290 Reflections on the hardness of the traitor's heart. SECT. Deliver us, O Lord, from any share in that guilt! We are treated clxx. as thy friends; we are set at thy table: let us not ungratefully Mat. kick against thee, while the ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his XXV. master's crib; (Isa. i. 3.) 16 xxvi. 22. If we would not do it, let us be jealous over ourselves with a godly jealousy. Happy are they whose hearts witness to their sinMat. cerity in the presence of him that searches them, and can cheerfully say, Lord, is it I? Let them say it humbly too; lest the infirmity of nature prevail upon them beyond their present purpose or apprehension, and lead them on to do that, the very thought of which they would now abhor. Mark Mat. How artfully must Judas have conducted himself, when on xiv. 19. such an intimation no particular suspicion appears to have fallen on him! But how vain is that artifice, be it ever so refined, which, while it preserves a character in the sight of men, cannot in the xxvi. least degree impose upon Christ! The day will come when he will 23, 25 lay open the false and ungrateful hypocrite, in a more overwhelm24ing manner than that in which he here exposed Judas; and, whatever advantage he may have gained, either by professing religion, or by betraying it, he will undoubtedly find that it had been good for him that he never had been born. 30 One would have imagined that an admonition like this, which laid bare the secrets of his heart, and warned him so plainly and faithfully of his danger, might have wrought some remorse in his heart, or at least have proved some impediment to the immediate execution of his design: but, being now given up by the righJohn teous judgment of God to the influence of Satan, and the lust of xii. 27. his own depraved mind, he is exasperated, rather than reclaimed by it; and immediately goes forth, under the covert of the night, to hasten the accomplishment of that work of darkness, the consequences of which had been so awfully represented. O Lord, let thy grace, and thy love, do that for us which thy terrors alone cannot do! Let our hearts be melted by that nobler principle, and taught to abhor every thing which would displease thee! Oh, let them flow forth into such workings of compassion to the afflicted 29 as engaged the blessed Jesus to relieve the poor out of his own little stock; and into those sentiments of candor which would not permit the apostles, even after this admonition, to imagine Judas altogether so bad as indeed he was, but led them to put the mildest construction on their Master's ambiguous address to him! Such may our mistakes be, wherever we do mistake; the errors of a charity, which would not by excessive rigour injure the vilest sinner, and much less the least and weakest of God's servants! SECT. Jesus declares that he should soon be glorified. 291 SECT. CLXXI. Christ, having exhorted his disciples to mutual love, forewarns them of their approaching trial, and foretells Peter's fall, immediately before the eucharist. Luke XXII. 31-34. John XIII. 31, to the end. JOHN XII. 31. THEREFORE when gone out, he was Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himseif, and shall straight way glorify him. 33 Little children, yet a little while I an with you: Ye shall so now I say unto you. IT JOHN XIII. 31. clxxi. John T was observed in the preceding section how SECT. Judas, being marked out both by Christ's actions and his words, quitted the place in a mixture of rage and confusion: when therefore he XIII.31. was thus gone out, Jesus said to the rest of his disciples as they sat at the table with him, Now is the Son of man just on the point of being glorified far more remarkably than ever; and God in a most illustrious manner is to be glorified in him, by the signal and extraordinary circumstances of his abasement and exaltation. And 32 you may assure yourselves, that if God be glorified in him, God will also glorify him in and with himself, in such a degree as shall in the most convincing manner declare his intimate relation to him; and the time will presently come when he will eminently glorify him: for the Son of man is very shortly to enter on the honours of his celestial and universal kingdom, and in the mean time some rays of Divine glory shall shine through all that cloud of ignominy, reproach, and distress, which shall surround him. My dear little children, whom I love even with 33. parental tenderness, and whom my heart pities seek me; and as I said under all your trials and sorrows, it is yet but a unto the Jews, Whither very little while longer that I am to continue I go, ve cannot come; with you; a few hours more will part us: and when I am gone, ye shall seek me, and wish for my presence and converse; but, as I said to the Jews, that whither I go, ye cannot come (John vii. 34; and viii. 21, Vol. VI. p. 519, 533); so now I say to you, Ye cannot as yet come to the place When therefore he was gone out.] The reader will observe that, if the former reasoning relating to the order of this part of the story be just, Judas certainly went out before the eucharist was instituted. And indeed one cannot reasonably suppose VOL. VII. O o Christ would have commanded him to A 292 clxxi. He commands his disciples to love one another. 34 A new command. ment I give unto you, SECT place whither I am going. But observe my parting words, and let them be written on your That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. John very hearts; for I give it you as a new comXIII.34. mandment, and press you by new motives and a new example to a duty which hitherto, alas, has been too little regarded; and from henceforth would have you to consider it as confirmed by a new sanction, and to keep it ever fresh in your memories; That ye love one another with a most sincere and ardent affection, such as mankind have never known before; yea, I would now enjoin you, even as I have loved you, that ye also would love one another, with a friendship which may carry you through such difficulties and sufferings as I am going to endure for you 35 all. This will be the most acceptable and the most ornamental token of your relation to me ; and I recommend it to you, as the noblest badge love one to another. of your profession: for by this shall all men know that you are my disciples indeed, if they see you have that lively and generous love for each other which nothing but my gospel can be sufficient to inspire. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have 36 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whi 36 On this Jesus paused, that they might have an b A new commandment.] I apprehend this expression signifies much more than merely a renewed command. (Compare 1 John ii. 7, 8; and 2 John ver. 5.) It seems a strong and lively intimation that the engagements to mutual love, peculiar to the Christian dispensation, are so singular, and so cogent, that all other men, when compared with its votaries, may seem uninstructed in the school of friendship, and Jesus may appear, as it were, the first professor of that Divine science. Jamblicus (Vit. Pythag. cap. 33) seems very injuriously to have preferred the Pythagoreans to all other men on that acCount; but it may be observed, that both he and Eunapius, like many moderns, seem to have had very little regard to truth when falschood might cast a slur on Christianity.- Dr. Clarke well observes that our Lord seems to have laid this peculiar stress on charity, as foreseeing that general corruption and destruction of true Christianity, which the want of it would cause among those that should call themselves his church. (Clarke's Ser ing? not follow me now; but mons, Vol. III. p. 297.- Raphelius c The noblest badge of your profession.] It is well known that the founders of new societies appoint some peculiar ornament, sign, or mode of living, by which their followers may be known from others. This seems to be here alluded to. d Thon me afterwards. On Peter's confidence, Jesus foretells his fall. 293 clxxi. John but thou shalt follow ing? Jesus answered him, I tell thee, Peter, SECT. Whither I am going thou canst not directly follow me now; for thou art intended for service in my church for many future years: but let it XIII.36. suffice thee, that thou shalt follow me afterwards in the same way, and dwell perpetually with 37 Peter said unto me. Peter said to him, in a transport of eager 37 him, Lord, why cannot and tender affection, Lord, why cannot I follow will lay down my life thee now? Whatever difficulties and dangers may be in the way, the prospect of them does not discourage me; for I will most willingly lay down my life for thy sake, and had much rather die than part with thee. I follow thee now? I for thy sake. 38-Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? LUKE XXII. 31 And the Lord said, SiSatan hath desired to haze you, that he may sift you as wheat: mon, Simon, behold, But Jesus answered him, Wilt thou indeed so 33 readily lay down thy life for my sake? Alas, thou knowest not thine own weakness, or thou wouldst never talk thus confidently. And the Lord added with great earnestness, Luke and said, O Simon, Simon, I must tell thee, that XXII.31 an hour of terrible trial is just at hand, which will press harder than thou art aware on thee, and on all thy companions here: for behold, Satan, as in the case of Job (Job ii. 4, 5), has requested of God a permission [to assault you all by furious and violent temptations, that he may toss you up and down, and sift [you] like wheat in a sieve: (compare Amos ix. 9.) But 32 1, foreseeing the danger to which thou, Peter, converted, wilt peculiarly be exposed, have graciously prestrengthen thy bre- vented thee with the tokens of my friendly care, 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art thren. and have prayed to my Father for thee, that he d Thou shalt follow me afterwards.] I am ready to think our Lord here obliquely hints at what he afterwards farther signified in his command to Peter after his resurrection, when he ordered him to follow him (John xxi. 18, 19, sect. cei); namely, that Peter should die on the cross for his sake; which ancient history assures us that he did. See Euseb. Hist. Eccles. lib. iii. cap. 1. to C When thou art returned, &c.] Kaiov πότε επέτρεψας, ςήριξον τας αδελφες σαν I cannot think the authorities which the learned Elsner produces (Observ. Vol. I. p. 276, 277) sufficient to induce us, with Sir Norton Knatchbull, to translate these words, Do thou, some time or other, convert and strengthen thy brethren.-For the signification of 1715pipur, see Acts ix. 35; xi. 21; xiv. 15. 002 f Make 294 clxxi. Reflections on Christ's care of his apostles. SECT. to engage all over whom thou hast any influence, to a steady adherence to my cause, in the midst of the greatest difficulties. Luke XXII.33 34 : And such was still the confidence that Peter had of his own stedfastness and zeal, that he said to him, with renewed eagerness and warmth, Lord, what I said but now is the deliberate sentiment and resolution of my heart lead me therefore whither thou pleasest: for I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death itself, and whatsoever I may suffer by continuing with thee, none of the most cruel of thine enemies shall ever be able to part us. But Jesus, that he might convince him of his weakness, and prevent his ever trusting in his own heart again, said to him, Peter, I know the sincerity of thine intention, yet I most assuredly say unto thee, It shall not be the time of cock crowing to-day, before thou shalt be so terrified at the faces of these enemies whom thou now defiest, that thou shalt thrice deny that thou so much as knowest me, and shalt solemnly disclaim all regard to me. (Compare Mat. xxvi. 31, and Mark xiv. 30, sect. clxxxi.) 33 And he said unto IMPROVEMENT. Luke ALAS, how ready are we to forget ourselves; and how much xxii. 3. safer are we in Christ's hands than in our own! How frequently do we resolve like Peter, and in how many instances do f Make it thine immediate care, &c.] I can see no objection against taking the charge in this comprehensive sense: and as I question not but Peter, after he had wept his fall so bitterly, as we know he did, applied himself to rally his dispersed brethren, and to prevent their fleeing from Jerusalem, till the third day was over, in the morning of which he was up betimes, and early at the sepulchre of our Lord: (see John xx. 2, 3, sect. cxciv.) So indeed the strain of his epistles shews his long and affectionate remembrance of this solemn charge. Many passages of the first are peculiarly intended to animate his Christian brethren to a courageous adherence to Christ amidst the greatest dangers, 1 Pet. i. 6, 7; ii. 19, 20; iii. 14-18; iv. 12-19, v. 8, 9, 10; and the second has several cautions to guard them against the seductions of error, in some instances more to be dreaded than the terrors of the severest persecution. 2 Pet. i. 10, 12; ii. 1, 2, 20, 21; iii. 2, 17. we As It shall not be the time of cock-crowing to-day.] A careful perusal of sect. clxxxi. compared with this, will shew why I have not here brought in the account which Matthew and Mark have given us of Christ's admonitions to Peter and his brethren on this head; which appear to be the renewal of this some hours after. it is plain from thence and the event, that the cock actually crew before Peter's third denial, we must certainly take the words of Luke and John, as in this version, for the common time of cock-crowing, which probably did not come till after the cock which Peter heard had crowed the second time, and perhaps oftener. For it is well known those vigilant animals, on any little disturbance, often crow at midnight, or before it; though they do not come from their roost till about three in the morning, which was usually called the cock-crowing. (Mark xiii. 55) See Dr. Whitby's note on Mat. xxvi. 34. |