The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1920-04-16

shall be convert
ed. Conversion
does not always mean the first turn
ing of a soul to God. II may be the
turning of a saint from 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 SIM 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-sufficiency. 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 never be
offended" 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-
ton. Verses "a to CO tell 1t 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: 81 know bin not"
"Man, | know not what thou sayest."
"And Immediately, while he yet
smoke, a cock crew." "And the Lord
turned and looked az Peter"
Oh, that silent look Of the Saviort
No word was spoken. None was nee
essary.
He has looked at you and me in that
way--a look of grief mingled win
compassion. 1t searched out Peters
heart to its depths. Ah,' 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; 1t searches our hearts and
brings us to self-judgment and the con-
fession of sin. How often does word
of Scripture spring suddenly to mem
ory to rebuke us and to recall us from
some careless wayl 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 leaye 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 1t had not been. He knows
that that he would never appear at the
meeting in Galllee without 1t.
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 or
what has gone before. "The Lord 10
risen indeed. and hath appeared to
Simon" A private meeting with 81
monl Secretly, the Lord seeks him
out and has the whole thing out with
him. We are not told what was said
II was unnecessary to tell us. for we
knowl "He shall not fail nor be dis
Outraged" 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. II is In the hs'
chapter Of Johns gospel. When Petei
: heard that II was the Lord who had
greeted them from the shore. He girl
his fishers coat unto him and did eas'
himself into the sea-" Impatient d
be with the Lord, that boat II too SLOW
for hint And when he came to shors
: the Lord said, and he said IL to Simos
Peter. "Come and diner And Pete
feasts with the risen Christ, who ha'
spread the banquet with his owl
blessed handsi Fellowship once more
The restoration is completed And nov
aFeed my sheep" ~when thou ar
restored" he had said. -strengthez
thy brethren" Now restored to tn
fellowship he had forfeited, al
: | strength changed to weakness. the Lor'