The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-12-09
BEECnER ON PETERS DENIAL.
A Friend In Need a Friend Indeed.
ChTist'B RepROOf and itH ElIects.

A Friend In Need a Friend Indeed.
Christie Reproof and Its Effects.
FROM tho Now York World Of Saturday,
The Plymouth lecture room was crowd
cd 10 its fullest extent last evening. After
Mr. Beecher's regular Friday evening talk
in which he contrAsled the extraordinary
compassion and tenderness Of the word Of
God with the severity OF thcologians, a
brother connected with the Sabbath
School called his attention 10 the subject
OF the next Sunday school lesson which he
said was the denial Of the Savlorby Peter,
and said 1t would be great help 10 many
OF tho teachers il Mr.. Beechcr would say
word upon this subject, and especially
in explanation Of the great tenderness
aud kindness and sympathy which Christ
manifested towards Peter notWithstand-
ing his detection. In reply Mr.. Beecher
SAID:
Well, you know Peter. Peter was a
man, you know, that was such roaring
fellow; he was man that was always SO
oillCiOusly near to Christ that in some
sense he seemed to represent him; he was
all the time al the lrOnt-a kind Of right.
hand man; but when the Saviour came
into trouble, and things began 10 look as
II they were going against him-well, he
did not take sides against him exactly, he
only followed aIar of; he got out OF the
way, and yet the force Of old affection, or,
1t may be, Of habit, was 80 strong that ii
drew him near TO Him again, until the
time came when people began to identity
him with Christ, and then 1t was that he
stood from under. His master, his teach.
er, TO whom he was indebted for all the
impulses Of his liiG-when he was brought
into peril, then he failed him. II there Is
any time when man that is a friend
should be q friend 1t should he when
trouble comes. To be friend when
there is no trouble is no friendship at all.
Ii your friend is in the wrong, he needs
it; il he is in the right, he needs II; and
ii he is wrong he needs it more than he
does il he is right II Jesus had broken
the law it was necessary all the more for
Peter to stand up for him and manifest
his love and faith Tor him. He broke all
his previous professions OF devotion, and
he broke them in the most dastardlY way;
he broke them with the sneaking feeling
oil the time that his master was in the
right. lie abandoned him. lie abandoned
him at the foot OF the cross, at the point
OF the spears prick, when every prin-
cipal Of manhood ought to have made
him cay, "COmG what will l will stand by
him; l will 90 10 darkness with him."
lie denied HIM once, twice, thrice, and
fell into towering passion OF profanity
in giving him up. And what did Christ
do? He looked at him, and that look had
more Of power in it than any lightning
flash that ever went with thunder storm
in summer. 1t was sorrow, grief, every.
thing that could touch generous mind
And afterwards, what then did the Savior,
when he came among the disciples, say?
az will own you all, but as for you, Peter,
you are q blatherumskie; you are always
talking and never performing; you step
out OF the way" Not at all. He treated
him with kindness that went to Peters
heart. lie understood the question that
was put to him, and that he was marked
as Il man that had stood by his master in
prosperity and had sncaked out in ad-
versily, and afterwards was taken back
into trust only with salutary reminder
Of his great weakness. Peter failed in
time Of trial ,but then he was a,better man
Tor it all his life afterwards Think with
luther, "blessed be our sins" There is
many man that never would have come
into his full manhood if he had not failed
in time Of trial.