^ There is a beautiful old tradition, done finely into verse by one of our poets, that, during the demon-raging fury of the Neronic persecution, Peter, visiting the harried flock at Eome, who nevertheless were undaunted in their brave stand for the Name of Christ, was one day waited upon by the threatened Christians, who urged him to leave the city of death, that he might continue, in less dangerous places, to carry on his apostolic work.
Not in yon streaming shambles must thou die; We counsel, we entreat, we charge thee, fly !
The Apostle protests that his place is the place of danger, and that, come what may, in Rome he will remain. One by one they plead — for the sake of multitudes who will be as sheep without a shepherd, for the Kingdom's sake, for Christ's sake — that Peter, though for himself not caring, yet, as caring for others, may seek safety in flight. At last he yields — yields to their importunity. He goes forth, in the night-time, through the Capuan gate. Stealthily, swiftly, he pursued his way
To the Campania glimmering wide and still, And strove to think he did his Master's wilL
* Memoir of John Duncan, 403. ' E. H. Hopkins.
• Carlyle, Cromwell's Letters and Spetehcs, iii. 190.
ST. JOHN XXI. 22 445
But he fights with pursuing doubts. Is his flight cowardice ? or is it for the sake of longer-continued testimony ? Is he still true to the voice which said, " Follow thou me " ? Soon shall he have his answer. What is that vision of the night ?
Lo, on the darkness brake a wandering ray: A vision flashed along the Appian Way. Divinely in the pagan night it shone — A mournful Face — a Figure hurrying on — Though haggard and dishevelled, frail and worn, A King, of David's lineage, crowned with thorn. " Lord, whither farest ? " Peter, wondering cried. " To Eome," said Christ, " to be re-crucified." Into the night the vision ebbed like breath; And Peter turned, and rushed on Eome and death.^
n.
The Manner of Following is for the Individual.
" If I will that he tarry till I come."
The first thought is that it is the duty of us all to follow ; the second is that the manner of following rests upon His will and is made to suit our individuality. To the anxious Peter, Christ declared that John's course was to be different from his own. By the words, " What is that to thee," He emphatically indicated a distinction — implying by them that he should go his own way and leave his brother's cause in His hands. The one was to labour, the other to wait. The one was to preach the Gospel throughout the world, and be summoned to heaven by the sufferings of martyrdom, the other was to watch in long banishment the coming again of the unseen Saviour when the old economy should fall, and then in peaceful old age to pass to the eternal home. All this marked difference of destiny by which they were each to follow the Saviour is contained in the reply, " If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee ? "
1. Christ appoints a separate experience for each of His followers. " Lord, what shall this man do ? " " What is that to
* T. F. Lockyer, Seeking a Country, 101.
446 THE INDIVIDUALITY OF DUTY
thee ? " No words could mark more empliatically the great difference which was henceforth to exist between the paths of those two men who had hitherto followed Christ side by side. They seem to express a kind of impassable solitude in which each man was to live. John could not lead the life of Peter ; Peter could not fulfil the destiny of John. In different and lonely ways they were each to travel till the end should come. The life of Peter was to be action crowned by suffering, the life of John a patient waiting for the manifestation of Christ — there, in the difference between labouring and watching, lay the difference in their respective courses. Now, if we contemplate the distinctive characters of these two men, we shall find its Divine meaning. Each course was beautifully adapted to train their individual characters, and to fit them for their individual work.
^ What could be more appropriate as a close to the life of Christ than such a picture as this, which opened out such a view of the Church's mission, as waiting and yet working, as suffering and yet serving ? The great difficulty in the mind of Peter was how to reconcile the two, so that they might live and act harmoniously together. This difficulty was to be solved in course of time, when the days of trial and persecution came on the Church. Then it was seen that something more was needed than suffering and service ; they would have to " tarry " or wait in patient expectation for the coming of Christ. In this way, the waiting spirit, the spirit of John, came to be more and more developed in the Church ; and in proportion as it becomes developed, so ought the active spirit, the spirit of Peter, to make a correspond- ing advance. And thus the two sides of the Church's life will advance in harmonious union, until, by the discipline of suffering, and service, and patience, it is perfected in every part.^