SERMON II. PART II. ST. PETER'S CONFESSION1. 86 MATT. xvi. 15, 16. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." He that was once so unhappy in his denial of his Lord and Master, and had 1 This plain Sermon, preached in the regular course of the Lessons, September 15, 1850, and so previous to our present commotion, was the result of reading Isaac Casaubon's Exercitatio xv. § 12, &c., ad Annales Eccles. Baronii, Barrow on the Supremacy, Laud's Conference with Fisher, Bp. Croft's Legacy, Chrysostom, Theophylact, &c. &c.,-in fact, after I had arrived at, I trust, a clear and satisfactory conclusion. I should add, that though I do not adopt the interpretation of the Lutheran and Calvinistic divines, because opposed to the literal sense of Scripture, yet I combine it with to weep so bitterly till the all-compassionate look of Christ dried up his tears, was elsewhere the readiest to confess Him; and that Lord, Who knew what was in his heart-its earnestness, its boldness, its zealous affectionateness, its unreserved devotion-forgave the iniquity of his sin, and sent him forth to feed His lambs, and to be one amongst many chief shepherds who were to fold His flock, to strengthen the diseased, to heal that which was sick, to bind up that which was broken, to bring again that which was driven away, to seek that which was lost. To this, so high a See Collect destination, was Peter called, and enSt. Peter's dowed with "many excellent gifts," and Ezek. xxxiv. 4. Day. with so sure and sound a faith as in good time to die the death of a martyr for Him whom once he feared to confess; nay more, if ecclesiastical story speak the words ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ, much as Chrysostom and Theophylact do. For further general information, Faber's Difficulties of Romanism, and Palmer's Treatise of the Church, should be consulted, as easily accessible, and containing pro et con full and correct references. iii. 1. Karà Nelson in true, with such a sense of utter humiliation and self-abasement as wiped off the once self-confidence of his temper; for he was crucified with his head downwards', Euseb. declaring that he was "unworthy to E. H. lib. suffer in the same posture wherein κεφαλῆς 2 his Lord had suffered before him." loc. This, however, is a point in which we are no ways concerned. It is mentioned only for as much as it is worth. Our business is with the confession in the text: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God;" and with that portion of Scripture connected with it. At the same time we must not forget, though 2 Eusebius relates the fact on the authority of Origen. Chrysostom several times alludes to it, as does Jerome. See authorities in Lardner, Supplement, c. xviii. vi. § 6. The lines of Prudentius are well known : 66 Prima Petrum rapuit sententia legibus Neronis Ille tamen veritus celsæ decus æmulando mortis Exigit, ut pedibus mersum caput imprimant supinis, Figitur ergo manus subter, sola versus in cacumen Hoc mente major, quo minor figurâ,” &c.— XII. Passio Petri et Pauli, v. 11, &c. we purposely pass by the vamped-up stories of the Romish Church and the idle talk of Peter's supremacy, that he See 2 Ep. i. still belonged to the noble army of martyrs, even as our Lord Jesus Christ 14. showed him he should, saying, “When John xxi. thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, 18, 19. and walkedst whither thou wouldest; but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake He, signifying by what death he should glorify God." But to turn to the passage of Scripture with which the text lies in immediate connexion. It was now the third year of the preaching of Jesus; and throughout the regions of Judæa, Samaria, and Galilee, He had declared by His mighty works the glory of His eternal Godhead, insomuch that, if unprejudiced, the Jews from their own Scriptures might have seen that He was that Great Prophet which was to come into the world, as well as that sure foundation Isaiah spake of in the word of the Lord, 16. saying, "Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation.” Isa. xxviii. But, as many amongst ourselves are slow to understand what concerns our everlasting salvation, so were the Jews to understand the tokens of their Messiah. As a body, they were dreaming dreams 3 of His earthly victories, and of nations to be subdued by the power of His might. Jesus, meek and lowly, was not in all their thoughts, but a King to ride in triumph, and to deliver them from the hard yoke and thrall of Roman domination. Otherwise than His was the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees; and the people were more likely 3 See Lightfoot in loc. Hebrew and Talmudical Exercit.," Works, vol. ii. 204, folio. “He asketh not,” saith Theophylact, "what say the Pharisees, but, 'What say the people of me?'-the unlettered multitude—περὶ τοῦ ἀδόλου πλήθους λέγων.” Cf. in loc. tom. i. p. 84. C. On the words "Son of Man," never applied unto our Lord but by Himself, till Stephen so applied them (Acts vii. 56), see Calvin in loc., Nunc, dum carne indutus," &c. Harm. ii. 105. Isod. Pelusiot. See Epist. iv. 236, p. 67, folio. has similar remarks. |