ber thar they did nor write our Saviour's Words from his Mouth, bur trom their Memories, and theretore muſt be allowed to vary in their Expreſſions, and in Circumſtances. giving vs only ar Account ot the Subſtance of Words and Attic ns, a5 their Mc- mories ſerved them; from whence alſo ir is, thar ſome of them have ſome Circumſtances, nor in the orhiers. Our S:viour's Dc - ſ1gn here in general 1s to inform his Diſciples of ſ(meching whic!) would happen iy and by. { Al ze (taith he) ſpall le fjinded, bc- cauſe of me this Night. | The Word offended is of a very larze Signiticarion in Holy-Wrir; here, it ſeems ro fiznifie Ji/turbod, or troubled , tho'it we take it ſtrifily tor kunbling, ſo os to fin, it was
4
true enough, tor that happened, (as we ſhali fee anon ) which
made them to forſahe Chris and fly, which doubtleſs was their
Sin. { Þv it is written, T will \mite the Shepherd md the Sheep cj the Flock ſhall be ſcattered. The Words are, Zech. 13. 7, Tl.e Words there are Imperative, ſmmit? the Shepherd, Thereare Gditfc- rent Opinions, whether rhar Text 15 primarily to be underſtood ot Chri#, or ir be only a Proverbial Speech, which the Prophes made ufe of with anocher reference, which yer Chis} dorh ap- ply unto khimfelt. I do more encline tothink, that Chyif here interpreteth the Prophecy to relate Primarily ro himfelt, tor he dork not ſay, As it is faid, but, As it is written; yet confider it as a Proverbial Speech, 1s 1s true of orhcrs alſo. But certainly our Sa- viour deſigned to uphold the Spirirs of his Diſciples, by letting them know, that tho' they ſhould ſee the Shepherd ſmitten, thar is, Himſelf, who js the Good Shepherd, 7h. 10. 1. and is called by the Apoſtle, the Great Shepherd of the Sheep, Heb. 13. 20. the Chicf Shepherd, x Pet.$.4. yer they ſhould not be diſturbed; for, I. It was n» more than was Propheſied concerning him, Zech. 123. 7+ 2. Tho” art preſent they were ſcattered, yer ic ſhould not be long, for he ſhould Rjje again, and then he would g before them into Galilee, which was tulfiled, as we read, 3. 15, 7, Upon theſe Words, Peter, whom by all the Goſpel Hiſtory we tha!! obſerve to have been of the hizhett Courage, and f riwardeft ro ſpeak, faich, [ 7h9 all Men ſhould be offended, yer will T never be «f- fended.) .Thete doubrlets were his prefſenr Thovghts, this his ſudden Reſvlution, here now ſcem ro come in our Saviour's Words to Peter, mentioned by Luke only, Ch. 22. 31. { Simon, Simon, Satan hath deſired to have y-a, that he m:y fift jou as Wheat. But I have Frayed that your E:ith might mt fil, when tha art con- verted, flrengthen thy Brethren. | Touls in the Plural Number, and co be interpreted by 7ou all, rho' our Saviour diretech his Speech only to Peter, who firſt ſpake, whom he callech by his own Name; and doubſlerh ir, to fignifie his Earneſtneſs in giving him warn- ing. { To ſift you. ] In ſifting there are ewo things. 1, The ſhaking of the Corn up and down. 2. The Separation of the Grain from the Duſt, or its Seeds mixt with it : Satan hath defi- red, or hath obtained Leave of my Father, to trouble you all, ſhaking your Faith this and that- way, Bur I have praved, thac alcho' che workings of your Faith be ſuſpended, and the habir of your Faith be ſhaken, yer it may nor utterly fail, bur che Seeds of God may abide in you: You ſhall nor wholly fall away, bur be renewed again by Repenrance z | and when thou art comvertex, ) when thou haſt fallen, and ſhalr have a Sighr of chy Error, and be humbled for ir, endeavour to ſtrengthen thy Brethren's Faith : we may obſerve trom hence, 1. That Temptatims are fiftings. God fitts us to purge away our Droſs. Satan fitrs ns, 1t ic were poſſible to take away our Wheat, 2. That the Devil is the great Tempter, Others may hold, and moye the Sieve, bur he is the Maſter of the Work. 3. That he hath acontinual Deſire to be ſifting in God's Flow. 4. That he hath a Chain upon him; he muſt ask God's Leave to trouble his People. 5. That God 5ften giveth him leave, but through Chri8's pleadings, he ſhall not Conquer, He may fitc and trouble a Believer, bur che Believer's Faith ſhall nor fail 6. That in the Hour of Temptation we ſt.mmd in Chris Strength, by the Vercue of his Interceſſion. 7. That {apſed Chriſtians, when the Lord hath reſtored them, ought to endeavour to Ilrengthen and eſtabliſh others, Jeſus ſaich ro Peter, | Verily I ſay unto thee, that this Night before the Cock crow thou ſhalt deny me thrice. Live faith, Thou ſhalt deny that thou knoweſt me. Mark faith, Before tho Cock crow twice: And fo interprereth Mztthew, tor he denied Chriſt but once, before rhe Cock did crow once. How little do we know our elves, rhat cannot tel] what our Hearts will be three or four Hours ? Peter was too confident of the contrary, ard re- plierh again, upon our Saviour telling him: | 7h.zt if 211 fork?
deny him, he would nat. $9 alſo, they all ſaid, | bur what happen-+
ed we ſhall hear more by and by.
25 Then came Jeſus with them, unto a place called Gethſemane, and faith unto the diſciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. x
Mark leaveth out Yonder, Ch. 14. 32. Luke ſaith, Ch. 22. 29, He came out, and went as he was want, t1 the 3bunt of Olrves, and his Diſciples followed him. And when he was at the pluce, 12 ſaid un- to them: Pray that you enter not into Temptation, And he was with- drawn from them a ſtones caſt, and kneeled aomn and Prayed. Whe- ther this Gethſemane, were the name of a Garden, cr ot a }'7/.1ge, wherein was a Garden, is not much material for us to know: In Feruſalem they ſay, they had no Gardens, bur their G.r.ens were withour the Gates; certain It 15, 1t was on the other inde of the Brook Cedron, Joh. 18. 1, and either in, or ar che Foor of the Mount of Olives. Thicher Chrift went with his Diictple : That is, Eleven of them, we {hall hear of che Tweltch by and by. Luke faith, thar he bad his Diſciples Pray, tht tho; mit mt enter into Temptation: Thete Words Matthew and 37k have, after Chriſt's firſt return ro them : They fay, he now laid only, Sit you here, white I go and pray yonder. |
27 And he took with him Peter, and * the two * ch, 4,2;
Chap. AAVL,
ſons of Zebedee, and began to be ſorrowful, * aud * Joh. 124
very heavy. | |
23 Then ſaith heuntothem, My ſou is exceeding ſorrowful unto death, tarry ye here, and watch with me,
KR kk>» FLAN.
27,