truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salva. tion, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance."

996

LECTURE CX.

JESUS IS ARRAIGNED BEORE THE HIGH-PRIEST.

PETER DENIES HIM.

MARK XIV. 53–72.

53. And they led Jesus away to the high-priest: and with Matt. xxvi. him were assembled all the chief-priests and the elders Luke xxii.

and the scribes.

57-75.

54-61. John xviii.

54. And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace 15—27. of the high-priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.

55. And the chief-priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. 56. For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.

57. And there arose certain, and bare fulse witness against him, saying,

6 Eph. vi. 14-18.

58. We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.

59. But neither so did their witness agree together.

60. And the high-priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?

61. But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high-priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?

62. And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

63. Then the high-priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?

64. Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.

65. And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.

Thus did the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed. The whole proceedings are full of injustice, malice, and cruelty. False witnesses rose up against him, and laid to his charge things that he knew not. And when he affirmed the fact, that he was the Christ the Son of the Blessed, the high-priest accused him of blasphemy. In what other words could he declare the truth? They might indeed have repeated the question put to him before, "What sign showest thou, if thou sayest this of thyself?" And there was a ready answer, "The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me." But prejudice and hatred do not wait for reason.

passions are here in full exercise

All the bad and we cannot

wonder at the dreadful consequences by which the Son of man confirmed his truth and his divinity, and did come with the right hand of power, leading on the Roman army, and “miserably destroyed those wicked men, and burnt up their city."

But such judgments are "his strange work." His object is mercy and pity. Let us be wise in time, and secure on our side that power, which is intended not to consume men's lives, but to save them.

66. And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high-priest:

67. And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.

68. But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch, and the

cock crew.

69. And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.

70. And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.

71. But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.

72. And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.

We now see the force of our Lord's previous warning: Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. Not long before, it had seemed impossible to Peter, that he should deny his attachment to his Lord. Though I should die with thee,

yet will I not deny thee. But now, seeing Jesus in the hands of enemies, and being surrounded by the high-priest's servants, who would ridicule, at least, if not persecute, the disciple of one whose cause appeared so hopeless, he has not the courage to say, I was one of them. But he denied ;--denied again;-denied with an oath, that he knew the man of whom they spake.

It may be asked, what could watchfulness and prayer have done for him, that he might have shown more faithfulness and resolution? WATCHFULNESS would have led him to foresee and provide against the very situation in which he was now placed. Jesus had forewarned them all, that he "must suffer many things, and be set at nought." Peter should have meditated on this; have prepared his mind for acting on such an emergency; should have meditated on the proofs of power, and of truth, and of divinity, which he had seen; enough surely to convince him, that nothing could be done against Jesus which was not permitted from above. And, like his divine Master, he should have strengthened himself by PRAYER against this predicted season; have sought a supply of grace suited to its difficulty; that knowing these things, he should act as if he knew them. Thus when he was questioned, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth, the reply might have been suggested to him, -All this which seems to you proof that Jesus of Nazareth is a deceiver, is proof that he is indeed a prophet, yea, "that prophet which should come into the world." For he foretold us this, "saying, Behold, we go up unto Jerusalem; and the Son of

man shall be delivered unto the chief-priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles, and they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him and the third day he shall rise again.”1

In this manner both Peter himself and the rest of the apostles did act afterwards, when they were enlightened and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Threatened and assailed by these same rulers, they made a solemn appeal to God, (Acts iv. 29.) "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word."

We are told that the transgressions of the people of God are recorded "for our example." And the practical lesson to be derived from Peter's unfaithfulness, is that we strengthen ourselves by all the means which Scripture supplies, against the hour of temptation. He himself has left it written, (2 Pet. i. 5.) "Add to your faith, virtue;" i. e. boldness, resolution. It is a quality both rare and needful. The case of Peter shows, how different a thing it is tò act consistently, when surrounded by pious connexions, and when mixed with those who are opposed to Christian truth. Yet many live in the midst of such trials, and every Christian must expect to meet with them. Let him "sit down first, and count the cost;" and pray for grace that he may be enabled to act as one who does not deny his Lord.

1 See ch. x. 33-34.