of that heart, which is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, lest we too should betray the Son of man with a kiss. But But did Jesus attempt to conceal Himself, or to escape the grasp of those who came to apprehend Him? Quite the reverse; His hour was come, and he boldly advanced to meet all the agonies and ignominies with which it was laden. For the joy that was set before Him, He came forth prepared to endure the cross, and despise the shame. while the Victim voluntarily surrendered Himself, such glorious displays of His power and divinity burst forth, as confounded and disarmed the band of men who came to seize Him. As soon as He said, “I am He," they went backward, and fell to the ground. But presently they rallied, and hardening themselves against their own experience, proceeded to seize Jesus. The disciples proposed to resist with the sword, and Peter, true to his own character, without waiting for his Master's reply, rashly drew his sword, and cut off the ear of the high-priest's servant, named Malchus. But Jesus would not be thus defended: He miraculously healed the wound His servant had inflicted; and declared, that the surrender of Himself was not from want of power to resist, for legions of angels were at His command; but that, in fulfilment of the declarations of Scripture, and in acquiescence with the will of His heavenly Father, He was ready to yield Himself up to sufferings and death. And did not this miracle, and these sentiments, touch the heart of Christ's enemies? Did they not forbear to lay violent hands on one, so eminently endowed with Divine power and goodness? No, no effects of the kind seem to have been produced. The Shepherd was led away to be smitten, and the sheep of the flock were scattered abroad,-for all the disciples "forsook Him and fled;" and those who just now were ready to lay down their lives for His sake, seemed anxious only to secure them at all events. Jesus was then led away to the palace of Caiaphas the high-priest, and examined in the hall on a charge of blasphemy. False witnesses were procured against Him, but their testimony was found both inconsistent and insufficient. While this was going on, Peter, the self-confident disciple, fell into the very snare of which his Lord had so repeatedly forewarned him. He followed Jesus to the highpriest's palace, and mingled among the spectators and the servants, all of whom were most probably uttering such sentiments of the Divine sufferer, as no disciple of His ought for a moment to have listened to: yet Peter was there, and seems to have heard unmoved; at least, he made no attempt to vindicate injured, innocence. But some circumstance or other, drew towards him the attention of those around. His dress, his speech, his manners, proclaimed him a Galilean, and awakened the suspicion that he was an adherent of Jesus. He was challenged with the fact, and denied it, declaring that he was a total stranger; and immediately the cock crew. Surely it must have pierced him to the heart by recalling the words of his Lord, and caused him to recall the false and perfidious denial. But no repenting thoughts as yet appear to have kindled in his bosom. Again the charge was advanced, and denied with an oath. But his impious denials availed not; the charge was brought home-a kinsman of Malchus, whose ear Peter had cut off, immediately recognized him, as one who had accompanied Jesus in the garden; but Peter again denied, with oaths and curses." How sudden and steep is the descent of sin! and if the first deviating step be taken, who can say where its wanderings shall terminate? Self-confidence; venturing in the way of temptation; treacherous cowardice; falsehood; swearing; cursing-occupied but a few short hours of Peter's existence; but they made work for bitter repentance through his whole remaining life. But hark! no sooner had the third denial, thus impiously asseverated, escaped Peter's lips, than the cock's shrill clarion proclaimed its second reproof; and the meekly reproving eyes of the suffering Saviour, fixing on His fallen disciple, opened in his breast the springs of genuine contrition. "The Lord turned and looked upon Peter, and Peter remembered the words of the Lord Jesus, and he went out, and wept bitterly." And assuredly in every instance sin will be bitterness in the end,-either the bitter Bess of deep repentance, or the bitterness of hope |