elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and raised again the third day."?

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Shocked at this account, which alike threatened his beloved Master with sufferings that Peter could not bear to think of, and which also cruelly broke in upon the hopes of worldly honours which he had probably indulged, " Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord this shall not be unto thee." Here the zeal of Peter had gone beyond his judgment. The eagerness of his feelings had led him to set himself against the will and purpose of the Most High, and thus, in a manner, "to fight against God." This spirit, so fatal to the obedience which Peter was hereafter to preach as well as practise, required to be checked at the outset; it accordingly called forth a rebuke of unusual severity from the meek and lowly Jesus. "He turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan, for tempter,) thou art an offence unto me; for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." As if he had said, " Thy thoughts reach no farther than present objects; thou lookest only to

what may yield worldly comfort and advantage, instead of submitting, in every thing, as thy duty should teach thee, to the will and designs of God. And thou attemptest to throw a stumbling block in my way, that I also may be turned aside from the path of obedience to my heavenly Father.'

In the next instance that I shall mention, Peter shewed his zeal for his Master's safety, at the risk of his own; for, when the multitude came to seize upon Jesús, Peter" smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his right eard." Here again he met with a reproof, though of the mildest kind, from his divine Master, who instructed him, that, if resistance were allowable, by praying to the Father, he could have obtained for his guard more than twelve legions (or bands) of angels ; but that his duty was to submit; for all these things came to pass, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled; in other words, that the great designs of Almighty God might take place..

The last instance which I shall bring forward in the history of Peter is what, for a time, cast a deep shade over his character, and caused him the bitterest sorrow.

As the scene approached, in which Christ was to be delivered up into the hands of wicked men, and to be put to death, he said to his chosen companions the apostles, "All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad." Peter, trusting to the present state of his feelings, which was full of love towards his Lord," answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended." Alas! he put too much confidence in his own strength; he felt not, that, even where the spirit is willing, the flesh is too often weak; he felt not then, what he learnt afterwards, that man's wisdom is to "watch and pray, that he enter not into temptation;" that he, who thinketh he standeth, has then especially, and on that

* Matt. xxvi. 31.

very account, the greatest need to "take heed lest he fall."

Jesus made a short but striking reply to his self-confident and presumptuous servant," Verily I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.".

This warning from one, who, Peter must have known, could look with a glance through the future, and see distinctly all that would come to pass, shook not Peter's trust in himself. His answer was,

"Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee."

The words of Jesus were shortly fulfilled, and Peter's guilt and shame carried to the highest pitch: he not only denied all knowledge of Him, whom for the last three years he had attended as a constant and favoured companion, but " he denied it with an oath, and began to curse and swearf."

Here then, for the present, let us leave Peter, and turn our eyes towards Judas. He too, like Peter, was chosen by Jesus

f Matt. xxvi. 72, 76.

Christ to be one of his followers, but not indeed, like Peter, admitted into his closest intimacy, and summoned to attend him in his most private and retired hours. Still he was one of the twelve apostles, and had an office of trust committed to him: for we are told, that he carried the bag, or purse, which was to pay for their daily food, and provide for every occasion where money was wanted,

Little is related of this disciple till we come to that black plot, which has cast a reproach upon his memory never to be blotted out.

On one occasion we have a remark from him, which shews at once his hypocrisy and his real character..

After Christ had raised Lazarus from the dead, he went to his house at Bethany, where" they made him a suppers." Then Mary, one of the sisters of Lazarus, “took a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair.” Judas Iscariot, on seeing this, murmured against