over those who belong to it: for "whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die."'

Still more; in the establishing this church thou shalt thyself have a special share.

19. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Thus signally was the faith of Peter rewarded. Of the church, built upon the foundation of the truth which he had confessed, he should be himself a pillar: as, indeed, soon after he became. On the day of Pentecost, when "there were added to the church three thousand souls," he exercised the authority now given him. On that occasion, he used (as it were) the keys of the kingdom of heaven: he declared how God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son; so that "he that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life." 1 Whoever shows in what way the gate may be opened, and to whom, may be said to have possession of the keys. And further, whatsoever he bound on earth, should be bound in heaven; and whatsoever he loosed on earth, should be loosed in heaven. He loosed from the chain by which Satan had held them captive, those who "repented at his word,

The phrase, Tuλaι âdov, bears this sense in the Septuagint. As Isa. xxxviii. 10. I shall go to the gates of the grave. 8 See Acts ii. 38-41.

⚫ Clavem imbuit, hanselled the key, as Ambrose says. In Isa. xxii. 22, the same metaphor is used. Bloomfield.

1 John v. 11.

and "were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins:" whilst they who believed not, continued bound: remained in their sins; and "the wrath of God abode on them." 3

Thus remarkably was Peter honoured in return for his good confession. To that, and not to the individual man, was the honour shown: to that which may equally belong to every one that hears the sound of the Gospel, the clear understanding and acknowledgment of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. Others cannot have the distinction which was Peter's own, the being the pillar of the rising church. But of every sincere believer it may be said, that flesh and blood hath not revealed the truth to him, but the Father which is in heaven. For no man can say that Jesus is the Christ, but by the Holy Ghost." And whosoever believeth that

66

Jesus is the Christ, is born of God.” 5

20. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

2 Acts ii. 39.

4

1 Cor. xii. 3.

3 John iii. 36.

5 1 John v. 1.

LECTURE LXXIV.

PETER REBUKED.-NECESSITY OF SELF-DENIAL.

MATT. XVI. 21-28.

21. From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

22. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto thee.

23. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

We may observe, that our Lord uses the same words here to his beloved disciple Peter, which he employed towards Satan himself in his temptation in the wilderness: Get thee behind me, Satan: and thus intimates in what light even the nearest friends are to be viewed, when they stand between us and duty. The things which Peter would have recommended, were, in the opinion of man, more suitable to the character of the Messiah. To the taste and feelings of man, too, they must needs be more agreeable than what it was ordained that Christ should suffer. But this was the judgment of the flesh, not of the Spirit. And the great business of religion is to bring our own judgment and inclination and preference to conform to the will and wisdom of God. This is the

They

proof of the Spirit of God dwelling in us. that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh" they savour the things that be of men. "But they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit:" they savour the things of God.

24. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

25. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake, shall find it.

26. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

27. For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

28. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.2

A very important declaration is here made, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. And it is necessary to inquire, how far this warning is applicable to Christians generally. For, without doubt, the apostles and early disciples were called to deny themselves, that is, to give up and renounce all earthly things, in a manner which can only belong to times of persecution.

Yet does the phrase, in different degrees, apply to all persons and all times. The christian faith is essentially a religion of self-denial.

1 Rom. viii. 5.

2 By this phrase, the coming of the Son of man, the destruction of Jerusalem is often expressed, which John, if not others of the apostles, then standing here, lived to witness.

1. It is so, first, because every Christian renounces all self-righteousness, all confidence in himself, or in anything he has done or can do, and looks upon his salvation as the work of his Redeemer. He purposes to be, and in the main he is, obedient, and just, and holy. But he considers his obedience, his integrity, his holiness, not as grounds, but as evidences of pardon and acceptance. And this is self-denial self-denial, to some minds, of most difficult attainment. Probably it was so to St. Paul, who says, "What things were gain to me," 3 what I once valued and relied on, "those I counted loss for Christ." "I was alive, without the law, once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." +

2. Secondly, every Christian is called to selfdenial, in renouncing his own will, and submitting it to the will of his heavenly Father. If man had remained innocent, if Satan had not prevailed, God and man, like the Father and the Son, would have had but one will. But being now perverted and corrupted by sin, our wills incline towards the evil which they ought to hate, and turn away from the good which they ought to choose and at last, are only brought with difficulty to acquiesce in what God sees best, provides for us, or allots to us. Selflove, self-indulgence, self-preference, prevail. We pursue our own inclination, not God's honour: we neither love what delights him, nor hate what displeases him.

The gospel is intended to bring us back to a state of agreement with God; and to lead us to inquire,

3 Phil. iii. 7.

4

Rom. vii. 9.