock; also called SELA (Isa. xvi. 1), and JOKTHEEL-God-subdued (2 Ki. xiv. 7)-the capital of Idumea, and one of the most remarkable cities of the ancient world. It was situated near the base of mount Hor, about three days' journey from Jericho, and the same distance from mount Sinai. The mountains in the midst of which it lay hidden rise up from the eastern border of the Arabah, the deep valley extending from the Dead Sea to the gulf of Akabah. Immediately above this valley an outskirt of low hills of limestone forms the basis of the mountain range. Above these are elevated masses of dark porphyry, with high pointed cliffs, constituting the body of the mountains. Higher than these last are irregular ridges of sandstone; and farther and loftier than all, lie long elevated ridges of limestone, to the east of which stretches the plateau of valley running farther north, where all at once, the Great Desert. The height of the porphyry on the western precipice, the splendid façade This of the Khasneh bursts on the view. gorgeous work of art is hewn out of the face of the rock; and with its noble Corinthian pillars and magnificent entablature forms the most wonderful and beautiful object in the whole of this scene of wonders. The interior of the structure, however, is plain and without ornament. It consists of one lofty room and several small chambers, rendering it probable that it was originally intended for a temple. Beyond this, in a bend of the Wady which turns to the north, is situated the theatre. It is cut out of the solid rock, of a semicircular form, and capable of containing between 3,000 and 4,000 persons. All around its lofty walls the cliffs are full of tombs; while in front, on the opposite side of the valley, the eye rests on a multitude of large sepulchres: so that, while a taste for the frivolities of life was indulged by the strange people who dwelt here of old ---the inhabitants of the rock-they were constantly admonished of the solemn realities of death. Advancing to the north-east, the city itself opens fully to the view. It occupies an area in the bosom of the mountains of more than a mile in circuit, but increased considerably in extent by the numerous branch valleys 516 which form recesses on all sides. The principal public buildings seem to have occupied the banks of the rivulet. Not far from the centre of the valley are seen the remains of what appears to have been a triumphal arch, Ruins of a Triumphal Arch. under which are three passages and a number of pedestals and columns. A little to the west of this stands a sumptuous edifice, called "Pharaoh's House," an imposing ruin of nearly 34 paces square. Not far to the east is situated 1 scattered around. Near to this, and indeed over the whole area, other piles of ruins, columns, and parts of columns, intermingled with blocks of hewn stone, lie strewn on the ground. A large space on the north side of the brook is covered with relics of what were probably private habitations; and their whole appearance indicates the magnificence of the ancient city, as well as the power exerted in its entire overthrow. The most remarkable ruin, next to the Khasneh, is the Deir. This splendid excavation is situate high up among the topmost crags of the mountain, nearly on a level with the summit of mount Hor, and is approached by a narrow rugged ravine at the west side of the open valley. It is cut out of the perpendicular face of the cliff, which flanks it on both sides; and though inferior to the Khasneh in chasteness and symmetry, it is yet an astonishing work of ancient art. Its length across the front is 152 feet, its height being equal to this measure; and its lower columns, as they spring from the wall, are about 12 feet in semi-circumference. There is within, one excavated chamber; and, like the Khasneh, the Deir appears to have been used as a temple when Edom had its gods. The most remarkable spectacle, however, in this extraordinary spot are the numerous excavations hewn out of the rock in front of the surrounding mountains. Whether these were formed for temples or human dwellings, or, as is most probable, for tombs of the dead, they cannot but surprise every observer by their number, and the incredible labour with which they must have been constructed. Besides occupying the entire face of the mountains by which the city is encompassed, they cover the whole front of the precipitous rocks in the ravines which branch out on every side. They are often seen rising one above another on the side of the surrounding cliffs; and steps cut out of the rock, now much worn by time, lead in all directions to these mysterious receptacles, some of which are not less than 400 feet above the valley. Many of these excavations consist of a single chamber of 10 or 20 feet in height, Entrance to a rock-hewn Tomb. humble unadorned holes in the rock, but a vast number are enriched with various ornaments, designed according to the taste or wealth of those who formed them. The whole face of the mountain has thus the appearance of a splendid pile of architecture, consisting of graceful columns, well-designed pediments, and rich entablatures, almost rivalling in skill the works of Grecian art. A most striking and almost magical effect is given to these wonderful excavations by the great variety of colours in the sandstone rock in which they are formed. Many of them are thus adorned with the most lovely and brilliant hues. Red, purple, black, white, deep azure, and bright yellow, are blended together so as to form the most charming and brilliant colouring-as brilliant as is observed in the colouring of flowers, or when the sky is illumined with a glorious sunset. The splendour of these works of art, with their tall columns and graceful corridors glowing in the beams of an Eastern sun, is a scene of beauty and grandeur to which no description can do adequate justice, and on which every traveller of observation and taste dwells with rapture and amazement, and receives from it "impressions which will be effaced only at death." For more than 1,000 years this city remained unknown and unvisited, till Burckhardt discovered it in 1812. It was afterwards visited, with some difficulty, by Messrs. Legh, Bankes, Captains Irby and Mangles, as well as by M. Linant and M. Laborde, from whose magnificent work the cuts illustrating this article are taken. Robinson, Olin, Stephens, Lord Lindsay, Wilson, Kinnear, Roberts, Stanley, Finn, and hosts of other travellers, have also visited this remarkable place-one of the strangest and grandest spectacles of the East. Such now is the once renowned Sela, the city of the rock. Petra appears to have been coeval with the first rise of commerce in the East; and there is reason to conclude that it was a flourishing emporium of merchandise long before the dawn of the Christian era. It |