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upon himself. Of fo little account was even Life to Him, Of fo little ought it to be to Us, where the Caufe of God is concerned: Indeed, where any Duty, of Importance fo great, as to require (for many there are, which do require) our firm Adherence, and most perillous Vindication.

Mean while, This Contemplation of our Meek, but Constant Saviour, leads us to that of a frail and Wavering Apostle. And, as the Hiftory hath done, fo it may be profitable for Us, to join the Remembrance of the Servant's (alas! Human) Infirmities, with that of the Master's Divine Perfections. The Latter profits, by fhewing what we fhould be; The Former we may profit our felves of, by feeing what we are; what we indeed are, then moft of all, when leaft fufpecting, that we are fuch.

Let us then look upon St. Peter in the High Priest's Palace. St. Peter, Not only an Apostle, but one of that number, fingled out for a Companion of our Lord's Privacies, admitted to the Honour of his most intimate Friendship, and, upon all Occafions hitherto, expreffing his Senfe of thefe uncommon Favours, by all poffible inftances of Gratitude, and Love, and more than common Zeal. He was drawn hither at this very time, most probably, from an affectionate Concern for his Mafter. Here he refolutely ventured his Perfon, notwithstanding his Behaviour in the Garden just before, when wounding the High Prieft's Servant, must needs have expofed Him, more than all the reft of his Brethren, to the danger of being obferved, and ill treated by them, who dealt fo barbaroufly by his Lord. But alas! this St. Peter was prefently fo changed from what he had been, that, terrified with the Impertinence of an Inquifitive Servant, he difowned, and denied Jesus; repeated that Denial thrice; repeated it after fufficient fpace for Recollection, and at laft bound the Lye upon his Soul, with folemn Oaths, and dreadfui Imprecations. Ah!

Ah! Where was now that gallant Faith, which made fo glorious a Confeffion of this Jefus be- St. Matth. xvi. ing the Christ, the Son of the living God?

Where that eager Courage, that did not fear to meet his Lord, walking upon the Sea? Where that bold Promife, that though all should

Matth. xiv.

be offended, and leave their Dear Lord in his Diftress, yet would He never be offended? Where that becoming Refolution, Though I fhould die with thee,

xxvi.

yet will I not deny thee in any wife? Where all that Fire and Intrepidity, which, but a very little while ago, had fingly engaged a whole Band of Armed Men, in hope to refcue the Lord he now abjures? What fhall we fay to fuch Advantages, fuch Warnings, fuch Proofs of Affection, fuch boafted Firmness of Mind, fuch defperate Attempts, all loft and forgotten, upon the filly Surmifes of a Servant or two, without any formal Accufation brought, without any Hand laid on him? What two Men ever differed more from one another, than This Man, in an Hour or two, differed from himself? From what himself had oft been proved, and had continued all along, till that very Hour or two: from what he hoped, and believed he fhould and no doubt intended fully to, continue, to the laft Moment of his Life?

Yet fo fudden, fo prodigious an Alteration our Lord foretold and permitted; And fuch he thought fit we fhould be acquainted there was, in this Great Man. Wifely to be fure; as for Other Reasons, fo particularly for Thefe. That this Example might effectually convince us, how frail even the Beft are, how little Mafters of their own Paffions, how unfit to undertake for themselves, even when their Defires of doing well are most fervent, and their Refolutions moft fincere. In fhort, how vain all Confidences in our own Strength and Virtue must needs be, which, by tempting us to imagine we are Something, provoke God to withdraw

that Grace, (the neceffity whereof we do not then fufficiently apprehend) and fo by woful Experience, make us feel, that in truth we are Nothing.

This Fall of St. Peter however, as it ought to be applied for a neceffary Mortification of our Vanity; So may it likewise serve us, for a Support under our Frailties and Temptations. But then This is a Comfort, which can be regularly adminiftred to none, except to Them, who are careful to be like him in that Repentance, whereof we have also an account, in the Scripture now under Confideration. For, as his Fault was fudden and furprifing: So was his Recovery fpeedy and effectual. Long it was not, before he was awakened into Recollection, by a pitying Look of his injured Mafter, and the Crowing of the Cock. Immediately upon the Reflection, he forfook the guilty Scene of his foul Offence, fought a convenient Place for retired Thoughts, melted away in Tears for the horror of his Crime, and from thenceforward became again the fame Faithful Affectionate, Undaunted St. Peter, he had been before. The Book of Acts informs us at large, what noble Reparation he afterwards made, for this Breach of Faith. How Vigorous and Bold he was in Preaching, how Forward and even Joyful in Suffering for, the Gofpel of his once deni⚫ed Lord. And the fame Jefus, who foretold, by what means he should Offend, did shortly after let him underftand, by what Death he should glorify God. John xxi. Now all these are Teftimonies of greater Value, because they were the long and conftant Practice of a fettled Faith, the course of many Years, the habit and the fenfe of the Man: Whereas his Crime, tho' exceeding great, was however of fhort Continuance; the effect of Fear and Infirmity in great measure; and not so much the Act of the Man, as the Violence of Paffions and Temptations, which had then almost unmann'd him. The fame Methods muft We be fure to follow, when it fhall please God to fuffer any grievous Temptation

to

to overtake Us. We must, upon the first sense of our Fault, burst through, and break our Snare; afflict our Souls with a Sorrow, that may carry fome proportion to the fad Occafion of it: Not tarry a Moment in the way of Temptation; never look back upon our Misdemeanors, without a juft Abhorrence; And, above all, use our utmost Diligence to bring Honour to Virtue and Religion, by our future Practice. 'Tis true indeed, We cannot do all, or any part of this, without the Affiftances of Divine Grace. 'Tis That alone can strengthen them that stand. 'Tis that alone, muft Luke xxii. 61. raife up them that fall. But the fame Jefus,

who turned upon Peter, and brought him back to himself, will not leave Us to perifh in our Folly; but will find out fome happy, fome awakening Difpenfation. And provided we be as careful, as Peter was, to obferve, to strike in with, to improve it; will convert even our Temptations and paft Sins, to His Glory, and our own Profit. The fame powerful Interceffor prays for every fincere, though feeble Servant, that his faith fail not. But They, that are fincere, fhould remember, they are feeble too; and not, with this Apostle, fleep in the Hour of Danger; But Watch and Pray: Watch conftantly, Pray fervently, that they enter not into Temptation. As knowing by this Example, and feeling by their own Experience, that the Willingness of the Spirit is not Prefervative fufficient against the Weakness of the Flesh.

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Tuesday before Easter.

For the EPISTLE.

PARAPHRASE.

Ifaiah 1. 5.

5. God hath chofen 5. THE Lord God bath opened mine ear, and I was me for his Servant, and not rebellious, neither turned. away back.

inftructed me in my

Errand, which I readily undertook notwithstanding I knew how ill it would be received.

6. I fubmitted to all

manner of contumelious Ufage, and was not difcouraged by it.

7. For God, I know, will fupport me, fo that the Malice of my Enemies fhall not prevail to

6. I gave my back to the fmiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the bair; Í bid not my face from frame and spitting.

7. For the Lord God will help me, therefore fhall I not be confounded: therefore have I fet my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

my Destruction. Therefore I continue impenetrable to their Cruelty and Scorn, as affured, that I fhall not be put to Shame.

8. He will plead my Caufe, and vindicate my Innocence, fo that I dare confidently chal

8. He is near that justifieth me; Who will contend with me? let us ftand together. Who is my adverfary? let bis

come near to me.

lenge all that fpeak or think ill of me, to come forth and make good their Charge.

9. God will stand by me, in this tryal I put my felf upon; and all my Accufers fhall fail and fret away.

10. If among fo great a number of Slanderers and Scorners, there be found fome few who fear God, and hearken

9. Bebold, the Lord God will help me ; who is be that fhall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax vid as a garment, the moth fhall eat them up.

10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyetb the voice of his fervant, that walketh in darkness, and bath no light? let bim truft in the name of the Lord, and stay upon bis God.

to his Messenger: If these be under grievous Troubles, and have no Comfort; let not their Afflictions drive them to Defpair, but (after my Example ) put them upon a firm Dependance on the God they ferve, for Protection and Deli

verance.

11. But as for You, who think to fecure your Selves by wicked Means, go on in your vain Projects : But

11. Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass your felves about with sparks; walk in the light of your fire, and in the fparks that ye have kindled. This fhall ye bavi of mine band, ye shall lie down in forrow.

know, that the end of all your fhort imaginary Satisfaction fhall be, to perish in Mifery and lafting Grief,

COMMENT.

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