and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, and his APOSTLES, Ebc. 251 protellations 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 leffons: fink, that what- ever a perfon's attainments might have been formerly, ifonce he paffes the bounds of innocence, he commonly proceeds from bad to worfe, one fin naturally drawing on another; for which reafon the very leak appearances of evil are to be avoided, and the greatek humility and Pelf diffidence maintained : in the fecond place, we may learn, that no firmer who repents, and has confidence in the goodnefs of God, fhould ever defpair: for he no fooner denied his Mailer the third time, than the cockcrew, and awakened in him the fink conviction of his fin: And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word. of the Lord, how he had laid unto him, Before the cock crow, thoufhalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. St. Luke is the only evangelik who has preferved this beautiful circum- fiance of CHRIST'S turning and looking on Peter. The members of the council who fat on JESUS, were placed at the upper end of the hall ; in the other, were the fervants with Peter at the fire : fo that Jesus being probably placed on fome emi- nence, that his judges, who were nume- rous, might fee and hear him, could eafily look over towards Peter, and obferve him denying him, and in paffionate terms, loud enough to be heard, perhaps, over all the place. The look pierced him, and, with the crowing of the cock, brought his Maf- ter's prediction frefh into his mind. He was flung with deep remorfe; and, being unable to contain himfelf, he covered his face with his garment to conceal the con- fufion he was in, and going out into the porch wept very bitterly. All this paffed while the pricks examined Jesus with many taunts and revilings ; and while the moll zealous ofCHRIST'S difciples was de- nying him with oaths and imprecations, the others infulted him in thé moft inhu- man manner. Thus a complication of in- juries, infults, and indignities, was at one time heaped upon the bleffed Redeemer, the meek and mild Jesus, the fuffering and wonderfully - patient Son of the adora- ble Majeky of heaven. C H A P T E R XXXV. The Trial of JEsus before the Sanhedrim, or grand Council of the Jews. THE band of foldiers, having feized Jesus, led him to the high-priek's houfe, where all the chief pricks, the Scribes, and the elders, were affembled; And as loon as it was day, the elders of the people, and the chief priepls, and the Scribes came together, and led him into their council. Probably the trial did net begin immediately on our Lord's arri- val ; for though many of the judges were at the high-prick's before him, fome per- fans of dikinction might be abfent, whofe coming the rek were, out of refpect, in- clined to wait for : but, as the paflover was at hand, they had no time to lofe ; fó that as foon as the council was fully met, the trial was begun : And the hgh- priell af/eed Jefus of his difciples, and of his dollrine. He inquired ofhim what his difciples were, for what end he had ga thered them, whether it was to make himfelf a king, and what the doctrine was
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=