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was a city in Galilee. And in Luke, chap. xxii. 56, her speech is not to Peter, but to them that stood by, and it was thus, This man also was with him.' Now here in John it is a differing speech from all these, Art not thou also,' saith she, one of this man's disciples ?' And as her speeches recorded by the evangelists do vary, so you shall find that his speeches to her vary as much. For in Matthew, chap. xxvi. ver. 70, it is said, 'He denied afore them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.' It is the highest kind of negation that can be; the meaning of it is, I am so far from belonging to him, that the truth is, it is strange to me that you should ask me any such question; I do not know the least of him; as if he had never heard of the man before. And so in Mark xiv. 68, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest.' And in Luke xxii. 57, ' Woman, I know him not. Now here, in John, being asked, whether he was his disciple? he saith, I am not.' How shall we reconcile this?

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The reconciliation is very easy, for they are several speeches of hers, and several speeches of his, whereof some evangelists record some, and others, others. And it seemeth to have been thus (that I may hang and pin them altogether): this maid she first says to the standers by, This man also was with him,' as Luke hath it; and then she turns to Peter, and says, 'Are not thou one of this man's disciples?' as John here hath it; and then she peremptorily affirms it, that she upon her own knowledge had seen him with him, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee,' as Matthew and Mark have it. Now she, using several forms of speeches, some to the standers by, and some to himself, at the first asking him the question only, afterward peremptorily affirming it, this is it which draws out those several answers from Peter, according to the several occasions; which all the evangelists severally record, and all these make but this first denial of Peter's.

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Others cast it thus (which comes all to one) that she did first ask Peter the question, as John hath it here, Are not thou one of this man's disciples?' as he came in at the door. He answered, 'I am not.' Afterwards going to the fire where Peter sat, and as Luke hath it, seeing him by the light thereof (for so it is in the original), and as the text there saith, viewing of him wistly, with fixed eyes, thought she, I have seen you afore now, and seen you with him. And now she doth not go and ask him, 'Art thou not one of this man's disciples ?' but she plainly saith, Thou art one;' and she tells the standers by so too, This man' (saith she to them) also was with him;' and therefore Matthew tells us, that he denied before them all, spake as loud as he could, that they might all take notice of it, 'I know not,' saith he,' what thou sayest.'

You may likewise see the working of the providence of God even in this too; as, namely, that such a woman as had seen him some time or other with Christ, should now keep the high priest's door; for indeed that seems to be plain, that she speaks of her own knowledge: Thou also,' saith she, 'wast with him,' that is, thou didst converse with him; so Matthew and Mark have it. And the truth is, that the coherence here in John evidently carries it so, for here at the 17th verse we translate it, Then saith the damsel;' but in the original it is, Therefore saith the damsel,' the coherence whereof is plainly this, that she having observed him to be spoken for to be let in by a disciple, being at the door, minds him not so much at first, but afterwards eying him more wistly by the light of the fire, having formerly seen him, she peremptorily challengeth him: She therefore saith unto him,' &c. Now, I say, here was a providence of God, that that woman (it may be

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none of all the family else had observed him), that she should be at the door and take notice of all these things, that she should come to challenge him, and did challenge him, or else he had not been challenged. Others of them bring other arguments, that his speech bewrayed him, and that they saw him with Jesus in the garden; but the providence of God so ordered it, that of all the family she should be the woman that kept the door, who had seen him and knew him to be with Christ. At first indeed she did not know him so perfectly, therefore she only puts the question to him, Art not thou one of this man's disciples?' But afterward viewing him more strictly, and that by the light of the fire, she comes to know him, and challengeth him in a peremptory manner. So that God's providence did still strongly work in this great business to discover Peter. To get him in, it wrought much, and now it works as strongly even for a discovery. And you shall see other passages of providence afterward in the story, and how strongly they wrought too. And so much now for the historical opening of the words of

this verse.

I will give you but an observation or two, and so pass on.

Obs. 1. You see that as God would have it manifested that all sorts of people, Jew and Gentile, civil state and ecclesiastical, all these sorts were against our Lord and Saviour Christ, so all sexes too. There is this damsel here, and another damsel afterward, as Matthew and Mark have it, that fall upon Peter, and challenge him for being his disciple.

Obs. 2. You see likewise the weakness of Peter; he was but asked by a dimsel, and at the first but in a secret way, for I take it this speech here in John, which occasioned his first denial, was when he came in at the door; it was then that she asked him, Art not thou one of this man's disciples ?' A damsel, you see, foiled him; he that was not long before so extreme eager, that he promised he would die with Christ, that he would never leave him, that he would not, promised it three times; he that in the garden was so valiant as to cut off Malchus his ear, in defence of his master; this man being left to himself, at a private question that a damsel makes him, falleth into this great lie, which afterwards he seconded with further and greater protestations, as we shall see in the story. If that God doth leave us, what poor creatures are we! That that Peter who had naturally so bold a spirit. so great a natural courage, one that was a rash and a venturous, a bold and a daring man, as appears by all his actions, especially by that in the garden, when he cut off the high priest's servant's ear; he that was so bold afterward from the Spirit of God, when the Holy Ghost comes upon him; this Peter, when he is left to himself, neither natural courage doth assist him, but at the whispering of a maid you see what a lie he tells; neither doth the Holy Ghost help him, who yet did dwell in his heart. What poor creatures are the most courageous of men, if God leave them; they will fall short not only of the grace that is in them, and of the power of the Holy Ghost that is in them, but of that natural boldness which they have, for so Peter did.

Obs. 3. When was it that Peter thus foully and grossly denies his master? It was then when our Lord and Saviour Christ was entered into his sufferings; when he was arraigned, and arraigned for him, for his sins, before the high priest. Then when our Lord and Saviour Christ was about to do the greatest favour and mercy that ever was done for creatures, and for Peter amongst the rest, then God ordered it that Peter should sin, and sin thus foully and grossly. It was a very great aggravation of his sin, even this, for so the circumstance of time is to any sin. If that, at the same time

that a friend is contriving, or taking pains for me, or doing anything for me of the greatest moment, saving my life, begging my pardon, if I should at that time wrong my friend most, how would that heighten my unkindness! This was Peter's case. Yet you see Christ goes on with his work for all that. He knew Peter was a-denying of him, yet that did not make him withdraw his neck from suffering for Peter. Great sins against God, when he is doing us very great mercies, should exceedingly break our hearts, as it did Peter's here; he went out afterwards, and wept bitterly. Whenever we do sin, Jesus Christ is interceding in heaven for us. Our sins do not hinder him from going on to intercede, as Peter's sinning here did not hinder him from going on to suffer for him.

Obs. 4. And then again, Peter being asked whether he was one of his disciples, answers, 'I am not.' He doth not deny Christ to be the Messiah of the world, only he saith, I am not one of his disciples.' Yet Christ had said, 'Thou shalt deny me.' He denied, indeed, that he belonged to him. For any man to slink out of the profession of Christ when he is called to it, or out of any truth of his, though he deny not that Christ is the Messiah, and that Christ is come in the flesh, or the great points of salvation, yet it is a denial of Christ. And so much now for the 17th verse.

Verse 18. And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals (for it was cold), and they warmed themselves; and Peter stood with them and warmed himself.'

The scope of this relation is only this, to shew the occasion of Peter's second and third denial, which John afterwards tells us of. For though his second denial comes not in till the 25th verse, yet this story here is related as a preparation thereunto: that the weather being cold, the servants and officers were not scattered up and down, but were all gathered together in a ring, and cluster in the midst of the hall about the fire, and Peter he was in the midst of them; and therefore, if there were notice taken of Peter, all must take notice of him, one as well as another; and hence it came to pass that Peter was so mightily afraid, that he went on to deny his master, with oaths and curses, as afterward you read in the story. It was to shew the publicness of his sin, for Matthew saith, he denied before them all,' for they were all gathered together in a heap, and Peter in the midst. But to open it a little.

They had a fire of coals; of wood already burned or kindled, to avoid the smoke, because the fire was in the midst of the hall, as Luke hath it. For it was cold, which might seem strange, because those countries are hot, and it was in the spring time, for it was in March. But this is easily resolved, for you must know that in those countries, as there is an extremity of heat in the day, so there are oftentimes in the spring, as well as in the winter, exceeding cold nights, especially after rain. And it was that night especially a cold night, and that was the reason of the fire.

The observations I make out of these words are only these two.

Obs. 1. It is said that it was a cold night. Now this night, which thus occasionally fell out to be more cold than ordinary, it was that night in which Christ sweat drops of blood in the agony of his spirit when he was in the garden. For that agony of his was not many hours afore this befell him; for after he had supped, he made a long sermon and a long prayer, and then went into the garden, and from thence they fetched him out (all this was within night); and afore the first crowing of the cock this denial of Peter's fell out. It is noted, therefore, by interpreters, as a circumstance

to greaten the agony of Christ, and to set forth the extremity of his sufferings, that in a cold night he should sweat drops of blood, which was contrary to nature, and must proceed, therefore, from that great anxiety and perplexity his soul was in. It is brought, I say, by divines as an aggravation and evidence of those great soul-sufferings of Christ, more than from the fear of death, that in a cold night he should thus sweat drops of blood. It is noted upon that, though it comes in here upon another occasion, viz., that it being cold, there was a fire, and Peter stood there to warm himself, as he might lawfully do, but that he stood in the midst of temptations, and in the midst of tempters.

Obs. 2. Peter stood in the midst of them; so Luke hath it; for now he was in, and having once denied him to the damsel, to the end he might not further be known, he goes and shrinks in amongst the crowd, thinking to hide himself; and there he stands amongst the enemies of Christ, who being all full of malice did certainly speak evil of him, and talked their pleasures of him; but he, standing by, was forced to be silent, said not a word, suffered all to pass in silence, which was a kind of a denying Christ. And so, Peter having sinned thus far, God gives him up still to more sin. It is a dangerous thing, my brethren, without a special call of God, to be in ill company, especially in evil times. Peter being amongst these enemies of Christ, it was the occasion of his being challenged, and that was the occasion of this great sin he fell into. In evil times, if a man be in such company, either he must be silent, or if he speak, they will be ready to pervert his speech, to put him upon a temptation. We should therefore avoid all needless societies with carnal people. Take heed of coming into high priest's halls; y see into what inconvenience it drew Peter to. And so much for thirst denial of Peter's, which I have historically laid open. I come next to the examination of Christ, in the nineteeth, twentieth, and twenty-first verses.

CHAPTER X.

The account of Christ's examination before Caiaphas, in the nineteenth, twentieth, and one-and-twentieth verses of this eighteenth chapter of John.-We now come to the other part of Christ's sufferings recorded in this chapter, and that is a strict examinaton of him.

The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.'-JOHN Xviii. 19, 20, 21.

Here begins a third part of Christ's sufferings recorded in this text. You have first his having been taken, and so bound, and then led to Annas his house in a triumph of glory; now, here is the third, his coming to Caiaphas his house (for Annas had sent him bound to Caiaphas), who is called the high priest, because he was that year the high priest, though others had the name also, for they still retained the title, though they were out of the office. And being here, they fall to examining of him about his disciples, and his doctrine. Other evangelists tell us of their examining of him, and bringing in witnesses against him, concerning some speeches he

spake about the temple, and about his own office, and his being the Messiah; but this examination here, which certainly was the first they began with, and was as the prodromus to all the rest, no evangelist hath it but only John.

The time was (some twenty-one years before) when Christ, being but twelve years old, had asked them, and posed the doctors in the temple; and he was then (as he saith) about his Father's business, putting forth then some beams of the Godhead dwelling in him. And now he is before them in a state of ignominy, and he is asked and examined as a delinquent, as a malefactor, as a heretic and seditious person; and he is about his Father's business in this as well as in the former.

And by the way here, afore we come to the particular opening of these verses, let us consider who it was that was thus examined. It was he that was the great prophet prophesied of by Moses, that should come into the world, of whom it was said, that whosoever would not hearken to the words of that prophet which he should speak, he should surely be put to death. Clean contrary now, he being come into the world, he is examined as a false prophet, that they might find cause of putting him to death. He that was the truth itself, is examined and charged with false doctrine. He that was the prince of peace, and came and preached peace (as it is, Eph. ii. 17), he is charged with rebellion, and accused to have preached sedition. But, to come to the words.

The high priest then asked Jesus. Then, or therefore. Some translate it therefore, and so it hath relation to what is said in the 13th and 14th verses, where John speaks of the high priest, and brandeth him to be the man that gave the first counsel that Christ should die for the people. And now they having resolved to put him to death, therefore the high priest asked him of his doctrine and of his disciples, seeking by questions to ensnare him, that so they might have some plausible ground for his condemnation. Others they translate it then, and so the meaning is this, that whilst our Lord and Saviour Christ was examining concerning his disciples, then was one of his disciples a-denying of him; whilst he was called in question for them, and it was made an occasion of his suffering, then was Peter committing that foul sin. You see the love of our Lord and Saviour Christ.

The high priest asked him;-as being the mouth of that great assembly, the Sanhedrim, of all the elders and the priests who were met together at his house. For you must know it did belong to the high priest, and to that assembly of elders, to decide all controversies of doctrine that did arise, and to make inquiry into heresies and false doctrines, as appears by that place in Deut. xvii. 11-13, therefore now to deal with Christ about his doctrine, had it been in any thing false or untrue, it had not been unlawful for the high priest to have done it. But see the iniquity of his and their proceedings. They proceed altogether against and without law, for they do not lay any false doctrine to his charge, they bring no witnesses that this and this he had said, but merely, after the manner of the Inquisition, ask him questions to ensnare him; whereas there should have been a complaint made first unto him, and he should have brought forth the evidences, and not go and wire-draw (as I may express it) and examine him upon interrogatories, and so to get something from himself; this was altogether beyond his commission.

He asked him, it is said, of his doctrine and of his disciples. The scope of the high priest in this question must be a little considered, for that will

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