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stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldst not. Thus spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. John xxi. 18, 19.

The speaker of these words is that divine and adorable personage, whose words while here below, I have endeavoured through this Essay, to comment upon, according to the little light given unto me. During a life of unparalleled sorrows and sufferings, which he had voluntarily undertaken in consequence of an eternal covenant, made by his own consent, with the Father and the divine Spirit in the settlements of eternal and sovereign grace; and which he undertook for that precious remnant whom God had elected and ordained to eternal life; during such a life, Christ spake as never man spake. Yet his words were not esteemed and received faithfully by all. Divine truth was his darling theme: while he revealed the grace and glory of his eternal Father, to all whom he loved.

Many rejected him and why? Because he pourtrayed the depraved nature of man in its blackest colours. Yet this was not all: as he declared that he came not to condemn the world, but that the world through him should be saved: so the gospel was his topic, and whilst he came to fulfill the law, he shewed, how unable man was to fulfill the law, that man might be led to look to him as the law-fulfiller, in the stead of his people.

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The person here spoken to by our Lord, claims also our attention. It is Peter; a zealous, a warm and faithful friend of our Lord. Yet who once (oh the frailties, yea horrible sins of God's chosen, 'when under the suspensions of his Spirit), who once denied his Lord, and with bitter oaths and curses repeated the same; yet restored from this fall, by a gracious healing look from his Lord. Behold him sorrow over his fall: whilst the Spirit of God raised him from that fall into which he was plunged, and renewed his weeping heart to more joy in, love to, and boldness in the cause of his beloved Lord.

Yet as this man had fallen, his faith must be tried, and his love be questioned in a way which nothing but faith and love could approve. "Simon son of "Jonas, (says Christ) lovest thou me more than "these?" hard question this, for one who had denied his master with oaths and curses. "He saith "unto him, Yea Lord, thou knowest that I love "thee,—He saith to him again the second time, "Simon son of Jonas, lovest hou me? He saith "unto him, Yea Lord."

But thrice Peter had denied his Lord with oaths and curses; thrice must he be questioned, as to his present love; " He saith unto him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter "was grieved because he said unto the third time, "lovest thou me?" Oh the shortness and imper

fection of a Christian's grace! oh the little patience of the saints. Peter is grieved, that the love of his treacherous heart should be questioned. Ọ what Peters we all are, denying our Lord, and then wendering our faith and love should be called in question! But though it grieved Peter, it damped not the flame of holy affection kindled within him; “And he said unto him, Lord thou knowest all

things, thou knowest that I love thee." Here observe, Peter's grief must be bridled, whilst he breaks out in rapturous adoration of the king of saints. He ascribes divinity, as conjoined with the man Christ Jesus. "Lord (says he) thou knowest "all things." Now Omniscience is an attribute of God.

If Christ be not essentially God; surely Peter were the vilest idolater under the sun. But with Thomas I would cry out to Christ, " My Lord "and my God." Nor do I count it idolatry to pay my Saviour all divine honors. Now what a blessed thing to be able to add "Thou knowest that I love thee." the glorious issue of Peter's love. and laborious office is given him in the world, an honorable and glorious death crowns the whole. The remarks I shall make on these two heads may finish the whole.

with Peter; Behold then, An honorable

First, An honorable and laborious office is given him in the world. This every minister and every Christian, have also in their degrees; all have ho

norable places assigned them in this world. Ministers especially are called to feed the flock of God. But I will speak of them together under the character of Peter. As oft as Peter had denied the shepherd, so oft is he called to feed the sheep. Now he also was a sheep of Christ's fold, and must be fed also by that food with which he fed his brethren. The apostle Paul reasons thus to Timothy. "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; "continue in them, for in doing this, thou shalt "both save thyself and them that hear thee," 1 Tim. iv. 16. Now for this flock we find Peter exceedingly zealous, as we may find by consulting a few particulars in the Acts of the Apostles.

No sooner are the disciples met at Jerusalem after the resurrection of Christ, than Peter begins: one of Christ's flock must fill the place of the apostate Judas; Peter speaks; Matthias is chosen.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter first testifies the descent of the Spirit, by observing and explaining the nature of its down coming on the flock of Christ, as foretold in Joel's prophecies. Preaches Christ with such power of the Spirit, that three thousand are converted, and such as should be saved are added to the church.

In the beautiful gate of the temple, Peter is the honored instrument of bringing to the fold of his Lord, one of his flock; a lame man begging alms of those that entered into the temple: read his powerful words to the poor cripple; "Silver and

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gold have I none, but such as I have, give I "thee: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, "rise up and walk," Acts iii. 6.

Further, Peter is the honored instrument of shewing the other sheep of Christ, which were not of this fold, even the Gentiles, John x. 16, the way to their great Shepherd through the influence of the Spirit; so that "They of the circumcision "which believed, were astonished, as many as "came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles " also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost,” Acts x. 45.

Again, by means of Peter it was prevented, that the yoke of circumcision and the observance of the law of Moses, should be laid on these Gentilesheep of Christ, which yoke Peter appealed to the Jews themselves, as being such as, "neither we "nor our father's were able to bear," xv. 10. But of this enough, to prove that Peter and the ministers of Christ, are set up to build up and establish the sheep of Christ.

Now this is in all ages a laborious office; Satan and his emissaries are always endeavouring to rob the sheepfold, and many even of Christ's flock, are for a time led away by the allurements of the devil, to the great grief of the pastors of God's flock. But the event will be honorable: for God's pastors if they thus care indeed for the flock, will be owned at last and rewarded with the flock, whilst · D d

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