The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-12-01

LESSON TExT-Matthew 26:s1-35. 69-75
Memory verses, 74-75.
GOLDEN TExT-"Let him tina think
eth he standeth take heed lest he fall
Z Cor. 1912.
TIME-The denials were early FRIDAY
morning, April Z, A. d. 80.
PLACE-In the court of the Palace Of
ne high Priest Caiaphas. in the south
vest part Of Jerusalem.
The first thing Jesus did for Peter
a to set before him In his first in
serview the goal and ideal of his life
He was to be changed from the Simon
We have just been viewing into Pete,
he Rock. His ihcohesive qualities
we're to be unified into one beautiful
whole; the separate and sometimes
1iscordant notes of his character were
20 be formed into the exquisite har,
monies of a Hallelujah chorus. He was
x h soft stone in some quarries
easily cut and shaped when first taker
rom the quarry, but soon hardening
nto rock Peter expresses the posi-
oilities J sus saw in the nature O
Simon. al ideal which God woult
make divinely real"
For three years Peter vas an ear
aest pupil in Christ's school. He made
many mistakes: he fought many bat
les on the battlefield of his heart
ae had some severe reproofs. but h
had a wise, encouraging. patien
teacher. After a time he was adyanc
ed to the highest grade with james,
and John. The first essential for sue
cess is a SOUL an awakened soul
One OF the most interesting studie,
for a teacher, is to 60 CAREFUL,
through the Gospels, and study
Christ's method of teaching and train
lng such an unruly but earnest schola,
as Peter was.
Thou s..alt deny me thrice, disowl
ne as your Lord and Master" Pete
was sure that he would not fell in the
hour Of temptation. No one knows
what he will do in unexpected circum
stances- But Jesus did all he coulc
10 put Peter on his guard.
An interval of some hours. Geth
semane; Peter, wearied. sleeps or
guard. The arrest; Peter and all the
apostles desert Jesus. But Peter and
John follow afar of. The trial before
he Sandhedrin In some room of Gaia
ohas' palace. opening into a court
Peter was sitting with the servants
md others around a fire and he denied
Christ before them all, who were
gathered around the fire.
The main charge was prominently
made by one, a kinsman of Malchus
Who had seer Peter In the garden and
vas known to st. John from his &C
luaintanee with the high priests
household. For thy speech betrayed
hee, ~'betrayeth." shows that thou ar,
I Galilean. and therefore one of his
disciples, or why else art thou here
Fhen began he to curse, call dowr
curses on himself If he did nc. speai
he truth. And to swear, to call Coo
o witness that it was true. It Is
more than probable that Peter. in his
earlier life as a fisherman, before his
conversion. had been in the habit OF
using profane language, and now, In
he sudden surprise of temr.ation, the
Did habit broke forth anew, as the Ian.
puage of youth. long unused, is almost
sertain to be employed In times OF
great excitement 1t is a long and
lard discipline that entirely conquers
he sins or youth
Il know not the man." And this In
he very presence Of Jesus. The
ways down which the bad ship Wick.
sdness slides to a shoreless ocean
must be creased with lies" "A lie is
put out to interest. and the intere EST Is
compound"
1t was now that Peter was "sifted
IS wheat" Part of what he thought
was wheat vas really chaf. and this
terrible sitting under temptation blew
away In the toughest manner most
II the chaf,-his Inconsistency, his
1ery temper. his self-confdence. but
preserved all the good in his charac.
ter. purified and perfected.
We can be good In spite of falls.
Sod can bring good out of evil. That
n his glory, and our hope. But he can
10 far more with our victories than
hv our failures.
Then Jesus looked upon Peter. The
Greek word for looked occurs but
in one other place In the Gospels.
1t means that he looked into him"
into his very heart. with eyes that
went like lightning to the quick of his
conscience" Peter remembered Che
warning, and Wen out and wept the
bitterest tears of repentance.
From this time on Peter was a new
man. The charcoal had become dia
mond. He describes the effect in his
drst Epistle q:7)- That the trial OF
your faith, being much more precious
han of gold hat persistent. though
It be tried with fire. might be found un
20 praise and honor and glory at the ap
pearing of Jesus Christi" Peter 70
joiced when he could express his love
to Jesus by suffering in his cause. He
wrote a letter which has been a com
fort and a power all down the ages
His victory-not his fall-in the great
crisis gave him power over men to the
end.
I'm the pain and the repentance
and In the acquaintance with the as
poets of folly and sim" says Ruskin
you have learned something; how
much less than you would haxs learn.
ed in right paths can never be told
but that 1t is less Is certain. Your
liberty of choice has simply destroyed
you SO much of life and strength
never regainable. 1t is true you know
the habits of swine, now. and the
taste for husks. Do you think that your
Heavenly Father would not have
taught you 10 know better habits and
.pleasan<er tastes II you had stayed In