Meditations on the fall and rising of St. Peter

I Cannot be so uncharitable as not to believe, That it was Peters Faith and Love which made unto Christ this promise of perseverance in his profession: such fruit and sweetness had he found in those words of eternal life, such power in that Son of the living God, that he could not but think it blessedness to follow and enjoy his society even unto death, who was able to sweeten and sanctify death it self. But ⟨p. 9⟩behold, in the same soul, nay in the same action, a mixture, I had almost said a predominancy, of faith and flesh! The desire and the purpose come from faith, the confidence and resolution came from flesh. Self-dependence, pride, or any other carnal affection which is more deeply rooted in the particular nature of any man, do often intermix themselves in his most holy actions. It was faith that made Peter go down upon the Water, but it was flesh that made him begin to sink: Faith made him ⟨p. 10⟩zealous in Christs Cause, but flesh drew his sword at Malchus his ear: Faith made him follow Christ, but flesh made him follow afar off: Faith made him accompany Christ to the garden, but flesh made him sleep when he should have sorrowed: Faith made him promise perseverance, but flesh made him peremptory in that promise: in a word, Faith made him resolute to confess, but flesh to contradict his Master. Vows and Promises unconditionally addressed, cannot but prove dangerous to the ⟨p. 11⟩strongest Faith. God must first give us perseverance, before we can promise it; It is not in our power, though it be our duty to perform it. Though Peter may in the virtue of Christs promise be sure not to fall into Hell, he cannot in the virtue of his own promise be sure not to fall into temptation; though he can be secure that Faith shall have the last victory; yet he cannot that it shall have every victory: though it cannot die and be finally dried up, yet it may ebb, and languish; and though even