and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, and his APOSTLES, &C. g6ÿ apoflles near the entrance; our bleffed Saviour taking with him Peter, James, and John, retired into the more folitary parts of the garden, to enter on the pre- paratory fcene of the great tragedy that was now nigh at hand. The bleffed Jesus at this awful jun&ure, laboured under the bittereft agony that ever human nature fuffered, during which he prayed with the utmofl fervency to his almighty Father, offering ups prayers and fupplications, withJirongcryings and tears; and his fweat was as it were great drops of bloodfalling down to the ground. While our great Redeemer was thus interceding with the Almighty, his three difciples were . fallen afleep, though he had made three feveral vifits to them; and calling to Peter, afked him, if he could not watch one hour with him? advifing them all to watch and pray, that they might not enter into temp- tation, adding, Thefyiirit indeed is willing, but the fly is weak. _ During our Lord's converfation with them, a band of foldiers from the chief priefis and elders, preceded by the traitor Judas to conduf and direEf them, rufhed into the garden, and feized the great High- Priefl of our profeffion. Peter, whole un- governable zeal would admit ofno refiraint, drew his fword, and, without the leafs order from his Mailer, (truck at one of the perlons who feemed to be remarkably bufy in binding Jesus, and cut off his right ear. This wild and unwarrantable zeal was very offenfive to his Matter, who rebuked Peter, and entreated the patience of the foldiers, while he healed the wound by a miracle. The fidelity of the apoflles, which they had urged with fo much confidence, was now put to the trial. They taw their Matter in the hands of a rude and incon- fiderate band of men; and therefore thould have exerted their power to releafe him, or at leaft have been the companions of his fufferings, and endeavoured, by every kind and endearing action, to have leffened his grief. But, alas ! inflead of affifling or comforting their Mailer, they all forfook No. 31. him and fled,=from innocence in dif- trefs. Hereupon the foldiers who had bound Jesus led him away, and deliveredhim to the chief priefls and elders, who carried him from one tribunal to another ; firfl to Annas, and then to Caiaphas, where the Jewifh Sanhedrim were affembled, in order to try and condemn him to death, Peter, who in the mean time had fol- lowed the other difciples in their 'flight, recovered his fpirits, and being encouraged by his companion St. John, returned to Peek his Mailer ; and feeing him leading to the high-prieft's hall, followed at a diftance to know the event : but on his coming to the door was refufed admittance, till one of the difciples, probably St. John, who was acquainted there, came out, and prevailed on the fervant who kept thedoor to let him in. Peter, being admitted, re- paired to the fire burning in the middle of the hall; round which the officers and fervants were fianding; where being ob- ferved by the maid-fervant who let him in, the charged himwith being one ofpi R t ss difciples ; but Peter publicly denied the charge, declaring that he did not know him, and prefently withdrew into the porch, where he heard the cock crow: an intima- tion feemingly fufficient to have awakened his confcience into a quick fenfe of his duty, and the promife he had a few hours before made to his Mailer. But, alas ! hu- man nature, when left to itfelf, is remark- ably frail and inconftant. This Peter fufficiently experienced ; for while he con- tinued in the porch, another maid met him, and charged him with being one of the followers of Jesus of Nazareth; which Peter fliffly denied, and, the better to gain belief, uttered an oath, to confirm his affertion. Nearly an hour after this, the fervant of the high-prieft (he whole ear Peter had cut off) charged him with being a difciple of CHRIST, and that he himfelf had feen him in the garden with him ;adding, that his very fpeech proved him to be a Gali 4 U lean
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