Ver. 62.-The place for the sword. "Put up again thy sword into his place." Wo need not supp0se that our Lord intended to gil'o any gcnernl directions concerning tho use of the sword. The question of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of warfare c:muot even be connected with our Lord's expression to St. Peter. Our Lord's words strictly fit the occasion. "Resistance at that time would have involved certain destruction. :More than that, it would have been fighting, not for God, but against him, because r1gainst the fulfilment of his purpose." It is rather strange to find St. Peter wilh a sword. No doubt he had anticipated a conflict, and therefore provided the weapon. It is not likely that he knew how to use the sword, and he evidently slashed with it very dangerously. I. THE SHEATH IS NOT ALWAYS THE PLACE FOR THE SWORD. We may wish that it could be kept there, but while human nature is what it is; while society finds it needful to guard itself against itself; and while nations will press claims against other nations, the sword can neither be kept in its sheath nor turned into a ploughshare. We can see three types of persons who must still, on occasion, take the sword out of its sheath. 1. The executioner, who carries out the decisions of the law in relation to criminals, disturbers of the pnblic peace, who have been fairly tried and honourably condemned. 2. The vindicator, who must take the sword out of its sheath to avenge public WTOngs, ill treatment of a.mbas~adors, etc., as lately at Manipur, 3. The defeuder, who meets the foe who would rifle his home or imperil his nation's liberty. II. THE SHEATH IS ALWAYS THE PLACE FOB THE CHRISTIAN SWORD. The "weapons of our warfare are not carnal." We triumph by submission, not by resist- ance. "In whatever other cause it may be lawful to use carnal weapons, it is not wise or right to draw the sword for Christ and his truth" (Plumptre). Christ's law. is "Resist not evil." Christianity has found a strange,· but a triumphant, method of dealing with evil. It lets it do its worst. Thie was our Lord's way. He yielded, gave himself up, endured, let evil show itself fully; and the consequence is, the whole world knows how utterly bad and base evil is.-R. T. Ver. 70.-Peter's time of strain. "But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayeet." The nature of Peter'e sin has been so fully dealt with that we may safely venture to inquire what can be said on behalf of him, and in mitigation of his very grievous fault. It is not wise to say harsh and inconsiderate things con- cerning our erring brethren. It is well to remember the counsel, "Let him that thinketh be standeth take heed lest he fall." No temptation took Peter but such as is "common to men." Even a Cranmer repeats his story in these latter times. We do not excuse Peter'e sin when we try kindly to estimate the time of strain through which he passed. Every man has such a testing-time put somewhere into his life. Sometimes it comes in the opening manhood, but perhaps it is more usually reserved for the adv.a.nced middJe life, as we see in the cases of Abraham and of David. In some way the life-principle is proved, and it is seen whether the will has become dissociated from the principle professed, so that the principle is only weak sentiment that can stand no strain. On behalf of Peter, it may be urged- I. THAT HE WAS PHYSICALLY OVERWROUGHT. Long hours of watching and anxiety must have wearied him out; and that sleep in the garden was not refreshing. Bocly prepared a way for temptation. II. Tru.T HE WAS DOING A VERY VENTURESOME THING. Making hie way actually into the court of the palace, and among the high priest's guard and servants. It was a noble thing to do, but it was a very perilous one. He did not know whether the scheme against the Master included the servants; but he risked the danger because of his longing to see what became of the Lord he loved. No doubt he thought that showing a bold front was the best way to escape observation. He would have managed well if it had not been for his Galilrean brogue. ill. THAT HE WAS DlSAPPOINTED IN ms HOPEO OONOERNING JESUS. He had thought that an earthly kingdom was to be set up: the arreRt of Jesus rlnshe•l that on. xxvn. 1-66,] THE GOSPEL ACCOnDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 679
hope to pieces for over. He was in the hands of his foes, This did not affect Peter's personal feeling toward Christ, but it did suggest that he had better not profess open connection with him. 1. There is a test-time for every man. 2. It is a self-revelation. 3. It is a culture. 4. The test-time is precisely relative to every man. 6. The relativity is the thing to disoover.-R. T.
Ver. 76.-Quick penitence revealing charader. St. Peter had become entangled through making one false step. He had never anticipated what happened. He began with half a lie, which he excused as merely a putting aside of uncomfortable and even perilous questions. But the " beginning of evil is as the letting out of water." Soon the tempter plunged poor Peter over head and neck in evasions, lyings, cursings, and swearings. Then came the moment when Jesus was passing from the council-chamber, and as he passed he turned, and gave Peter a look, only a. look, but we can imagine the wealth of pitying that wa.s in the look. It went right home; it recalled warning words; it revealed, as by a lightning flash, the darkness into which Peter had fallen; and he rushed out of the place, and could not restrain the tears that told of bitterest shame and humiliation. What does this penitence tell concerning Peter? I. His SENSITIVENESS. When we see how quickly he responded to Christ's" look," we begin to understand how he came to respond so readily to the peril which the maid's question brought him. He was too sensitive; he responded too soon; he was always in danger of speaking and acting before he had time to criticize his own impressions. There are many among us like him. They feel too soon. They respond too quickly. And they respond to evil suggestion and to calamity as readily as to good and success. We call it highly nervous organization. II. His AFFECTIONATENESS. We must keep in mind how truly he was attached to his Lord; and how open that attachment made him to all influence~ exerted on him by Christ. It was his safeguard in that sad time, that he bad personal love to Christ. That disposition often brings men round right again after they have gone astray. Fathers and mothers know the anchor-hold that a child's affectionate dis- position gives to them. But there is a gushing and impulsive penitence that is not good. Sometimes there is too easy.confession of sin-confession before the really humbling sense of sin is felt. Easy penitence is little more than regret; and it is usually very gushing in expression. Easy penitence has little force on the moral nature. Penitence needs to be made deep and searching by the help of serious thinking.-R. T.