ness, as a ship from her sails. A ship could do nothing without sails, but when all her canvass is spread, how liable to be capsized if the wind strikes her in an opposite direction? So men of glowing imaginations, and of warm and ardent temperament, are very liable to yield to the influence of sudden and powerful impressions, although they may, 'at times, lead them astray into the paths of sin and folly. In consequence of the noble confession which Peter made, when he declared that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, our Lord had treated him with great condescension, had conferred upon him a title, and had promised to give to him the keys of the kingdom. Hence arose Peter's high thoughts of himself, and the confidence he expressed, when he declared, Though all men should be offended because of thee, yet will I not be offended.

Another reason that induced the fall of St. Peter, was his worldly views and expectations, and his aversion to the cross of Christ. These he exhibited when our Lord began plainly to predict his sufferings. From that time forth, begun Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go into Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. This aversion to the cross of Christ, which Peter exhibited on this occasion, originated in that strong and ardent attachment, which he possessed in common with mankind, to the riches, honors, and pleasures of this world. These passions and desires, predominate in the breast of man till they are subdued by divine grace. Peter had still the feelings and desires of a man, and even of an ambitious man. Believing, as he did, at this time, that the kingdom of Christ was temporal, he flattered himself that he should be elevated to the post of one of the principal officers of state; he could not, therefore, endure the thoughts of poverty, of shame, and of disgrace.

Another reason that operated to produce his fall, was his unbelief. The high conceptions which Peter had of himself, and the erroneous views which he entertained of the kingdom of Christ, were naturally productive of unbelief. Hence, when Jesus warned him. of his weakness and danger, and foretold the assault which would be made upon him by Satan, and of his being overcome and falling, he was not credited. Then saith Jesus unto them, All of you shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I not be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily, I say unto thee, This night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. How little did Peter know of himself? Little did he expect, that, with the change of circum

stances, such a revolution was about to take place in his mind! Thus, when Elisha foretold to Hazael, the cruelties which he would afterwards perpetrate towards the children of Israel, thinking it then impossible that he ever would be guilty of them, he said, Is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing. And Elisha answered, The Lord hath showed me, that thou shalt be king over Syria. This answer explained the mystery. Few men can tell how they would act, placed under totally different circumstances. If we were all made kings and queens, or suddenly plunged into the most trying circumstances, who can tell but what our conduct would be quite as inconsistent as either Peter's or Hazael's? Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Once more: St. Peter's unwatchfulness was another great occasion of his falling. This unbelief led to unwatchfulness. He slept naturally, and much more spiritually, at the time when great temptation was at hand; and Satan, as a punishment of his self-confidence and unwatchfulness, had obtained permission to sift him as wheat. While men slept, the enemy sowed tares. If an army in camp, neglecting, under a sense of false security, to set proper watches and guards, should be attacked in the midst of the slumbers of the night, it would become an easy prey; so it is with the Christian: if he be overcome by an assault of the enemy, it is when he imagines himself safe, and ceases to preserve his watch. Hence, said Christ, What I say unto you, I say unto all, watch. Had Peter regarded this injunction, he might have resisted the attack of the enemy, and overcome all the wiles of the Devil. But, alas! Peter was unwatchful, and he fell.

Again, another occasion of the fall of St. Peter, was his neglect of prayer. Perceiving no immediate danger, and feeling confident in his own resources, he did not guard against the subtlety and power of his grand adversary. As he sought no assistance from God, he received none. He trusted to his own resources, and these in the hour of trial were found insufficient. When the trial came, he found himself like Samson, shorn of his locks, and as weak as another man. And thus it will be with all who neglect prayer. It is by prayer, and not by native strength, that any prevail against the grand adversary of their souls. By prayer, our bow shall abide in strength, and the armies of our hands shall be made strong by the mighty God of Jacob. Yes,

"Satan trembles when he sees

The weakest saint upon his knees."

For it is by the gracious exercise of prayer, that God communicates living energy to the soul. Hence, Jesus directs us to watch and pray, that we enter not into temptation; and gives all such the assurance that his grace shall be sufficient for them.

Finally, his impatience and rash zeal was another cause of his

fall. When awakened to a sense of his danger, and alarmed by the sudden and unexpected coming of the band to apprehend Christ, he gave way to a spirit of impatience and rash zeal, by drawing his sword to defend his Master; but upon being reproved by Christ, and convinced of his error, he passed over to distrust, dejection, and cowardice. Aware that his hasty and inconsiderate conduct had exposed him to the laws of his country, he instantly forsook his Master and fled; even the very Master with whom he had expressed his resolution to go to prison and death; and he did this through a dread of reproach and suffering. After having overcome the sudden perturbation of mind with which he fled away, he returned and followed Christ afar off; which was a striking emblem of the state of his mind.

By this cowardly conduct he exposed himself still more to temptation by thoughtlessly venturing upon forbidden ground. Led by curiosity to know what would become of his Master, he went in among the wicked servants of the High Priest; and this at a time when he had, in a great measure, lost his religion, and was weak and he'pless like another man. Under these circumstances he was but illy prepared to resist temptation. The evil hour came; and while under the influence of the fear of man that bringeth a snare, he was overcome by the seductions of the enemy, and cast a stain upon his character, which the strength of years and the lapse of time can never efface. And such are the fatal steps by which most Christians, who turn back to the beggarly elements of the world, fall. We should all do well to take the example of Peter, as a lively caution against treading on forbidden ground. We had better face the frowns of an angry world, and endure the weight of its displeasure, than to be drawn into sin by its seductions, and wrong our own souls.

II. Having noticed the steps by which Peter fell, and the means which led to that sad catastrophe, we shall now proceed, in the second place, to consider the aggravation of his sin. The crime of which Peter was guilty, was the denial of his Lord and Master. By comparing what the Evangelists have said on this subject, it appears that Peter, at first, hesitatingly denied Christ. It is possible he did not mean to tell a direct falsehood, but merely evade the truth by equivocation. According to St. Mark, whose gospel, it is generally supposed, Peter himself revised, his words, at first, were, I know not, neither understand I, what thou sayest; which is the same in sense in St. Matthew. But this was, in substance, denying him, and so it was understood by the persons who were present. Hence, St. Matthew says, He denied him before them all. After a short time he grew more bold and confident, telling a plain and direct falsehood, and confirming it with an oath, as St. Matthew informs us, declaring, I do not know the man. How amazing that such language should ever have fallen from the lips of this apostle! What, Peter! dost thou not know the man? did he not

heal thy wife's mother of a fever? did he not afford thee a miraculous draught of fishes, when thou hadst toiled all night without effect, and which made thee fall down, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord? didst thou not go to him walking upon the water, who stretched out his hand and supported thee when sinking in the midst of the angry waves? didst thou not behold his transfiguration upon the mount? didst thou not confess him to be the Son of God? did he not surname thee Peter, and declare that he would give unto thee the keys of the kingdom? Ah! Peter, how art thou fallen! What a falsehood thou hast uttered! There is scarcely a Jew in the whole nation but what knew Jesus, he having become so noted throughout the country for his doctrine and miracles. Yet his own disciple, who had been with him for three years, affirms with an oath, he did not know the man. He repeated his falsehood after the space of an hour or more, after having had time for reflection. Of a truth, said another servant, this fellow was also with him, for he is a Galilean. And Peter denied again, saying, I know not the man of whom you speak. To gain the greater credit to what he had said, and to show that he was not the disciple of Christ, He cursed and swore. He first denied his Lord and Master; he then denied him with an oath; and he afterwards denied him with horrible imprecations. And all this he did, after he had received the most solemn and repeated warnings from him whom he knew to be the Son of God, who was acquainted with all these things.

The conduct of Peter is rendered the more criminal when we consider the smallness of the temptation with which he was beset. He was questioned as to his knowledge of Christ, not by a mighty monarch, a king, a prince, or a magistrate; but by an equal, an inferior, a servant, a girl! Is this Peter, the zealous, the courage. ous Peter, the rock, as the name imports? How little does his conduct answer to the name he bears! He appears more like a feather, blown away by the slightest puff-a pillar in the temple of God, blown down by the breath of a damsel! Alas, what is man, left to himself in the hands of the tempter, if he be permitted to sift him as wheat!

He denied his Master within his very hearing, and, as it seems, in his presence; a Master of whose wisdom, power, and justice, as well as mercy and love, he had the fullest evidence; and even after he had just received the sacrament at his hands. One would have supposed that the personal presence of Christ would have imposed upon him a restraint, sufficient, at least, to have prevented these solemn and repeated denials with oaths and imprecations. But, alas! when man throws off restraint, and gives himself up to the dictates of unbridled passions, there is scarcely a bond to check, or a limit to restrain; but he ranges through the extensive regions of fraud, of falsehood, and of forgery, till he is arrested in his wild career by some mysterious arm of providence. He becomes like

a beast before you, so stupid and insensible is he. This appears to have been the case with Peter, when, in the presence of his Master, he denied him.

But the conduct of Peter will appear still more aggravated, if we consider the time when he was guilty of such nefarious conduct. It was at the period when he was betrayed into the hands of his enemies, and when he was about to give his life a sacrifice for the sin of the world. It was when Jesus was giving the tenderest mark of his love to Peter, Peter discovered the blackest ingratitude. While Jesus yielded himself up to the bloody death of the cross for Peter, Peter refused to confess him. Such was the nature and turpitude of the offence committed by one of the apostles of the Lamb.

III. But we hasten to consider, in the third place, his restoration to the divine favor. As the fall of Peter was sudden, so was also his recovery. As his sin was not premeditated, but was the effect of a sudden and unexpected temptation, under circumstances peculiarly appalling to his mind, so he soon felt the power and force of conviction, and was as suddenly restored to the divine favor. The means of his restoration were as inconsiderable as the temptation by which he fell. They were two: The first was the crowing of the cock. This having been foretold, brought to Peter's remembrance the admonitions and warnings of Jesus, and gave him a fresh and striking instance of his wisdom, veracity, and power. Thus, at the very moment Jesus foretold his fall, he prepared the means of his recovery. But the look of Jesus was employed as the principal means of his restoration. The Lord turned and looked on Peter.

This was a look of complaint. It is the man of sorrows complaining of a new burden, while he is ready to sink under what he already bears. How eloquent was that eye when it was turned upon Peter, and spoke the language of the Saviour's heart? Is it not enough, Peter, that I am falsely accused, and cruelly dragged before this mock tribunal, where I shall be unjustly condemned, and shortly called to endure the painful and ignominious death of the cross? O, Peter, will you pierce my heart with a fresh dagger? will you add new gall to the cup that I am now drinking? will you give a sharper point to those arrows that are piercing my soul? O, Peter, have you no heart to sympathize with me in my sufferings, no tears to shed on this scene of wo, that will fill heaven and earth with mourning?

This was a look of reproof and resentment. The Saviour felt indignant at the base and treacherous conduct of Peter. He had given Peter suitable cautions and proper warnings, to which he paid no special regard, but was, continually boasting of his firmness, and of the strength of his attachment to his Master. How did the eye of Jesus, when he looked upon him, flash with reproof? What do you think now, Peter ?-where is all your boasted confidence and