The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-09-18
The THREE DENIALS.
Sunday Discourse By DR.. Chapman, the
Noted Pastor-Evangelist.
An Analysis Of a child-iiearted, wayward,
Generous Biblical character---Lord
Awaits to Forgive and Forget.

j
Selist in the country and one of the. most
popular pulpit orators of New York. 1t
entitled Now, Peter" and was
preached from the text: Now Peter sat
without in the palace" Matt XVI; 50.
This is the master stroke of the great
artist in painting the picture Of this child
hearted, wayward, generous, loving man
whom we know as Peter. 1t is one Of the
,hadows in the picture, but the shadows
help us to appreciate the more the light.
II is single sentence, and yet in it we
find the secret Of a souls downfall, the
cause Of the heartache of the Son of God,
and note of warning for Gods people
everywhere.
Peter was in dangerous position. First
of all, because he sat in the presence of
the enemy. In the first Psalm the warning
i oiver chat we should not walk in the
counsel OF the ungodly, nor stand in the
way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the
scornful" and this last is the most hurtful
position Of all. Poor Peter was sitting
down. He also is to be pited because he
sat without" There is circle within
which every child of God must keep if he
would have both peace and power. If in
Imagination we take compass in our
hand and set one point at the place where
we would have the centre and with the
other point describe the circle, we have the
picture of the Christian life. The centre of
the circle is Christ, and the circle itself is
described by prayer and Bible study and
fellowship with the saints. To keep within
this circle is to keep in touch with Christ.
To sit without is to be in danger and poor
Peter had stepped outside.
With all my heart | love to study Peter.
The sermon which has been greatly blessed
to the people throughout the country is the
one which bears the title, "And Peter"
This one is sent forth that it may be a
companion Of it, and carry the name of
"Now Peter"
The first service that / can find that
Peter ever rendered unto Christ is record.
ed in Luke, fifth chapter, and the third
verse: "And He entered into one of the
ships which was Simon's, and prayed him
that he would thrust out little from the
land And He sat down and taught the
people out of the ship" | like him for his
service; | have an idea that Just the way
he pushed the boat out as the Master was
standing in it made Jesus understand that
there was something in him that would vet
go far toward moving the world. Is it not
true that much of the great work that we
find about us to-day begins in Just so hum
bic fashion as did the work of Petery
like to study him in his writings. Some
parts of the Bible ought always to be read
in the sunlight. The beautiful story of
Ruth, and the letter to the Philippians are
examples Of this. Others are for The dark
ness. Peters epistles would thus head the
list. 1t is when we stand on the seashore
at night that we see the phosphorescence
of the waves. 1t is when we stand in the
darkness and read Peters precious words,
that We catch the best vision of the light
which comes down from heaven and rests
upon men.
| like to study him in his preaching, for
it is Just the kind that everybody ought to
be able to do. You may say that it was
simply string of texts, that mighty SER
n PQntnpnat AZ / WI CHI
say this was all that he said we could re.
ply as we have said in another place, it s
all that Peter said that the Hoy Spirit
thought worth recording.
| like him for his sincerity. You can
read him at n glance. He could not be
would believe him; he generally thought
aloud. While men sometimes admired
him, frequently laughed at him. generally
censured him, they always loved him.
like him for his promptness. He was
the first to enter the tomb that he might
see where the Lord lay.
liked him for his courage. He was not
afraid to stand in the very midst of the
enemies of Christ.
| like him for his intensity. 1t is true
he made mistakes, but the pendulum swung
as far toward uprightness as it did toward
failure.
My text is to be read in connection with
his denial, and thus we begin the more to
HIM warning when He said, "Simon, Satan
hath desired thee that he may sift thee as
wheat" and again when He said, "This
night you shall be ashamed of Me-" and
Detora the cock crow thou shalt deny Me
thrice" He warns IL, too.
-, The oak that goes down in the midst of
the storm does so because through the
long years its heart has been eaten away
by the worm. The soul of the child of God
Is never overthrown suddenly and il it
goes down it is because it has steadily lost
ground in matters that were too trhing
10 cause alarm. If you should fail to-mor-
row you will doubtless find the cause if
you look back on the history of to-day.
The neglected Bible of to-day, the neglect.
ca prayer OF to-day, the neglected fellow
snip OF to-day, means the denial of to.mor-
-, 1t Is not to be forgotten that there were
three denials. When Jesus was taken
INTO the presence of those who were to con.
uemn Hint Peter followed and wanted to
go m, too, 1t is said in Johns Gospel that
hnother disciple. who was known unto the
gh priest, had gone in with Jesus, and
SnlS; OF course, must have been John; they
nouDtIesS knew him at the door and he
basseo through without question. When
ue saw that Peter was not in he went to
.he door and secured his admission.
can Just imagine how Peter must have
m",heu ~ up and down the court, now sitting
low standing, now trembling for his safe
~, lor IN those days as to-day conscience
makes M towards of us ALL"
~. m me nfst denial Yas at the wicket gate
co,, ehe littie girl that admitted him to the
~ know Him not"
b ~ sieht have taken warning and gone
nscG os II ne had but remembered the words
T. NhrSt' Tor he was Just at the edge of
III ,,Se; cirele; one side meant peace and the
H. oouot not that some one who reads
49, 49, words has lust passed through the
oloI gate, turning away from lie OF
Msseuhess, and possibly has denied his
s%l'er ss ior the first time. From the heart
an a. cue ihnhite Christ cry goes out to such
rtu rtturn ye, turn ye, for why will We die"
Lo ne second denial was at the fire, when
viii 1"t with his enemies, and when he said
zen you, know Him not"
wotns many of us have gone through the
w;th ;thet ~; OF denial, and dare to-day sitting
raaohaI @ aiIs enemies, hardly knowing how We
,f Ged the position. To all such the cry
then, ~" comes Come out from among
,lva,ss sIu oe ye separate" The world ha.
and b Detn The enemy of the Son of God
with ;t Mho allows himself TO be in touch
before he =" 'ne least will deny his Master
Mihe third denial was to the ralat;ve q,
s; aienus; whose ear no had cut off in nj,
ttpJiseu stta"i defense of his Master. For thi,
;eA ;ess upon his fellow man he was doubt
YES amennble TO the ia,y a,J ros,;hi.