XVIII.-17.] Peter is challenged by a maid, as belonging to Jesus. 363 clxxxiv. Mark MARK XIV. .66. And, during the time that this important event SECT. And as Peter [sat was depending, as Peter was sitting among without] beneath in the the palace, there com- servants without the room where Jesus was exaeth [unto him] one mined, and thought to have continued unsuspect- XIV.66. of the maids of the ed in the hall below, there came to him one of the high-priest, [JOHN, the damsel that kept maid servants belonging to the family of the the door.] [MAT. high-priest, who was indeed the same damsel that 67 XXVI. 69.-JOHN (as we just now said) had kept the door: And 67 And when she seeing Peter as he sat warming himself by the fire saw Peter [LUKE, as she fixed her eyes earnestly upon him, and, obhe sat by the fire] warming himself, she serving in his countenance the appearance of looked, [LUKE, ear- great concern, she said to some that stood near nestly] upon him, and her, I cannot but think that this man is a folsaid, [LUKE, This man was also with him:] lower of Jesus, and was also one that used to be [JOHN, Art not thou with him and upon this presumption she also one of this man's charged him directly with it, and said, Tell us disciples?] And thou also wast with Jesus truly, Art not thou thyself also [one] of this of Nazareth [of Gali- man's disciples? There is a great deal of room lee.] [MAT. XXVI. to think it; yea, I am fully satisfied that thou 56. JOHN XVIII. wast also with him, even with this Jesus the Na- Luke zarene of Galilee, who is now on his trial. And XXII.57 Peter was so surprised at this unexpected discovery, that he roundly and confidently denied him before them all, and said, Woman, I profess that I am not his disciple; nav, that I do not so much as know himh; nor do I understand what thou meanest in charging me with being one of his associates; for I am sure thou mightest as well have fixed on any other person in -69. LUKE XXII. 17.-] LUKE XXII. 57. And he denied him [before them all], saying, Woman, Joux, I am not ;] I know him JOHN, not, [MARK, neither understand I what thou sayest.] [MAT. XXVI. 70. MARK XIV. 68.JOHN XVIII.-17.] : e This man was also with him.] Her ser, and perhaps we may add, her office, will not permit us to suppose that she had been in the garden with the multitude that apprehended Jesus: she therefore must guess by Peter's countenance, that he was one of his friends; unless possibly she had seen them together in the temple or elsewhere. f Art not thou also one of this man's disciples?] One would imagine from the word falso], when it is read in the connection John has placed it in, that in this question she referred to John; as if she had said, Art not thou one, as well as thy companion? And, if this were admitted, it would be a plain intimation that John acknowledged himself a disciple of Christ, But it must be owned that the other evangelists used the same word [also], though they say nothing of John's being with Peter. g He denied him before them all.] How must these people be surprized when they saw (as, no doubt, some of them did) this timorous disciple within the compass VOL. VII. the of a few weeks, when he was brought with John before the council, not only maintaining the cause and honour of Jesus, but boldly charging the murder of this Prince of life on the chief men of the nation, and solemnly warning them of their guilt and danger in consequence of it, Acts iv. 5-12. Perhaps, when it is said there (ver. 13) that they took knowledge of Peter and John that they had been with Jesus, the meaning may be, that some of them, or their attendants, remembered Peter and John as the two persons who had followed Jesus thus far, when the rest had forsaken him. Compare John xviii. 15, 16. h I do not know him.] Jesus was so public a person, and so well known to thousands, not at all in his interest, that this additional falsehood was most unnecessary; and, as it freqently happens, when people allow themselves to transgress the bounds of truth, it was more like to entangle and discover him than to clear him. Z z iHe 364 Mark 18 Peter denies his knowing him; and the cock crows. the porch, and the cock officers stood there, cold), and they warm ed himself. [JOHN SECT. the company. And upon this, turning away MARK XIV.-68. clxxxiv. as one who was affronted at the charge, he went And he went out into out into the portico; and while he was there the crew. XIV.68. cock crew *. John And the servants and officers who had brought JOHN XVIII. 18. XVIII. Jesus thither, and were now waiting for the issue And the servants and of his trial, still stood there in the hall, having who had made a fire (as was before observed) made a large fire of of coals (for it was coals; for they had been abroad in the night, ed themselves: and and it was cold', and they were warming them- [Simon] Peter stood selves at the fire. And Simon Peter, having staid with them, and warma while in the portico, where he not only must have been incommoded by the sharpness of the air, but was, no doubt, in a restless commotion of mind on account of what had passed, came in again, and, having mingled with the servants, stood at the fire-side to warm himself amongst Mat. them. And when he had thus been gone out XXVI. into the portico, and was returned into the hall, after a little while another maid saw him again, and said to them that were there (as her fellowservant had done just before), Whatever he pre- saw him [again], and tends, I verily believe this man was also with said unto them Jesus of Nazareth: and presently she began to say was also with Jesus of openly to them that stood by, Surely this is [one] Nazareth: [and she beof them that have endeavoured to bring all the gan to say to them that nation into confusion, and while he would pass of them.] [MARK John for a friend is crept in hither as a spy. They XIV. 69. LUKE therefore, taking notice of what both these women had spoken, began to tax him with it, and said to him, What, have we a rebel so near us? Let us know plainly who thou art art not thou also, who pretendest to enter these doors as a friend, [one] of his disciples who has been doLuke ing so much mischief? And, as he seemed 71 XVIII. 25 MAT. XXVI. 71. And when he was gone LUKE, after a little while] another [maid] out into the porch that were there, This fellow stood by, This is one XXII. 58.-] JOHN XVIII.—25. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? LUKE XXII.-58. -And another saw XXII.58 in great confusion, another man that stood by him, and said, Thou saw him perplexed, and therefore charged it art also of them. home upon him, and said, It is certainly so; thou art also [one] of them, and deservest to suf iHe went out into the portico.] I apprehend that the word av most exactly answers to the Latin word vestibulum, by which many good interpreters render it. And, considering the magnificence of the Jewish buildings at this time, it is reasonable to conclude, that this, which belonged to the high-priests palace, was some stately piazza or colonnade; and therefore I chose rather to render it portico, than porch, a word equally applicable to the meanest buildings of that kind. fer k The cock crew.] It is strange this circumstance did not remind him of our Lord's prediction, and bring him to some sense of his sin: perhaps it did; and he night return persuaded that he should be more courageous if he met with a second attack. 1 For it was cold.] It is well known that the coldness of the nights is generally more sensible in those hotter countries than among us. the He is again taxed with it, and denies him with an oath. 369 MAT. XXVI. 72. fer with thy Master. And Peter, as he could SECT. And [LUKE, Peter] again denied [it] with not bear his being taxed so closely with it, that clxxxiv. an oath, [JOHN, and he might take off all suspicion of his belonging Mat. said,] [LUK, Man, I unto Jesus, again denied [him] in the strongest XXVI. am not;] I do not know manner, even with an oath, and said, Man, 72 шап. [MARK XIV. 70.-LUKE why dost thou talk thus? I solemnly assure thee, JOHN and call God to witness to it, that I am not one of them; and that indeed I do not so much as know the man, but came in hither out of mere curiosity, to learn the occasion of this public alarm, without the least interest in him, or any concern at all on his account, whatever may become of him. XXII.-58. LUKE XXII. 59. about the space of one 70.-] art a Galilean, and thy s; Mark And as he still continued there, imagining Luke And [after a while] that he should now be safe from any further XXII.59 hour after, another con- challenge, after a while, about the space of one fidently affirmed, say- hour after he had thus denied him, another man Of a truth this in the company confidently affirmed that the forfellow also was with him; for he is a Gali- mer charge was just, saying, Of a truth this man lean. [MAT. XXVI. was also with him, and is a follower of this Jesus 73.-MARK XIV.- for it is plain he also is a Galilean, and every one knows that most of his disciples are of that MARK XIV. 70. country. And, upon this they that stood by And they that stood by came to him, and said to Peter again, Surely it is [came unto hin, and] said again to Peter, as this man asserts; and, notwithstanding thy Surely thou [also] art denying it, there is no room to doubt but thou one of them; for thou art also [one] of them, for thou art certainly speech agreeth thereto a Galilean and I know it, said one that was [and hewrayeth thee.] there, by thy speech; for such I have observed to [MAT. XXVI.-73.] be thy dialect and accent, as agrees [to_that] country, [and] plainly discovers thee to be of Galilee, as most of this man's seditious folJOHN XVIII. 26. lowers are. And one of the domestic servants John One of the servants of of the high-priest, being a relation of his whose XVIII. his kinsman whose car ear Peter had cut off, pressed the charge home 26 Peter cut off) saith, upon him, and said, How can you have the asDid not I see thee insurance to deny it? Take heed what you say: the garden with him? did not I myself see thee in the garden with him? MAT. XXVI. 74. Then Peter, being terrified to the last degree to Mat. Then [JOHN, Peter think of the danger to which he should be exdenied again, and] began to curse and to posed if he was discovered to be the person that swear, saying, [LUKE, made the attack on the servant of the highMan, I know not what priest, which might in such a circumstance exthou sayest;] I know not pose him even to capital punishment, denied it the high-priest (being m With an oath.] Dr. Clarke conjectures that Peter was suffered to fall fouler than any of the rest of the apostles (except Judas the traitor), and to make more remarkable mistakes in his conduct, that again we might thus be cautioned against that n The XXVI. 74 366 He denies him a third time with cursing and swearing. SECT. again more violently than ever; and, that he not [this] man [of immediately [LUKE, Mat. XIV. 71, 72.-Luxe elxxxiv. might not any more be called in question, he whom ye speak]. And began to curse and to swear, and solemnly to while he yet spake] XXVII. imprecate the judgment of God upon himself the cock crew [the 74 if it were so; [saying] as he had done before, second time.] [MARK I tell thee, man, I know not what thou meanest XXII. 60. JOHN by such a false and groundless accusation; I do XVIII. 27. not so much as know this man of whom you speak, and was so far from being in the garden with him, that I am absolutely a perfect stranger to him. And he had no sooner thus denied him in this shocking manner, but immediately while he yet spake, the words of Jesus were fulfilled, and, according to the warning he had given him, the cock crew the second time". Luke LUKE XXII. 61. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Pe ter; and Peter remembered the word of the Loid [Jesus], how lie fore the cock crow [MARK, twice], thou shalt deny me thrice. MARK XIV.-72.-] [MAT. XXVI. 75.— had said unto him, Be And Jesus having been examined by the counXXII.61 cil in a more retired room, was now brought back into the hall, while they were consulting what they should do with him, so that he stood within hearing when Peter thus ungratefully denied him; and hearing such shocking language from a voice so familiar to him, just as those dreadful words proceeded out of his mouth, the Lord turned about, and looked upon Peter with a mixture of earnestness and tenderness in his countenance, which, through the secret energy of the Spirit that went along with it, pierced him to the very heart: and then Peter recollected the word of the Lord Jesus, how he had said to him but that very evening, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. (See Mark xiv. 6230, p. 344.) And Peter could no longer bear the place, nor stand in the sight of his injured Master, but immediately went out quite over- he] whelmed with grief and shame; and covering [his head] with his mantle, he n The cock crew.] To reconcile this with what the Jews pretended, that all the cocks used to be removed out of Jerusalem at the time of the passover, some would render ο αλέκτωρ εφώνησεν, The watchman proclaimed the hour of the night: but this is so unnatural an interpretation, that, ather than admit it, one would question the truth of that Jewish tradition; or conclude, that if the custom it asserts did prevail in Christ's time, some cock was accidentally left behind, or returned unobserved to this place. The hurry of such a night as this might have occasioned much greater veglects than this supposes. o And Peter went out.] It is observable that Luke in two or three lines here calls seriously re- 62 And Peter wcut out, and [MARK, when he thought thereon wept bitterly.' XXVI.-75. MARK XIV.-72.] [MAT. him three times by the name of Peter; that memorable name which Christ had given him, with a particular view to that fortitude and resolution with which he was to defend the gospel: perhaps thereby intending to intimate how low this courage. ous hero was now fallen, and yet to what a height of holy magnanimity he was afterwards raised, and thereby enabled to stand as a rock in that sacred cause, and so fully to answer the name with which his Master had honoured him. P And covering his head with his mantle.] Raphelius, and some learned critics, would render Sahay, throwing himself out of the company in a passionate manner, which it is very probable he did: but others, and Reflections on Peter's denial of Christ. 367 clxxxiv. viewed that heinous crime in which he had dis- SECT. IMPROVEMENT. xxvi. 69--74 How loudly does this affecting story speak to us in the words Mat. of the apostle, Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall (1 Cor. x. 12). Peter professed the warmest zeal; and gave his Lord repeated, and, no doubt, very sincere assurances of the firmest resolution in his cause; and yet, except Judas the traitor, none of his brethren fell so low as he. But a few hours before he had been with Christ at the sacred table, and had heard from his own lips those gracious discourses which, as echoed back from his word, do still strike so strongly on the heart of every true believer. He had just seen those words remarkably, and even miraculously, verified, that Jesus having loved his own that were in the world, loved them to the end. (John xiii. 1.) How reasonably then might it have been expected that his own should also have continued their most zealous and constant affection to him! But Peter, who, if possible, was more than doubly his as a disciple, as an apostle, as a distinguished intimate, most shamefully denies him; and that not only once, but a second, yea, and a third time, even with oaths and curses, as if he would by that diabolical lan- 66--7 guage give a sensible proof that he did not belong to Christ: and who indeed, that had heard it, would have imagined that he did? Nay, to aggravate it yet farther, it was done in the presence of the other disciple, and even of Christ himself, who surely was much John more painfully wounded by this perfidiousness of Peter than by 15, 16 all the rage and fury of his enemies. Lord, what is man! What Luke is our boasted strength but weakness! and, and if we are left unto xxii. 61 ourselves, how do our most solemn resolutions melt like snow before the sun! Be thou surety for thy servants for good! Psal. cxix. 122.) and particularly Elsner, (Observ. Vol. I. p. 165, 166), and Lambert Bos (Exercit. p. 21, 22), with much better authority, would translate it, covering his head, which was a token of mourning and shame well becoming Peter on this occasion. (Compare 2 Sam. xv. 30. Esth. vi. 12. and Jer. xiv. 3, 4)-As for our version [when he The thought thereon], I can find no passage in Mark XIV. xviii. |