power of Jesus, as Judas and the soldiers were-" Not any weapon formed against us can prosper," if only we put our trust in him-Let us then flee to him; and he will hide us under the shadow of his wings-As birds flying to protect their young, so will the Lord defend us ;—And as the attendant angel passed between the destroyer and the houses sprinkled with blood, so will the Lord pass over to preserve us from the assaults of our enemies-Let us rely on him, and we shall find him a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is, as a storm against the wall-] g Isai. xxxi. 5. h Isai. xxv. 4. CCCXV. THE HEALING OF MALCHUS' EAR. Luke xxii. 50, 51. And one of them smote the servant of the High Priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered, and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. IT is but too common for even good persons, who are of a sanguine temper, to ask instruction or advice, while by their conduct they evince that they have very little disposition to receive and follow it-We do not wonder that Pilate should ask, "What is truth?" and go away before an answer could be given him: but it is grievous to see one of Peter's eminence, who had been favoured with so many opportunities of divine instruction, affecting to seek direction from his Lord, and instantly prosecuting his own unhallowed will-In considering the instance recorded, it will be proper to notice I. The indiscretion of Peter Peter, in striking Malchus with the sword, was evidently actuated by a love to his Master, and a zeal for his service-Yet his mode of discovering his affection was certainly deserving of blame-It argued 1. A want of Christian temper [Christianity does not preclude men from taking the sword in defence of their country, when called to it by imperious necessity, and authorized by the civil magistrates: but it enjoins individuals rather to suffer patiently the persecutions with which they are assaulted, and gladly to endure the loss of all things, even of life itself, for the Gospel sake-As for VOL. III. 3 A taking up arms against the civil power, it is an extremity which perhaps not any thing can justify-Yet this is the very thing that Peter did; and as he did it without any express command, he was rebuked by our Lord, and told that "all, who should take the sword in that manner, however they might think they were fighting the Lord's battles, should perish with the sword"-] 2. An ignorance of the prophetic writings [It had been foretold that "one, who had eaten bread with our Lord, should lift up his heel against him ;" and that, in consequence of his treachery, he should be "led like a lamb to the slaughter," and "be numbered with transgressors" -Had Peter fully understood those prophecies he would not so rudely have contradicted our Lord on a former occasion, or so impetuously defended him on this; but would have submitted to the will of God, saying, "The cup which his Father hath given him shall he not drink it?”—] 3. A forgetfulness of our Lord's character [Often, yea, but a few minutes before, had Peter seen his Lord performing the most stupendous miracles-If these had been wrought by the Father's power, could not Christ call upon him now, and have more than seventy thousand angels sent for his defence? If Christ wrought them by his own power, could he not deliver himself out of their hands without Peter's interposition? But if Christ were abandoned by his Father, and reduced to a state of impotence himself, could Peter protect him against a band of armed men? Was not his furious assault rather calculated to increase their rage, and to make them destroy Jesus and all his disciples upon the spot?-In every view his conduct was wrong; for if his aid was needed, it was insufficient; and if it was not needed, it was officiously and imprudently obtruded-] The contrast between Christ's conduct and Peter's will appear by considering II. The remedy which our Lord applied Jesus would give no just occasion of offence to the civil magistrate, and therefore set himself instantly to remedy the evil that had been committed [Peter had cut off the ear of the high priest's servant, probably because he was most active and forward in apprehending our Lord. But Jesus would not suffer even that small injury to be sustained on his account: he therefore "touched" the a Our Lord in his answer to Peter pointed out the various sources of his misconduct.-See Matt. xxvi. 52-54. b Matt. xvi. 22, 23. e John xviii. 5-11. wound, and restored the ear to its perfect state-What a marvellous return was this for all the indignities which this miscreant had offered him!-If Jesus had chosen to work a miracle on this occasion, one would rather have expected that it should be such an one, as should make the "ears of all that heard of it to tingle:" but mercy was his delight; and the more unworthy the objects of his mercy were, the more did he glory in displaying "the unsearchable riches of his grace" -Would one not at least hope that this miracle should disarm his enemies, and make them desist from their purpose? But, alas! nothing can prevail with those who are given up to judicial blindness_ -The manner of working the miracle was scarcely less remarkable than the miracle itself: for he not only performed it unsolicited, but even asked mission to perform it; saying to those who were binding him, "Suffer ye thus far," "loosen my hands for one moment, that I may exercise them in one more act of benevolence before your eyes." What astonishing meekness and condescension!--Thus, while he more than recompensed the injury that Peter's indiscretion had occasioned, he shewed to his enemies, that his surrender of himself was voluntary; and left to his people a most perfect pattern for their conduct when persecuted by an ungodly world-] From this history we may LEARN per 1. To guard against an indiscreet unhallowed zeal [Zeal properly directed is amiable and praiseworthy:e but a "zeal without knowledge" is most injurious to the Christian cause-Paul's conduct in his unconverted state, and the request of two of our Lord's disciples, may serve to put us on our guard against the fatal mistakes into which even good men may fall-Let our zeal be ever tempered with love, and regulated by the holy scriptures; else, while it carries us too far on some occasions, it will prove, like Peter's, miserably defective upon others] 2. To exercise love towards our most inveterate enemies [The Christian's " weapons are not to be carnal," nor must he "war after the flesh"-He is to "turn the right cheek to him that smites him on the left," and, by rendering good for evil, to "heap coals of fire on the head of his enemies." "Instead of being overcome of evil, he is to over d e. g. Pharaoh was alike uninfluenced by judgments or mercies. e Gal. iv. 18. f Gal. i. 13. Luke ix. 54. g Mark xiv. 71. Such persons are compared to "a cake not turned," which, instead of being equally penetrated with heat, is burnt up on one side, and scarcely warmed on the other. See Hos. vii. 8. come evil with good"-Christians, see if this be your conduct---And remember that "Christ set you an example that you should follow his steps”—] 3. To trust in Christ for the healing of the wounds which sin has made [No sword can inflict so deep a wound as sin has made— It were a light matter if it had merely killed the body: it has inflicted a mortal wound on our souls-But Jesus can heal us; nor should any sense of unworthiness prevent our application to him-Let us go to him, and he will add us to the number of those whom he has made monuments of his almighty power and his unbounded mercy——~] h Rom. xii. 19-21. i 1 Pet. ii. 20-23. CCCXVI. CHRIST THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE. John xi. 25, 26. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die. IN great and long continued afflictions, we are apt to entertain hard thoughts of God. But, whatever be his intention with respect to the ungodly, we are sure that he designs nothing but good to his own peculiar people, even when he appears most regardless of their supplications. There are two ends which he invariably proposes to himself in his dispensations towards them; namely, the brighter revelation of his own glory, and the fuller manifestation of it to their souls. In the history before us we have an account of a heavy affliction that had befallen a family, through the death of one, to whom Jesus had shewn a very peculiar attachment. He had been solicited to come and help them; but he had delayed his visit till the sick person had been dead four days. This however, though liable to misconstruction, he had done intentionally, in order that he might manifest more fully to the disconsolate sisters his own power and glory. Accordingly, when they intimated their persuasion, that, if he would pray to God for the restoration of their brother to life, God would grant his request, he told them that he needed not beseech God to effect it; for that he himself was the resurrection and the life and was able to impart either bodily or spiritual life to whomsoever he would. In considering this most remarkable declaration, we shall notice I. That part which relates to himself Martha having, in conformity with the prevailing opinion of the Jews, expressed her expectation of a general resurrection at the last day, Jesus says to her "I am the resurrection" [Our Lord, in his divine nature, possessed omnipotence necessarily, and of himself. In his mediatorial capacity he was invested with it by his Father, agreeably to the plan concerted in the divine counsels. To him who had undertaken to procure salvation for a fallen world, was delegated all power requisite for the full discharge of that office. The restoring of his people to a new and heavenly life after death, was essential to their complete salvation: this therefore was committed to him ; and he both declared he would execute this great work," and gave an earnest of its accomplishment in raising himself from the dead."] "I am the life" [In this term our Lord proceeds further than in the former, and asserts, that as he is the author and first-fruits of the resurrection, so is he the very principle of life whereby his people live. This might indeed be collected from many figurative expressions of scripture, which represent him as the fountain of life to all his people but we are not left to gather such an important truth from mere parables; it is asserted frequently in the plainest terms: he is a quickening spirit, that liveth in us,f and is our very life. He is to the soul, what the soul is to the body; he prevades, animates, and invigorates all our spiritual faculties: by his secret energy our understanding is enabled to apprehend divine truth, and our will inclined to obey it: and, without him, the soul would be as dead as the body without the soul.] Let us now prosecute our enquiries into II. That which respects his people There is a remarkable correspondence between the a John v. 21, 25-29. e John x. 18. 1 Cor. xv. 20. e 1 Cor. xv. 45. g Col. iii. 4. b John vi. 39, 40. d John xv. 1. Eph. iv. 15, 16. |