BUT what, Peter! though thou canst find thy Saviour without the Hall, is there no comfort to be taken in his sensible Presence? doth the possession of Faith make vain and fruitless the fruition of sight? Is it not some joy to see him, because it is so much Blessedness to believe in him? Was there health in his Garment, and is there no pleasure in his Presence? Was the Womb ⟨p. 96⟩blessed that held him, and is there not some blessedness in the eyes that see, and the hands that embrace him? Was it from Temptation, which had before foiled thee, that thou didst fly as a burnt Child from the fire? Was the voice of a Virgin able to drive thee from the Son of a Virgin; or the Challenge of a Servant, from the presence of a Lord? Was not that Look able to confirm thee, which was able to convert thee? Or couldst thou fear to fall from the Rock, thy Saviour, ⟨p. 97⟩because thou hadst before fallen from the Sand, thy Presumption? Or was it out of a loathing of that place of blasphemy where thy Master and thy God did suffer the base reproaches of wicked men? could the air of that place be infectious, where was so precious, so innocent, so saving a breath to sweeten it? Was the blasphemy of a Jew more pestilent to pollute, than the Grace of thy Jesus to sanctify the High-Priests Hall? The presence of Christ could make that place ⟨p. 98⟩a Heaven to Peter, which the blasphemies of a Jew had made his Hell. It was neither the vileness of the place, nor the question of a Servant which could have done thee any violence. They might tempt, they could not wound thee. A Mountain stands unmoved though the Winds be impetuous, when a smaller breath not only shakes but breaks down a reed. If thy Lord have given thee strength, thy Adversary cannot give thee a fall: If he beckon on thee to turn, ⟨p. 99⟩thou art by his finger sufficiently armed against a Torment, a Devil, much more against a Temptation, a Maid. But such is the recovery of Faith, as of Health, it proceeds by degrees, from weakness unto strength, from fear unto confidence, and dares not trust in Christ without some trembling. Peter is assured of his Master's love, and yet he is ashamed of his own sin. Shame is ever sins companion. He durst not to look that Master in the face, whom so lately he had denied: He could with the ⟨p. 100⟩Publican knock his breast, he could not look up to Heaven, to the face of his Master;
BUT what, Peter! though thou canst find thy Saviour without the Hall, is there no comfort to be taken in his sensible Presence? doth the possession of Faith make vain and fruitless the fruition of sight? Is it not some joy to see him, because it is so much Blessedness to believe in him? Was there health in his Garment, and is there no pleasure in his Presence? Was the Womb ⟨p. 96⟩blessed that held him, and is there not some blessedness in the eyes that see, and the hands that embrace him? Was it from Temptation, which had before foiled thee, that thou didst fly as a burnt Child from the fire? Was the voice of a Virgin able to drive thee from the Son of a Virgin; or the Challenge of a Servant, from the presence of a Lord? Was not that Look able to confirm thee, which was able to convert thee? Or couldst thou fear to fall from the Rock, thy Saviour, ⟨p. 97⟩because thou hadst before faln from the Sand, thy Presumption? Or was it out of a loathing of that place of blasphemy where thy Master and thy God did suffer the base reproaches of wicked men? could the air of that place be infectious, where was so precious, so innocent, so saving a breath to sweeten it? Was the blasphemy of a Jew more pestilent to pollute, than the Grace of thy Jesus to sanctifie the High-Priests Hall? The presence of Christ could make that place ⟨p. 98⟩a Heaven to Peter, which the blasphemies of a Jew had made his Hell. It was neither the vileness of the place, nor the question of a Servant which could have done thee any violence. They might tempt, they could not wound thee. A Mountain stands unmov'd though the Winds be impetuous, when a smaller breath not only shakes but breaks down a reed. If thy Lord have given thee strength, thy Adversary cannot give thee a fall: If he beckon on thee to turn, ⟨p. 99⟩thou art by his finger sufficiently arm'd against a Torment, a Devil, much more against a Temptation, a Maid. But such is the recovery of Faith, as of Health, it proceeds by degrees, from weakness unto strength, from fear unto confidence, and dares not trust in Christ without some trembling. Peter is assured of his Master's love, and yet he is ashamed of his own sin. Shame is ever sins companion. He durst not to look that Master in the face, whom so lately he had denied: He could with the ⟨p. 100⟩Publican knock his breast, he could not look up to Heaven, to the face of his Master;
