What can we expect from Peter but a triple denial of his Masters person amongst his enemies, who dares even to his own face make a double denial of his Truth? He that will adventure to deny the truth of Christs Word, will quickly upon temptation deny the profession of his Truth. You all (saith Christ) shall be offended because of me this night. Nay, Lord, answers Peter, though all, yet never ⟨p. 4⟩I. Yes, Peter, thou more than any: for this very night thou shalt thrice deny me. O no Lord, I know mine own strength, I am so confident of my love unto thee, that neither life nor death can separate me from it. I have a sword in my hand, and I have a sword in my mouth; my Blade and my Profession shall both follow thee unto death. Peter hath not yet learned, not to contradict his Master, though once he got nothing but a Satan for it. It is not one either rebuke or disgrace, can root ⟨p. 5⟩up the untowardness of a corrupt disposition. Weak man! seest thou not how thou hast already begun to deny thy Lord? and even then hast entered upon a revolt, when thou seemest most fortified and constant in thy resolution? That man denies him, who denies his Word, he being no longer Christ than he is true. Why then shouldest thou either distrust thy Masters word, which told thee, that all should be offended? or else have any such confident presumption of thine own ⟨p. 6⟩strength, or uncharitable conceit of thy fellows weakness, as to believe his prediction touching their falling, and yet think he was deceived in thee, who art peremptory and confident of thine own standing? That God which out of true weakness hath ordained strength, doth here out of presumed strength foretell weakness; and as he can make the mouths of babes and sucklings to confess him, so can he suffer the mouth of an Apostle, a Peter, to deny him. Showing in both the ⟨p. 7⟩dependence as well of strong as of weak on his Goodness: The strongest Apostle being not able without his sustaining-grace to confess him; and with it, the weakest infant in the street being enabled to cry Hosanna unto him.
WHat can we expect from Peter but a triple denial of his Masters person amongst his enemies, who dares even to his own face make a double denial of his Truth? He that will adventure to deny the truth of Christs Word, will quickly upon temptation deny the profession of his Truth. You all (saith Christ) shall be offended because of me this night. Nay, Lord, answers Peter, though all, yet never ⟨p. 4⟩I. Yes, Peter, thou more than any: for this very night thou shalt thrice deny me. O no Lord, I know mine own strength, I am so confident of my love unto thee, that neither life nor death can separate me from it. I have a sword in my hand, and I have a sword in my mouth; my Blade and my Profession shall both follow thee unto death. Peter hath not yet learn'd, not to contradict his Master, though once he got nothing but a Satan for it. It is not one either rebuke or disgrace, can root ⟨p. 5⟩up the untowardness of a corrupt disposition. Weak man! seest thou not how thou hast already begun to deny thy Lord? and even then hast enter'd upon a revolt, when thou seemest most fortified and constant in thy resolution? That man denies him, who denies his Word, he being no longer Christ than he is true. Why then shouldest thou either distrust thy Masters word, which told thee, that all should be offended? or else have any such confident presumption of thine own ⟨p. 6⟩strength, or uncharitable conceit of thy fellows weakness, as to believe his prediction touching their falling, and yet think he was deceiv'd in thee, who art peremptory and confident of thine own standing? That God which out of true weakness hath ordained strength, doth here out of presumed strength foretel weakness; and as he can make the mouths of babes and sucklings to confess him, so can he suffer the mouth of an Apostle, a Peter, to deny him. Shewing in both the ⟨p. 7⟩dependance as well of strong as of weak on his Goodness: The strongest Apostle being not able without his sustaining-grace to confess him; and with it, the weakest infant in the street being enabled to cry Hosanna unto him.
