and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, and his APOSTLES, &c. 367 have been obferved in difpofing of the linen clothes. But he did not wait long in fufpence with regard to'his great Lord and Mailer ; for the fame day, and proba- bly about noon, JESUS appeared to him ; perhaps in compaffion to his forrow, in which he was overwhelmed for his late fhameful denial of his Mailer. And as he was the firfi of the difciples who had made a fignal confeffion of the divinity of the Meffiah, fo it was reafonable he Ihould firft fee him after his refurreftion; and, at the fame time, to convince him that the crime he had been guilty of in denying him was pardoned, and that he was come, like the good Samaritan, to pour oil into his wounded confcience, and adminiter com- fort to his affliaed foul. The apofles foon after prepared to obey the command of their great Mailer, of retiring into Galilee ; and we find that Peter, Nathanael,., the two fops of Zebe- dee, and two other difciples, returned to their old trade of fi(hing on the lake. ,One morning early, as they were labouring at their employment, having fpent the whole night to no purpofe, they faw on the fhoe a grave perfon (perhaps in the habit of a traveller) who called to them, and aaled if they had any meat? To which they an- fwered, No. Gail then, replied he, the net on the right fide of the fhip, and ye (hall find. They followed his diretions, and enclofed a prodigious number, of large fifh. Afionifhed at fuch remarkable fuc- cefs, the difciples looked one upon another for force time, till St. John told Peter, that the perfon on the fhoe, was doubtlefs their great Lord and Mailer, whom the winds, the fea, and the inhabitants of the watery region were fo ready to yield obedience to. St. Peter no fooner heard the beloved difciple declare his opinion concerning the firanger, than his zeal took fire, and, not- withftanding the coldnefs of the feafon, girt on his fifher's coat, threw himfelf into the fea, and fwam to (Fiore; his impatience to be with his dear Lord and Mailer, not 3 fuffering him to flay the few minutes ne- ceffary to bring the (hipnear the fooe. As foon as the difciples came on land; they found a fire kindled, and fifh laid upon it, either immediately created by the power of their divine Mailer, or that came a(hore of it's own accord, and offered itfelf to his hand but notwithilanding there were fifh already on the fire, he or- dered them to bring of thofe they had now caught, and drefs them for their repa(t, he himfelf eating with them ; both to give them an inflance of mutual love and friend -, fhip, and alfo to affure them of the truth of his human nature, finte he was rifen from the dead, as they now beheld. The repafl being ended, our bleffed Sa- viour addreffed himfelf particularly to St. Peter, urging him to the utmoft diligence in his care of fouls ; and becaufe he knew that nothing but a fincere Jove to himfelf could fupport him under the troubles and dangers of fo laborious and difficult an employment, he inquired of him whether he loved him more than the re(l of the apofiles ; mildly reproving him for his over confident refolution. Peter; whom fatal experience had taught humility, mo- deftly anfwered, that none knew fo well as himfelf the integrity of his affeftions : thou knoweft the hearts of all men, nothing is hid from thee, and therefore thou knoweft that I love thee. The queftion was three feveral times repeated by our bleffed Sa- viour, and as many times anfwered by the apofile: it being but juft that he, who by a threefold denial, had given fo much rea- fon to queftion his affetion, fhould now, by a threefold confeffion, give more than common affu'rance of his fincere love for his Mailer; and to each of thefe confef- fions, our great Redeemer added this fig- nal trial of his affeftion, Feed my 'keep. Our dear Lord having thus engaged Peter to a cheerful compliance with the dangers that might attend the difcharge of his office, particularly intimated to him the fate that would attend him ; telling him, that when he was young, he girt himfelf, lived
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