It was a resolution worthy of the Apostles, and worthy to be adopted by every one of us.
1. Our blessed Saviour deserves it at our hands —
[What has He not done for us? And what has he
not suffered for us? And should we be afraid to confess
him? Should any consideration under heaven induce us to deny him? ]
2. He also requires it at our hands —
[At the very commencement of his ministry he declared, that "those only should be acknowledged as his disciples" who "denied themselves, and took up their cross daily, and followed him f nay more; that "they only who were willing to lose their life for his sake, should find it unto life eternal0." And what can be more reasonable than this? If He, the Lord of heaven and earth, encountered death for us, shall we think it too much to lay down our lives for him ? Methinks, if we offer ourselves a sacrifice for him, it is no other than a reasonable service, which is at once our plainest duty, and our highest privilege ]
But the conduct of them all too certainly evinced,
II. The folly of the resolution, as announced in their own strength —
Not one of them was able to fulfil his word —
[That very night " they all forsook their Lord, and fled:" and Peter, who arrogated to himself a greater measure of fidelity than all the others, was the very first to deny his Lord, and denied him with more blasphemous impiety than all the others together.]
And who amongst us would be more firm than they? [" We have not in ourselves a sufficiency even to think a good thought*3:" how much less, then, can we think to main- tain our fidelity towards our Lord, amidst all the terrors of a most cruel death ? Through Christ sti-engthening us, we may undertake any thing6:" but " of ourselves we can do nothingf." In truth, the more self-confident we are, the more " we pro- voke the Lord to jealousy," and challenge him to leave us to ourselves g. Then only can we hope to stand, when we are " strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might11."]
Learn then, Brethren, 1. What your duty is —
c Matt. x. 38, 39. d 2 Cor. iii. 5. e Phil. iv. 13.
f John xv. 5. e Jer. xvii. 5—8. h Eph. vi. 10.