ART II-ST. PETER THE ROCK.

"UPON that high mountain apart the face of Jesus shone as the sun, his raiment was white as the light; Moses and Elias appeared talking with him, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice. from the clouds uttered: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.""

Under these impressive circumstances Jesus was introduced into the first great division of his earthly ministry. Hear ye Him" is the divine mandate of the final dispensation of the religion of God, and the watchword of its every devotee. The "bright cloud" that overshadowed them on Mount Tabor prefigured the moral radiance that would spread abroad over the world at the continued repetition of "Hear ye Him" by the ever increasing multitudes of Christian believers.

The conversation mentioned in the sixteenth chapter of Matthew introduces Jesus into the second great division of his visible ministry. This conversation occurred on the journey to Cæserea Philippi, a little town at the foot of Mount Libanus. Stopping for refreshment, Jesus sought for retirement. His disciples followed and found him alone and in prayer. He had been contemplating the great work and difficulty of saving the world. He now seems to feel an interest in human salvation deeper than ever before. Up to this time he had given his disciples no intimation of his approaching sufferings. Now he speaks of them plainly. His solicitude for the salvation of the world now rises up into those higher intensities corresponding to the appaling apprehensions that rose before him as he neared the dreadful tragedy of his life. He begins now to feel those strange anxieties that finally reached extremest intensity in the agonies of his crucifixion. The great enterprise of redemption now, as never before, seems to pervade his mighty heart. The salvation of a lost race stands out before him in all its vastness and importance. To accomplish a work so grand he had descended from a bright to a dreary world. To restore life to a dead world joyfully could he lay down his own. To say to a world "bound hand and foot with grave clothes," that sentence of mercy and might, Come forth," most gladly would he enter the depths of any woe. But well does he know that individual salvation depends on a correct apprehension of himself. To fix in the minds of his disciples true notions of his essential nature is now the great desire of his heart. To this important work he at this time adroitly addresses himself. As God the Father had suggested the great truth of the

supreme divinity of his Son, at the introduction into the first part of his ministry, it seemed proper that his entrance upon the second should be signalized by his own attestation to the same fundamental truth. In order to place the idea of his divinity before his disciples he inquires: Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am?" He does not inquire whether the people thought him the Messiah, for he appeals to his works as ample evidence that he was the great looked for. "The works that I do bear witness of me; believe me for the works' sake;" that is, my works are ground sufficient to demonstrate my Messiahship.

The first work of Jesus was to prove by miracle his Messiahship, and then to indoctrinate the world into the proper notion of his infinite nature and spiritual work; and hence he says: "Whom do men say I am;" in what do they think consists my essential nature? The form Τίνα με λεγουσιν οι άνθρωποι είναι expresses this notion, for the same form is used John viii, 53: "If thou art greater than Abraham and the prophets, whom makest thou thyself?" that is, what is your essential nature? Tiva σɛavrov Totεic. To this question of Jesus various responses were given by divers of the apostles. This fact shows how much the real nature of Jesus had been discussed by them in private conversations.

Their minds seemed to be full of the conflicting opinions concerning their mysterious master, whom they followed and loved, but whom they did not comprehend. But the Saviour continues: "Who say ye that I am?" He seems determined to force them to the formation of a distinct individual opinion of his essential nature. This great tenet of revelation he resolves they shall comprehend clearly and settle firmly. He addresses them collectively. All are at liberty to respond, as they had done to the previous interrogation But they were not prepared to answer, and hence they remain silent. But just at the moment the Holy Ghost flashed upon Peter the notion of the Divinity of his master; he answers, for he now apprehends the grand idea of the uncreated nature of his wonderful Teacher. He replies, with an exultation indicative of sudden perception, as well as clearness and strength of apprehension, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." This answer embraces the triple nature of Jesus-God, man, and Messiah. Peter stretches an infinite distance between prophets and Jesus.

This transition from the contemplation of the one to the contemplation of the other, thrills him, because it is a transition from the finite up to the infinite. Ile answers as though he had been looking upon a taper, and then had suddenly turned his eye up to a blazing sun, flooding the universe with glorious light. He feels now

as Thomas afterward felt, when the infinite nature of Jesus broke in upon his conception, causing him to witness for the Godhead of Jesus, My Lord and my God." Up to this time Peter knew that Jesus was an extraordinary character, but what, precisely, he did not know. Now for the first time he apprehends his real dignity and office; now he grasps his Godship, his manhood, and his investiture of office as the promised Messiah; now he is inspired to utter the foundation truth of divine revelation! In the correct apprehension of this truth the eternal destinies of men are involved. No soul to whom the Gospel is preached can be spiritually redeemed without a proper conception of this great truth. The Unitarianism of New Eugland, with all its culture, after years of painful struggle, has added its demonstration and working out of this great problem. The truth of the Divinity of Messiah being so reforming, perfecting, redeeming, spiritualizing, Jesus desired to plant it in the soul of every apostle. The answer which Peter had just returned to his Master depended upon an illumination of mind and an experience of regeneration. He could, therefore, only speak for himself, and express his own apprehension of the question. And as he answers for himself individually, Jesus addresses him particularly: “Blessed art thou, Simon." You are Simon, and only Simon; only the son of Jonas, the helpless son of a helpless father; yet grace has wrought a miracle in your soul. You have apprehended the truth which is destined to produce stupendous results in the universe, and without. which my Gospel would be as powerless as any system of human philosophy. The opinion you entertain of me secures your own highest interests, and likewise is the instrument for saving the world. "Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven." No human testimony, no unassisted human sagacity, could open your mind to this redeeming truth. The adequate notion of the nature, work, and office of Jesus is due to the direct agency of the Holy Spirit. "For no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost;" that is, no man can discern the proper notion of the nature of Jesus, that notion which brings spiritual salvation and efficiency of moral influence, but by the illumination of the Holy Ghost. In many ways Jesus had demonstrated his Messiahship; still he teaches that nothing but the Holy Ghost could produce in the minds of men the convictions needed to secure personal holiness. He had lived, labored, taught, illustrated by impressive miracles; but after all he points to the Holy Ghost as the indispensible agency in producing right conceptions of himself. This remark was needed to preface the momentous instruction he was about to communicate at this memorable epoch in his ministry.

Peter now obtains a view of the process of the world's recovery through the merits of Christ's character and the office of his Messiahship. Now he fixes his eye for the first time calmly on that great truth which underlies all spiritual life.

Jesus is now aiming to awaken a deeper consciousness of himself in the mind of Peter. Up to the great conception of his own Divine nature, assisted by the Holy Ghost, he is leading his mind. At this moment of the interview the blessed effect on the nations, of this truth which Peter had just enunciated, opens up and out before the mind of Jesus. The triumphs of this truth over all forms of error and wickedness arise in magnificence before him. Well does he know that if this truth be proclaimed it will redeem the world. If his Church "hold it forth" it will pour light over every habitation of cruelty. Now arises before him the vast work of the everlasting salvation of the countless millions in the long line of Adam from the beginning of time to the last hour of its closing century. Its difficulties rise and rise and stretch away before him into immense distance. Then rebreaks upon him the splendid fact that the truth of his divinity, if proclaimed, can dissipate all difficulties and bring in upon the earth "everlasting righteousness." Then rises up before him, in painful uncertainty, the problem, Will my Church be faithful to her mission, her great and glorious mission? In this state of deep solicitude what is the most natural thought that could arise in the mind of Jesus? Could he turn from themes so moving to matters so trivial as the supremacy of Peter in the college of the apostles, and to a perpetual primacy to occupy his chair? Could he turn from such problems to a subject so foreign to his thoughts as ecclesiastical authority in Church government? The only thought that could here logically rise in his mind would be to impress on Peter his individual responsibility in the work of evangelization. This thought needed iteration and reiteration on the few minds destined to begin under the Gospel the work of saving the world. Jesus had no thought more important to fix in their minds. In no one of his discourses would it seem more appropriate than in the one before us. And the thought the connection requires is this-individual responsibility in the evangelization of the world. At this point therefore Jesus says to Peter: "I say also unto thee that thou art Peter." You, Peter, have given me a name defining my nature and describing my work, so I give you a name descriptive of your nature and of your work. "Thou art Peter." Thou art no longer the unrenewed man, Simon, but thou art Peter, a man regenerated and active in the work of human salvation Пerpos signifies a stone, while εтρа (seе Rob

inson, and Liddell and Scott) means a rock. After God revealed his Son in Peter, Jesus changed his address. He had addressed him as Simon, but now he calls him Peter. New names were often given to Jewish leaders to commemorate interesting events and epochs in their lives. As Peter was to be a distinguished character in thenew dispensation, it seems proper that a new name should be given him to mark an event so interesting as his initiation into the mysteries of a spiritual life and communion of the Holy Ghost. Jesus would probably have given him a new name were it not for the fact that his name, Пɛтpoç, was more expressive of his spiritual nature, destiny, and work than any other.

Instead, therefore, of giving him a new name to mark the most thrilling event of his life, he continues the old one; but puts into it a deeper, wider, and richer signification: "I say unto thee that thou art Peter," that is, I say unto thee that thou art the regenerated and adopted child of God. The revelation which you have just received from heaven has converted you from the unrenewed Simon to Peter the regenerate. Though Peter had previously been called TETOOS, yet now henceforth that name suggests to his mind the great ideas of his conversion, his consecration, and his obligations to lead a holy life. The change of the name of the patriarch from Jacob into Israel was not more expressive of his experience than the change in the name ПIɛтpoç, as understood before the truth of Christ dawned upon Peter, into TETOоc, as understood by him after Jesus said unto him," I say unto thee that thou art Peter." The term TεTOоç then defines the spiritual nature of this regenerated disciple. So the Saviour intended Peter to understand him. Peter was actually the beginning of the new Church. The idea of a beginning suggests the idea of a foundation; the idea of a foundation suggested the idea of a rock; the idea of a rock suggested the name of Peter, as his name signifies a stone. The two facts, that Peter was the beginning of the new Church, and that his name signifies a stone, suggested the idea of a temple, and the idea of a temple suggested the idea of a mas. ter builder. Now rises up before the mind of Jesus the glorious "spiritual house to be built up of lively stones, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God," In that spiritual temple he recognizes every regenerated soul as a "lively stone," a living crystal. He represents himself as the master builder of this spiritual edifice. Peter's apprehension of the truth, his renewal of heart, and confession of "God manifest in the flesh," had made him a "lively stone" fit for the master's use. "Thou art IIɛ700s; thy name signifies a stone, and a stone thou art, a lively stone' in the