Let us do what we can to heal the wounds and repair the injuries of others, whatever may be their feelings or conduct toward us. Let us render to no man evil for evil; but let us love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them that despitefully use us, and persecute us. From this miracle we may also reason thus, If Christ performed so wonderful and so gracious a work of healing on the body in the depth of his humiliation, he is thereby proved to be both able and willing to heal, that is, to save, the soul, now that he is exalted. He is the skilful, powerful, and compassionate Physician of souls. We need his aid; let us seek it. When we remember how he acted to Malchus, no unworthiness of ours should prevent us from applying. Let us go to him, and we shall find that he will fulfil in us his gracious character, "I am the Lord that healeth thee." Our Lord's enemies persevered in their design against him; accordingly, he expostulated with them, as in the two last verses of the passage before us: "Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, who were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness." It was absurd and insulting in them to proceed against him as if he had been the leader of a gang of robbers, prepared to make a desperate resistance, and only to be overcome by soldiers and officers, by great force, and as if he had been bent on making his escape. Instead of this, he was the peaceful Teacher of a few humble disciples, and ready to yield himself up. He had lately given abundant evidence, too, that he harboured no unlawful designs, and was not afraid to show himself; for, conscious of his innocence, he had taught in the temple for several successive days, during which his enemies had made no attempt to seize him. No doubt, his safety was secured hitherto, because his hour was not come. Now, however, it was come-now the time had arrived when he was to be seized and crucified. This was their hour-the hour in which his enemies were to prevail against him. And this " I was the power of darkness"-the season in which Satan, "the ruler of the darkness of this world,"* was to be permitted to execute his malicious design against Christ, and to "bruise his heel." In express* Eph. vi. 12. See also 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4; Col. i. 1 . ing himself thus, our Lord intimated his submission to his enemies. It was, however, but for an hour, for a short and limited period, that his enemies were to have power over him. The darkness of his sorrows was soon to pass away, and to be succeeded by the endless triumphs of his finished atonement. "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come, glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee." It is still, at times, the enemies' hour, and the power of darkness, with the Church, and with individual believers; but it is cheering to think that it is but an hour, a short period, and that the shadow of death will be soon turned into the morning. Thus Jesus was seized, and led away a prisoner. Let us conclude, at present, with noticing the circumstance which is stated in Matt. xxvi. 56, and which comes in exactly at this part of Christ's history: "Then all the disciples forsook him and fled." He had already said, "All ye shall be offended because of me this night; for it is written, I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad." The disciples believed themselves incapable of such conduct, and strongly asserted their determination rather to die than to deny or desert him. Yet now, when they saw him bound and led away, they were all seized with a panic, and fled for safety. It was selfish and unkind to desert their Master at this awful juncture. It was also very wrong, and unnecessarily precipitate, as Jesus had stipulated for their safety, and appears to have intended to give them an honourable dismissal for the time. They did not wait for this, but they deserted their post, and ran off. What is man? How weak and unworthy is he at the best! Let us hence learn not to rest our happiness on men, however dear and excellent, but to rely on the faithfulness of God, "At my first answer," says Paul," no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me." Let us, also, guard against such inconstancy to any of our fellow-creatures. "A man that hath friends must show himself friendly; and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." Especially, let us guard against such weakness and inconstancy in reference to our Saviour. Let it not be said of us that, when the time of the trial of our principles and courage came, we forsook him and fled. They who forsake him, "forsake their own mercy." When the Christian considers the profession he makes, and the dignity of the character he sustains, he should be ready to say, with Nehemiah, "Should such a man as I flee?" Let us not forsake our Lord by unworthy conduct in company. Let us not forsake him by outwardly forsaking his ordinances, or his people, or his cause, or by inwardly withdrawing our hearts and our confidence from him. Let us not cast away our confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For we have need of patience, that, after we have done the will of God, we may receive the promise. Let us, instead of forsaking him, forsake all and follow him. And while we are watchful over ourselves, let us look to the Lord for grace to keep us stedfast, saying, Let thy hand be upon us, O God, and make us strong for thyself. So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine on us, and we shall be saved. LECTURE CXXII. LUKE XXII. 54–62. "Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off. 55. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. 56. But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. 57. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. 58. And, after a little while, another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. 59. And about the space of one hour after, another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilean. 60. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. 61. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 62. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly." THE Holy Scriptures abound with examples both of what we are to do, and of what we are to avoid; those of the former class being like marks to show the spiritual mariner the course he should steer, and those of the latter like beacons to warn him of the rocks on which others have almost, or altogether, made shipwreck of faith and a good conscience. As to the former, we are exhorted "not to be slothful, but to be followers of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises;" and to "take the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering affliction and of patience." As to the latter, it is written, "Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted." It is also to be observed, that it is by no means uncommon to find examples of both these classes in the history of the same person. This might be shown in the case of Noah, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and many others. Suffice it, however, to say that this is peculiarly striking in the case of the Apostle Peter, and that, too, in this one passage of his history-his denial of his Master being one of the most instructive examples in the way of caution, and his return to a proper sense of his duty being one of the most instructive in the way of a pattern to be followed by all who may be similarly situated. May the Lord guide and bless our meditations, while we consider, in the first place, Peter's fall. It is necessary to recollect here the situation in which Christ was now placed. The multitude, led on by the traitor Judas, had apprehended him. "Then," as Luke relates in the first verse of the before passage 66 us, took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house." Matthew* '' says, They that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled." The words in the 66 parallel passage of Johnt are: They led Jesus away to Annas first; for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was the high priest that same year;" and then it is added, in a subsequent part of the chapter: "Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest." Annas, having been formerly high priest himself, and being so nearly connected with the present high priest, was considered a person of great experience and influence, and was, accordingly, applied to first on this occasion: he, however, sent Jesus to Caiaphas. What occurred to our Lord in Caiaphas' palace will appear afterwards: in the meantime, we are chiefly concerned with what befell Peter. In order to perceive the greatness of Peter's fall, it is necessary to remember his previous privileges and decided character. He was one of the twelve chosen attendants of the Saviour. He is generally thought to have been one of the oldest, probably the oldest, of the apostles, and is frequently named first in the list. He was highly favoured in being one of the three who were on the mount of transfiguration, and nearest to Christ in his agony. He was distin guished for frankness and courage. He manifested, on various occasions, uncommon readiness in speech and action, and he had certainly not only the form but the reality of religion. When Jesus said to the twelve, "Whom say ye that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God;" on which Jesus said to him, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for, flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven." "It is good for us to be here," said Peter, on the mount of transfiguration, with much affection, though he wist not what he said. "Lord, if it be thou," * Matt. xxvi. 57. + John xviii. 13, 24. See Luke iii. 2. |