Therefore when our Lord heard Peter make that clear confession, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, he knew at once that this was God's doing; that the Spirit had wrought this conviction; had taken away the "evil heart of unbelief, and given the tender heart of humility and faith and love. Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee. Flesh and blood could not have taught thee this lesson; for no man can implant faith in another: flesh and blood would have taught thee a different lesson; would have led thee to doubt and dispute, or would have made thee shrink from this avowal. My Father which is in heaven has taught thee to submit and believe; and, therefore, blessed art thou. Thy faith shall save thee.

The fact is clear, both from Scripture and from experience, that no man can rightly believe Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the living God, but through the influence of the Spirit. This truth may be abused; but it is not the less truth, or less needful to be understood. What, therefore, are you to do? What, but pray to Him from whom the Spirit proceeds, that he may give and preserve to you the same heart and faith which he gave to his apostle, and which entitled him to be called blessed. And never suppose that you can pray for this faith in vain. It would be impious to think so. For it would be judging worse of God, than of an earthly parent. Our Lord has himself "Shall ye, being evil,

taught us this argument;

give good gifts to your children, and shall not your heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

Pray then for yourselves, and for all, that a deeper sense may be granted you of what you owe to Christ Jesus: that "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to them that believe." (Eph. i. 17, &c.)

18. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

19. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

20. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

Peter had avowed the fundamental truth on which the church of Christ is built; the truth which in all ages has prevailed against the gates of hell, instead of being vanquished by Satan. Peter had also, by that confession, shown himself suited to become a pillar of that church. The question is, which is to be considered as the rock; Peter himself, or the truth which he had uttered. It seems more natural to ascribe this term to the individual Peter.3 Thou art Peter: a name "which is by in

"That the church of Christ should be built on the acknowledg ment of Christ, seems here to bear too much the appearance of a truism, to be so solemnly pronounced. The case is different with

terpretation a stone:" on thee, as a corner stone, a foundation stone, I will build my church, a church which shall stand for ever. Peter certainly did become such a corner stone: the rising church rested upon him as its chief support for many years: and he laid the foundation of it at the day of Pentecost, when there "were added to the church three thousand souls," and instead of a party of apostles, it became a body of Christians. On that occasion, he exhibited the keys of the kingdom of heaven : he disclosed the doctrine, which "opens the kingdom of heaven to all believers." On other occa sions, as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, he proved himself endowed with a knowledge of the heart, which enabled him to bind or loose, to pardon or condemn.

We may remember, however, that it was not his successful eloquence, not his apostleship, not his special gifts, which drew forth the declaration of a remarkable blessing from our Lord: it was that which may equally belong to every Christian, his clear understanding and confession of Jesus as the Christ the Son of the living God: the avowal professed in the words, "Thou art the King of glory, O Christ; Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father."

us now, when we select as a leading article of faith out of many others, the divinity of Christ, or justification through Christ. This, however, will appear in different lights to different readers.

LECTURE XLI.

PETER REBUKED.-NECESSITY OF SELF-DENIAL.

MATT. xvi. 20-28.

31-38.

21. From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his Mark viii. disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer Luke ix. many things of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, 22-27. and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

22. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto thee. 23. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offence unto me; for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of

men.

We may observe, that our Lord uses the same words here to his beloved disciple Peter, which he employed towards Satan himself in his temptation in the wilderness: Get thee behind me, Satan : and thus intimates in what light even the nearest friends are to be viewed, when they stand between us and duty. The things which Peter would have recommended, were, in the opinion of man, more suitable to the character of the Messiah. To the taste and feelings of man, too, they must needs be more agreeable than what it was ordained that Christ should suffer. But this was the judgment of the flesh, not of the Spirit. And the great business of religion is to bring our own judgment and inclination and preference to conform to the will and wisdom of God. This is the proof of the

Spirit of God dwelling in us. after the flesh do mind the things

"They that are of the flesh :" "But they

they savour the things that be of men. that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit:" the things of God.

24. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.

25. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake, shall find it.

26. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

27. For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

28. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

1

A very important declaration is here made, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. And it is necessary to inquire, how far this warning is applicable to Christians generally. For, without doubt, the apos tles and early disciples were called to deny, that is, to give up and renounce, themselves, in a manner which can only belong to times of persecution.

Yet does the phrase, in different degrees, apply to all persons and all times. The Christian faith is essentially a religion of self-denial.

1

1. It is so, first, because every Christian re

By this phrase, the coming of the Son of man, the destruction of Jerusalem is often expressed, which John, if not others of the apostles, then standing here, lived to witness.