The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-10-01


I snake openly TO the world; ever taught
in the synagogue and ia the temple. with.
er the .Jc-s always resort, and IN secret
have I said nothing. Why askcst thou he!
Ask them which heard Ne what / have
said unto them: behold. they know what
said. And when He had thus spoken one
Of the officers which stood by struck Jesus
with the palm of his hand. saying. An.
swerest Thou the high priest so?"
II was an awful thing for this man With
omen hand TO strike Him in the face. TO
strike Him, before Whom the angels veiled
their faces; to strike Him before Whom
the archangel sang: Holy. holy, holy
Lord Cad Almighty!
But do You notice that when they struck
Him He never shudderrd? They could not
huyt Him with any such blows as this, but
when we read. "Now Simon Peter stood
without and warmed himself, this is .
blow which makes the Son OF God shudder
and His hear. grow sick. -.
The second part Of the trial was His ap.
pearance before Caiaphas. Here. although
ia,se witnesses appeared against Him He
was perfectly silent. "But Jesus held Hi:
peace. And the high priest answered and
said unto Him, I adjure Thee by the living
God that Thou tell us whether Thou ne
the Christ, the Son OF God. Jesus said
unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless
say unto you, Hereafter shall We see the
Son of Man sitting on the r'sht hand OF
power and coming in the closds OF hea-
ven
"And they did spit in His fsee." but He
never saw them. His eyes were blinded 70
Hi. insults, but Peter in the presence of
His enemies was blow at His very heart.
They smote Him until. il He had been only
mar He would have staggered in His weak
ness. but they might as well have struck
rock like Gibraltar and expected it to fall
az to move Him with their blows. but
when Peter stood in the presence OF those
who were against Him. like one OF them
himself, it was a terrific blow at the Son
of Col.
The .hirI part of the trial was before
the S.nhedrim. He is led out from the
court where He has seen both Annas and
Caiaphas, and passes through an outer
court to another room where the Saahe-
drim is to meet. As He passes. possibly
near enough to reach out His hand and
touch His disciple, sudd-nly He hears
Peter say:
"I tell you know Him not"
He could forget the splitting Of His enc
mics. the blows OF those who hated Him,
and the rods that had fallen upon Him in
the hands of the angry multitude, but he
could not forget Peter.
That which hurts Him the most in these
days is not the sin of the unregenerate-
this He must expect, but the sins OF Hg
own people for whom He suffered and
died, and rose again.
There il an infinite amount OF pathos in
the words, He turned and looked at Pc.
ter" No word of reproach fell from His
lips, but simply IN expression OF sorrow
- hA n
upon you to-day. and does He not arouse
memories in your life-vows that you have
broken-pledges that you have never kept!
Jesus, let Thy pitying eye call back tue
wandering sheep.
False to Thee like Peter, would fain
like Peter weep"
III.
But do not be discouraged. Mans use.
fulness not infrequently springs from his
recovery from some sin. Out OF Peters
fall came his first epistle. The best glimpse
that have Of the Saviour's heart 10 that
which comes when think Of His personal
dealings with individuals. When l think
Of the God Of Abraham I think Of one Who
STRENGTHENS His child under trial. The
God Of Jacob is my encouragement to be-
lieye that my old nature may be con-
auered, and my name changed from Jacob
to Israel, the prince of God. The God OF
Elijah teaches me that PRAYER must be an
swered. The Saviour OF Thomas encour..
ages me while in doubt; the Saviour OF
Paul sustains me in my suffering, but toe
Saviour of Peter is the restorer OF the pen
itcnt.
Peter and Jesus met after the Resurrec.
ton ON the shore of the lake. 1t is most
significant that when he denied Christ it
was in the presence Of the fire OF Goals in
the court OF the enemy. When the Son
OF God met him on the shore Of this lake
there was a fire Of Goals burning there. |
doubt not but that all the story OF his &c.
nial came rushing upon him. What vas
said Mt that interview we shall not know
until we hear it from Peters own lips. but
it is safe to say that all his sins were for:
given, and even the marks Of his denial
were taken away.
n YOU have denied this same lord in
your business. in your home. or in society.
He waits to forgive and to forget. and He
''is the same yesterday. to-day and for.
ever"