DISCOURSE XVI.

LUKE Xxii. 61, 62.

"And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter and Peter remembered the Word of the Lord, how he faid unto him, Before the Cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

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****** HE Fall of St. Peter would be a very melancholy Inftance of human Infirmity, did it not likewife fet before us a fignal Example of the divine Mercy, and of

the Power of Grace triumphing over the Weaknefs of Nature. St. Peter seems to have had the greateft Share of natural Courage and Resolution of any of the Disciples, and the fulleft Perfuafion of Faith. He it was who made the firft Confeffion, and faid, VOL. II. Thou

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Thou art Chrift the Son of the living God; by which he obtained the Promife of his Lord, I will give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. He it was, who, when his Master's Life was affaulted, drew the Sword in his Defence, and fmote off the Servant's Ear; and had left ftill greater Marks of his Courage and Zeal, had not his Master rebuked his Fire, bidding him put up the Sword into its Place again. When our Lord foretold the Flight of his Difciples, and that all fhould be offended because of him, the reft by Silence confeffed their Fear and their Shame; Peter only stood forth, and, with a Courage feeming to be fuperior to all Trials, profeffed, Though all Men fhall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. His Lord again declared unto him, Verily I fay unto thee, that this Night, before the Cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice: But Peter, whofe Heart was conscious of no Fear, answers boldly, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.

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As the Time of our Lord's Sufferings drew near, he retired to Prayer, and made choice of Peter and others to join with him. But here, oppreffed with Sleep, they forgot themselves and their Master: But

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foon they were awakened with the Noife. of those who came to apprehend them, and with the Sight of Swords and Staves. Peter food to his Defence; and had it been a Cause proper for the Decifion of the Sword, he had at least died with Glory; but he mistook the Weapons of his Warfare, and knew better how to venture his Life in the Field, than to refign it at the Call of Confcience: An evident Sign that natural Courage is not the true Source of Confidence in fpiritual Trials, in which they only can conquer, whofe Strength is not of Man, but of God. No fooner were the Hopes of Defence taken away, and the Succours which natural Courage affordeth rendered ufelefs, but Peter's Refolution began to fail: He could not indeed totally forget his Love to his Mafter, and therefore he followed him to his Trial; but he followed him, as the Text expreffes it, afar off, and mingled himfelf in the Croud of Servants who attended the Chief-Priests and Elders, hoping by that Artifice to pass unfufpected of any Acquaintance or Familiarity with the Person accused. But whether his Fear difcovered him, which even by the Concern it sheweth to lie concealed often betrayeth itself, or however

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however else it happened, he was challenged by a Damfel, who told him, Thou also waft with Jefus of Galilee: Peter denies it, and, being again fufpected, affirms with an Oath, I know not the Man. A third Time he is queftioned, and then, to fhew his Innocence by his Refentment of their Sufpicions, he began to curse and to fwear, faying, I know not the Man. And now it was that the Cock crew, and the Lord turned and looked upon Peter; with a Look, however, full of Tenderness and Compaffion, that ftruck Peter to the Heart, and brought to his Mind his Prefumption and his Baseness: Under this Confufion he retires from the Prefence of his Mafter, and from the Eyes of the World; and, when he thought of himself and of his Lord, he wept bitterly.

Happy Tears! and blessed were the Fruits that followed them! Not long after this the Scene changes again: St. Peter stands in the Place of his Mafter, before the Tribunal of the High-Prieft, fummoned to appear for his Doctrine at the Peril of his Life: And now he who denied Chrift when he was queftioned by a Maid-Servant, boldly preaches him before the High-Priest and Elders, teftifying, that God had raised up

Jefus,