Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-04-16


does not always mean the first turn
ing of soul to God. 1t may be the
turning of saint from a sin into
which he has fallen. Restore" is,
therefore, what the word means here,
as the revised version makes clear:
"When once thou hast turned again"
How the Lord has been criticised
here: "Why did he not keep Peter out
of sin? Why not pray that he should
not fall into it?' No, he permitted
him to fall into Satan's hands in order
to convert" him from his self-right-
eousness and self-suf1ciency. Peter
protested: 'Lord, am ready to go
with thee, both into prison and to
death !" Though all shall be offended
because of thee, yet will I never be
offendedw And to each outburst the
Lord replied: "Peter, cock shall not
crow this day, before that thou shalt
thrice deny that thou knowest me!'
And we have but to turn the page
to read the fulfillment Of this predic-
tion. Verses 81 to 60 tell it all. The
moral distance of Peters soul from
Christ expressed in his self-satisfac-
ton was now expressed in the phys
ical distance at which he followed the
Lord to the high priests house. And
it was quite easy then to "sit down
among" his enemies; and apparently
easy also to say: II know him not"
''Man, I know not what thou sayest."
"And Immediately, while he yet
spoke, a cock crew." "And the Lord
turned and looked at Peter"
Oh, that silent look of the Savior!
No word was spoken. None was nee
| essary. ~
He has looked at you and me in that
way-a look of grief mingled with
compassion. 1t searched out Peters
heart to it's depths. All, we know
what that look conveyed. "And Peter
remembered the word"
The Advocates work does not end
with the putting away of the stain Of
our sin !; it searches our hearts and
brings US to self-judgment and the con-
fession of sin. How often does a word
of Scripture spring suddenly to men,
ory to rebuke US and to recall US from
some careless way! So here, "Peter
remembered the Word of the Lord
-. and went out and wept bit
terly."
But we cannot leave him there, out
in the night weeping out his heart.
The Advocates work is not yet done,
and he does not leave him there. In
the last chapter of Mark we find this :
'But go your way, tell his disciples
AND PETER" The Lord is risen from
the dead and seems to regard the
breach between himself and Peter as
though it had not been. He knows
that that he would never appear at the
meeting in Galilee without it.
When we turn to the last chapter
of Luke's gospel and find Peter in his
place among the eleven, with no ques-
ton as to his right to be there, we are
not surprised, and that because of
what has gone before. ''The Lord is
risen indeed, and hath appeared to
Simon" A private meeting with Si.
mon! Secretly, the Lord seeks him
out and has the whole thing out with
him. We are not told what was said
1t was unnecessary to tell US, for we
know "He shall not fail nor be dis.
couraged." Blessed Lord! AS my
Advocate, he shall not fail until he has
brought me, alone with himself, in self
judgment and confession.
There is one more scene that must
not be overlooked. 1t is in the last
chapter of Johns gospel. When Peter
heard that it was the Lord who had
greeted them from the shore, "He giri
his fishers coat unto him and did cast
himself into the sea-" Impatient to
be with the Lord, that boat is too slow
for him! And when he came to shore
the Lord said, and he said it to Simon
Peter, "Come and dine!" And Peter
feasts with the risen Christ, who has
spread the banquet with his owl
blessed hands! Fellowship once more
The restoration is complete! And now
Feed my sheep" "When thou ar
restored" he had said, Strengthen
thy brethren" Now restored to the
fellowship he had forfeited, hi:
strength changed to weakness, the Lore
commits his sheep to his hands.