HE THAT ACCUSES OTHERS OF BLASPHEMY, IS NOT UNFREQUENTLY HIMSELF THE GREATEST BLASPHEMER. Ps. xli. 13; 1xxii. 18, .9; lxxxix. 52; cvi. 48; cxlv. 21 -He is, Rom. i. 25, the Creator, who is blessed for ever.'-2 Co. xi. 31, The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore,'-1 Ti. i. 11, The blessed God,' Mt. xxvi. 64. Thou hast said-Caiaphas had already said what Jesus was now to be, a propitiatory sacrifice; one appointed unto death, that the whole nation perish not, Jno. xi. 49-52, § 58, pp. 132, ..3. nevertheless, &c.-as if contrasting his present appearance before an unjust judge with his glorious appearing as the Judge of all, ch. xvi. 27, § 50, p. 43when before him shall be gathered all nations, xxv. 31, 2, § 86, p. 351-Rom. xiv. 10, We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.' Hereafter shall ye see, &c.-There were then present some who had already been given to see the Son of man coming in his kingdom, ch. xvi. 28; xvii. 1-5, § 50, .1, pp. 44, 51-6-and who were of those unto whom his coming hereafter is matter of promise, 1 Th. v. 1-10-He. ix. 28, Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.' 65. blasphemy-An Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord, on account of which he was condemned to be stoned, Le. xxiv. 11-.6 This punishment inflicted on Naboth, in consequence of a false accusation of blasphemy, 1 Ki. xxi. 9, 10, 4-The king of Assyria was accused of this crime by Him that judgeth righteously, 2 Ki. xix. 6-also the fathers of these self-righteous Jews, who inherited the guilt of their fathers, Is. lxv. 5, 7Jesus had been before accused of blasphemy, on account of his forgiving sins, Mt. ix. 2, 3, § 22, p. 164They would before have stoned him, because he said he was the Son of God,' Jno. x. 33, .6, § 56, pp. 122, ..3. Mk. xiv. 64. condemned him-This he had himself foretold upon his last approach to Jerusalem, Mt. xx. 18, § 77, p. 235. Lu. xxii. 63. mocked him-predicted, Ps. xxii. 6, 7, 13; Is. xlix. 7; liii.-He had himself foretold that he should suffer many things of the chief priests, Mt. xvi. 21, § 50, p. 40-He gave us an example of patiently bearing reproach and shame, He. xii. 2; i Pe. ii. 23. smote-Jno. xviii. 22, supra, One of the officers, &c. NOTES. Hence the name of Christ, or Messiah, that is, the Anointed One, was eminently applicable to the Saviour, who, in the eternal counsels of the Godhead, was consecrated to be a king, a priest, and a prophet to his people.'-Lonsdale and Hale.] Mt. xxvi. 64. Thou hast said. The meaning of this answer is plain from the parallel passage of Mk. xiv. 62, where instead of Thou hast said,' the answer is, 'I am.' The force of the expression is to answer a question in the affirmative.-See ver. 25, § 87, p. 372. Nevertheless. λny, moreover.' The right hand of power. This expression denotes the highest place of glory in the presence of God.See Lu. xxii. 69, p. 434, infra. 65. Rent his clothes. It was a custom among the ancients to express the more violent passions, espeMt. xxvi. 63, .4. Jesus was at no pains to defend himself against frivolous and unjust charges, but he was careful to maintain the truth, to bear witness to which he had come into the world. cially grief and indignation, by rending the garments, either partly, or from top to bottom, but sometimes from bottom to top. In some cases this was forbidden to the high priest, Le. x. 6; xxi. 10. Caiaphas here shewed his horror at hearing so mean a person claim the sovereignty over Israel, and a seat at the right hand of God, and this when adjured upon oath.' In place of investigating the righteousness of his claim to be the Messiah, who had not only been predicted to appear in humiliation as now, but hereafter in glory, they condemn him as guilty of death, for confessing the truth, when required, by the highest recognised authority to do so upon oath. 66. Guilty of death. That is, the crime of which we here adjudge him to be guilty, subjects him, by the law of Moses, to the punishment of death. PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS. [This is the Rock, Christ, the Son of the living God,' the Foundation Stone which had been confessed by Peter; and which was here set at nought by the Jewish builders-the same is made the head of the corner. From the depth of his humiliation Christ points to his glorious exaltation; just as on the mount of Transfiguration, and immediately before and after, he conversed about the decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.] Let us learn to moderate the influence of present circumstances, by having a due regard to what God has been pleased to make known to us of the future. 65 ver. See margin. Well would it have been for the high priest had he been obedient to the admonition, Rend your heart and not your garments-had he confessed before God his own guilt, in place of affecting such indignant surprise at the confession of Jesus. *Of this examination, Luke records no more than the fact of the injurious and insulting usage which was heaped upon our Lord at its close.-See ch. xxii. 63-.5, supra. 'Ver. 64 is a critical proof that Jesus was now, and had been before, formally put upon his trial. To have endured this particular kind of affront, he must have been bare-headed; and to remove the covering of the head from an accused person when brought to trial, especially in cases of a more aggravated description, was a practice among the Jews.'-Greswell, Vol. III. Diss. xlii. p. 202. VOL. II.] A FALSE WITNESS SHALL PERISH-Prov. xxi. 28. [429 A WICKED MAN HARDENETH HIS FACE: BUT AS FOR THE UPRIGHT, HE DIRECTETH HIS WAY.-Prov. xxi. 29. WASH YOU, MAKE YOU CLEAN; PUT AWAY THE EVIL OF YOUR DOINGS FROM BEFORE MINE EYES; CEASE TO DO EVIL;-Isa. i. 16. 67 • and LEARN TO DO WELL; SEEK JUDGMENT, RELIEVE THE OPPRESSED, JUDGE THE FATHERLESS, PLEAD FOR THE WIDOW, Isa i. 17. SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS. Mk. xiv. 65. spit-Is. 1. 6, I hid not my face from shame and spitting.' Mt. xxvi. 68. Prophesy-This was in fulfilment both of the old prophets, and of what Jesus had himself predicted-see on Lu. xxii. 63-They had been forewarned, Is. xxviii. 22, Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: &c.-They did mock, and so have been left deaf to the words of pro phecy, and blind to the working of God, in accomplishment of the prophetic word; and in the open view of the world, they have been left a derision unto all nations-The fulfilment of the prophecies in their case, has been among the most popular confirmations to the truth of Divine revelation, Eze. xiv. 21-.3. Mk. xiv. 66. one of the maids-Jno. xviii. 17, The damsel that kept the door' NOTES. Mt. xxvi. 67. They. That is, not the members of the council (ver. 59, p. 427), who had just pronounced Jesus guilty of death, but the men that held Jesus.' -Comp. Lu. xxii. 63; Mk. xiv. 65.-See on ver. 68, inf. Spit in his face. A mark of extreme contempt and abhorrence. Even to spit on the ground before a person is still a bitter disgrace in the East. And buffeted him. According to Theophylact, Kolapit signifies to beat with the hand, the fingers being clenched. [Smote him with the palms of their hands. 'Paris is by some rendered pads, a rod or wand; hence pazioa, to strike with a rod. But most commentators explain it by expalmo, alapo, to strike with the open hand. Thus the Saviour of the world was treated with indignity in all its various and vexatious forms.] [68. Prophesy. Rather, 'divine to us.' The English verb, to prophesy, denotes to foretel what is future; here a declaration is required concerning what is past. The word divine is applicable to either, as it denotes simply to declare any truth not discoverable by the natural powers of man. From the evangelists, Mark and Luke, it appears that our Lord was at this time blindfolded. Criminals, immediately after sentence of condemnation, had their faces covered or hooded, as if unworthy to enjoy the benefit of the light any longer. In cases of treason, the Roman law (according to which our Lord was executed) ran thus: If the sentence be confirmed, let the criminal's hands be bound, let him be veiled or hoodwinked, and hanged on a cursed tree, after having been scourged either within or without the Pome rium.'-See Livy, i. 27. The custom of veiling condemned criminals was observed likewise among the eastern nations. Est. vii. 8, As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face."] Lu. xxii. 64. Prophesy, &c. This usage of Christ refers to that sport so ordinary among children, called vida, in which it is the manner first to blindfold, then to strike (ver. 63), then to ask who gave the blow, and not to let the person go till he name the one who struck him. It was used on this occasion to reproach our blessed Lord, and to expose him to ridicule. See Mt. xxvi. 68, supra. [Mt. xxvi. 69. Peter sat without in the palace. This passage would be more accurately translated, Peter sat without in the court.] Without. E, i.e., outside of the place where Jesus was examined by the council; which was the restibule, called, ver. 71, róλwv, but by Mark, xiv. poablov. We may suppose, therefore, that he was in the lower part of the hall. He might, however, be so placed that he could both see and be seen by Jesus. A damsel. That kept the door' of the high priest's house, and had admitted Peter.-See Jno. xviii. 16, p. 425, and ver. 17, supra. PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS. Mt. xxvi. 67. Let us be willing to suffer for Christ's sake. He suffered much for us.-See Isa. 1. 6. 68, 68 ver. Let us beware of making a jest of prophecy. *See foot-note, p. 433, on Peter's denials of Christ. 430] THE SOUL OF THE WICKED DESIRETH EVIL:-Prov. xxi. 10. [VOL. II. LET US BEWARE OF PLACING OURSELVES IN SITUATIONS IN WHICH WE CANNOT HONESTLY DECLARE WHO WE ARE. JOHN Xviii. 18, 25. "And the servants and officers 18 stood there, who-had-made a-fireof-coals; for it-was cold and they-warmed-themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed-himself. (Ver. 19-24, p. 426.) LET US NOT RESORT TO PLACES WHERE A REGARD TO OUR REPUTATION IS OPPOSED TO THE INTERESTS OF TRUTH. another saw And Simon Peter 25 stood and warmed-himself. him, andsaid, SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS. Lu. xxii. 56. by the fire-Jno. xviii. 18, supra, 'The servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold:' Mk. xiv. 67. warming himself—Jno. xviii. 18, supra, 'And Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.' looked upon him-Lu. xxii. 56, Earnestly looked upon him,'-She may have recognised him as having been introduced by the other disciple, Jno. xviii. 16, supra, p. 425. have been before all [Mt. xxvi. 70], but especially to 68. But he denied-Peter's first denial appears to the woman who had charged him with being a disciple of Jesus [Lu. xxii. 57]. NOTES. Mt. xxvi. 70. But he denied before them all. So the evil principle gained ground. Before, he followed at a distance; now he denies. This is the second gradation in his fall. Mk. xiv. 68. The cock crew. The words of our Lord's warning to Peter, as recorded by Mark (see ver. 30, § 87, p. 406), are "before the cock crow twice." In the other evangelists the words are "before the cock crow." St. Mark, therefore, alone records this first crowing of the cock.'-Lonsdale and Hale. Jno. xviii. 18. Officers. See on ver. 3, § 88, p. 417. Mt. xxvi. 71. The porch. The entrance, or the small apartment between the outer door and the large hall in the centre of the building. Peter was embarrassed and confused by the question, and went away from the fire into the porch, where he expected to be unobserved; yet in vain. By the very movement to avoid detection he came into contact with another who knew him, and repeated the charge. How clearly does it prove that our Lord was omniscient, that all these things were foreseen. PRACTICAL [Another maid saw him. "AXλn; in St. Luke, rapos Where the person is uncertain, the masculine repos may be used; of which Grotius brings many examples. But St. Luke fixes it by the reply of Peter, "Man, I am not." Therefore, rather say, the maid spoke to the standers-by, on which one of the men accosts Peter himself, saying, Eu, Thou art also of them.'-Wasse.] Mk. ['There is a similar variation, without any contradiction, between St. Luke on the one hand, and St. Matthew and St. Mark on the other, in their accounts of Peter's third denial, St. Luke, ver. 59, asserting, respecting one particular person, that which the two other evangelists (Mt. xxvi. 73; xiv. 70), assert respecting the by-standers generally.' -Lonsdale and Hale.] [Lu. xxii. 58. Another saw him, and said. 'Observe here, in order to reconcile the four evangelists, that divers persons concurred in charging Peter with belonging to Christ. 1. The maid that let him in, afterwards seeing him at the fire, first put the ques REFLECTIONS. Mt. xxvi. 69, 70. See margin. the society of the wicked. Let us take heed that what Jno. xviii. 18. Let us beware of seeking comfort in is in itself innocent, does not become a snare to us. VOL. II.] THE RACE IS NOT TO THE SWIFT,-Eccles. ix. 11. [431 WHOSO DIGGETH A PIT SHALL FALL THEREIN AND HE THAT ROLLETH A STONE, IT WILL RETURN UPON HIM.-Prov. xxvi. 27. One of the servants 26 of-the high-priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut-off, saith, Did-not I'-see thee in the garden with him? & A LYING TONGUE HATETH THOSE THAT ARE AFFLICTED BY IT; AND A FLATTERING MOUTH WORKETH RUIN.-Prov. xxvi. 28. Mt. xxvi. 72. again he denied-This second denial appears to have been in another place, ver. 71, and occasioned by another maid telling to this other company, that Peter was one of Jesus' disciples, Mk. xiv. 69-That company, and particularly one of them, spoke to him accordingly, when a second and still stronger denial was given by Peter; which denial is not said to be given to the woman who raised the report, but to the man who directly made the charge, and who probably saw in Peter's appearance something that justified the report, Lu. xxii. 58-comp. with Mt. xxvi. 71, .2; Mk. xiv. 69, 70; Jno. xviii. 25. Mk. xiv. 71. he began to curse, &c.-Peter appears to have been making himself familiar with those that stood by; in doing so, his provincial accent tended to confirm the suspicion, that he had indeed been a follower of the Galilæan, Mt. xxvi. 73; (Mk. xiv. 70; Lu. xxii. 59]-The charge might now be the more annoying to Peter, as being made by a kinsman of Malchus, whose ear Peter had cut off, and who, it would seem, recollected seeing him in the place where that act was committed, Jno. xviii. 26, supra, and on account of which he might now feel that he was in danger-see Mt. xxvi. 52, § 88, p. 420. NOTES. tion to him, and then positively affirmed that he was with Christ. 2. Another maid accused him to the standers-by, and gave occasion to the man here mentioned to renew the charge against him, which caused the second denial. 3. Others of the company took notice of his being a Galilæan, and were seconded by the kinsman of Malchus, who affirmed he had seen him in the garden. And this drew on the third denial.'-Wesley.] Mt. xxvi. 71. Unto them that were there. Instead of λbYEL TO`S EKET, kal, many MSS., amongst which are some of the most ancient and of the first authority, read y abrois inei kai odros hv, said to them, this man too was there.' No doubt that is the genuine reading of the passage. Griesbach and many other learned commentators approve of this reading. conscious to his own falsity, and is therefore natu- Thy speech beurayeth thee, ἡ λαλιά σου δηλόν δε Tois, "thy dialect bewrayeth thee." Different provinces of the same country have usually their distinct idioms, accent, &c., which in the remoter parts are more strongly marked. That this was the case with Galilee, we learn from the Rabbinical writers, who tell us that the speech of the Galilæans was broad and rustic.'-Bloomf. 'The 74. Then began he to curse and to swear. progress of Peter from one degree of guilt to another is distinctly marked out in its several steps by the faithful evangelist. He first denied, then added an oath to strengthen his denial, and at last, repeating his oath, accompanied it with curses upon himself, if he were swearing falsely.'-Lonsdale. PRACTICAL REFLECTION. 72. And again he denied with an oath. This is a third gradation of his iniquity. He has told a lie, and he swears to support it. A liar has always some suspicion that his testimony is not credited, for he is Mt. xxvi. 72-1. How fully was it made manifest | and that Jesus, who was left alone in his testimony, is that Peter was but a stone liable to be moved about, alone the Rock! 432] LET ME NEVER BE ASHAMED:-Psa. xxxi. 1. [VOL. 11. BOW DOWN THINE EAR TO ME; DELIVER ME SPEEDILY: BE THOU MY STRONG ROCK, FOR AN HOUSE OF DEFENCE TO SAVE ME.-Psa. xxxi. 2. The reflections that crowd upon the mind from this most affecting incident of Peter's denial of his Master, are various and important. This event should first be well remarked, as it affords a clear and striking accomplishment of our Lord's prediction, that before crowing of the cock, Peter should deny him thrice and next, as it affords a melancholy proof of the infirmity of human nature, the weakness of our best resolutions when we are left to ourselves, and the extreme danger of confiding in our own strength. That Peter was most warmly attached to Jesus, that his intentions were upright, and his professions at the moment sincere, there can be no doubt. But his temper was too hot, and his confidence in himself too great. When our blessed Lord told him and all the other apostles, that they would desert him that night, Peter was the first to say, Though all men should be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.' And when Jesus again assured him, that before the cock crew he should deny him thrice, St. Peter insisted with still greater vehemence on his unshaken fidelity, and declared, that though he should die with him, yet would he not deny him. Yet deny him he did, with execrations and oaths; and left a memorable lesson, even to the best of men, not to entertain too high an opinion of their own constancy and firmness in the hour of temptation.-(See 1 Cor. x. 12.) Hence we see the wisdom and necessity of looking beyond ourselves, of looking up to heaven for the support and assistance of which we always stand in need in the discharge of our duty. 'There can scarcely be a stronger proof of the candour and humility of the sacred writers, than is afforded by the manner in which they speak of their own characters, and their own faults and weaknesses. crime of Peter in denying his Lord, and that of Paul in his bitter persecution of the church, are not suppressed, though their reputation must have been deemed so essential to the christian cause, and though their transitory but great offences, were followed by a whole life of repentance. Throughout every part of their writings all is open and undisguised; no secret is made of the names, the errors, or the transgressions of any of the apostles; the slowness of their understandings, their prejudices and their bigotry, their temporal views and contentions for power, their desertions of their Divine Master in the hour of his distress, the accidental differences which occurred among them in the course of their ministry, are all fully and [433 plainly related.' VOL. II.] DELIVER ME IN THY RIGHTEOUSNESS.-Psa. xxxi. 1. The FOR THOU ART MY ROCK AND MY FORTRESS; THEREFORE FOR THY NAME'S SAKE LEAD ME, AND GUIDE ME.-Psa. xxxi. 3. |