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SERMON I.

THE DANGER OF NEGLECTING THE MEANS OF GRACE: ILLUSTRATED IN THE FALL OF ST. PETER.

MATT. xxvi. 71.

Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock

crew.

IN the whole compass of sacred record there are few occurrences which carry a deeper interest, or a stronger admonition, than the scene unfolded in these words. We have here one of the most eminent saints of the Christian church; a man belonging to the glorious company of the apostles and the noble army of martyrs; an apostle, distinguished among his brethren by the steadfastness of his fidelity, and by the warmth of his attachment to his master; an apostle whom that master had dignified with the most honourable commendation, and whom he had declared to be the foundation-rock of his everlasting church. Such was Peter. In what

light does he now appear? As a man stained with all the black characters of lying and perjury, of breaking his vow and denying his Lord: of denying that Lord, who was not only, by virtue of a particular relation, his own master, but who was moreover the Lord God, the Lord of life and death and all things!

We shall do well to consider this in its application to ourselves, as a warning against spiritual security: for it strongly enforces that necessary caution, "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."

Now the purpose of this application will, I think, best be answered, if we enquire into the causes which led to the commission of that sin which we here find upon record. For if we can discover these causes, we shall the better understand the nature of our own dangers, and the needful means of our own defence. These causes you will find to be chiefly two; first, an error of the mind, secondly, an error of the conduct: each connected with the other: both operating previously to the great disaster, and both in every possible case of their operation, pregnant with the most fatal influence on the souls of men.

* 1 Cor. x. 12.

I. First, there was an error of the mind. The great foundation of this Apostle's crime appears to have been no other, than a reliance on his own. virtue. He who places his confidence in this will surely fall. In the present instance, a very severe trial was at hand. Of this trial our blessed Lord had warned his apostles: he had predicted that their faith would be shaken. "All ye," said he, "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 t." To this Peter replied in language, which plainly shews, that he relied for the maintenance of his fidelity, on no other support than his own virtue. For he speaks not of the divine grace and blessing; but his own will, and his own resolution, are the declared ground of his confidence: "Though all men," said he, "shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended t." This gives occasion to our Lord to foretell the horrid crime which Peter himself, in a few hours, would commit, and by which he would, for cowardice, falsehood, and treachery, stand pre-eminently distinguished among those, who were involved in the common guilt of forsaking

*

* Or, shall be occasioned to fall.

+ Matt xxvi. 31.

Ib. v. 33.

their master. “Verily I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crow, thou shall deny me thrice." And now, as if in defiance of the awful warning and of the infallible prophet, the strain of presumption swells into a bolder note. "Peter

said unto him, though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee t." Such was the vanity of this man. He was going forth to a conflict with the world, the flesh, and the devil: each of these was about to assail him with the hottest fury. How does he prepare for the fight? Elated with confidence in himself, he thinks not of the armour of God, but looks to his own reason and his own virtue as the weapons of his warfare.

no more.

Thus prepared for the dark hour of temptation and trial, can we wonder that he fell? With more reason may we wonder at the boundless mercy of God, that he fell not, like the traitor Judas, to rise For our Lord, in his previous ministry, had declared, "Whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." Well may we admire the depth of the riches of divine love, that could open the gate of mercy to him who had sinned against this

* Matt. xxvi. 34.

+ Ib. 35.

Ib. x. 33.

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