366 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE J our BLESSED LORD lean. Peter, however, Rill denied the fact ; and to add the higheft accomplifhment to his fin, ratified it, not only by an oath, but a folemn curie and execration, that he was not the perfon, that he knewnot the man. But no fooner had he uttered this denial, than the cock crew. At which his Mailer turned about, and earneffly looked upon him : a look that pierced him to the heart, and brought to his rememberance what his Saviour more than once had fore- told, that he would bafely and shamefully deny him. Peter was now no longer able to contain his forrow ; he flew from the palace of the high-prieft, and wept bitterly, pafliionately bewailing his folly, and the aggravations of his fin; endeavouring thereby to make force reparation for his apoftacy, recover the favour of heaven, and'prevent the executionof divine juftice, by taking a fevere revenge upon hind-elf for his crime. St. Peter's fall fhould convince us ofthe miferable frailtyeven of the bell of men, and effectually fubdue thole vain confi- dences which are apt to rife in our hearts . from our own fuppofed ftrength and virtue: for as this great difciple fell in fo fcanda- lous a manner, who {hall hereafter dare to depend upon the higheft degree of know- ledge, when one fo wife, fo perfectly fa- tisfied of the truth of the Chrilian doctrine, was, after the fulleft convictions ofhis own confcience, fo weak and frail as to deny and abjure his Lord who inftructed and bought him, even at the price of his own blood? Who {hall prefume upon his bell refolutions, when he who declared fo firm a purpofe of adhering to Jesus, did within a few hours peremptorily and folemnly difown that very perfon for whole fake he was lately ready and dif- pofed to lay down his life. From this example we fhould alto re- member the wifdom and goodnefs of the Almighty, in caufing the faults and infir- mities of his faints to be recorded in the HolyScripkures, and the ufe we ought to make of their failings and temptations. Their eminent virtues, and their as emi- nent repentance where they did amifs, are written as a feafonable warning, and exhibit an inflance of humiliation to all future ages ; by letting us fee, that the molt perfect are but men, fubject to ble- mifhes and imperfections : and that the higheft and pureft late is no fecurity from danger. This fhould make us very tender how we judge and defpife our brethren ; whole faults, however feverely we may cen- fure them, might probably have been our own, had we been in their circumflances, and furrounded with their temptations : for let him that thinketh he fiandeth, take heed left he fall. We fhonld not then promife ourfelves fafety and freedom from tempta- tions in any circumfiance in life; or fo far prefume on our own virtues, as to think we are incapable of committing the blackeft crimes, fhould the Almighty with- draw his grace, and leave us to ourfelves. We have no account whether St. Peter, after the denial of his Mailer, retired into lome folitary place, to give vent to his grief and indulge his tears ; or whether he followed his Saviour through the feveral lages of his trial, and perfonally attended as a mourner at the funeral of his Mailer. But however that be, he flayed at Jeru- falem, or, at leaft, in the neighbourhood, and probably with St. John ; for when Mary Magdalene returned from the fe- pulchre, to inform the difciples that the lone was rolled away from the door, and the body not to be found, Peter and John fet out immediately towards the garden. John who was the younger, arrived firft at the fepulchre, looked into it, but did not enter, either out of fear, or a reverence to his Saviour. Peter, whole zeal was greatly increafed, came foon after, and refolutely went into the fepulchre, where he found the linen clothes lying together in one place, and the napkin that was about his head, wrapped together in another; a fufficient indication that the bodywasnot lofen away`: for had that been the cafe, fomuch care and order would not have
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