5. For Peter's denial and abjuration; while these things were thus acting concerning Christ, a sad accident happened to his Servant Peter; at first a Damosel comes to him, and tells him, Thou wast with Jesus of Galilee; and then another Maid tells the by-standers,1 this fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth: and after a while, they that stood by, spake themselves, surely thou art one of them, for thy speech bewrayeth thee, q. d. thy very Idiom declares thee to be a Galilean; thou art as Christ is, of the same Country and Sect, and therefore thou art one of his Disciples: Peter thus surprised, without any time to deliberate, he shamefully denies his Lord: and, 1. He doth it with a kind of subterfuge,2 I know not what thou sayest: he seems to elude the Accusation with this Evasion,3 I know not thy meaning, I understand not thy words, I skill not what thou sayest. 2. At the next turn, he goes on to a licentious boldness, denying ⟨p. 357⟩Christ with an Oath, I know not the man; and lastly, he aggravates his sin so far, that he grows to impudence, and so denies his Lord with cursing and swearing, I know not the man: here's a Lie, an Oath, and a Curse; the sin is begun at the voice of a Woman, a silly Damosel; not any of the greatest Ladies, she was only a poor serving-maid that kept the doors; but it grew to ripeness, when the Men-Servants sell upon him; now he swears, and vows, and curses himself if he knew the Man. O Peter, is the man so vile,4 that thou wilt not own him! Hadst thou not before confessed him to be the Christ, the Son of the living God? and dost thou not know him to be Man, as well as God? say, is not this the Man-God, God-Man that called thee, and thy brother Andrew, at the sea of Galilee, saying, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men? Is not this he whom thou sawest on Mount Tabor, shining more gloriously than the Sun? Is not this he whom thou sawest walking on the water, and to whom thou saidest, Lord, if it be thou, 5bid me come unto thee on the water? How is it then that thou sayest, I know not the man? Surely here's a sad example of humane infirmity; i• Peter fell so foully, how much more may lesser stars? And yet withal, here's a blessed example of serious, through repentance; no sooner the Cock crew, and Christ gave a look on Peter, but he goes out, 6and weeps bitterly.
5. For Peter's denial and abjuration; while these things were thus acting concerning Christ, a sad accident happened to his Servant Peter; at first a Damosel comes to him, and tells him, Thou wast with Jesus of Galilee; and then another Maid tells the by-standers,1 this fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth: and after a while, they that stood by, spake themselves, surely thou art one of them, for thy speech bewrayeth thee, q. d. thy very Idiom declares thee to be a Galilean; thou art as Christ is, of the same Countrey and Sect, and therefore thou art one of his Disciples: Peter thus surprized, without any time to deliberate, he shamefully denies his Lord: and, 1. He doth it with a kind of subterfuge,2 I know not what thou sayest: he seems to elude the Accusation with this Evasion,3 I know not thy meaning, I understand not thy words, I skill not what thou sayest. 2. At the next turn, he goes on to a licentious boldness, denying ⟨p. 357⟩Christ with an Oath, I know not the man; and lastly, he aggravates his sin so far, that he grows to impudence, and so denies his Lord with cursing and swearing, I know not the man: here's a Lie, an Oath, and a Curse; the sin is begun at the voice of a Woman, a silly Damosel; not any of the greatest Ladies, she was only a poor serving-maid that kept the doors; but it grew to ripeness, when the Men-Servants sell upon him; now he swears, and vows, and curses himself if he knew the Man. O Peter, is the man so vile,4 that thou wilt not own him! Hadst thou not before confest him to be the Christ, the Son of the living God? and dost thou not know him to be Man, as well as God? say, is not this the Man-God, God-Man that called thee, and thy brother Andrew, at the sea of Galilee, saying, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men? Is not this he whom thou sawest on Mount Tabor, shining more gloriously than the Sun? Is not this he whom thou sawest walking on the water, and to whom thou said'st, Lord, if it be thou, 5bid me come unto thee on the water? How is it then that thou saist, I know not the man? Surely here's a sad example of humane infirmity; i• Peter fell so foully, how much more may lesser stars? And yet withal, here's a blessed example of serious, through repentance; no sooner the Cock crew, and Christ gave a look on Peter, but he goes out,
- 1Mat. 26.69. Ver. 71. Ver. 73.
- 2Ver. 70.
- 3Ver. 72.
- 4Ver. 74.
- 5Mat. 14.28.
- 6Ver. 75.
