The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-05-24
THE DENIAL OF PETER.
LESSON TX, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MAY 27.

LESSON TX, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MAY 27.
Text of the Lesson, Matt. XVI. 67-75.
Golden Text. l Cor. <. 12-Memorizs
Verses 73-75-Comment by Rev. H. s.
Hoffman.
condensed from Lesson Helper Quarterly, by
permission of h. S. Hoffman, Philadelphia pub
isher.l
Notes.-V. ca. Spit in his face, showing
the highest contempt and insult, Numbers
xii, IA; Job xxx, 10. Buffeted, striking with
closed hands or with the fists v. 6S. Luke
xxi, 64 and Mark civ, 69 tell us that they
blindfolded him before saying these words
V. SO. Without, in the outer court or space,
where the servants gathered. Damsel, .
FORTRESS who kept the door, John
V. n. Porch, the small apartment between
the outer door and the large hall in the GEN.
ter of the building. " rs: After while,
about an hour later, Luke xii, SO. Speech
bewrayeth, his Galilean accent showed it.
v. IA Began he to curse and swear, losing
all control of himself he went on to worse
oA2Ao. tc- III ASc, tlt1oc tl1u6ss LUKE xxi,
81 tells us Jesus looked ON him. Wept bit
teriy, the thought Of deep guilt swept over
Peters soul and he went out into the darkness
to repent of his sins.
Few events in the Bible are SO full of hu-
man nature and divine grace, of warning
and comfort, as the fall and restoration of
Peter. The nearest parallel case in the Bible
is the great sin and repentance Of David.
After the preliminary trial before the high
priest had taken place many of the members
OF the Jewish sanhedrim assembled in the,
council hall They knew Jesus was to be
arrested, and hence were ready. Perhaps
such members as Nicodemus and Joseph Of
Aramathea were absent. The sanhedrim
had authority to try those charged with cap
ital ofenses but could not execute the SEN
tence of death. In this midnight trial of
Jesus every rule Of Jewish law seems to have
been violated in the haste and eagerness to
condemn him. A night trial was not legal
To be bound as a malefactor before he was
arraigned, to be beaten before a verdict was
rendered, to be struck in open court while
the trial was going on, were all in violation
OF every sense Of right and justice. The ir-
regular and illegal trial of him by night was
suspended until daybreak so that they could
then secure from Plate the sentence of his
death. In the time elapsing till daylight
occurred the maltreatment by his lawless
enemies and the denial by Peter.
V. 81. After the sanhedrim had pro-
nounced him ''guilty of deathn he was sub
jected to series of indignities Before the
trial in the house of Annas he was struck by
one of the officers Doubtless others in au-
thority offered him insults The common
guard soon followed in jeer and mockery
The abusive insults Of the underlipgs was the
natural sequence of the more formal mockery
of their superiors. Let it not surprise us if,
as followers of Jesus, We too receive insults.
V. 6S. After they had blindfolded him
they scoffed at his prophetic office as Mes
siah. Jesus answered not word, though all
the universe was at his command No act is
so contemplate as to ridicule good persons
or holy things. And yet when we are
Knocked silence is best.
V. 69. Peter was now inside the court yard
Of the palace of Caiaphas. He had gained
admittance through John, who was known
at the palace. With the servants he was
sitting around the IRE, for the night was
cold. A FORTRESS looking upon Peter said
that he was with Jesus. This drew upon
him the eyes of all about. An obscure SER
want becomes now the innocent occasion of
CuS uOW1ldiL VI bE6 Cllol Oh UD6 aTOSLl6S,
V. 20. In the most cowardly fashion he re-
sorts to evasion, which always leads to direct
| falsehood and often perjury
V. II. Perhaps wishing to escape the fur
! ther observation of the servants, he went
into the vestibule or porch leading into the
street, where another female slave in rid;eule
accused him of being with Jesus Perhaps
several at the time confirmed her statement.
| Christians cannot long be hid when among
men of the world.
V. 72. Now he boldly denies his Master,
and the long cast off habit of swearing comes
| back to him in the moment of excitement
He told an unblushing, positive lie, when he
| said That he knew not Christ, and then tried
| to confirm his falsehood with an oath Sin
| grows when it is not checked The disciple
first and loudest to profess his Lord, now
vehemently denies himl Times Of fanatical
defense of the faith are often followed by
| base denial
| V. 73. The men who stood by must have
had contempt for Peters perfidy.
V. "a. Irritated beyond endurance, with a
positive witness against him, Peter now re-
sorted to calling down curses on himself,
that what he said was true, affirming before
| God what he knew to be false. How the sins
of his former life came again to the surface
| There is much hidden and remaining sin in
the best Christian.
When the cock crew Peter remembered
what Jesus had said. And it was how that
Jesus turned and looked upon Peter 1t was
the look of wounded love History bears to
Us the tradition that ever after when Peter
heard the Growing Of cock he fell on his
| face and mourned over his base denial of his
Lord.
At about o'clock in the morning, when
| his last denial occurred, Peter hurried out
into the dark, and gave way to deep sorrow
for his sins. He not only wept, but wept bit
terly. We must not only notice Peters sins,
but his sincere tears Of repentance. The re-
morse of Judas made him rush out and hang
himself. The repentance Of Peter made him
turn to God with tears and cries. The re-
membrance of his great sin ever after hum
bled his proud and self confident spirit. His
| repentance was complete.
| Notice the causes Of Peters ain. q. He
followed Jesus afar Off Had he kept nearer
to Jesus he would have been safer b. He
got separated from the other disciples. Had
they kept closer together they all would have
been stronger. c. He underrated and neg.
lected the warnings Of Jesus. He was up.
prised of coming danger. d. He did not be.
lieve the word of the Lord. He had too much
confidence in his own strength. Q. He, with
presumption, rushed where danger was +
He neglected to exercise that watchfulness and
prayer Jesus had enjoined O. He failed te
comprehend the teaching which the Lord
had repeatedly given Of the necessity Of hil
sufferings and death. BE chung to the Jewist
notion that Christ would establish an earthly
kingdom. h. His piety was controlled moEs
by feeling than principle In the hour oi
eore temptation we must be grounded on thu
giaad doctrines Of grace, otherwise we viii
fall Notice the lessons from Peters sin. a
The danger of self confidence. see Colder
Text. True confidence relies on God, not Oh
self, for strength. b. The highest favors ane
blessings do not exempt us from the danger
of falling into Gin. Though greatly favored
Peter sinned. o. 1t is bad sign to conceo
our discipleship. The next thing Is denia
of Christ d. The best Of men sin-none ar
perfect
n IAN.s :.