ance and fituation did but ill accord with a character of fuch high dignity, he proceeds to affure his judges, that what he affirmed was nevertheless unquestionably true; and that they themselves fhould in due time have the fulleft proof of it. For, fays he, "hereafter ye fhall fee the Son of man fitting on the right hand of power, and com ing in the clouds of heaven." Sitting at the right hand of power means fitting at the right hand of God, to whom the Jews fometimes gave the appellation of power; and coming in the clouds of heaven, was with the Jews a char acteristic mark of the Meffiah. And the whole passage relates not to the final judgment, but to the coming of Chrift to execute vengeance on the Jews in the deftruction of Jerufalem by the Romans. "Then the high priest rent his clothes, (a mark of extreme horror and indignation) faying, he hath spoken blafphemy, by declaring himself the Chrift, the Son of God, and affuming all the marks of divine power. What further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard his blafphemy. What think ye? They anfwered and faid, he is guilty of death;" guilty of a crime that deferves death. "Then did they fpit in his face, and buffeted him; and others fmote him with the palms of their hands, faying, Pro phefy unto us; who is he that smote thee?"

Such were the indignities offered to the Lord of all, by his own infatuated creatures; and although he could with one word have laid them proftrate at his feet, yet he bore all thefe infults without a fingle murmur or complaint, and never once fpake unadvisedly with his lips. "Though he was reviled, he reviled not again; though he fuffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously*.”

The evangelift now refumes the hiftory of St. Peters who, while these things were transacting in the council room, fate without in the palace; and a damfel came unto him faying, "Thou also waft with Jefus of Galilee.But he denied before them all, faying, I know not what thou fayest. And when he was come out into the porch,

* Pet. ii. 23.

another maid faw him, and faid unto them that were there, This fellow alfo was with Jefus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while came unto him they that ftood by, and faid to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them, for thy fpeech betrayeth thee. Then began he to curfe and to fwear, faying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the words of Jefus, which faid unto him, Before the cock crow thou fhalt deny me thrice. And he went out and wept bitterly."

This most interesting story is related by all the evangelifts, with a few immaterial variations in each; but the fubftance is the fame in all. There is however one circumftance added by St. Luke, fo exquifitely beautiful and touching, that it well deferves to be noticed here. He tells us that after Peter had denied Jefus thrice," immediately, while he yet fpake, the cock crew; and the Lord turned and looked upon Peter" What effect that look muft have had on the heart and on the countenance of Peter, every one may, perhaps, in fome degree conceive; but it is utterly impoffible for any words to describe, or, I believe, even for the pencil of a Guido to exprefst.The facred hiftorian therefore moft judiciously makes no attempt to work upon our paffions or our feelings by any difplay of eloquence on the occafion. He fimply relates the fact, without any embellishment or amplification; and only adds, "and Peter remembered the words of the Lord, how he had faid unto him, before the cock crow thou fhalt deny me thrice; and he went out and wept bitterly."

The reflections that croud upon the mind from this most affecting incident of Peter's denial of his master, are many and important; but I can only touch, and that flightly, on a few.

The first is, that this event in the hiftory of St. Peter is a clear and a stiking accomplishment of our Saviour's

Ch. xxii. 61.

In fact, I cannot learn that any great master has ever yet felected this incident as the fubject of a picture.

A A

prediction, that before the cock crew he fhould deny him thrice. And it is very remarkable that there are in this fame chapter no lefs than four other prophecies of our Lord, which were all punctually fulfilled, fome of them like this, within a few hours after they were delivered.

The next obfervation refulting from the fall of Peter is the melancholy proof it affords us of the infirmity of human nature, the weaknefs of our best resolutions, when left to ourselves, and the extreme danger of confiding too much in our own ftrength.

That St. Peter was moft warmly attached to Jefus, that his intentions were upright, and his profeilions at the moment fincere, there can be no doubt. But his temper was too hot, and his confidence in himself too great.— When our Lord told him, and all the other apostles, that they would defert him that night, Peter was the first to say to him, "though all men fhould be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended." And when Jefus again affured him, that before the cock crew he fhould deny him thrice, Peter infifted with ftill greater vehemence on his unfhaken fidelity, and declared, " that though he fhould die with him, he fhould never deny him." Yet deny him he did, with execrations and oaths; and left a memorable leffon even to the best of men, not to entertain too high an opinion of their own conftancy and firmnefs in the hour of temptation. "Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed left he fall."

And hence in the laft place we fee the wisdom and the neceffity of looking beyond ourselves, of looking up to heaven for fupport and affiftance in the difcharge of our duty. If, when Peter was first forewarned by our Lord of his approaching denial of him, instead of repeating his profeffions of inviolable fidelity to him, he had with all humility confeffed his weakness, and implored his divine Mafter to ftrengthen and fortify him for the trial that awaited him, the event probably would have been very different. And it is furprizing that he had not learned .this leffon from his former experience. For when, confiding as he did now in his own courage, he entreated

Jefus to let him walk to him upon the fea, and was permitted to do fo; no fooner did he find the wind boisterous than he was afraid, and beginning to fink, he cried out, "Lord, fave me. And immediately Jefus ftretched forth his hand and caught him." This was a plain intimation to him, (as I remarked in a former Lecture) that it was not his own arm that could help him, but that Almighty hand, and that outstretched arm, which then preserved him; and to which, when in danger, we must all have recourse to preferve us from finking. "Truft then in the Lord," (as the wife king advises), "with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths*."

* Prov. iii. 5.