512 Luke XXII. 53. is your Hour, and the Power All his Difciples forfook him, and fled. Sect. 183. But I know the Reason, better than you yourfelves do: You have hitherto been kept under a fecret Restraint, which is now removed; and this is your Hour, in which GOD has let you loose against me, and the Power of Darkness is now permitted to rage with peculiar Violence for it is under the Inftigation of Satan and his Infernal Powers that you now act, with whatever pious Names you may affect to confecrate the Mat. XXVI. Deed. And in all this I know, that both you 56. and they are fecretly over-ruled by Divine Providence, to accomplish Events moft contrary to your own Schemes; and it is done, that what is written concerning me in the Scriptures of the Prophets might be fulfilled (p). I therefore refign myself into your Hands, tho' I have given you abundant Evidence that I am not deftitute of the Means of Deliverance, if I was inclined to use them. Then all the Difciples, who but a little while before had folemnly protefted that they would never leave him, when they now faw him bound in the Hands of his Enemies, according to his repeated Predictions forfook him and fled (q); each of them shifting for his own Safety as well as he could, and feeking to shelter himself either among Friends or Strangers. And MAT.XXVI. 56.- But all this was done, that the might be fulfilled. [MARK Scriptures of the Prophets XIV.-49.] -56 Then all the Difci ples forfook him, and fled. [MARK XIV. 50.] (p) That the Scriptures of the Prophets might be fulfilled.] This was a Confideration, which, if duly applied, might have prevented his Difciples from being offended at his Sufferings: And it ftrongly intimates, that he ftill kept up the Claim, which he had formerly made, of being the Meffiah; and that what he was now to go thro', was fo far from being at all inconfiftent with that Claim, that, on the whole, it was abfolutely necessary, in order to make it out to full Satisfaction. (q) All the Difciples forfook him, and fled.] Perhaps they were afraid, that the Action of Peter fhould be imputed to them all, and might bring their Lives into Danger. But whatever they apprrehended, their precipitate Flight in thefe Circumftances was the bafeft Cowardice and Ingratitude; confidering, not only how lately they had been warned of their Danger, and what folemn Promises they had made of a couragious Adherence to Chrift; bút alfo, what an Agony they had juft feen him in, what a Zeal he had a few Moments before fhewed in their Defence, and what amazing Power he had exerted to terrify his Enemies into a Compliance with that Part of his Demand, which related to the Safety of his Friends. He had alfo at the fame Time intimated his Purpose of giving them a speedy and kind Difmiffion; so that it was very indecent thus to run away without it; efpecially as Chrift's Prophecy of their continued Usefulness in his Church, was equivalent to a Promise of their Prefervation, whatever Danger they might now meet with. But our Lord probably permitted it, that we might learn not to depend too confidently, even on the Friendfhip of the very beft of Men. Reflections on CHRIST's being betrayed, and apprehended. MARK XIV. 51. And there followed him a certain young Man, having a Linnen Cloth caft about his naked Body; and the young Men laid hold on him. 52 And he left the Linnen Cloth, and fled from them naked. T Mark XIV. 51. 513 And a certain Youth, who lodged in a Houfe Sect. 183. near the Garden, and was waked by the Noife of this Tumult, having an Affection for Chrift, and apprehending him in Danger, arofe out of Bed with nothing but a Linnen Cloth in which he lay, thrown about his naked Body; and he fol lowed him a little Way, after the reft of his Difciples were gone, tranfported into a Forgetfulness of his own Dress, by his Concern for Jefus. And the young Men that made a Part of the Guard, fufpecting he was one that belonged to Jefus, laid bold on him. But be, leaving the Sheet which 52 was wrapped about him in their Hands, fled away from them naked, in the utmost Confternation. After which Jefus was led to the Palace of the High-Prieft, and condemned there, in the Manner which will presently be related. IMPROVEMENT. HE heroic Behaviour of the Bleffed Jefus in the whole Period tive Eye, tho' the Sacred Hiftorians, according to their ufual, but won- Ver. 11. We fee him generously capitulating for the Safety of his Friends, John xviii. while he neglected his own; and afterwards, not only forbidding all the 9. Defence they attempted to make, but curing that Wound, which one of his Enemies had received in this Affault on him. With what meek Majefty did he fay, Suffer at leaft thus far? And he touched his Ear, and Luke xxii. bealed him? We hear his Words, we behold his Actions, with Astonish-5 ment: But furely our Indignation muft rife within us, when we see so amiable and excellent a Perfon thus injured, and abufed; when we see the Son of Man betrayed with a Kifs; betrayed by his intimate Friend, Ver. 47, 48. who had eaten of his Bread, and yet lifted up his Heel against him ; (John xiii. 18.) and at the fame Time forfaken by all his Difciples, even Mat. xxvi. by him whom he most tenderly loved, and who had fo often leant on his.56. Bofom. Let us not wonder, if fome of our Friends prove false; and others feem to forget us, when we have the greatest Need of their Affiftance. When we deferve fo much lefs Friendship than Chrift did, VOL. II. Ttt let 514 6, 12. CHRIST is led away, first to the House of Annas, Sect. 183. let us not think it strange, if we find but little more. Nor can we reafonably be fo much amazed, as we might otherwife have been, to fee Sinners going on under the most awful Rebukes of Providence; when we John xviii. confider, that thefe Wretches, who had been ftruck down to the Ground by one Word of Chrift's Mouth, fhould immediately rife up, and stretch forth their impious Hands against him, to feize and bind him; tho' they might well have known, that they lived only by his Indulgence and Forbearance, and that the fame Word that truck them down to the Ground, could have laid them dead there. Touch our Hearts, oh Lord, by thy Grace; or it will be in vain, that we are fmitten with thy Rod! In all the Remainder of this Story, let us remember, that Jefus voluntarily gave himself up to Sufferings, which he circumftantially foreknew; Mat. xxvi. even tho' he could have commanded to his Affiftance whole Legions of Angels. His Father's Will was an Answer to all that Nature could plead John xviii. in its own Caufe; and the good Hand from which this Cup of his severest Sufferings came, reconciled him to all the bittereft Ingredients it contained. How reasonable then is it, that we, who, having had Fathers of our Flesh that corrected us, fubmitted to the Rod, and gave them Reverence, fhould much rather, after the Example of our innocent and holy Redeemer, be in Subjection to the Father of our Spirits, and live? (Heb. xii, 9.) 53. II. Sect. 184. John XVIII. 13. SECT. CLXXXIV. CHRIST is conducted to the Palace of Caiaphas: Peter follows him thither, and denies him thrice. Mat. XXVI. 57, 58. 69, to the End. Mark XIV. 53, 54. 66, to the End. Luke XXII. 54,---62. John XVIII. 13,---18. 24,---27. T JOHN XVIII. 13. HE Officers and People having thus apprehended Chrift, in the Manner described above, they led him away from the Garden of Gethsemane to thofe that had employed them, and brought him first to the Houfe of Annas ; for he was Father-in-Law to Caiaphas, who was High-Prieft that Year (a), or bore the Office at that JOHN XVIII. 13. AND they led him away Annas firft, (for he was Father-in-Law to Caia phas, which was the HighPrieft that same Year.) (a) Led him away first to Annas; &c.] It appears from Jofephus, (Antiq. lib. xviii. cap. 2. [al. 3.] §. 2. pag. 873: Havercamp.) that Annas, whom he calls Ananus, had been and then to that of Caiaphas, whither Peter follows him. the High-Prieft. 14 Now Caiaphas was he which gave Counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one Man fhould die for the People. 515. John XVIII. 14 24 Now Annas fent that Time: And Annas fent him bound to Sect. 184. him bound unto Caiaphas Caiaphas the High-Prieft, as judging it most proper, that the reft of the Council fhould be con- 24. vened at his Palace. Now this Caiaphas was be, whom we mentioned above, (John xi. 49,51. pag. 260.) who gave it as his Advice to the Jews, that it was fit, that one Man, tho' innocent, fhould die for the Prefervation of the whole People: In which Words he uttered a Kind of Oracle, which (as we there observed,) contained a far nobler and fublimer Senfe, than he himself intended or understood. And they who had apprehended Jefus, took and Mat. XXVI. led him away from Annas like a Criminal in Bonds, 57. and according to the Directions which Annas had given them, brought him to the Palace of Caiaphas the High-Prieft; where, tho' it was now the dead Time of the Night, all the Chief Priests, and the Scribes, and the Elders, or the chief Perfons of the Sanhedrim, with their proper Officers, were met together on a Summons from Caiaphas, and were affembled with him, waiting for Jefus to be brought before them. 1 And tho' Simon Peter had at firft forfaken John XVIII. Chrift, and shifted for himself, as the reft of his 15. Companions did, yet afterwards he and another Difciple, even the Evangelift John, bethought themselves, and determined to return; and accordingly they followed Jefus afar off (b), defiring to High-Prieft before his Son-in-Law Caiaphas; and it feems to have been by his Intereft, that firft Eleazar his own Son, and then Caiaphas who married his Daughter, and probably had been his Deputy, obtained that Dignity: So that tho' he had refigned that Office himself, yet the People paid fo much Regard to his Experience, that they brought Chrift first to him; who, no doubt, took all neceflary Care to prepare Caiaphas for receiving him, as he could not but know, that this was a moft critical Juncture. We do not read of any thing remarkable which paffed at the Houfe of Annas; for which Reafon his being carried thither is omitted by the other Evangelifts. Cyril adds, και απέςειλαν αυτον δεδεμενον προς Καραβαν τον Aexepea, and they fent him bound to Caiaphas the High-Prieft; which Addition Erafmus, Beza, and many others have thought it neceflary to admit; both to account for the Word palov, first, in the preceding Claufe; and to reconcile John with the other Evangelifts, who all agree, that the Scene of Peter's Fall was the Palace of Caiaphas, not of Annas. Yet as almoft the fame Words occur in ver. 24. it is fufficient to tranfpofe that Verfe, and introduce it here, as is done in the Margin of fome of our Bibles. For the Phrafe of being High Priest that Year, fee Note (a) on John xi. 49. pag. 260. (b) Followed Fefus afar off.] It appears from hence, that Peter and John recovered themfelves quickly after their Flight; or elfe they could not have followed him at fome Distance, and yet be fo near as to be ready to go into Caiaphas's Houfe with him. Ttt 2 (c) That 516 John XVIII. 15. Peter is challenged by a Maid, as belonging to CHRIST. 16 him. Sect. 184. to see what would become of him : And as that other Difciple was known to the High-Prieft (c), he was admitted without any Impediment or Examination, and went into the Palace of the HighPriest, with Jefus, and the Guard that attended But Peter, who had no Acquaintance there, flood without at the Door: That other Dif ciple therefore, who was known to the High-Prieft, went out of the inner Room, into which Jefus was then carried in order to his Examination, and fpake to her that kept the Door to open it; Luke XXII. and fo by her Confent brought in Peter. 55. Mark XIV. 66. And when they had kindled a Fire in the Midst of the And as Peter was fitting among the Servants known unto the HighJefus into the Palace of the Prieft, and went in with High-Prieft. [MAT.XXVI. 58.-MARK XIV. 54.— LUKE XXII.-54.] 16 But Peter stood at the Door without. Then went out that other Disciple which was known unto the HighPriest, and spake unto her that kept the Door, and brought in Peter. LUKE XXII. 55. And when they had kindled a Fire were fet down together, Peter fat down among them [with the Servants to fee the himself at the Fire.] [MAT. End.] [MAR. and warmed XXVI.—58. MARK XIV. -54] in the Midft of the Hall, and MARK XIV. 66. And neath in the Palace, there as Peter [fat without] becometh [unto him] one of Hall below, there came to him one of the Maid- the Maids of the High Servants belonging to the Family of the High Prieft, who was indeed the fame Damfel that (as 67 we just now faid,) had kept the Door: And feeing Peter as he fate warming himself by the Fire, The fixed her Eyes earnestly upon him, and obferving in his Countenance the Appearance of great Concern, the faid to fome that stood near him, I cannot but think, that this Man is a Follower of Jefus, and was also used to be with him (e). And to try him Prieft, [JOH. the Damfel XXVI. 69.—JOHNXVIII. 17-] that kept the Door:][MAT. ter, [LUK. as he fat by the Fire] warming himself, the looked [LUK. earnestly] upon him, and faid, [Lux. This Man was also with him :] 67 And when the faw Pe (c) That Difciple was known to the High-Prieft.] We cannot imagine the Acquaintance was very intimate, confidering the great Diverfity of their Rank and Station in Life; but a thousand Occurrences occafion fome Knowledge of each other, between Perfons whose Conditions are as unequal. (d) And warmed himself at the Fire, while they were examining Jefus, &c.] It is remarkable, that all the Evangelifts record the Fall of Peter, and none with Circumftances of greater Aggravation, than Mark, whofe Gospel is faid to have been reviewed by Peter himfelf, and indeed written from his preaching.Tho' Chrift's Examination happened during this Interval, (which occafions Matthew, Mark, and John to interrupt this Story to recount that,) I rather chofe, as Luke has done, to take the whole of it together, as beft fuiting the Design of this Work. (e) This Man was alfo with him.] Her Sex, and perhaps we may add, her Office, will not permit us to fuppofe, that he had been in the Garden with the Multitude that came to |