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surrounded them also. He seems to have made this request to the soldiers, that the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake,

of them which thou gavest me have I lost none." For as God always proportions the trials of his people to their strength: so here he took care that the disciples should escape the storm, which none but himself could sustain.

At length, one of the soldiers, more daring than the rest, rudely caught Jesus, and bound him: upon which Peter drew his sword, and smote off the ear of the priest's servant, who probably was shewing greater forwardness than the rest in this busi"Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear; the servant's name was Malchus." The enraged disciple

ness.

on the point of singly attacking the whole band, when Jesus ordered him to sheath his sword; telling him, that his unseasonable and imprudent defence might prove the occasion of his destruction. "Then said Jesus, unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." Matt. xxvi. 52. He told him, likewise, that it implied both a distrust of God, who can always employ a variety of means for the safety of his people, and also his ignorance in the scriptures. "Thinkest thou, said, he, that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scripture be fulfilled that thus it must be ?". Matt. xxvi, 53, 54.

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of angels. He yet was tenderly inclined to prevent any bad consequences which might have flowed from Peter's rashness, by healing the servant, and adding, in his rebuke to him a declaration of his willingness to suffer, "The cup which my Father has given me, shall I not drink it?”

The circumstance of his healing the ear of Malchus, by touching it, evidently implies, that no wound or distemper was incurable in the hand of Jesus; neither was any injury so great that he could not forgive. It seems somewhat surprising that this evident miracle did not make an impression upon thechief priests, especially as our Lord put them in mind, at the same time, of his other miracles! for having first said, "Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him." He added, "Be ye come out, as against a thiet, with swords and staves; When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness." Luke xxii. 51, &c. The priests had kept at a distance, during the attack, but drew near, when they understood that Jesus was in their power; for they were proof against all conviction, being obstinately bent on putting him to death. And the disciples, when they saw their Master in the hands of his enemies, forsook him and fled, according to his prediction: notwithstanding they might have followed him without any danger, as the priests had no design against them." Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. Then the band, and the captain and officers took Jesus and bound him." But it was not the cord which held him; his immense charity was by far a stronger bond. He could have broken those weak ties, and exerted his divinity in a more wonderful manner; he could have stricken them all dead, with as much ease as he had before thrown them on the ground; but he patiently submitted to this, as to every other indiguity which they pleased to offer to him; so meek was he under the greatest injuries. Having thus secured him, they led him

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They first led him to Annas, father-inlaw to Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. Annas having himself discharged the office of high priest, was consequently a person of distinguished character, which, together with his relation to the high priest, made him worthy of the respect they now paid him. But he refused singly to meddle in the affair; they therefore carried Jesus to Caiaphas himself, at whose palace the chief priests, elders, and scribes, were assembled, having staid there all night to see the issue of their stratagem. This Caiaphas was he that advised the council to put Jesus to death, even admitting he was innocent, for the safety of the Jewish nation. He seems to have enjoyed the sacerdotal divinity during the whole course of Pilate's government in Judea for he was advanced by Valerius Gracchus, Pilate's predecessor, and was divested of it by Vitellius, governor of Syria, after he had deposed Pilate from his procuratorship.

CHAP. XXXV.

Fulfilment of our Lord's Prediction concerning Peter.

THE apprehending of Jesus could not but strike his disciples with horror and amazement: though he had forewarned them of that event, such was their consternation, that they fled different ways: some of them, however, recovering out of the

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This disciple being acquainted at the first, and soon after for Peter, who had high priest's, got admittance for himself come with him. "And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple." That disciple was known to the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door

without. Then went out that other disciple, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the ball, and were sat down together, Peter sat down among them. The maid-servant who kept the door, concluding Peter to be a disciple also, followed after him to the fire, and looking earnestly at him, charged him with saith the the supposed crime. Then damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples ?" This blunt attack threw Peter into such a confusion, that he flatly denied his having any connection with Jesus, replying, 1 am not, and adding, "I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest." As if he had said, I do not understand any reason for your asking me such a question. Thus the very apostle who had before acknowledged his Master to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God, who was so honoured with the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and had so confidently boasted of his fortitude, and firm attachment to him in the greatest dangers, proved an arrant deserter of his cause upon trial. His shameful fears were altogether inexcusable, as the enemy who attacked him was one of the weaker sex, and the terror of the charge was in a great measure taken off, by the insinuation made in it that John was likewise known to be Christ's disciple: for as he was known at

the high priest's, he was consequently known in that character. "Art thou not also one of this man's disciples? Art thou not one of them, as well as he who is sitting with you?" Nothing can account for this conduct of Peter, but the confusion and panic which had seized him on this occasion. As his inward perturbation must have appeared in his countenance and gesture, he did not chuse to stay long with the servants at the fire. He went out, therefore, into the porch, where he was a little concealed. "And he went out into the porch, and the cock crew (namely, for the first time). And another maid saw him, and began to say to them that stood by, this is one of them; and he again denied it with an oath, I know not the man ;" (adding perjury to the lye.)

After Peter had been thus attacked without doors, he thought proper to return and mix with the crowd at the fire. "And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself." From this circumstance we may conclude, that the ensuing was the third denial; and that Peter left the porch where the second denial happened, and was come again into the hall. "Here one of the servants of the high priest (being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off) saith, did not I see thee in the garden with him? Peter then denied. again, and immediately the cock crew." The words of Malchus' kinsman bringing to Peter's remembrance what he had done to that slave, threw him into such a panic, that when those who stood by repeated the charge, he impudently denied it: "He

even began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak." For when they heard Peter deny the charge, they supported it by an argument drawn from the accent with which he pronounced his answer. Surely thou art one of them; for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto : so that being pressed on all sides, to give his lye a better colour, he prophaned the name of God, by imprecating the bitterest curses on himself, if he No. 15.

was telling a falsehood. Perhaps, he hoped, by these acts of impiety, to convince them effectually, that he was not the disciple of the holy Jesus.

Thus the apostle denied his Master three distinct times, with oaths and asseverations, totally forgetting the vehement protestations he had made a few hours before, that he would never deny him. He was permitted to fall in this manner, to teach us two lessons: first, that the strongest resolutions formed in our own strength cannot withstand the torrent of temptation; secondly, that the true disciples of Christ, though they fall, shall be brought to a conviction of their sin; for he no sooner denied his Master the third time, than the cock crew, and awakened in him the first conviction of his sin. "And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter; and Peter remembered the words of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out and wept bitterly." St. Luke is the only evangelist who has preserved this beautiful circumstance of Christ's turning and looking on Peter.

The members of the council who sat on Jesus, were placed at the upper end of the hall in the other were the servants, with Peter, at the fire; so that Jesus being probably placed on some eminence, that his judges, who were numerous, might see and hear him, could easily look over towards Peter, and observe him denying him, and in passionate terms loud enough to be heard. perhaps over all the place. The look pierced him, and with the crowing of the cock brought his Master's prediction fresh into his mind. He was stung with deep remorse; and being unable to contain himself, he covered his face with his garment to conceal the confusion he was in, and going out into the porch, wept very bitterly. All this passed while the priests examined Jesus with many taunts and revilings; and while the most zealous of 3 N

Christ's disciples was denying him with oaths and imprecations, the people insulted him in the most inhuman manner. Thus a complication of injuries, insults and indignities, were at one time heaped upon the blessed Redeemer, the meek and mild Jesus, in order to fulfil the prophecies concerning him, and teach his followers a lesson of humility.

CHAP. XXXVI.

The Saviour of the World is arraigned at the Bar of the Sanhedrim, and tried by the Jewish Council.

WHEN

WHEN the band of soldiers arrived at the high-priest's with Jesus, they found there all the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders assembled; "And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people, and the chief priests, and scribes, came together, and led him into their council. And the high-priest asked Jesus of his disciples, and his doctrine." He enquired of him what his disciples were; for what end be had gathered them, whether it was to make himself a king, and what the doctrine was which he taught them? In these questions there was a great deal of art; for as the crime laid to our Saviour's charge was, that he had set up for the Messiah, and deluded the people, they expected he would claim that dignity in their presence, and so would, on his own confession, have condemned him, without any farther progress. This was unfair, as it was artful and ensnaring. To oblige a prisoner on his trial to confess what might take away his life, was a very inequitable method of proceeding; and Jesus expressed his opinion thereof with a very good reason, and complained of it, bidding them prove what they had laid to his charge, by witnesses. Jesus answered him, I speak openly to the world, I ever taught in the synagogues, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort, and

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in secret I have said nothing. Why asketh thou me ? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them; behold they know what I said."

It was greatly to the honour of our blessed Redeemer, that all his actions were done in public, under the eye even of his enemies; because, had he been carrying on an imposture, the lovers of goodness and truth had thus abundant opportunities of detecting him with propriety: he, therefore, in his defence, appealed to that part of his character, but his answer was construed disrespectful; for, "when he had thus spoken, one of the officers, which stood by, struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, answerest thou the highpriest so?" priest so?" To which he meekly replied, with the greatest serenity, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me ?" Shew me, prove before this court, wherein my crime consists, or record it in the evidence on the face of my trial: which if you cannot, how can you answer this inhuman treatment to a defenceless prisoner, standing on his trial before the world, and in open court?

Thus Jesus became an example of his own precept. Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also," Matt. v. 39, bearing the greatest injuries with a patience that could not be provoked.

When the council found that Jesus declined answering the questions, whereby they expected to have drawn from him an acknowledgment of his being the Messiah, they proceeded to examine many witnesses to prove his having assumed that character: as they considered such a pretension as blasphemy in his mouth, who being only a man, according to their opinion, could not, without the highest affront to the divine Majesty, pretend to the title of the Son of God, as it belonged only to the Messiah.

But in this examination they acted like interested and enraged persecutors, rather than impartial Judges, forming their questions in the most artful manner, in order, if possible, to draw expressions from him, which they might pervert into suspicions of guilt, as some foundation for condemning Jesus, who had so long and faithfully laboured for their salvation.

Their witnesses, however, disappointed them, some of them disagreeing in their story, and others, mentioning things of no manner of importance. At last two persons agreed in their depositions, namely, in hearing him say, that he was able to destroy the temple of God, and to raise it in three days. But this testimony was absolutely false; for our great Redeemer never said he could destroy and build the temple of Jerusalem, in three days, as they affirmed.

It is true, that after banishing the traders from the temple, when the Jews desired to know by what authority he undertook to make such a reformation, he referred them to the miracle of his resurrection; bidding them" destroy this temple, (pointing probably to his body) and in three days he would raise it up." The witnesses, therefore, either through malice or ignorance, perverted his answer into an affirmation, that he was able to destroy, and build the magnificent temple of Jerusalem, in three days: and the Judges considered this assertion as blasphemy, because it could be only done by the Divine Power.

Our Saviour made no reply to the evidences that were produced against him, which greatly provoked the high priest, who supposing that he intended by his silence to put an affront on the council, rose from his seat, and with great perturbation, demanded the reason for so remarkable a conduct. "Answerest thou nothing? (said he) what is it which these witness against thee? (And some of the council added) Art thou the Christ?" To which our blessed Saviour

answered, If I should tell you plainly you would not believe me; and if I should demonstrate it to you by the most evident and undeniable arguments, ye would neither be convinced, nor let me go.

The high priest, finding all attempts to trepan our Saviour, in vain, said to him, I adjure you solemnly, by the dreadful and tremendous name of God, in whose presence you stand, that you tell me plainly and truly, whether thou art the Messiah, the Son of God.

The consequence attending a confession of the truth did not intimidate the blessed Jesus; for being adjured by the chief magistrate, he immediately confessed the charge, adding, ye shall shortly see a convincing evidence of this truth, in that wonderful and unparalleled destruction which I will send upon the Jewish nation in the quick and powerful progress which the gospel shall make over the earth; and, finally, in my glorious appearance in the clouds of heaven, at the last day, the sign you have so often demanded in confirmation of my mission.

Upon our blessed Saviour's making this answer, a number of them cried out, at once, "Art thou then the Son of God? (To which our great Redeemer replied) Ye say that I am" a manner of speaking among the Jews, which expressed a plain and strong affirmation of the thing expressed.

When the high priest heard this second assertion, he rent his clothes with great indignation, and said unto the council, why need we trouble ourselves to seek for any more witnesses? Ye yourselves, nay, this whole assembly, are witnesses, that he hath spoken manifest and notorious blasphemy; What think ye? To which they all replied, that for assuming to himself the character of the Messiah, he deserved to be put to death.

Then began the servants and common

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