Connecticut western news., 1890-10-29
JESUS ACCUSED.
LESSON V, FOURTH QUARTER, IN- TERNATIoNAl SERIES, NOV. 2.

IEHNATiONAl SERIES, NOV. 2. Text of the Lesson, Luke xii, 5A-71.
 Commit Verses 66-7O-Golden Text,
 Isa- hii, 5-Commentary by Rev. D. M.
 Stearns.
 minsfou of B. 8. Hoffman, publisher, Philadel
 phia-]
 A. "Then took they Him, and led Him, and brought Him into the high priests house. And Peter followed afar off." John says that they took Him and bound Him, and led Him away to Annas first John Xviii, 12, 1s). Matthew and Mark both say that then all the disciples forsook Him and fled, but John adds that Peter and another disciple (no doubt himselD a4terward followed QNatt. xvii, 56; Mark xiv, 50; John Xviii, 15). When Jesus sur rendered Himself to them He asked that the disciples might be allowed to go their way Cohn xviii, 8, but yet by their for sa6ng Him what became of their assertion that they would die with Him rather than deny Him (Mark xiv, 9Di
 s. "And when they had kindled fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them" |" This Is surely down grade. For few verses now we leave our Lord in the hands of His captors, and consider Peter being safted. And what contrast between the disciple and his Masterl The one faithful unto death, the other in the company of those who hated Him and were seeking His life
 56. "But 8 certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him and said, This man was also with Him" We are observed when we least think it, and by those whom we think seo nothing. Let 8 person go from home, and being among strangers, and unknown (as he thinks), let him do the least thing that he would not do If at home, and 1t will surely be carried abroad and at some time brought home to him. But Peter was here accused of nothing wrong, he was simply pointed out by this maid as a follower of Jesus, and judging from bis previous confessions in Matt. xvi, 16; John VI, @ @, we would have expected him to stand by his colors and rejoice to own Je- sus a his Lord. But he was alone now and in the midst of scoffers. How have you acted under similar circumstancesl
 1. "And he denied Him, saying, Wo- man, know Him not" Did you act that way whom you found yourself among the sco6ersi Or if you did not openly say that you were not Christian, did your dlsnee when Hewas ridiculed, or the Bible sneered at, give consenti Or do you d. wa5s by word and deed proclaim yourself on tho Lords hdef
 5a "And after little while another saw him and said, Thou art also one of them. And Peter said, Man, am not" Another oppoEtuntty of confessing Christ is given eo this poor erring man, but again he loses it and adds sin to sin.
 @. "And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of . truth this fellow also was with Him, for he is Galilean."
 co "And Peter said, Man l know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he vt spoke, the cock crew." Matthew says that he now began to curse and swear Qkatt. xvi, 7D. What sink of iniquity ia the heart of manl How desperately wickedl
 o1 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered tho word of the Lord, how He had said unto him, Bsfore the cock crow thou shalt deny me thx1ca" The Lord had seen and heard 1t au, and no doubt it grieved Him to His hsaxt, and Peter had added to His much sorrow, but He loved His shining one through it all, and this look now turned upon him must have been full of tenderest love, mingled with deepest sadness.
 e. "And Peter went out and wept bit tsriy." That loving look pierced his heart and brought him to his senses
 6a. "And the men that held Jesus mocked Him and smote Him" We now turn from Peter, who failed, to Peters Lord. who faileth never. Peter they only
 A ,A l~olr but Jesus they mock and even smite.
 eA. "And when they had blindfolded Him they struck him on the face, and asksd him, saying, Prophecy, who is it that smote theep Lose not sight of the fact that this i'll treated one Is God manifest in tho flesh. The Lord of Hosts, the G6d of Israel, the mighty one of Jacob, the only Redeemer of men, and thus is His treat ment from those whom He came to save. Not for Israel only did He suffer thus, but for you too, dear reader, and for every scholar in your class
 oG And many other thin gs blasphem ously spake they against Him." Buffet d, mocked, spoken against, but He fails not.
 @. "And as soon as it was day, the elderl of the people, and the chief priests and tho scx1bes came together, and led Him unto their council" The fearful night had : paased and the moro fearful day had come
 0, 6a vArt thou the Christi tell us And He said unto them, If tell you, yt win not believe; and if also ask you, y, wu not answer mo nor let me go." H, knew that they meant to kill Him, anc thAt their question was an idle one. H, knew that His hour had como to be offered up, and that this was the way to the cross
 O ~Heueaftar shall the Son of Man si on ths right hand of tho power of God. , Aat*hsw adds, And come in the cloud. o( heavsn" (xxvi, 64). He has not yet beel brought before tho Roman governor. H, has ben bsfore Annas and Caiaphas. ani now Hs is still before the Jewish council and Hs reminds them of the words of thei psophst Daniel (vii, 10 concerning tn coming of the Son of Man in glory.
 70 ''Then said they all. Art Thou thel tho Son of God! And Be said unto them Ye say that am." He acknowledges tha the Son of God, the Divine human Mel Gaah. the God man to sit in due time ol DAvid's throne He has by word and dee proved Himself to be the one foretold b the prophets, and now they are by thei conduct fulfilling other prophecies concern tng Him, e Pctsr atterward told then on the day of Psntecost (Acts Ii, 22, 2, TAsy will not believe 1t now, but some will laesr, and many never. Whosoever wil may. All unbslisvers must perish.
 n "And they said, What need we an further witnassi for we ourselves hay hepxd of his own mouth" So becaus Hs said He was what He truly wal and what God the Father had ol two occastons said from heaven tha
 He was {Matt. in, 17; xvit 3, He has i their judgment committed an unpardou
 shls sin and must be put to death. Well
 let us not wonder If to this day the wron
 | oessn uPpsrmost and right goes to th
 wall; 1t will be % till He come. But le
 u@ oYercome by the Blood of the Lam
 end hy the word of our testimony, nc !. loving our Nves unto tho death.