marie nath Nis Fan in his Hand, and will Sift his Church, but hijs Sifting 15 to purge his Floors, he Sifts a particular Sou!, to purific it from its Luſts and Corruptions, but Satan fiftcth the Soul and the Church meerly to give them trouvle, and to keep them from reſt and quiet by continual Motion and Agitation. This we are all con- cerned to take notice of, that we may both be continually prepared for the tim? of our Siftings: and bleſs Gd who doth not ſitisge Sa- tans defires to fift us ; for he hath the ſame ming to winnow us now that he had to ſift Peter and the reſt of the Apoſtles, Bat Craith our Saviour) | T have prayed that thy Faith fail nt.) There is a total and 4 partial failing of Faith. Peter's Faith did fail in part : ut the Soer of God did yet abide in him ; his Faith did not wholly fail ſo will it be with the Faith of every true Diſciple of Ckritt, '5n hours of great Temptation and Tryal, their Faith may, as to ſome degrees, fail but totally it ſhall not. They may be perverted, but thev ſhall again be converted. What the Apoſtic ſaith of the Bodies of the Saints Rom. 8. 10, 11, Andif Chiif be in you, the By4; us Dead becauſe of Sm, but the Spirit is Life, becauſe of Rizhtewſneſs. But if the Spirit af him that raiſed up Feſus ſrom the Dead, dwell in vol, he that raj'ed up Cinijt from the Dead ſhall alſo quicken your Mirtal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you, may allo be ſaid of their Souls. Tiicy have in them a Body of Death, and they may in an hour of great Temptations tail, and their gracious Habits may ſeem to dic; but if the Spirit of God dwelleth in the Soul, he will again quicken their Souls by his Spirit which dwelleth in them. ( And when thou ait Converted ſtrengthen thy Brethren. ] That is, when God hath recovered thee from thy fall, and made thee to ſee thy Error,make an improvement of thy recovery out of the ſnare of the Devil, by admonithing others to fake heed of too much confidence in themſelves, and Incouraging them not to deſpair tho they alſo may fall into Temptatio+; but that the Grace of God ſhall be ſufficient for them
33 And he ſaid untohim, Lord, Tam ready to go with thee both into priſon, and to death. 34 And he aid, I tell thee, Peter, the cock ſhall not crow
elt me.
This 1s more largely recorded by Matth. Ch. 25. 33 3 i, 35. and by Mark, Ch. 14. 27, 28, 29, 30. Sce the Notes on th..5 o/aces.
they ſaid, —
36 Then faid he unto them, But now he that hath a purſe, let him take jr, and likewiſe h# ſcrip : and he that hath no ſword, ſet him {ell his garment, and buy one.
37 For] fay unto you, that this that is written, muſt
38 And they faid, Lord, behold, here are two ſwords.
And he ſaid unto them, lt is enough. Thoſe who interpret, wv. 35, 3S. as a Precept of our Saviour's impoſing a Duty upon his Diſciples : or a Counſel concerning the providing Arms which they might uſe for the prote&ion ard de- fence of themſelves, will not oniy find a difficulty to reconcile their notion of it to ſevera! other precepts, and the Will of God deelired by the Apoſtles practice, who never went about by force, and Arms to defend themſelves in the firſt Plantation and Propagation of the Goſpel : but alſo to Reconcile it to the laſt Words of our Saviour, who ſaid, when his biſciples told him they had two Swords, I: 5 enough, Which he would never have faid, if he had intended any ſuch thing; for two Swords was much too little to hive Conquered that Multitude of Adverſaries, which the Diſciples of Chriſt were to meet with, Our Saviour doth doubtiefs ſpeak 1n a Figure, and all that he intendeth amounteth but to this. Hitherto I have been with you, and you have had my ſpecial protettion ; though you went out without a Purſe, or a Scrip, yet you have wanted nothing ; though you went without a Sword, yet none did you any harm. But the time is now come, when the poſture of your Affairs will be much al- tered; your Friends will be few, your Enemies many, therefore you ſtand concerned to make as good Preparation as you can do in thoſe things that are conſiſtent with the general precept that I have given you. The Tragedy will begin with me ; for what is written of me muſt now be accompliſhed, Tſaiad 53. 12. He was numbred amongſt the Tranſereſſors; 1 muſt be brought before Magiſtrates 2s 4 common Malefa&or, and hanged on a Croſs betwixt rwo Thieves. [ And the things concerning me ſhall ſhortly have an end: ] you will next come upon the ſtage, and therefore prepare what in you ly=th for the performance of your part.
39 * And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to
the mount of Olives; and his diſciples alio followed him.
Both Matthew and Mark fay, he went to the place called Gethje- mane, but that mak«s no difference, for whether Gethſemane bgmnun- etha Village, or a Garden, ora Valley, ail agree it was at the F vt of the mount of Olives. It was a place to which our Saviour had uſed to go ever fince he came to Safes, and Jay m his way to Bethany. He went thither to pray; and his Dilciplcs followed hm.
Pray, that ye enter nor into cemptation. Ee> When he came to the Mount of Olives, he firſt ſetteth liis Diſcro'es t» that Work, which at this Day was propzr for them. [ Pray
that ye inter net into Temptation, ] that if it be the Wull of Gd, you : may
this day, before that thou ſhalt thrice deny thar thou know- |
* Mat,
3 v 3
4
lark.
I,
Chap. XXII
35 And he ſaid unto them, * When 1 ſent you with. * Mat. 10, out purſe, and ſcrip, and ſhoes, lacked ye any thing ? And 9+
yet be accompliſhed in me, * And he was reckoned among * Mark Is the tranſgreſſours : For the things concerning me have an 23. end,
14:
40 And when he was at the place, he {aid unto them, * * Mats 26.
— wo g —_ . _— I _— = he + -— uh. 7 - — ” 9% þ =
Chap, XXII. be delivercd from ſuch an Hour of Try as be overcome by it.
may 1 am entring into 5 or at leaſt that you may not be over which you will preſently be Witnelles unto, and your own which
you ſhall hereafrer meet with, may have no Power upon you tO withdraw you from your Work in the Publication, or Profeſſion of my Goſpel, The other two Evangelifts make mention of our Savt- our's taking Peter, and Fames, and 7ohn with him, yet more pT1- ratcly. Lube mentioneth not that, but goeth on.
1 * And he was withdrawn from them about a ſtones
caſt, and kneeled down and prayed,