Belding banner., 1910-12-01

surrounded our Lord In The days o.
his earthly pilgrimage. G. G. Morgan
SAID or Peter: "Now l am convinced
that In Peter we have the greatest hu
man revealed In the New Testa
ment. l do not say the greatest mar
IN his achievement or In one particu
lar capacity Of his being, but the most
wonderful revelation of human ma
ture. This man of intelligence was
perpetually making blunders. This
man OF emotions was guilty Of such
impulse that he worked harm In the
very cause he desired TO help"
: VI st. Peter Southouse says Peter
was an average man. and for this rea
son he comes nearer to us than some
OF his colleagues do. But average
men have their splendid moments,
such as when st. Peter tried to walk
on the water. for In this action he
tried to do thing for which he SEEM
ed to have no abilities. He set out to
do something of which he had no ex-
perience."
Dr. Davis said about st. Peter:
'Peter was intellectual. He asked
Jesus more questions than any other
or the Apostles. The capacity for ask
ing questions is a revelation Of the
intellectual. II may also be a revela-
tion Of ignorance; but the man who
never asks question is certainly de-
ncient In his intellectually. - Peter
was a man OF heart, sobbing and i'm
petuous. His virtues and his faults
had their common root I'm his enthu-
siasttc disposition. 1t Is to his praise
that, along with the weed OF rash
haste, there grew more strongly into
his life the fair plant Of burning love
and ready reception of TRUTH
Take Heed to Yourselves"
One of the great lessons which the
Master taught his followers, and which
all in the School of Christ must learn,
Is that, with burning love and zeal for
God and for Righteousness, we should
also have Misunderstanding the
spirit of sound mind Christs fol-
lowers are exhorted to be wise as
serpents and harmless as doves"
Their wisdom Is not to be merely the
selfish kind, which would look out for
Its own interests, but of the generous
kind which looks out for the interests
OF all, and particularly for the inter
ests OF the Lords cause and for any
share therein which he may entrust
to us.
In the course Of his instructions,
Jesus had said to his disciples, In ad-
vance Of the trying hour Of his be-
trayal-"All ye shall be offended be-
cause Of me this night; for 1t is writ
ten (in the Prophets), l will smite the |
Shepherd and the sheep Of the flock |
shall be scattered abroad. But after l |
am risen again l will go before you |
Into Galilee."-Matt. 26:31, 80.
Then spoke the impulsive Peter,
Though all shall be offended because
Of thee, yet will l never be offended"
". 33) Alas! how little did this cour-
igeous man understand the nature Of
he trials and difficulties Immediately
before him, or realize the weak points
If his own impulsive nature. Yet IL
We are grieved with his denial Of the
Master, we must rejoice to note his
aith and love and zeal, as manifested
n his acknowledgment Of Jesus as the
Messiah and his later declaration that
lothing should ever shake his loyalty.
However. 1t is the specially loyal and
r0anf hn |
to entrap. Thus Jesus, on
his very occasion, explained to st.
'eter, Satan hath desired to have Il
hee that he might sift thee" Uuke ID
2:3D; that he might separate you
rom your loyalty to Christ and dis
ourage you from discipleship, over
'helming you with fear and with your
wn weaknesses. The Master added,
But | have prayed for thee that thy
aith fail not" We may well under !
tand that the same loving Master still !
ssists all of his true, warm-hearted /
blowers, whatever their weaknesses /
heredity. We may we'll understand, I
20, that he Is able to develop all such :
ito strong characters, IL they abide In =
IS love, continuing in their zeal.
Before the Cock Grow"
The Master discerned the danger Of
s loving but impetuous follower, and
tered a warning word, that before
ck-crowing he would deny his Mas
T. How improbable this seemed to
: Peter! How he courageously de-
ared, Though should die with thee,
{ Will not deny thee" And so said
OF the eleven. Their hearts were
cd. And the Lord looketh upon the
art.