Ver. 18.- 77ie primacy of Peter. The career of St. Peter Is a striking instance of elevation from obscurity to fame. From a Galilman fisherman he was promoted to the leadership of the college of apostles, and has for cer.turies been revered by a great part of the Christian world as the earthly head of the Church. The ardour of his love and the boldness of bis confessions endeared him to the Master ; yet his self-confidence and his temporary unfaithfulness grieved the Master's heart. In the singular alterna- tions of feeling and conduct he reminds us of David in the older dispensation. Both have gained- a position in human regard which the cold and blameless have failed to reach. J, PETER WAS TBE FIBBT AMONG THE FAVOURED GROUP ADMITTED TO WITNESS CBBIBT's GLORY AND HUMILIATION. Peter, James, and John were the favoured three who beheld the glory of the Son of man upon the Mount of Transfiguration, and his woe in the garden of Gethsemane. Not only is his name mentioned first, but precedence in action is on both occasions referred to him. It was he who exclaimed upon the mount, "It is good for us to be here," proposing that tents should be reared for the illustrious visitors and for their Lord. It was he who, when the foes of Jesus would have arrested him, drew the sword in the Master's defence. II. PETER WAB THE FIRST TO BEAR WITNESS TO THE LoRo's DIVINITY, What the others thought of Jesus at the time when he asked them, "Whom say ye that I am? " we do not know; but it is recorded that Peter promptly and boldly replied, "'£hou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." His ready apprehension of bis Lord's nature, dignity, and office gave rise to the cordial acknowledgments of him to whom he testified. JII, PETER WAS THE FIRST OF THE .APOSTLES TO BEAR WITNESS TO CHRIST'S RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD, When on the evening of the day the disciples met, the subject for wonder and for rejoicing was that the Lord had appeared unto Simon. And Paul tells 118 that after his resurrection Jesus was seen first of Cephas. It is recorded that, upon receiving tidings from the '!omen, Pe!er with John hurried to t_he empty tomb; it must have been soon after this that this apostle was favoured with the interview twice referred to in the New Testamenr. IV, PETER WAS THE FIRST AFTER THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO ms FELLOW-MEN,' The record in the Book of the Acts is explicit upon this point. Peter, standing up with the eleven, _lifte<~ up his voi~e and spake forth to !he people, proclaiming the Lordship and ~ess1ahsh1p ~f ~he Ibsen ?ne, and annonncmg through him remission of sins to the pemtent and behevmg. In this he WIIS the m?uth- piece of the Christian community, and the leader of the great company who published the Word of the Lord. THE GOBPEL ACCORDING 1.'O ST. JOHN. [oR. xxr. 1-28,
V. PETER W Al' THE FIBST AIIONG CHRISTIAN CONFESSORS TO ENDURE AND DEFY THE llA<lE oF THE PERSECUTOR. In the fourth and fifth chapters of the Acts we have the record of this apostle's bol<lneBB when confronted with the enmity of the rulers among the Jews. How dignified was his demeanour, how faithful WRS hie testimony how pRtient was his endurance of hostility and of persecution for Christ's sake, the authQr of that book makes abundantly apparent to every reader. VI. PETER WAS THE FIBST AMONG Till!: TWELVE TO WELCOME TIil!: RELIEVING GEN• TIT,Eil I).TO THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. First in the case of Cornelius, i;.nd then upon the occa~ion of what is called the Council of Jerusalem, Peter proved himself to be possessed with the Spirit of his Lord, in whom there is neither Jew nor Gentile. It was he, occupying a position of peculiar authority and advantage, who may be said to have thrown open the gates of the Church to thoee of Gentile descent. Paul was indeed the apostle of the Gentiles; but if we turn aside from the speculations of the "higher criticism," and confine our attention to historical facts, we shall see it was Peter who made it possible to widen the foundations of the Church, and, without endangering unity, t.o receive the believers in Christ from every race and nation into the enjoyment of equal pri'rileges and hopes. Vll. PETER WAS THE FIRST OON0EBNING WHOM IT WAS FORETOLD THAT BE SHOULD WFFEB A DEATH OF IIABTYBDOII FOB THE BAKE OF CHRIST. It is certainly very singular that our Lord should chooee the moment when Peter made protestation of his love and devotion, and when he himself formally entrusted Peter with authority to feed the spiritual flock, as the moment for predicting his martyrdom, particularly foretelling by what death he should glorify God. His Epistles assure us that this la.ngua.ge was not lost upon the faithful servant, but that he learned to rejoice in the prospect of partaking Christ's sufi'erings.-T.