destroy my Church, they shall never prevail, either against the Church itself, or against any individual that is founded on the
truth which thou hast uttered? The work is mine; " /
will build it :" but the foundation shall be that which is now laid by thee : and as long as thy name shall be known in the world, thou shalt be remembered as a bold champion for the truth, and as having, even at this early period, laid the founda- tion on which my Church shall stand for ever.']
2. That he should be a principal instrument in establishing and governing the Church —
[Keys were used as an emblem of power ; and the person invested with them, had the control and management of the house or state committed to him. Hence of Eliakim, who was to succeed Shebna, the treasurer, in his high office, it is said, " The key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut ; and he shall shut, and none shall open'i." And a similar metaphor is used in reference to Christ, to whom the government of the Church is exclu- sively committed '^. * Now,' says our Lord, " 1 will give unto thee, Peter, the keys of the kingdom of heaven." We have not the smallest reason to believe that there was any exclusive power given to Peter ; (nor, if there had been, is there any mention of its being transferred to the bishops and popes of Rome as his successors:) but there was a most honourable distinction conferred upon him, namely, that of opening the Church both to Jews and Gentiles ; the former of which he did on the day of Pentecost; and the latter when, in consequence of repeated visions, he went and preached the Gospel to Cornelius and his company^. But besides this, our Lord told him also that *' whatever he should bind on earth should be bound in heaven, and whatsoever he should loose on earth, should be loosed in heaven." Though Peter, in his conduct, was fallible, and actually fell into both sins and errors, yet, as inspired of God to preach and write for the edification of the Church, he was infallible : and his word, whether it related to doctrine or discipline, has been a standard of truth in every age. In this indeed the other disciples are united with him* : and to this hour, whatever is declared by them to be lawful or unlawful, to raise men to heaven or to consign them over to perdition, is confirmed and ratified in heaven, and shall be so
the sense we have given to the words. The gates of cities constituted in a gi'eat measure their strength ; and they were the places where public assemblies were held, and justice was administered. Hence " the gates of hell" might well signify the power and policy of hell.
P Jer. i. 19. q Isai. xxii. 20 — 22. r Rev. iii. 7.
* Acts ii. and x. * John xx. 2.3.
1374.1 pf.ter's confession rewarded. 451
to all eternity. And if any Church admit or expel members agreeably to their word, such admission or expulsion will be accompanied with a corresponding acceptance or rejection before the throne of God".
Such was the distinction conferred on this favoured servant of the Lord : and in this was fulfilled that imiversal promise, " Them that honour me I will honour."]
From this important subject we may learn,
1. How to attain the knowledge of Christ —
[Reading and human instruction are good in their place ; but they are not of themselves effectual : we must have " the unction of the Holy One that must teach us all things," or else we shall, after all, continue ignorant of the truth of God. It is " the Spirit alone that can guide us into all truth." Hence we are directed by Solomon to " lift up our voice for under- standing, as well as to search for her as for hid treasures:" and St. Paul prays for the Ephesian Church, " that God would give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, the eyes of their understanding being enlightened^." If therefore we would attain this knowledge, let us not lean to our own understanding, or look to " flesh and blood to reveal it to us," but pray unto God to " shine into our hearts to give it us 5"."]