as com is shaken to and fro when it is dressed and winnowed, to separate the grain from the chaff. It aptly descrihes the effect of temptation on a believer. Whatever Satan's intention may be, the result of temptation is to bring out the chaff, or infirmity of a believer, and generally in the long run to purify his soul. It was strikingly so with Peter and the other apostles in the present instance.
S'Z. — [/ have prayed for thee.] We need not hesitate to regard this as an example of our Lord's exercise of His office as an inter- cessor for His people. What He did for Peter, when Peter knew nothing of his danger. He is daily and hourly doing for all who believe on His name.
[That thy faith fail not] The Greek word translated " fail " is the root of our English word " eclipse." The object of our Lord's intercession was that Peter's faith might not altogether die, though for a time it might be very weak.
Let it be noted that " faith" is the root of the whole Christian character, and the part which Satan specially labours to over- throw. In the temptation of Eve, of Peter, and of our Lord Himself, the assault was in each case directed against the same point, and the object sought was to produce unbelief.
The Eoman Catholic commentators, Cornelius a Lapide, Maldonatus, and Stella, endeavour to prove from the words before us, that the Eomau Catholic Church, of which, they say, Peter was the head, was never to depart from the faith, and that our Lord gave a prophetical intimation of its perpetuity and fidelity. It is because of the words before us, we are told, that the Church of Rome has never fallen, while the Churches of Alex- andria, Constantinople, and Antioch, have gone to decay !
A more gratuitous and baseless application of Scripture it is difficult to conceive. For one thing, there is not the slightest proof that Peter was the founder or head of the Roman Church ; or indeed that he was Bishop of Rome at all. For another thing, the words before us apply most cleai'ly to Peter only afe an individual, and have no reference whatever to any church. Above all, the words were not spoken as indicating any special honour put upon Peter. They were meant on the contrai7 to teach, that Peter was about to fall more shamefully than any of the apostles, and that nothing but Christ's special intercession would save him from total ruin. The faith of all the apostles was about to prove very weak, but no one would be so near a complete eclipse of faith as Peter !
Lightfoot says, " Certainly it was Peter's advantage, that Christ prayed for him ; but it was not so much for Peter's honour, that he, beyond all others, should stand in need of such a prayer."
Wordsworth says, •' The Roman divines say that the prayer