and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, and his APOSTLES,- &c. 2,33 the Gentiles, faid he, they are reckoned thegreaten who have the greaten power, and have exercifed.it in the molt abfolute manner: but your greatnefs (hall be very different from theirs ; it fhail not confin in beingunlimited with regard to tyrannical power, even though it fhould be joined with an alfeflation of titles, which denote qualities truly honourable ; but whofoever delires to be great, or chief among you, let him be fo by his humility, and the fer- vice he renders to the ren, in imitation of me your Malter, whole greatnefs confins in this, that I am become the fervant of you all: adding, as they had continued with him . in this temptation, he would bellow upon them fuch a kingdom as his Father had appointed for them. At the fame time, to check their ambition, and lead them to form a juft notion of his kingdom, he told them, that he was loon to leave them, and that whither he was going, they could not at that time followhim; for which reafon, inflead of contending with one another, which of them fhould be the greaten, they would do well to be united among them- felves in the happy bond of love : for, by loving one another fincerely and fervently, they would prove themfelves his difciples, to the conviftion of mankind, who could not be ignorant, that the diftinguifhing part of his charafl.er was love. Our Lord called this a new command- ment, not becaufe mutual love had never been enjoined to mankind before, but be- caufe it was a precept of peculiar excel- lency ; for the word new in the Hebrew language, denotes excellency and truth : and the reafon of this idiom feems to have been, that novelty oftentimes has the fame effefl upon the mind as excellency, ren- dering an ,objea acceptable, and railing admiration : he alto called this a new com- mandment, becaufe they were to exercife it under a new relation, according to a new meafure, and fromnew motives: they were to love one another in the relation of his difciples, and in that degree of love which he , had !hewed to them ; for they No. 20. were to lay down their lives for the bre- thren. This excellent morality, however, did not make fuch an impreflïon on Peter, as the words which Jesus had fpoken con- cerning a place whither his difciples could not come: he therefore replied, by afking, where he was going? To which Jesus an- fwered, Whither I go, thou can't notfollow me now; but thou (halt follow me after- wards. In order to make his difciples humble, watchful, and kindly-affeaionate one to- wards another, he allured them, that Satan was feeking to ruin them all by his tempta- tions : And the Lord faid, Simon, Simon, Behold, Satan hathdejired to háveyou, that he may jilt you as wheat: but Ihave prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, firengthen thy brethren. Peter was greatly offended that his Maltet fhould have fingled him out as the weaken; for fo he interpreted his praying for him particularly: and fuppofing that he men- tioned Satan's feeking to lift him, as a thing which would hinder him from fol- lowing his Malter, replied, Why cannot I follow thee now ? Is there any road more terrible than the dark valley of the fhadow of death ? Yet, I am willing this moment to accompany thee through thefe black and gloomy lhades. But Jesus knowing his weak, though fincere refolution, anfwered, Art thou fo very confident of thine own flrength? I tell thee, Peter, the cock 'hall not crow this day, before that thou(halt thrice deny that thou knows me, Luke xxii. 34 Our dear Lord having finifhed what he had to fay to Peter in particular, turned himfelf to his other difciples, and put them in mind, how that, when they were fire rent out, he direfted them to rely wholly upon the Almighty for Affiance. When I fent you formerly, Paid he, to preach the gofpel, you may remember, I ordered you to go without any provifion, either for your fuftenance or defence, af- luring you, that though you would indeed meet with great oppofition, yet Providence 3 L would
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