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and unstable do also the other Scriptures, to their own destruction."

The closing scene of this most interesting apostle's life, we have had no means of contemplating, though the Saviour's last affecting and pathetic address to him, ir which he prophecies that he will die a martyr in his cause, makes one particularly desirous to procure details of it.

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"So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, ' Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.' He saith unto him, 'Feed my lambs!' He saith unto him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord! thou knowest that I love thee.' He saith unto him feed my sheep!" He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me ? and he said unto him, 'Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.' Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, when thou wast young thou, girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest; but when thou shalt he old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.' This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God; and when he had spoken this he saith unto him, follow

ine!"

"The case of Peter," says the pious and learned Scott, in his Notes to the Gospel of John," required a more particular address than that of the other apostles, in order that both he and others might derive the greater benefit from his fall and his recovery. Our Lord, therefore, asked him by his original name, as if he had forfeited that of PETER by his instability, whether he loved him more than these. The latter clause might be interpreted of his employment and gains as a fisherman, and be considered as a demand whether he loved Jesus above his secular interests; but Peter's answer determines us to another interpretation. He had, before his fall, in effect, said that he loved his Lord more than the other disciples did; for he had boasted that though all men should for

sake him, yet would not he. Jesus now asked him whether he would stand this, and aver that he loved him more than others did. To this he answered modestly by saying, "thou knowest, that I love thee," without professing to love him more than others. Our Lord, therefore, renewed his appointment to the ministerial and apostolical office; at the same time commanding him to feed his lambs, or his little lambs, even the least of them; for the word is diminutive: this intimated to him that his late experience of his own weakness ought to render him peculiarly condescending, complaisant, tender and attentive to the meanest and feeblest believers. As Peter had thrice denied Christ, so he was pleased to repeat the same question a third time this grieved Peter as it reminded him that he had given sufficient cause for being thus repeatedly questioned concerning the sincerity of his love to his Lord. Conscious however, of his integrity, he more solemnly appealed to Christ, as knowing all things even the secrets o. his heart, that he knew he loved him with cordial affection, notwithstanding the inconsistency of his late behaviour. Our Lord thus tacitly allowed the truth of his profession, and renewed his charge to him to feed his sheep."

"Peter," continues the commentator," had earnestly professed his readiness to die with Christ, yet had shamefully failed when put to trial; but our Lord next assured him that he would at length be called on to perform that engagement, and signified the death by which he would, as a martyr for his truth, glorify God.” No doubt that this information, however awful, was grate fully received by the devoted, ardent, though, at times, the unstable, follower of his beloved Master; as it proved the Saviour's confidence in him, notwithstanding all his

errors.

There was, indeed, an energy of character in Peter, which fitted him to be an apostle and a martyr. He was the questioning, the observing, the conversing, disciple The others were probably withheld by timidity from talking with their Lord, and putting frequent questions to him; but Peter was the willing spokesman on all occasions; and to him we owe that impressive lesson afforded us by the Saviour's reply, when asked by him how often

he was to forgive an offending brother, "I say not unto thee until seven times, but unto seventy times

seven.

But, whether we contemplate Peter as an example, or as a warning, in the early part of his religious career, it it cheering and instructive, indeed, to acquaint ourselves with him in his writings, when he approached the painful and awful close of it. When, having been enabled to fight, a good fight in fulfilment of his blessed Lord's prayer, that "his faith might not fail;" and having been "converted himself," and having strengthened his brethren, he addressed his last awfully impressive Epistle to his Christian brethren, before he himself was summoned to that awful trial, after which he was to receive the end of "his faith," even "the salvation of his soul!" Who can read, without trembling awe, his eloquent description of the day of judgment; "that day," which, as he says, "will come like a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; and the works that are therein shall be burned up,' while he adds this impressive lesson," seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of person ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?" And who can contemplate, without affectionate admiration, the undoubting, but unfearing, certainty with which he speaks of his approaching death, as foretold by our Lord; "knowing," said he, "that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has show. ed us ?"

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Soon after he had thus written, it is probable that he repaired to the expected scene of his suffering, and met his doom-met it, undoubtedly, as became one taught by experience, to know his own recurring weakness, adinon. ished often by the remembrance of that eye which had once beamed in mild reproof upon him; but which, I doubt not, he beheld in the hour of his last trial and dying agonies, fixed upon him with tender cucouragement and approving love; while, in his closing ear, seemed once again to sound the welcome promised to the devoted follower of the cross, "well done, good and faithful servant, enter thon into the joy of thy Lord."

We, of these latter days, can see the founder of our religion only in the record of his word, and hear only him in his everenduring precepts; but, though we hear him not externally with our ears, he still speaks in the heart of us all, if we will but listen to his purifying voice; and though the look of his reproachful eye can be beheld by us only with our mental vision, still that eye is continually over us; and when, like the apostle, we are tempted to feel too great security in our own strength, and to neglect to implore the assistance which cometh from above, let us recal the look which Jesus gave to the offending. Peter, and remember that the same eye, although unseen, is watching and regarding us still.

Oh! could we ever lie even upon what are called trifling occasions, if we once believed the certain, however disregarded, truth, that the Lord takes cognizance of every species of falsehood, and that the eye, which looked the apostle into shame and agonizing contrition, beholds our lying lips with the same indignation with which it reproved him, reminding us that "all liars shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone," and that without the city of life is "whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."

CHAPTER XVII.

THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED.

I SHALL not give many individual instances of those whom even the fear of death has not been able to terrify into falsehood, because they were supported in their integrity by the fear of God; but such facts are on record. The history of the primitive Christians contains many examples both of men and women whom neither threats nor bribes could induce for a moment to withhold or falsify the truth, or to conceal their newly-embraced opinions,

though certain that torture and death would be the consequence; fearless and determined beings, who, though their rulers, averse to punish them, would gladly have allowed their change to pass unnoticed, persisted, like the prophet Daniel, openly to display the faith that was in them, exclaiming at every interrogatory, and in the midst of tortures and of death, "we are Christians; we are Christians!" Some martyrs of more modern days, Catholics, as well as Protestants, have borne the same unshaken testimony to what they believed to be religious truth; but Latimer, more especially, was so famous amongst the latter, not only for the pure ness of his life, but for the sincerity and goodness of his evangelical doctrine (which, since the beginning of his preaching, had, in all points, been conformable to the teaching of Christ and of his apostles,) that the very adversaries of God's truth, with all their menacing words and cruel im*prisonment, could not withdraw him from it. But, whatsoever he had once preached, he valiantly defended the same before the world, without fear of any mortal creature, although of never so great power and high authority; wishing and minding rather to suffer not only loss of worldly possessions, but of life, than that the glory of God, and the truth of Christ's Gospel should in any point be obscured or defaced through him." Thus this eminent person exhibited a striking contrast to that fear of man, which is the root of all lying, and all dissimulation; that mean, grovelling, and pernicious fear, which every day is leading us either to disguise or withhold our real opinion;

not, to be absolutely guilty of uttering falsehood, and which induces us but too often, to remain silent, and ineffective, even when the oppressed and the insulted require us to speak in their defence, and when the cause of truth, and of righteousness, is injured by our silence. The early FRIENDS were exemplary instances of the power of faith to lift the Christian above all fear of man; and not only George Fox himself, but many of his humblest followers, were known to be persons" who would rather have died than spoken a lie."

There was one female Friend amongst others, of the name of Mary Dyar, who, after undergoing some persecu

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