though all shall he offended, yet will not I.
30 And Jesus saitk unto him, Verily I say unto thee. That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow- twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.
31 But he spake the more vehem- ently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Like- wise also said they all.
26 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
27 And Jesus saith unto them. All ye shall be offended because of me this night : for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.
28 But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.
29 But Peter said unto him, Al-
We see in these verses, how well our Lord foreknew the iveakness and infirmity of His disciples. He tells them plainly what they were going to do. " All ye shall be offended because of me this night." He tells Peter in particular of the astounding sin which he was about to commit : " This night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me tbrice."
Yet our Lord's fore-knowledge did not prevent His choosing these twelve disciples to be His apostles. He allowed them to be His intimate friends and com- panions, knowing perfectly well what they would one day do. He granted them the mighty privilege of being continually with Him, and hearing His voice, with a clear foresight of the melancholy weakness and want of faith which they would exhibit at the end of His minis- try. This is a remarkable fact and deserves to be had in continual remembrance.
and state of things yet future, appear to show plainly that He did not consider God's kingdom to have come, when he spoke. More- over, the words have not yet received a fulfilment, as it is not known, that our Lord administered the Lord's supper to His disciples after His resurrection. The words therefore are meant to turn our minds towards the time of our Lord's second advent. Then, and not till then, " the kingdom of God" will be fully set up. Then, and not till then, we shall sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb, and drink the new wine in the kingdom.
313
Let us take comfort in the thought that the Lord Jesus does not cast off his believing people because of failures and imperfections. He knows what they are. He takes them, as the husband takes the wife, with all their blemishes and defects, and, once joined to Him by faith, will never put them away. He is a merciful and compassionate High-priest. It is His glory to pass over the transgressions of His people, and to cover their many sins. He knew what they were before conversion, — wicked, guilty, and defiled ; yet He loved them. He knows what they will be after conversion, — weak, erring, and frail ; yet He loves them. He has undertaken to save them, notwithstanding all their shortcomings, and what He has undertaken He will perform.
Let us learn to pass a charitable judgment on the conduct of professing believers. Let us not set them down in a low place, and say they have no grace, .be- cause we see in them much weakness and corruption. Let us remember that our Master in heaven bears with their infirmities, and let us try to bear with them too. The Church of Christ is little better than a great hospital. We ourselves are all, more or less, weak, and all daily "reed the skilful treatment of the heavenly Physician. There will be no complete cures till the resurrection day.
We see, in the second place, in these verses, how much comfort professing Christians may miss by carelessness and inattention. Our Lord spoke plainly of His resurrection : " After that I am risen, I will go before you into Gali- lee." Yet His words appear to have been thrown away, and spoken in vain. Not one of his disciples seems to have noticed them, or treasured them up in his heart.