New-York tribune., 1879-04-11
TIE PETERS or To- DAY,

THE PETERS Of TODAY
How many of onr shrewd. practical men,
who only deal with real natters-of-faci, VIII
stop to-day on their way to shop or Once to
turn into the open churchesf Or, what would
De better perhaps, shut themselves up alone
for half an hour to consider seriously what
real matter -Of-fact reason there Is why the
churches should be open ? Ii is a death which
is the text of every sermon this morning.
Why7 Myriads of deaths have occurred IN
every minute of time since the world began
all the countless millions who have trOd the
earth have gone inevitably down into the
grave; why should this one death, Of poor
jew upon hill in Syria, stand out apart from
all others Why should each detail OF his
last hours be familiar to every child to-day,
now that ages have passed.
II behoOyes business men, and secular news
papers, too to ask this question, for there
is no power at work as real or as actual as
that which comes from Calvary, nothing which
so soidiy undcrlies and gives basis OF mo-
tive 10 the least part of the everyday HE and
business of the world as the faith in or dis
belief of that death upon l.. All other things
change and go and are forgotten. Ten years
from now, who will know or care how stocks
stood to-day, or what bills passed or were
vctoedl Even a conquered army or nation
diving Of famine is forgotten In few months,
with all the other dead. But ii Jesus has not
died. if there be any mistake or deception
about the life and sacrifice of that Man yOn-
der upon the Cross, then the lives, tine pur-
pose, the deeds of all Christian men and
women have been a ludicrOus, CHASTITY fail
IRE; then, all the finest civilization, all the
helpful brotherly humanity, all the reforms;
all the progress of the world, in short, for
two thousand years have been lie and been
built upon lie.
This story of Calvary was meant for the
hearing of all humanity; it is curiOusly free
from all national traits. Socrates died Greek
among Greeks, but Jesus, man for men.
Every detail of the history of those days is
vital with meaning to each one of Us here. in
New York, to-day. Take, for instance, the
night on which lie was betrayed; the awful
solitude in which He stood We forget the
God in the man, as we watch Him clinglng to
those friends whom He had loved as death
drew near, Just Us we shall cling, when that
last hour comes. How as they sat at meat for
the last time, He gave to them u remem-
brance of Himself bidding them farewell in
words whose infinite pathOs and hope have
lifted the world to higher levels for all timc
but which their dull ears did not comprehend; !;
how He took those who were dearest to Him
out with Him to the mountain to watch with
HIM while He passed through that unname-
able agony which no human soul can under
stand; how they would not watch, but took
their ease and slept. Angels ministered 10
Him, but surely the touch OF one human hand
"A mans whom He loved and for whom He
WAS dying-would have given more strength
in that hour than all the aid Of the heavenly
host. How, when He was dragged through
the streets by night TO Judgment, they ali for
sook Him and fled. How, at last, standing
alone in the palace of the High Priest, lie was
condemned to be guilty of death; and the
crowd spat on Him and buifcted Him, and
the very servants struck Him with their palms !;
and standing afar off was Peter his friend,
the man who two hours before had sworn to
die with Him. IIe cried out as loudly now,
IL know not the man." "And the Lord
turned and looked upon Peter" Tho re-
proach, the judgment III that look, has come
down to us through all the ages
And we mere Ill New i Ofk lO-utty 10 we
not call ourselves His disciples, just as did
Peter7 Are we beside Him when His cause
il on trial before the world We go to church
regularly, very likely; we have kept Lent and
shall not eat meat until Easter. 1t il a cred
liable thing to go to church, and Lent is just
now popular observance. Peter, too, was d
faithful friend while the multitude crowded
about his Master. But what about our be-
hayior at home, or at Change, or in tho
ofiices Are we patient, so honest, SO
truthful that the man who buys goods
from us, and the boy who sweeps out
the Office, have no doubt that we know the
Man n Or does it need only petty an
noyauce or temptation to make us turn our
backs on Him, and deny as loudly as Peter2
We call ourselves n Christian Nation, too
Take the Oliver trial, and all the depth of
infamy which il indeXed; take the last
shooting matches in Richmond and New-Yor
and the condition of society which they show ;
take the Talmage trial and the utter lack OF
brotherly love that it reveals among profesSed
men of Cod take the fight Of the negroes,
the long, persistent cruelty which led to it,
and the icy indifference with which the whole
Nation is looking at it. Take the Indians
rs an example of the way iii which we have
dealt with His weaker brothers whom lie left
TO our care What are these things saying to
the world if not, We know not the Man."
What if the Lord should turn now and look
upon Peter?